New boss at work

[megcleary]

Been in to discuss the hours I want to work with my boss when I return from mat leave. There are three of us senior staff who reported to her the other two are higher grades than me but we all worked well together. Any way while i was off they had junior staff act up (has not worked out well) and one of the other senior staff support her.

On my return I no longer report to my boss I report to this colleague to supported my junior staff.

AIBU to feel demoted and upset by this.

Demoted, no, upset, yes, but you can't expect a place of work to remain exactly as is when you are absent - for any reason - for several months.

Fair enough, I just didn't expect another tier of management (who was previously a colleague) over me.

How long have you been off?

YANBU to be upset, but YABU to feel demoted I think. It sounds like New Boss person is just going to keep the existing reporting structure in place and probably hasn't though about what your reporting structure used to be.

I'd suck it up, go back in and just get on. Hopefully after a while the person you report to may see how silly it is and you can have constructive conversations about it rather than it being a big issue when you go back.

I have been off 9 months will be a year off when I am back in january, the issue I have scaredbear is the person i now have to report to was an equal when i left.

Can see why you feel upset, but YABU. You've been off A YEAR! Other people have been working, someone has made progress and been promoted. That's just the way it goes. I've been off a year as well, and have seen people who were way more junior than me, almost at my level now. It was my choice to take a year on maternity leave, and that's one of the consequences. So what? It's all just a made-up system in offices! Just enjoy your work, do your best, and enjoy your family.

No one has been promoted, the "big" boss has said she has too many people reporting to her so I report to colleague instead of her.

OP you're going to get a harder time here than you deserve. You may want to repost in employment issues where you'll get employment and HR experts.

I'm in HR so I'll give you my opinion here. After 6 months of leave you have the right to return to a job of similar and equal standing, with no less favourable conditions - not necessarily the exact same job.

However, you should be going back to the same job unless there is a very good reason why not. If there is a good reason you should be fully consulted. I think you need to ask the reasons for the change. If it's sensible and reasonable you need to move on. You have not been promoted, but your senior colleague has been promoted. If there is no good reason then they should go back to how things were when you left.

I know it's hard but it is possible things have changed in the year you have been off.

You have not been demoted but ...

Good point Katie she has been promoted she has my dept and her own, I suppose that is the risk taking time out.

Was suprised how much it hurt.

It sounds like it would have happened even if you had been there. I'm not sure your maternity leave is relevant.

I do understand how tough it is being away and coming back to a slightly different set up but it does sound like your maternity leave is not the cause. Once you're back it'll soon feel like you never went away.

its not your job that has changed, its someone elses. You are at the same level, someone else has been promoted.

Not being big headed but the other person would not have overseen the junior staff had I not left so I don't think it would have happened had I not gone on maternity.

They went for the cheap option (fair enough) of having junior staff attempt to cover me when I left and by various accounts it is a disaster. I think the "big" boss is so sick of it all she is cutting the link to my dept by having me to report to another.

I don't understand - you haven't actually been demoted, have you? It's just that you now report to one of your colleagues, who you say was at a 'higher level' than you anyway?

That sounds fairly normal, a very similar thing happened in my team actually (not related to maternity leave or anything) and it didn't occur to me to be upset by it. These rearrangements of management structure happen all the time. Do you not get on with the new manager?

Three of us ran depts and reported to a senior, I was a lower grade (cheap labour) of the three.

The new manager is alright, her face fits I think.

Anyway popping on here has made me realise maybe IABU and should get over myself and be grateful I have a job to go back to.

Are you still managing your team? If you were running a department and now you're not that would be wrong but if there's just an extra layer of management and you would not have been in the running for that promotion then that sounds ok.

Well it's bound to be a bit unsettling going back and finding that things have changed, so YANBU about that. But no, it doesn't sound as though there's anything particularly wrong or unfair there.

Day to day running she said was mine, not sure what other stuff they are planning before I return.

I think you need to have a meeting either just before you go back or immediately upon your return to decide what it is that has changed, why and the implications of the change.

Only then can you decide how you feel about it and what to do about it. Post on employment issues and we'll give you advice, opinion and comment and hold your hand through the next steps - whether it's getting on with things or getting them to reconsider.

They have had a shift around - there is nothing wrong with that. So far in 2011 we have had several shift rounds and I am on the 3rd boss. Could be like our company and had several restructures due to the current economic climate?

Don't worry about it. Alot of things will probably be different when you get back. Act like you embrace change!