Might need to ride sometime and enjoy a bit of distraction :D

Cheers for the comments.

Situation is I've pushed back the next meeting to next Wednesday as I still have a lot of investigation to do especially talking to solicitors.

Bascially I'm going down the route that the selection pool is unfair as my team of 5 are all contracted doing the same role.

Also my role is not disappearing, one of my colleagues is going to be taking it on – meaning its not being made redundant which in my eyes means they should be in the pool also as I am more than competent than most of them.

I've accepted that my days at my company are numbered so I've accepted that and have started a big push to source alternative employment as soon as possible.

I'm keeping my spirits high but my wife is taking it really badly and she has been in tears saying its ruining our Xmas and pointing out after 5 years we were just starting back on the road of financial stability. BIG fight last night over nothing ended in her breaking down in front of me. Horrible to watch!!! She's taken the day off today as she is just too stressed out and hasn't slept all night.

SO bascially lots of positive action and attitude from me. I'm going so why fight it (other than to get more money from them for their incompetance and lack of respect for their employees)

On the subject of tribunals and unions, I've never been a great one for Unions (used to work for Unipart and heard many a story of how the unions ruined British Leyland back in the day). But I can see why they have their place. I may go down the tribunal route but only if things get really bad and any appeal doesn't work out.

They're bastards but that's their problem not mine :)

On the phone to the solictor now!

I'm not sure they've even been through a scoring process yet!!

Cheers for the comments – firing up the old PC and getting me CV up to date. Getting some advice from solicitors etc today and may go in to the office tomorrow for round 2 (may not if the weather is nice ;) )

Joolsburger – YGM

Jedi – Will have a think and anyway you can help I'll let you know. You got any vacancies for puncture gimps or tea bitches??

Bit overwhelmed to come back and find so much support and advice – Thanks STW!!! I was updating last night via my blackberry (sorry my companies BB) so saved this for now after I had a rest.

Number of things really annoy me about this process.

Already feel like I'm being treated like I'm an ex-employee. No one will talk to me and be honest about what is happening. Its obvious that they have a plan but they won't tell me what it is – Bastards do they think I am a fool!!! I know they have to follow a process but even my boss who I used to work with in the same team and is / was a friend hasn't even had a quiet world in trust.

I had the meeting and couldn't believe I'd driven in and 10minutes later it was over. Certain points that came out I'm really not happy with:

1. The fact that out of 5 people who are employed as CSMs in the Telco team and are assigned specific Telecoms clients, I'm the only one going and I signalled earlier in the year I had spare capacity and I could take on another big client – so the fact that one of my colleagues has just one client like me, has been with the company a third of the time I have, is a baffoon and hasn't sold as much new business this year as me really pisses me off as I could easily do his job and mine!!!

2. I was expected to drop everything and attend this meeting and then another meeting the following day. The second meeting is to allow me to collect my thoughts and so on, but actually having it so soon gives me no time to do anything.

3. When talking about when we could have the next meeting I advised I would contact them when I was ready – to which I got the reply "Any delays to the consultation process wouldn't stop the outcome happening in the expected timescales" – How the **** do they know what the timescales for the outcome would be if they don't know what the outcome will be yet???

4. How can the position be made redundant supporting this customer but someone will carry on supporting this customer once the redundancy is made?? Surely that doesn't mean the role is redundant? Especially as the customer is still spending millions of pounds with the company. Admittedly the revenue has dropped by a third this year due to the recession in the housing market and because of severe cost cutting client side. But if this isn't performance related then it must be head count and in that case the person who is getting the BT account should also be up there as I can do that job too… in fact I could do it much better if it is who I think it is

5. The HR guy was really up his ass, condascending, smug **** and I was really tempted to give him a kicking and cave his face in and fit is with bat guano!!

6. They didn't really explain the process, only through me asking did I find out what the next steps were and then I'm not really any wiser on what I need to do or prepare for this next meeting – they mentioned something about mitigation and being formally notified – mitigation for what? Am I supposed to convince them that I am the best man for my job ahead of …??… oops forgot I'm the only person up for this process!!

On the whole I am really pissed off with the process and rationale used so far. Not pissed off with the fact I am having a change in my life as a change is as good as a rest.

Looks like they have a game plan and its giving me the heave ho and getting rid of headcount or another position in the company (I was offered one a few months ago but the position wasn't in my favor so I turned it down after being told it wouldn't affect my position and I was advised by one of the other senior directors I know well only to take it if there was something in it for me which there wasn't, but I know that there is a team of CSMs which is under-resourced quite badly)

Either way, I'm chilled about it. I've done the sums and even with a minimal payout I can survive for 6-9months.

TBH honest even if they give me a new role I'm gonna look at new jobs and see what is out there as the way I've been treated is bad.

PS. Had a great ride last night – just what I needed to chill out – Managed to get a barend to the sideburn and now have a lump on my face but its all good!!

Davy – my thoughts too!!

Goz – It could be a long running thing ;)

Right off to bed – been up since 3am – will post more details in the morning.

Bimble would be good, but have to take a customer out in Leeds for dinner (one appointment I'm not going to miss since the company are paying)

We are all client sales manager, just have different customers. They are saying they are making the role supporting my customer redundant – although one of my colleauges will take over the job of looking after them.

