Advice on work issue please

[buckeejit]

Work problem-apologies for the length of post!

I work 20 hours a week doing admin for a small charity in my hometown, so it's low paid but I like it, have been there 3 years now-suits my childcare needs & they are flexible so in that respect ticks a lot of boxes.

However, due to securing funding for a new project they were taking on 7 new staff-6 community type workers & was to be another part time admin, (currently just 1 FT worker-the project coordinator -PC & me).

Prior to advertising, one of the Directors was in the office discussing with PC & said to me 'we need to make sure to look after you so think what you want to do', PC agreed. I said I was happy to do whatever fitted as long as within my 20 hours. I think PC wanted me to do 25 hours, (I've done it for a few months the last couple of years & it's a struggle). Then one day I got an email from someone asking for a job application pack-queried with PC who hadn't told me ads were going out. I looked to see that the admin position, although a bit more money & holidays was sadly down for 25 hours a week. The other PT community positions were 20 hours. I was disappointed & confused - tried to openly ask PC 'what is it you'd like for me to do?' She was very unresponsive & said 'well whatever, you could probably do any of the jobs'. So I applied for the community type job-quite a few folk applied but nobody applied for the admin position. When a Director was in the office, PC made a casual 'nobody applied for the admin-25 hours must be hard for people, never mind we'll just add it to this new other part time position & advertise for someone full time', (this would effectively have made the advertised post come down from 25hours to 17.5 hours. I was shocked & hurt that it could so flippantly be changed yet didn't even warrant a discussion with me to say they needed or would have liked someone 25 hours.

I would have really liked the community job but didn't get it-bad day on the interview & it was playing on my mind how unsupportive PC had been. The only thing she said was 'my advice is pretend you don't know me'. It was her, another Director & a community partner on the interview panel so that didn't make sense. Next day PC informed me that I didn't score highly enough but they were going to make me office manager & bring in another FT admin worker under me. Fine, great, that's grand. Although I was disappointed not getting the job I thought all happens for a reason etc, however I couldn't shake the frustration I felt at the lack of support & not engaging with me despite previous declarations of thanks & friendship for all my hard work.
A week later I asked to speak to her about the jobs to let her know I felt unsupported, in the hope that putting it out there would enable me to move on without feeling resentment. She then said 'actually the board have decided that we need a FT office manager now instead' so taking back the position she'd given me a week ago. When I said 'are you serious?' She said well I had to put it to the board-if it was my business I could make the decisions but there's nothing I can do...I know you'll be feeling undervalued now & we're in danger of losing you'

I know that 'boards decision' is a bit of a get out clause for her & all the board seem decent people. I'm wondering if they even know that she'd already given me that position.

A week later is today & advert gone out for FT office manager, obviously for more money than I'm on. She glossed over it in an update to me today saying 'do have a look' even though she is well aware that there's no way I can work FT.

I feel so let down & badly repaid for my loyalty. I'll admit I find it very difficult to be around her atm as I really feel like I've been stabbed in the back. Time at work is dragging & Im not good at putting on a front & pretending everything is fine. I'm finding it hard to look at her, although this is all quite fresh-in the last week

I feel my options are
1. Grin & bear it & hope eventually things get better
2. Make a formal grievance about the situation-don't know if there's any point but I really don't like how unfair it is
3. Ask one of the Directors outright if they knew the situation
4. Just leave. Money would be vv tight & it would be difficult to find something that easily suits around dc-don't want to ask 70 year old parents to do more than they do at present
PC is really great at her job (apart from the managing people aspect), so if I stayed I would be working with her but new employees would dilute the situation

Thanks for reading-any advice appreciated :)

[CactusFred]

I know if it were me I'd be grinning and bearing it whilst looking for another job.

I work in a similar organisation- a grievance or similar will do no good as they prob don't have a HR dept and it'll just be a huge awkward mess.

I'd stick with it and go as soon as you get something else rather than leave and struggle financially.

Good luck.

[buckeejit]

Thanks cactus-You're right, a grievance would be a mess though I don't feel like it could get much worse than it is now. I think I need to find out if the board knew she'd already given me the job-it's the difference between being let down by one person or ten. I just keep thinking it's not fair-how could anyone think it is!

[buckeejit]

Update-another discussion today about bad atmosphere in the office-I said I didn't feel it was resolved & it's another kick in the face to bring in someone new to basically do the same job as me but paid 30% more as hourly rate.

She admitted that the board weren't aware that she'd given me the manager position but did say she'd like us to resolve it & move forward.

Not sure how. We're using a not quite line manager as a mediator sort of thing. Feel a bit less awful about it now someone else is involved