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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I should be made redundant?

43 replies

revell · 03/02/2021 10:16

Companies merged 2 years ago. I was employed by Company B as Head of ... let's use Quality as an example but it's something similar. On merger I remained part of the SLT/C-suite. Used to report to CEO and now report to Group Director of 'Quality' who in turn reports to CEO. Company A had a Group Head of Quality already. We are paid the same (approx £60k) and actually I receive a pay rise on merger to align my salary.

Over the past 12 they have dissolved SLT at a local level, a lot of my work has naturally then gone to Group Head or Group Director. My role is now effectively admin.

I have asked for redundancy as the role I was doing no longer exists. HR are refusing as they consider my terms and conditions to be the same if not more favourable. I can't afford to just resign but I can't bear to be effectively demoted. My days are increasingly frustrated by not being able to do the things I used to or people ignoring my requests as they don't see me as a senior manager. I have no projects at the moment with strategic impact- it's all operational/low impact.

My DH can't understand why I don't just suck it up- his view is I'm getting paid a lot of money to do very little and if they are happy with that I should just get on with it. I can't.

Anyone who can give some advice as to how I convince them this is a redundancy?

OP posts:

user1465423698 · 03/02/2021 11:32

You might be more likely to get the kind of replies you're after if you ask MN to move this to the employment section rather than AIBU.

Pyewhacket · 03/02/2021 11:34

I was in a very similar situation some years ago so I do sympathies. I was tempted to chuck it in but decided to stick-it-out while looking for another job. However while I was in the process of finding a job the management structure changed yet again and I was free of the two people who were making my life a misery and restored to my previous role, more or less. It wasn't easy, I had to bite my tongue on a daily basis, but I'm glad I stayed and WFH has been marveous. My point is , don't do anything drastic coz it could all change again.

SurvivalIsInsufficient · 03/02/2021 11:38

I want a meaningful job and for them to redesign my role so I can do what I'm qualified to do. This could be as easy as adding Group to my job title so there were 2 Group Heads - a lot of work is redirected to my colleague (who I get on well with!) as her job title is snazzier and people perceive her as more senior. She then delegates the work back to me but this isn't appropriate; she's not my line manager and I'm actually better qualified and more experienced in the job

If they wabted to do that they would have done it. Ask yourself why they haven't. Better yet, ask them.

GreySkyClouds · 03/02/2021 11:41

@revell

Thanks for your comments.

I am actively looking for other work but this is not easy at the moment as most jobs in my field are on hold.

My understand if redundancy is that the role ceases or diminishes- it's has most definitely diminished!

I don't want redundancy- I want a meaningful job and for them to redesign my role so I can do what I'm qualified to do. This could be as easy as adding Group to my job title so there were 2 Group Heads - a lot of work is redirected to my colleague (who I get on well with!) as her job title is snazzier and people perceive her as more senior. She then delegates the work back to me but this isn't appropriate; she's not my line manager and I'm actually better qualified and more experienced in the job.

I'm 36 for the PP who asked - I have 14 years service with the company. My redundancy would be about £10k + 3 months so not a huge payout.

14 years? Time to find a new job or accept what they have offered you. As you’ve been out of the market for a while definitely don’t push for redundancy as your 14 years at one place will make it harder for you to find a new role (plus CV, and brexit if you’re in finance)

Moondust001 · 03/02/2021 11:45

My understand if redundancy is that the role ceases or diminishes- it's has most definitely diminished!

That is a common misconception. One of the valid reasons for redundancy is if your employer thinks that the role ceases or diminishes - although in actual fact even a diminished role with a cut in pay /terms may not always be considered redundancy in legal terms. But the key issue is that it is the employer who decides that a role is redundant, not an employee. If the employer wanted to significantly cut terms then there is a possible case to be made of unfair dismissal, but they don't.

lidoshuffle · 03/02/2021 11:52

If you are under employed in comparison to the salary there is the danger you stay there with your skills and motivation-atrophying. It becomes increasingly difficult to get a better job. You slide further down the ladder while being overpaid and one day, when it may be a bad time for you, you get the boot.

