To be really worried about my job??

[Jastina]

Ok I'll try and keep this simple.

I work for a U.S. Company who operate globally. I'm the HR manager for Europe and Africa and I have an equivalent in Asia who also covers Oz. We report to a manager in the states (who works at the HQ as part of a huge HR team).

There have been hundreds of redundancies in the U.S. but our VP told my colleague in Asia (who does exactly the same job as me) that our jobs weren't being considered for redundancy because we cover so much, it's very specialised work and the time difference is an obvious problem which would be hard to overcome. We serve our regions soley (ie I do not work with Asia or American based employees) so if they decided to make us redundant, someone in the U.S. Would do HR for our employees. We are a very comma focussed company. I work strategically with managers on complex issues daily. This would all be lost if they decided to operate HR from the states in Europe.

Today I had a chat with my manager (she has been in this job for a year) and is clueless. Never contacts me or my colleague, never had any answers to our questions and knows nothing of international employment legislation. As far as she's concerned employment law is no different in the UK than it is in the U.S.)

We had a rare chat today (first in 6 months) and I asked her if she was aware of any potential redundancies in international HR. Bold as brass she said "I'm sure they'll centralise your role soon, I actually had a management consultant ask about your role, as well as many other roles, and y'know it's an expensive area". It's not. They save an absolute fortune by employing us as we aren't paid huge salaries and we are completely generalist. I was so dumbfounded at how blasé she was in response to this question that I said nothing. My husband was astonished when I told him. They are talking about my job!!! I am Ttc at the moment and could very well be pregnant. Wwyd? Aibu to be so worried?

Ultimately the way she answered was in a way which didn't rule it out but that she thought it might happen "eventually" she said "I'm sure they'll centralise your roles eventually"

You're an HR Manager. Surely you know your rights and the company's rights when it comes to redundancy? You can try to fight it but you must know that you're probably on a hiding to nothing if they're determined. Save the energy you're using to worry for looking for another job.

Can you speak to the VP, as your equivalent in Asia did, and ask them direct, saying you have heard someone senior to you saying your roles would be considered for centralisation?

That's a pretty shit response but as someone who also works in HR for a US company l would take her words with a pinch of salt. You should know if that was their intention they would never even throw it out there.

But l would call her on it and email saying 'regarding our conversation the other day when you said blah blah blah, is there a time frame on this thinking?' so she comprehends what she's said to you (i e. that you believe your role will be under threat soon).

Wow! I used to work for a big US firm that operated globally and I would have been gobsmacked if my line manager had said that to me (and I did report to one based in the US)

I would speak to your VP and ask them directly about role centralisation. Prior to this I would prepare a summary of points as to why your role would be very difficult to centralise (concise bullets) - depending on how your call with the VP goes - raise in the call if you are able to. But then definitely follow up the call with a short email that contains these bullet points.

IE you need to get in now to signpost to your VP with actual points they can use to ensure you stay in role.

However also get your shit in order in case you are made redundant. Any training you need to do/finish? Any thing else you need to complete? If you are pg and go on maternity leave you need to leave prepared to not be going back. ie copies of everything at home etc.

I left my employer when they refused my request for part time work (despite being a proud sponsor of mums )

Thanks everyone. Of course I know my rights. I know them inside out. She just took me really by surprise! I have long suspected that she hasn't a clue what she's doing (I could list examples but you wouldn't believe me). As chance would have it, the vp in question retired today!!!!! This had long been planned though. I will raise this with the company legal counsel (who I work with v v regularly).

I've also emailed her to summarise the comment