Have I been stitched?

A bit of background, we’re a team of 3 reporting to a mgr. 7-8 months ago a new Manager joined, 1 person left (I believe it was peformance related) and the other was promoted outside of the team so it was just the mgr and myself, since then we have been firefighting and been overstretched (due to resource), ontop of that I have covered a fair chunk of the work by myself due to my Mgr getting married, long honeymoon being injured and having an operation. Two month ago the two replacements join, both are more senior than myself and have started to take back some of the work I have been covering.

So I think “great” a chance to get back to concentrating on my own role, however I just had a meeting with my line manager and my current role has been regraded to a more senior level (same as the other two), however I am not being regraded so cannot do it any longer. So in summary worked crazy hours, struggling to do 3 roles above my usual level to get myself out there but do not get the chance to do 1 on its own…

I have been told about two seperate roles within the company, one is a bit dead end and the other is only on a 6 month project. I asked what if I didn’t want to take either role and the third option is redundancy, although I was told that they don’t want to lose me. I only have 18mths permanant employment but have actually been with the company for 3 years as I was contracting previously, so I’m guessing any payout will be minimal.

So my options are take a job I don’t want or chance it on the contracting market again in this great economy.

Not sure if I have a point to this post, but I feel a little better for brain dumping 🙂

I would be asking why I wasn’t being regraded, in light of my previous performance.
Is the role changing substantially?

Yeah, I’d ask (in a professional, non-whiney way) why they didn’t think I could perform the new role, given that I had been doing it in all but name for the past however many months.

Is there any room for negotiation so you can train to fill the new senior role?

I was spread to thin so focussed on getting stuff done and out the door (for all 3 roles) rather than developing my existing role as quickly as the Directors would of liked. Basically I was being a “team player” rather than focusing on my own individual area, my manager has taken a load of flak himself so this is coming from above.

I asked but kind of know the reason anyway. I’m good at getting stuff done quickly, process improvement etc… but I’m slighty lacking the corporate management, interteam politics piece. I thought that the hardwork (which to be fair was recognised) and covering 90% of all roles would have given me the opportunity to develop those skills a bit whilst at the new grade, but apparently not…

I believe someone has already been picked for my role.

Classics case, if you had done less but done that perfectly you would have moved on. Typical corporate. Its like the Apprentice round here, everyones a senior this or VP that, but they are all lightweight, inexperienced twerks.

Double quick, get yourself some help to write a precis of what you did and how well you did it and what attributes you have and thus why are capable of the more senior role.

Then submit it and tell them if they cant (constructively) counter it with an explantion of why you are not being regraded to the senior role instead of bringing someone else in then it wont be redundancy it will be constructive unfair dismissal.

At same time start tarting that same precis around other companies with a view to getting better money, better role and recognition elsewhere. If your troop are serious about keeping you then that will wake them up.

All this will also wake you up and steel your determination and confidence.

Unfortunately hard work doesn’t necessarily = progression and if other people are favoured for whatever reason, a scenario can be set up which sees you pushed aside.

Whatever you do stick up for yourself. Sounds like you have the right skills and work ethic for the job and no-one can take those things away from you.

Thanks for the responses, I think its another lesson learned on my part, although it didn’t come as a total surprise as I know this kind of thing happens in Corporates. I’ve just got to decide what’s best for me & my family now (I’m the sole earner)

I’ve been thinking about what to do and have come down to two options that I’m swaying between;
– There was talk of a potential third role in an area that has spare headcount but no specific a role, its an area that would add to my technical skills so would be potentially beneficial longer term. Pro’s: stable salary, learning some new skills / Con’s: Don’t know the exact role, feel a little bitter about staying, would most likely have to leave the company to progress at some point anyway
– Take redundancy. This would need a bit more thought as I don’t know what would be on offer, but I wondered if I could be pro-active & pitch it to them about leaving on some sort of compromise agreement, train the new person, hand over my knowledge etc… and leave with a few months salary to give me a buffer to sort myself out.

