2011 has been a wierd work year for me. My boss left and I was asked to step up and run the entire department (going from 17 to 173 people overnight) – but only on an interim basis.

I did apply for the job on a permie basis but didn’t get it – someone from outside of our area got it. The feedback was although I was the stronger candidate I didn’t get the job as they were looking for a change of regime.

I’m a good boy though and have committed to support the new boss as he transitions into a very specialist area (with no knowledge).

It’s begginning to irk me that this guy with no experience is running the show. He’s letting people leave and doesn’t really understand that replacing them will be almost impossible.

He’s changed his entire leadership teams job roles so that he can start from scratch – but I’ve not been put at risk of redundancy yet – which makes no sense.

He’s had me travelling like a dog (US and Europe) to the extent that come Christmas I’ll have been on the road for 14 weeks.

This week he announced he was starting recruitment for his new leadership team (cos all of our roles have changed) and becuase of that he wants all of the existing team to report to him directly. At the moment only three of us report to him – the other 8 report to us. So I’ve lost 4 direct reports.

He keeps telling me I have a future – but then I feel like I’m being kicked in the nuts.

I’ve written to HR today and spoken to our main HR contact and said – Grievance, Constructive Dismissal and Redundancy.

It feels odd – almost like I’ve given up trying to sort out the issues. But I am truly sick of slaving for no reward.

Have I got it wrong (and I know the above is a precis of the issue)? Just wondering whether I should just MTFU and either stick it our or smack him.

I feel better now. And my plane is here to take me home. Time for a stiff one before boarding 😉

if you can afford it get someone to do him over and tell him why when he comes to work the next day maybe he’ll quit problem solved

on a reality note id prob get as much evidence of him fubaring up and get someone else to hand the evidence to HR and get the grotbag the heave ho so you can get promoted permanently job solved

never back down

Asking to be made redundant – is it giving up?

Not at all.

I once applied for redunancy, as the Company was considering voluntary applications, before it had to select people for the exit.

Best thing I ever did, it re-lit a fire under my ass and so became a new begining for me.
I’ve never looked back.

Turn this into a positive opportunity to do something either different, or elsewhere.

🙂

sounds like you work FAR to hard for someone to be happy.

14 weeks away, i assume you have no wife and kids ?

FWIW, i ‘work’ for a living… but i spend more time at home than in the office..

If ‘giving up’ as you percieve it, improves the quality of your life… then it isn’t giving up 🙂

Nah, sod it. If you live for your work but currently work isn’t doing it for you, move on with a golden boot to insulate you from the trauma of temporary zero income.

I went through 20 years of ‘live for work’ then woke up to the fact I was swimming against the tide and this sort of thing reinforces the fickle nature of employment. Why would anyone commit wholeheartedly to something that is entirely transient and can be arbitrarily changed on a whim?

Wake up, move on and get your personal life back.

I went through 20 years of ‘live for work’ then woke up to the fact I was swimming against the tide and this sort of thing reinforces the fickle nature of employment. Why would anyone commit wholeheartedly to something that is entirely transient and can be arbitrarily changed on a whim?

Wake up, move on and get your personal life back.

I find myself almost entirely in agreement with this, the only thing I would say is maybe keep this option in reserve if possible, wait and see what the restructuring brings and if things look just as bad three months down the line then maybe then is the time to jump ? Also, keep copious notes of all conversations, print off emails etc to support your case if you decide to go this way. It’s important not to flounce off in a huff, but to run things in your own way with a plan and a feeling of control.

Good luck.

Change is difficult in any organization because it requires people to chnage. You didnt get the job because the management didnt think you would bring about a change in the business. I think you need to reflect on that. Sitting back, taking copious notes and printintg off emails? Hardly the act of someone committed to moving things forward?

Sounds like you’re not enjoying it at all.

Absolutely nothing wrong with applying for redundancy. You spend a lot of your life at work, you should be spending as much of that time enjoying yourself as you can. Apply, hope you get it then move onto the next phase of your career.

Very interesting this.

I’ve spent 3 years doing the same job, getting quite bored at times and have actually asked / complained via my appraisals/boss for progression / change. 4 years ago when I did the same I volunteered to take on 4 staff to make my work life more interesting, created myself a job title and found some job offers to convince him to pay me appropriately. I also mentioned (because I felt aggrieved that I should be doing this myself) that he should let me go instead. He wouldnt, on the basis that the company redundancy offer at the time would mean paying me a years salary to go – his view was that if he’s paying me a years salary I may as well be working for him.

1 year after company changes meant I lost the staff, I got shelved into a corner where I’ve been getting more and more bored ever since. I can’t see a chance of promotion or change.

On the plus side, I get paid quite handsomely indeed, and because I am my own man/trusted (coughs) I can manipulate my diary to suit my personal / bike life. This 3 year period coincides with the birth of our first son.

So in summary, I get paid well, have the backing / recognition /redundancy of nearly 20 years service in a large corporate should anything go wrong, great benefits (family medical etc), can get out to ride 3 times per week, can be at home when I need to be, and on the minus side, can get incredibly bored an unmotivated during a 37h week at work, but when busy can get to 60hrs (this week and last). I actually feel guilty about some of the ease of work I do / spare time I have.

In reflection so some of the working hours / situations I’ve seen posted on here, I feel I’m quite lucky. Although at times (mainly because mentally I am not good at being bored) I find the work issue a strain and wish I was busier / more challenged.

An opportunity came just last week for an internal move for which I’ve tentively applied. It’d be a busy new role on a similar payscale and because I’m moving within the company I get to keep my benefits so no loss there. However, I found myself thinking, “if I took this role I’d be at home / have to ride less”, and actually I might therefore find reasons to turn it down.

Therefore my question is – is ok to be bored? Back to the OP though, in my situation, asking for the redundancy resulted in me being paid more than my equivalent market rate, giving me a good work / life balance yet having to cope with the mental boredom I explained.

Sounds to be like you need to address the work / life balance issues, especially if you have family. But its a complex world (i think)…