Mboy – thursday would be good but I have a 200 mile round trip to do for a 10 minute meeting ;)

Coyote – tempting, in fact when I parked the car up and got my bag out the boot, I noticed my mattock in there from trailbuilding and was tempted to take that to the meeting ;)

Nah – I'm here! Went biking with Jedi after getting the news and just got home. Good to have a distraction! :)

Basically went to London, 3.5 hour drive and they read a letter out saying my role is being proposed to be made redundant. Why the F*** they couldn't tell me over the phone I don't know!!

Next step is to meet them and discuss something but they've not really explained the process. So I don't really know what is happening. Out of my team of 5 sales managers, I'm the only one being made redundant – work that one out!

I said FS not banking!

Djglover – that was my first, second…… twentieth questions

Mrmo – Tewkesbury (ironically where my boss lives :( ).

Stoner – I've been pestering my boss most of the day for information but all he will say is that he has been told not to say anything and they have to follow the process. I'd love to know what I'm discussing but he won't budge no matter how hard I try.

Can I record the conversation??

Tony – Me too!!! Well stressful! God knows what it is but I know that looks like its session on for tomorrow night whatever the outcome – I want to ruin myself after the day I had today!!! ;)

To put icing on the cake – Wife went to london on behalf of her boss since he couldn't make it. Got to the place in Chiswick, nowhere to park so parked outside, went into to see if they could suggest somewhere to park – comes out and being clamped – £295 release fee and they kindly took my wife to the cash machine to take the money out of the joint account!!! To top it off – the person who arranged the meeting told her the wrong date so it was a wasted journery for everyone except the clampers!!!!

and…

…went to get a video to take my mind off things – £15 fine for late video a few weeks ago!!! does it end!!!

Blimey – not a member of a union at the moment!

Is there a Financial Service salesman union?

The redundancy (along with sacking) would be the worst but I don't understand why of the people in my team who all do the same job why I've been singled out for it and non of the others are being called in. Surely if its the job they are making redundant then they would somehow have to select us fairly… OK so I'm the one with the least work but I am also one of the most knowledgeable and have just had some independant research done with the customer i look after and they couldn't have spoken more highly of me.

Also, if they offered me a new role doing the same job but in a different sector and I decided against it, and if I know that that position hasn't been filled since surely they can't make me redundant because it is a role they need and I can do – or is it like double jeopardy…?

TJ – If I want to stop the meeting – on what grounds can I stop it? Is crying one of them??

Private sector.

Thinking about taking a witness in with me,

When you say illegal – something like Badger-bating?

Just been reading Pump Track Nation – especially the bit on corners and sizes.

Yep, pressure was way down once the rad was bled so topped it back up to where it was before.

I think the problem was last night I realised one of the rads downstairs was off and had been for a long while – turned it on and thats when it started making the funny sounds.

Mr A – There are some interesting features – but no really interesting features if you know what I mean. The main interesting bits are the amount of trees and some gullys etc.

I've just been reading that it shouldn't be more than 10% not 20%, but this doesn't seem very steep.

20% = 1in5?

Mate – You've got your field of dreams – and now I've got my forest of dreams ;)

Jambo – Good idea, gonna have to do some clearing but will bear this in mind. There is so much potential we just don't know where to start or which line to use :)

Jedi – Is that an offer of help??

Lyons – …and more ;)

Are ferroli that bad??? Came with the house :(

Just got up and bleed all the radiators – one nearest the boiler let out air for about 60 seconds. Just turned boiler back on and gonna monitor it.

Yeah – modern wall mounted boiler. A ferroli.

Bit worrying since its in the kids bedroom :?

Right gonna unplug it and go to bed.

Cheers

You mean unplug it?

Cheers – got me out of bed!

I was at a meeting last night where the police gave a talk on this and mentioned using smart water, immobilise.com and recording frame numbers as the biggest problem was proving bikes were stolen and returning them to the rightful owners.

Do you think keeping your bikes looking muddy (maybe keeping only the drivetrain and other select areas clean) would deter them? If you think they may want to resell them or the parts to make money – surely them having to put a bit of work in to clean them would deter them (if they could be bothered to put some work in then they'd probably have a job!)

Damn! Can't make it!! Got the kids for the weekend as Bry is away on a girly weekend so I'm going to watch the cyclocross racing in Cheltenham!!!

We've had a number of thefts in the area (luckily not mine yet) and been discussing this with the wife as she works for a well respected security company.

She says that there are two aspects which deter thieves

1. Shite strong chains, locks etc
2. Alarm wired to your house

Means the thieves have to get in, disable the lock in under 2mins as the alarm is going off. Security lighting and CCTV adds an interesting angle too it also as this can help in courts when prosecuting for burgundy.

If anyone is interested they are just starting a promotion aimed at cyclists on the back of all the thefts – bascially providing some serious chains, locks, shed shackles, ground anchors and alarms at good prices. Drop me a message and I'll see if I can get some sort info out

Enjoy it everyone – weather looking cracking.

I'm not making it as there is far too much climbing for me and I now have an appointment doing some trailbuilding :)

Freddyg – I'd love one of those too.

I've asked for riding socks, riding gloves, wire on DVD and some after shave – to be honest I'll be happiest with the socks!! :o

If this is normal then our kids are normal too.

My youngest gets more ill than my oldest did, but put it down to her having a less developed immune system and having nursery and school bugs to contend with.

Mmmmm Thumper and Bambi – makes me want to watch a film….