“if you had done less but done that perfectly you would have moved on”

Bingo. Hard graft for marginal success is not a road to promotion; I should know. Everyone says how much they value you, but your only reward is the expectation that you can do it again. Repeat until retirement/ redundancy/ long-term sick/ death.

All is not lost: with luck, one of the slick new employees might turn out to be total bozo. Or you could become a slick new employee at some other firm. Good luck mate.

Quick update on this, until today I’ve heard nothing (a week), a meeting has been setup to go and talk about one of the other roles (despite my intial re-buffable of the role) I’ll see what they have to say and try and look at it with positive eyes.

Since last week I’ve been pretty much left alone since the intial meeting, most new work is bypassing me and I have a general feeling of not being part of the team anymore, its not a nice feeling and feels a bit crap coming into work at the moment.

I’m tempted to stick my notice in for my sanity and start a fresh elsewhere, but that feels like giving in and letting them have an easy life, argghh what to do… any advice?

Oh and the redunancy option seems to have gone very quiet, I assume as my role isn’t actually redundant, just being regraded (role spec is unchanged) HR are advising my Manager that this maybe a little dodgy?

Quite possibly on the redundancy one. Far too many companies make a cock up of this and leave themselves vulnerable.

Don’t put your notice in, don’t care so much – go in, do what work they have for yo and go home again. Wait and see what they have to offer -make them make all the running

Oh and the redunancy option seems to have gone very quiet, I assume as my role isn’t actually redundant, just being regraded (role spec is unchanged) HR are advising my Manager that this maybe a little dodgy?

Very dodgy. If the role is the same, they can’t make you redundant because it’s been regraded.

Thanks guys, I want to stick it out but am struggling to detach mentally, I can see the upcoming months being unpleasant.

Definitely don’t hand your notice in – that is the easy way out for THEM, not you.

Sit it out, relax a bit – it sounds like you’ve been up against it recently.

Put a bit of your time into writing your CV, and consider giving sugdenr’s suggestion of touting a precis of your recent triumphs around, with requests for constructive feedback as to why they thought you couldn’t do the job you had proven you could do.

Dave

Worth a read of the new Agency Worker Regulations too – not sure if they work retrospectively though

http://www.smeweb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2996:new-law-changes-for-temp-workers&catid=59:news&Itemid=105

http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/a/11-949-agency-workers-regulations-guidance

At the end of the day being Happy is all that counts, so if you don’t like it there are find something better, just leave. Holding grudges / fighting pointless battles doesn’t do you any good in the long term. I walked out my last job as it was literally driving me insane. My advice is don’t look back, just look forward.

but don’t walk away unless you’ve got something concrete to go to!!! don’t cut your nose off to spite your face 8)

Bleed them dry … then walk.

Similar position last August. Tarted up CV… had a few enjoyable interviews (I know… A process I was dreading but which turned out to be good and made me realise how useful I am 🙄 ).

Found a far better job, enjoyed the process of quiting and the exit interviews and am much happier etc etc the end.

As above – go find better.

Yeah sounds like you’re being shafted, as others have said don’t just leave. Take one of the offered roles and do the minimum required whilst looking for other jobs, far less stressful finding a job whilst you’re already in one. Call me spineless but I don’t think it’s worth pursuing trying to stay in your current role, even if the company is pulling a fast one you’ll just end up managed out or some such later on and have shit references to show for it.

Thanks for all of the comments, its reassuring to know I’m not thinking its a bit out of order.

Anyway just back from talking to someone about one of the other roles and I don’t think I’m really suited, if I took it I think I would go insane very quickly.

I guess they’ve got some favour of the month person, lined up for my role and are just trying to stick me in whatever vacant role there is going.

I have a meeting with my Manager at 5pm where I’ll be telling him I’m not interested in either role, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.

Either do what sugdenr suggests and build the case for doing the role yourself, and include statements from other people who you have helped by being a team player.
Either that or go on the sick and bleed em dry whist looking for another job 🙂