Late stage - work boundaries

[lemondropsandallsorts]

Firstly, I get my work done. I have always gone above and beyond to ensure I was a good little worker bee. I have been at the job 8 years now, have a great office culture and no red flags at all. My coworkers are all great.

Two weeks ago, I was setting up a conference room and had moved the partition to separate it into one large room and one small room. My direct boss and her peer walked into the big room, not realising I was in the little room, and were chitchatting about the teams.

I was just about to announce myself when my direct boss mentioned that she was not going to offer me the promotion I had gone for. She immediately fired back to the shocked response of her peer to say that I was brilliant in my role, indispensable and deserved the promotion, but frankly, as the absolute workhorse of the team, she needed me to stay where I was.

Her peer mentioned that it didn't seem very fair, and my direct boss said something along the lines of (I was reeling at this point and my recollection gets a bit fuzzy) being a manager, you have to look at the bigger picture and the bigger picture was I served her and the overall team better staying where I was.

At that point people started trailing into their room for a meeting so the conversation stopped. The whole thing happened in the matter of seconds. I felt like I had been punched. (luckily, I was on leave for a while after, but I was emailed later to say I had not got the job. I had been so close, but hadn't done quite enough at the interview. But I was a shoe in for the next round of promotions in about a year, or maybe two - if I kept up the good work)

Every fibre of my being wanted to act rashly, hand in my notice and flounce or rant back to the email - but I have just finished a work-based qualification (in preparation for the promotion) and I will have to pay the cost back if I leave within a set period of time. Also, I have bills to pay.

So, to the point of this post.

I NEED to become less available for about a year (after that I don't need to pay the training bill and my house buying process will all be done to a change won't mess up my mortgage offer). My work only does tombstone references - so I am not worried about a sudden lack of enthusiasm showing up on references if I end up going external.

So ladies, give you tips for just doing the job you are paid for - but not a single damn thing above and bejond because I need to sit this out for a year and the only way I can cope is by planning how to unmake myself indispensable.

It seems that my update above was not clear (I wrote it in a rush as I had somewhere to be - sorry!)

Whomever steps up will not be paid
It will be on the basis of 'helping out' short term
It will be an informal 'acting up' because they are not sure what the restructure will look like (so no title change)
For the same reason as above can't make any promises about making it temp with a view to becoming perm

Would the 'helping out' have a new title?

If so, and if you helped out, then you have experience at the higher grade on your cv. You could start job hunting after a few months. This only works if you are prepared to leave soon.

Could they waive the payback of the qualification if you helped out?

I think it is very mean of them not to even give a token increase in pay for helping out, especially if the person could be helping out for months.

I understand fully if you prefer not to help out. It may be no harm to tell them what your manager said, and use this as a reason for not helping out, if you are wary of helping out.

Horrible situation. It happened in a place I worked where they had someone in an acting directors role as well as covering their usual role with promises of sorting something soon.

Took a year for the CEO to decide what they wanted. Then a further two years to recruit having gone through two further major restructures and a bundle of minor ones which had over 20 people shifted from pillar to post several times including myself, after 8 moves I went up and told them to either piss or get off the pot or I walk. The poor woman covering two management roles became very stressed and in the end they employed an awful director who stayed just 19 months and got rid of 7 people who they then had to rehire the roles. A number of us left of our own accord too.

Ordinarily I'd say step up for the experience but having seen what my old place did to a good colleague and wider team I'd not recommend it just to stop them from having the opportunity to wally about.

I recognise your excellent description of the perils of ‘acting up’!

If they’re not offering any pay that’s especially poor. Perhaps they think your manager will be back soonish.

If approached directly you could briefly explain that you previously did step up for X time period and enjoyed it, but were saddened not to be offered the role Dude was given, also surprised to overhear manager saying to other manager Sally that she preferred to keep you where you were.

That’s dreadful @MarkingBad !

No title change it will be 'informal'

Op keep sharpening your pencils keep busy head down, don't offer to support this , they should be giving somebody the opportunity to step up into this roll even temporarily with wage increase, until they decide what to do,

Also with last interview process ( very recently) they should be able to pull from that list surely ' you being top of the list 😉' of course,

Again keep sharpening pencils while continuing looking at your next job offer,

It was. Several of us did some extra hours to support the acting director privately on a weekly basis. I wasn't even in one of her teams but worked closely with both. In hindsight we shouldn't have because it enabled the lack of leadership from the CEO. When the CEO received a damehood for her work, I was furious, her direct piss poor leadership affected a huge amount of people in the end and nearly put one in hospital. CEO also lost the business over a quarter of the turnover in a stupid publicity stunt too.

Anyway I digress, apologies OP.

I've no time for crap management.