If you are feeling bad about your role OP, get out now while you still can, while your CV is not too damaged and you still have the hunger.

Whyistheteacold · 03/02/2021 12:07

Unfortunately what you have described is not redundancy. Your employer can only make you redundant if they do not have a role for you. Regardless of whether or not you think the role has changed, employers are entitled to adapt what a role entails to suit the business. If you are not happy with this role, you should either work on getting promoted or apply for different roles within the company or start looking elsewhere! Good luck

saltinesandcoffeecups · 03/02/2021 12:08

Use the lighter/less taxing workload to your advantage to expend effort to find a new job. It will be less stressful to look for and find a new job while you are still employed.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 03/02/2021 12:26

Just carry on with it until you find another job.

TitInATrance · 03/02/2021 12:41

Really difficult to get redundancy in that sort of scenario; it took me 8 years - I’m older and had to hang on for my pension. I was at a lower level but I had to wait for the whole SLT to be replaced before they got their act together. Nearly broke me.

PPs have good advice. I took up trade unionism in my spare time and you can’t force them to make you redundant - you might be able to negotiate an exit package. If there are any equality characteristics (gender, sex, race, disability etc...) that would help your case to have the same job title and seniority as your peer, use them.

CakeRequired · 03/02/2021 12:47

Suck it up or leave. I'd stay, if they are gonna pay me the same to do less work, hell yeah more fool them. Just keep looking for other work on the side and enjoy the break for now.

SofiaMichelle · 03/02/2021 12:56

My understand if redundancy is that the role ceases or diminishes- it's has most definitely diminished!

You are looking at this from the wrong side.

There is absolutely no obligation to make anyone redundant.

Things like a role being diminished come into play if a company wants to make you redundant and you believe you shouldn't be.

It's utterly irrelevant to your circumstances.

In your circumstances you would need to resign and attempt to claim constructive dismissal on the grounds of the the changes to your role. But that would have no chance of succeeding.

RB68 · 03/02/2021 12:57

this is more constructive dismissal through significantly changing the role so that it no longer constitutes the role you had previously.

If there are professional qualifications to the job are you able to keep them up and any points etc? Are they stopping you persuing your career in any way? Can you look at negotiating a bigger piece or of the high actions in some way - maybe on a project basis? It sounds like they should have made you redundant at the time or around 12 mths later once your "knowledge was acquired" by the Director from CO A.

Your choice - fight on constructive dismissal with plenty of evidence
FInd something else

Bigsighall · 03/02/2021 13:13

Speak to an expert. When something similar happened to me (yes I also got a pay rise) I had a successful case for constructive dismissal.

Osirus · 03/02/2021 13:31

Why don’t you just continue to look for a new job, whilst staying in your current one, you know, like most people? Why on Earth do you think you qualify for redundancy?

You’re in a really privileged position at the moment - decent salary, for little work, secure job. There’s many, many people living on benefits now due to losing their jobs because of CV. I’m not one of them, but I see it all the time.

Try counting your lucky stars!!!

Toorapid · 03/02/2021 13:34

Hanging on for a package is miserable. I know people who wasted 20 years doing that. If you want to leave (and I don't blame you) set about looking seriously for something else and leave.

SaltyTootsieToes · 03/02/2021 18:37

I would think you need to look for another role in another organisation that would provide you with the both the seniority and scope you’re looking for rather than redundancy.

cakewench · 03/02/2021 18:54

Take this time to look for another job. I agree with your DH- you're being paid well to not do much. It's a tough job market out there for many reasons so as much as I hate to say it, I would suck it up and keep collecting a paycheck until I found something comparable.

I'm sorry your job has been changed on you. Job satisfaction is so important and I empathise with you that you've lost that.

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