To ask for advice on an employment issue

[Vinividivici]

I am currently on sick leave, as is described in another thread. The cause of this is work stress. I am fearful that my employer may take retaliatory action if / when I eventually have to return. Would it be reasonable / strategically wise to send a list of grievances (basically a description of what led to this)?

I'm not sure whether there's anything that would matter to an employment tribunal. My issues are:

• documented historical bullying which seemingly was not addressed at the time.
• my job title is far, far too low for my skills, abilities, and portfolio of work. I was on the verge of promotion two years ago when suddenly the global policy was changed to exclude the option of promotion. Since then, I have been given work that is two levels above my official pay grade and expected to get on with it without any support. My job title means that people treat me as if I have little value and I don't have authorisation to do things I need to do in order to be effective. I am humiliated every day. I have raised this with management several times.
• my new portfolio of work was previously owned by my bully. It was handed to me without any support or guidance, other than having to ask my bully for help
• my manager refuses to have 1:1s and I have to arrange ad hoc meetings for anything I want to discuss. When we meet to discuss work projects, this is a clear imposition and I am treated as if I am stupid or annoying. Typically my manager has not read my updates in detail. Occasionally my manager has held specific pieces of the work hostage for a couple of weeks (eventually doing nothing and finally allowing me to take it over again), causing big delays.
• as a result of the above, I feel constantly insecure about the work and whether i will be blamed if something goes wrong due to my manager's lack of communication and occasionally chaotic approach.
• recently I took time off to get married. When I tried to get cover in place 3-4 weeks beforehand, I was told in an annoyed way that this was too early. When I finally was told who could cover, there were only a few day s left before my wedding. A very senior person who had to cover some of my work was hostile and angry.

When I faced the prospect of going back, I spent several days in a state of severe depression. I could not face it.

It seems to me that none of this is discrimination or illegal. Is there any point writing this all out and sending it to HR and my manager?

The redundancy will give me time to sort myself out. I don't want a lengthy fight. It's actually true that the working conditions put me in this sort of state, which has been absolutely dreadful. There was a time when I felt very good about myself in this role.

Help! I have hired a solicitor who says I should tell HR that it appears to me that the redundancy decision is being driven by my illness. This is part of a strategy to obtain an enhanced redundancy package.

I'm terrified of having a confrontation, but I realise that I probably should stand up for myself and at least try with this. Any advice or pep talks welcome!

Just email it to them if you don’t want to do it face to face, prob better any way, and ask for a written response, explain why you/your solicitor think this

Your solicitor can write to them

I ended up writing an email which my solicitor approved.

This is all so stressful. The experience is showing me my real weaknesses - undervaluing myself, not standing up for myself, not demanding fair treatment. I should probably have done this from day one in this organisation.

Hello all! Just by way of update, a friend from my old employer told me about a role in their team which is very ideal for me based on my skills and experience. I have just received an offer but don't yet know the proposed salary!

If they don't make an offer that is high enough, I think I will refuse, on the basis that it's time to stop undervaluing myself. 😳 I also would kind of rather have more time off. My husband and I have been working hard to get our finances in order so that we could survive on his salary, and we are planning to move ahead on this basis whether I am in work or not!

This is a bit odd, and I think you might have slightly misunderstood the various posters on here.

If it’s a good job, interesting, with nice people and good prospects then I don’t think I would turn it down on salary if I could afford to. You might have been paid more in your old job, but as your posts show they were utterly toxic! A job can have much more value than just the starting salary.

I took a 50% pay cut in my 30s but the job was and still is fab. I now earn nearly the same as my old colleagues and my life is so much nicer! So better to look at things in the round. Of course it’s worth negotiating before you get in but don’t write it off.

Obviously if you don’t think you’d enjoy it don’t work for them.

An issue is that I previously was with that employer for 7 years and received hardly any pay rise (as is typical with this employer) and this led to a lot of my dissatisfaction which caused me to leave.

Basically I would not want to accept a salary that barely puts me above what I was making when I left 4 years ago. I will just become frustrated and angry again.

Well ok that’s fine. But FWIW

• assuming this the government agency you referred to above, there may not be much wiggle room on pay and if you’d be going back at the same grade you left at yes there probably isn’t much of an increase
• the in house legal market is currently very difficult. I know some truly excellent lawyers who have been out of work much longer than they anticipated and it has been a nasty shock.

So by all means turn it down but don’t let expect you’ll necessarily waltz into a much better paid job quickly elsewhere. If the gov agency offers you a fair wage under their pay scale, if it would be supportive and a better work environment with development opportunities plus you already have a bit of credit in the bank for prior work there is sometime to be said for taking the experience to get your mojo back with a view to moving on in say 18m-2 years for higher pay.

If you were so unhappy there, why go back?

I was quite happy there, but over time I became angry about the pay and a restructure that took place near the end of my employment. The restructure included really insulting messaging towards staff and a lowering of our effective pay, which was quite upsetting after 7 years of almost zero wage growth (which in itself is an effective pay cut).

This role has a posted pay range of about £20k, so the hiring committee will have flexibility. If I'm not offered near the top of the range, I will probably tell them that I won't accept unless the offer is x amount. (Whatever they offer will be a pay cut either way and I fully accept this.)

I will think everything through carefully when I get the offer. But this is what I'm thinking at the moment.

£20k is below minimum wage?
What is the role?!

No, it's a range of £20k. So the lowest potential salary is £20k less than the highest.

Sorry this was unclear.

Thanks for clarifying.

I have been reading the whole saga OP, and it’s wonderful news you have been offered a role at your old company.

Honestly unless the salary offer is insultingly low, I would be minded to take it. Firstly it gets you back into a decent workplace building your self confidence again and secondly it means you will quickly lose reliance on getting references from your old toxic workplace. The job market is poor at the moment and has been for a couple of years, salaries across the board are lower than they used to be. It will be easier to apply for something new when you’re working and feel positive about your skills again.

They have offered just enough and I accepted!

Need to figure out how to make the next month or two count so that I can go into the new job fully recovered!

Congratulations on your new job @Vinividivici

What did your last appraisal say to target? Have you done this? Have you submitted your professional sims and outcomes? You can speak to HR and ask for them to assess your work/outcomes against the more senior position criteria and ask for an action plan.

the rest is very subjective and about your feelings. Have you spoken to a professional to help you work through this?

I don't think I understand. What would be the purpose of an action plan?

I was always "exceeding" until the most recent appraisal, in which I was rated "meeting expectations." I wasn't really given any action points, though consistent feedback has been that I should demonstrate more self-confidence. (Thanks, employer! This will definitely help!!!)

Congrats on the new role. Go in with your head held high and if you feel unconfident fake it til you make it.

Ignore the last poster, they clearly hadn’t read past the opening post.

Thank you!!!!

I am starting to feel like myself again and I'm so glad that I will get a further break before starting work.

It's unbelievable how lucky I am!!!!