to be angry with soon to be ex colleague?

[rachelzane]

Hopefully name change has worked, but anyone who recognises me please don't out me.

I started my job 2 years ago at the same time as two other girls, Linda and Cathy (not their real names)

Really interesting jobs we did. Linda left after a year for something better paid (she had been doing an open learning degree in that area so once qualified obviously wanted to do it). that left two of us.

Cathy made no secret of the fact she did not enjoy her job - she complained about the commute and the workload and was open about the fact that she applying for other jobs. She managed to negotiate with our HR department to work from home one day a week and some flexible working hours. She has also utilised parental leave and annual leave entitlement.

Cathy has 2 children of school age. Her family live either abroad or in other parts of the country, her DH works full time, so naturally childcare would be an issue. My family help with childcare and I have less of a commute.

After 18 months doing our jobs, we were told the department was being restructured so our jobs would not exist any more but the two of us were invited to apply for the same job. Just us two invited to apply. not advertised to anyone else either internal or external. The job would be the same grade as we were currently doing, same hours (35 per week), same pay, same base but different responsibilities.

Cathy divvered about whether she would apply until the very last minute. She emailed our manager saying she would like to be considered but that it had been 'a very difficult decision to make'. I also put my CV forward.

The interview was a very intense selection process. I interviewed first, then Cathy after me. She got the job which I was very surprised about given it being common knowledge she didn't enjoy working for us.

I was offered a demoted position, less pay, less status. I wasn't happy but had no other opportunities so had to accept.

A few weeks before the start of her contract, Cathy put in a request to work less hours and go down to part time. HR were in the process of trying to arrange this for her by internally advertising for a part time position 2 days per week doing basically half of her job.

Obviously I was not happy that I had not been asked to take on these responsibilities if she could not do them and voiced this to my manager but all I got were vague responses about HR processes/rules.

It's now 2 weeks after our new contracts have begun, and Cathy has announced she has a new job - part time and closer to her home.

AIBU to be absolutely (but privately) furious with her? Furious that she put me through all that, furious that I have been demoted unncessarily. I'm too nice a person to say all this to her face, plus I don't want to cause trouble in the workplace although I've had angry conversations in my head with her and my manager.

I'm not sure what I can do now. I don't know if her position will be readvertised or offered to me. Even if it is, there's that feeling of being second choice, isn't there?

AIBU to consider this totally unprofessional? My organisation really tried to make her happy. It's a public sector organisation so really good policies on flexible working etc. She knew what the hours and workload were when she applied.

My manager isn't too impressed either but I've only gotten snippets from management as obviously they need to be professional too.

I'm not sure about the legality of it all but I would feel very let down to have been treated so badly by an employer and would be looking for something else.
I suppose Cathy has done heat is best for her with little regard for you?

Yanbu. She sounds like a cunt. I bet the management is fuming. I think you need to sit down with your manager and his manager and demand you get her job with the pay increase else you will walk too.

I'm going to try to say this nicely, but they really seemed determined not to give you the job. Are you sure you can do it? Maybe you're not suited to the position...you can't force them to give it to you.

if they didn't want me to have the job, they would have opened the job applications wider.

I'm not sure if I'd take it if they offered it to me, not that I really expect them too.

I've been looking for other positions but there's very few at the salary I'm on, even the demoted salary. Public sector has good pay, holiday entitlement and other benefits so I'd need to consider this.

I have to say I agree that it sounds like they didn't want to give you the job. It almost seems like they were bending over backwards to retain Cathy.

Also, its dithered.

I'd want to know the reason why If they don't offer it to you. Then possibly look for something else depending in the answer. YABU to be annoyed with Cathy, though.

She didn't "put you through" anything. She got the job fairly and squarely.

tbh I think your anger is misplaced. I doubt Cathy thought she'd go through an interview process and negotiate a new contract only to finally announce she was leaving. Obviously if she'd had the new post earlier then she wouldn't have interviewed.
She must have started looking elsewhere when they first announced the restructuring which seems sensible.
You're angry that you didn't get the job but that isn't Cathy's fault. It's your employers who made that call.

