should I raise a grievance or let it go?

[allaboutthatsass]

I have name changed for this because I don’t want to be identified and apologies if its a bit long. I have posted here for traffic. I’d appreciate some advice on what to do - my family are very much of the “shut up and put up” opinion.

I have worked for my organisation for 15 years, straight out of graduation. It is a public sector organisation and my qualification was specialist so there are few other organisations offering this work especially not with the salaries and benefits my employer offer - so in a way I’m trapped.

My contract is permanent, however after 13 years, a 2 year secondment opportunity at a grade higher came up in another department. I applied and got it, and was really happy as it was much more interesting and the team were really nice (my old team had bullied me to the point where I was admitted to hospital on suicide watch. I had to get lawyers involved. HR were sh*t although the HR people at that time have now all left). Three others were also seconded, although two left the organisation after a year - one for another job and one to be a SAHM.

As my secondment approached its end, my manager announced that my new department was restructuring. My remaining colleague and I were having our roles merged into one permanent full time post within the team and we were the only two being invited to apply. My colleague was successful despite being very vocal about not liking the work and that she was applying for jobs elsewhere.

I was given two options to choose from - return to my previous role (the one that made me suicidal) or stay in my new team in a permanent role they were offering me, but two grades lower than the secondment and one grade lower than my previous role. The department would also recruit 4 new members of staff at that role. I was really conflicted and felt forced between two roles that weren’t really great, but my manager assured me I would still be in charge of a number of projects and remain the main contact for several high profile clients. This was told to me both verbally and in emails. I accepted on this basis and tried to reassure myself that although my pay was dropping by £3000 per year, I would have more job satisfaction and a better work life balance.

Well I’ve been in this role for a month now and the new members of staff have been working with these clients. Indeed some of the clients have contacted me to ask WTF - I thought we were working with you? I have had a few complaints as a result from these clients. There has been no formal handover or introductions to the new team. My manager’s manager, who was previously coming to me all the time for advice, is now rather abrupt with me and my opinion no longer seems to matter. My new team members are having meetings and making decisions and then informing me afterwards. Its as though they do not see me as part of the team and still view me as in the higher grade role I was in previously.

My colleague who got the job we both applied for has now successfully applied to reduce her hours from 5 days to 3. The other 2 days have been advertised internally for part timers who want to be full time. And she will be their manager (the role was not advertised as being a managerial one when we applied for it). I’m annoyed that I was not given the chance to take on this responsibility - I applied for it, if she can’t do it then surely I should be asked to share the work? Also my manager is retiring soon and she will also be replaced - so lots of uncertainty in our department.

I feel pushed out and I feel my manager has lied to me about my role. What I am doing is exactly what the job description says, however it is not what I was told by my manager verbally and in emails. This new role is p*ss easy and I know I can do better. I’ve been looking externally for other opportunities but this is a very specialist role and unless I take another pay cut, I can’t really leave. I don’t have the qualifications or skills to go elsewhere. I am in a union but the union reps are useless, the rep basically said “well, you accepted the job”.

What can I do? Is there any point in me raising a grievance, particularly as my manager is retiring and can't be held responsible?

I think you need legal help to deal with this, phone ACAS for advice and support
The Acas helpline number is 0300 123 1100. It is available Monday 8am-8pm, Tuesday 8am-6pm, Wednesday to Thursday 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday 9am-1pm.

www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2042

This kind of thing makes me wonder how people like that manage to keep their job.

I think its pretty obvious that this is unfair and costs, not efficiency or service driven.

You are being offered demotion or a job that makes you ill.

I would suggest you say you are unhappy, take time off, ask union to soft negotiate a 'we know this is unfair and has several dimensions including discrimination, we would like an appropriate role or compensation going forward, let's just sort this out now' conversation.
Trust you have no capability capacity or conduct issues that they could use.
Point out that the job you were excluded from was not the job you interviewed for and ask that the interviews are rerun (cos the job is now 'senior with two junior roles to manage' and merrily take the salary at a higher rate whilst you are off.
You can't negotiate anything in the public sector without wasting money as it's the only thing that wakes public sector managers up

Also mention it to your MP this is exactly the kind of shit management that damages the public sector and keeps absolute duffers at the top.

Thanks. Yes there are no conduct or capability issues, although I do have numerous health issues meaning I need workplace adjustments but I have only taken 1 sick day in those 2 years. In fact, I've put in lots of extra hours and travel, that's another reason I'm so angry. My colleague did nothing of the sort but gets the role and I don't.

If you have health related issues and she doesn't then its looking like a typical public sector dick move. It's almost like deep down they want to be told off/sued.

It would be easy to position all of this as a way to manoeuvre you out, so they can reduce the stress open of the role with a new encumbered. The wills they want to reduce costs, but I bet the salaries and pensions of the decision makers are much more financially damaging than what this saves. .

I would love to go in and suggest they ditch a sixty to 80 grander with a final salary pension so that all the work can get done

For the love of god, don't write to your MP about this unless you want to be on their 'odd people in the constituency' list. Nothing would happen anyway.

The public sector is full of dreadful managers who can't, or won't, manage performance properly, enabling useless whinging people to idle around for their whole career. I left for that reason. However, I think in this case the best you can hope for is being considered for the more senior role on a part time basis, i.e. for the two days your colleague isn't doing it. Be realistic. The interview for that role won't be re-run, and even if it were, the result would be the same.

If you want to stay in your current career, I'd suggest being very reasonable for a while. Kicking off is not going to help your prospects if you don't have many alternative options in your field. You may say, well, it shouldn't be like that. I agree, it shouldn't, but that's how things are. The last thing you want is to be forced out with a settlement (which happens a lot where an organisation considers somebody to be a troublemaker) and find yourself stuck with no obvious next career step.

If you're not sold on your current career, you could consider retraining.

The world of work is tough, really tough, even in the softer employers like the public sector, and you have to strengthen yourself to deal with it. Work on that. How did you end up on suicide watch? Wasn't your allegation of bullying dealt with? What did your colleagues actually do?

Apologies for saying this, but it may be that you simply need to toughen up a bit and accept that (1) people are sometimes selfish, lying gits at work and (2) you can't expect your employer (or your MP!) to swoop in and arrange everything to ensure that you are kept happy all the time.

Sorry for being matter of fact. I am sorry for your troubles and I wish you well.

Forgot to add, you can see, I hope, that your manager was simply trying to sugar coat the reduction in your grade and didn't follow through on the promise of dealing with the big clients, etc. Probably because the other recruits were asking her for the prestige work, and she will have been too cowardly to say no in case they didn't want to be friends with her any more (this is one of the many reasons why I left the public sector...managers who simply cannot manage) and because she's retiring soon and doesn't really care what happens.

You need to hustle more for the good work. Everybody else will be, guaranteed. Especially the men.

Thanks Nettle, your post helps

Chin up, OP! I know that it's not been much fun for you, but ask the question about doing your current role for three days and the more senior role for two. Makes you look reasonable and will put you in a position where you're (1) more visible and (2) in a position to interact with the more important clients.