You should be angry with your employer, they didn't give you the job and they allowed themselves to be messed around by someone who was clearly a reluctant employee rather than give you the job.

I would not want to work for these people any more - they have treated you badly - Cathy is nothing to do with that.

But before you reject the job if it is now offered, think about how you'll feel when they recruit someone else far less experienced on what is now a senior salary/role to you. You might even be asked to train them!

I wouldn't assume they didn't want to offer OP the post. Often the selection process is very strict in the public sector, which has the unintended consequence of people who play the game well and score high points on each competence sometimes trumping those who are actually better at the job.

You can tweak the scores a bit when you're recruiting, but much depends on who you're recruiting with. If they're a real stickler for the rules, it's difficult, and if a candidate is particularly litigious, can cause all manner of grief.

I've been in public sector all my working life and I see this situation time and time again. Bloody infuriating.

@ComputerUserNotTrained - agree. It's why private sector recruiters often blacklist applicants for senior roles if they only have public sector experience.

Management have done everything they could to accommodate Cathy. Sorry but they obviously value her more highly than you, and saw her as the more suitable person for the job.
Personally, I wouldn't want the job now if offered to me, and would be looking for something else.

I've always worked in public sector though, so moving into private sector would not be easy.

I also have a protected characteristic which can (and has) put employers off recruiting me in the past. Without directly telling me, its still clear they see me as too much of a risk and expense. It's also clear that employers make assumptions about what I am able and willing to do.

Oh. Are you disabled? If so don't worry. You should be guaranteed interviews due to disabilty regulation

I would be angry with both but particularly the employer for showing such blatant favouritism to Cathy and, in light of your last post, possible discrimination, though hard to prove

This happened to me in a public sector restructure. The person that took the responsibilities in made a right pigs ear of things and moved on.

Personally I was very hurt they hadn't chosen me, but it is what it is. The job came back up, I got it and love it again. Swallow your pride, play the long game and go for your old role. It sucks and she sounds a bloody nightmare, but try to move forward with it. She's gone now

I have something similar but slightly going on in the workplace OP at the minute and like you I am still mad at my employers for being hoodwinked by someone who has no scruples about exaggerating their skills and experiences in the workplace and is very confident and good at 'playing the game' even though they are lazy and can't actually do the bloody job so others have to carry them. So I am mad at the employee and my employers. I am well paid, we have very generous holidays and I enjoy my job but I am fed up with the management not being able to see the wood for the trees and fed up with this employee who can talk the talk but can't walk the walk. So I have started to look elsewhere.

They will have known who they wanted to keep in the role at the start of the process. That's usually what those processes are for. You wouldn't have got the job even if she hadn't gone for it. Luckily you still have a well paid job with good benefits m!

I don't agree with those blaming the employer. Presumably Cathy interviewed better so was given the job. Cathy then put in a request to reduce her hours. The employer needed someone two days per week to cover this. The OP appears to have been working full time in her new role so, unless she didn't have enough work to do (and management agreed that she didn't have enough to do), it is hard to see how she could have covered Cathy's role for two days per week.

OP - I would be furious with Cathy if I was in your position. I would also be furious with her if I was the manager. I agree that her behaviour was totally unprofessional.

I don't think Cathy has done anything wrong, she has to do what is right for her. I am sorry that things haven't worked out for you, but that is not Cathy's fault.
What was your feedback from the interview like? Are you able to use it to move forward?

Interviewing well and doing a job well are two different things. I have worked with people who have obviously interviewed very well because they have an air of confidence about them but found other, quieter people, who would have interviewed less well, have just got their heads down and got on with the job.

Tbh, when people post from Cathy's perspective they're usually told that they have to do what's right for them. Which is true.

Cathy hasn't put you through this, your employer has. Yes, she has acted selfishly but I think many people would do the same. The timing is bad but that's life.

Yanbu to be annoyed but I think you're directing it at the wrong person

Hmmm. You may have a point. There may be times when we're all Cathy but I know I would feel slightly uncomfortable doing it.