The only thing that appeals to me is the possibility a couple of you have noted of 'I will step up if you write off my qualification costs'

But realistically

1. Can that actually be done? (Has anyone here had it happen for them?)
2. What's the chances they would consider it for an informal 'helping out' situation where they are not even willing to offer a temp pay increase?
3. Would I just be sticking my head above the parapet and making myself visible as the 'go-to gal' when being unseen is the best way to go.

I would have to set down some ground rules

1. The write-off would have to be in writing and be for the full sum and effective immediately on taking up the 'acting up' responsibilities
2. I agree to a set time frame to 'act up' of 3 to 6 months
3. That I do get a title change for the duration of my 'acting up' ( which then I can put on my CV) - this needs to be confirmed in writing

I agree with @Loopytiles - that is terrible (as is your update)

Good rules, as a start!

Oh lord this sounds like it's shaping up to be a shitshow.

If they're not even prepared to pay an additional responsibility allowance (which is what I've seen done before when firms want to keep their powder dry the a possible external hire later down the line) then they are probably going to take the piss.

Is there anyone else who might agree to act up? Can you keep your head down for a bit and see how it plays out (while sticking to the focus on your own job)?

Otherwise you're back to square one. Acting up for a role they are no more likely to give you than before.

I do think you have a good chance to negotiate and even to ask for more than you want OP if you want to step up for a while. I'd want an acknowledgement in writing that you are taking on the extra responsibilities to pass onto the next employer. I think though that any promotion you want will be better through another company, I know you have to stay at your present firm for now but having one foot out of the door is no bad thing in a place like that.

Your time frame sounds like a good idea too.

Then that's a big fat quiet jog-off. I'm sorry for you - they are missing an opportunity. But please don't be conned into taking on more for nothing.

Your workplace sounds like they are absolutely taking the piss - even without all the back story of you not getting the promotion. Expecting a "team player" to just step in and do extra work for nothing like a chump.
Stand firm and don't even be tempted, it is nothing but a poke in the eye.

Has anything happened since, OP?

Thank you for asking @MaryLennoxsScowl - nothing happened, life just carried on, and I ducked any responsibilities that were aimed at me. I remained a clock-watching cubicle dweller, extraordinaire.

I returned from leave today, and there is a huge compulsory meeting late this afternoon for everyone based at my site, followed directly after with a meeting by the senior management team.

Tension is high, and rumours abound that they are going to close this site. There is absolutely no basis to this rumour, but it is being passed off as fact. People are whispering at the water cooler, and the team chat messages 'bings' are almost deafening today.

Time will tell.

My learning contract did say that if the business has me leave for any reason, my repayment obligations cease, and I already have a few speculative interviews lined up. To be fair, they were not totally serious options; they were mainly for practice, as I have been out of the job-seeking pool for quite some time.

If they close the site will you lose your job? Or will they move you elsewhere?

And if you lose your job I’d be telling them exactly what you heard.

I feel for you OP. They sound so disorganised - morale must be awful

How did the meeting go?

Yeah, they are closing our site, not for a year when the contract ends, but it is being closed.

Story time:

About 4, maybe 5 years ago, the building owner (not a member of our staff - he owns a retail park and some commercial buildings) and our HR lady hooked up. She was a divorcee he was recently separated. They were super cute together. He came to our works Christmas parties and socialised with us. Seemed a nice, likeable guy.

It was all fine and dandy right up to when HR lady found out she was not his girlfriend, but totally the OW. It got ugly because the HR lady went and confessed to the wife with receipts. The wife promptly kicked him out, and the HR lady ghosted him. Apparently, the divorce is not at all amicable and is costing him an inhumane amount of money, as he is fighting tooth and nail, so he is selling the building to free up cash, with a side order of revenge. (not that HR Lady works here anymore)

The party line is very different to the gossip above. The party line talks about 'consolidating expertise', 'steering collaboration towards centres of excellence' and 'restructuring to improve opportunities to progress'.

Which one do you believe

WOW, what an update. The positive spin gives me a headache.

What a big fat mess.

The entire site was invited into the meeting yesterday when we were advised that they absolutely didn't want to lose anybody, so they would be discussing with everybody the options once the site starts to wind down and that they are sure that they can find a way forward that suits everybody.

But as far as I can see:

Our manufacturing sister site is way up north.
They are not looking to rent any further buildings in this area.
Our sister site will become the main site alone, and they are planning to build an office area adjacent to the current main building. (This was pitched as 'You get an opportunity to have input to create your own ideal space' scenario)
They are not considering work from home as a long-term option.
They are not looking to provide relocation costs.
They are not looking to provide any form of travel allowances/cards.
But they are open to a conversation with everybody to discuss options.

I think we have been made redundant, without them actually saying that we will be made redundant, but just with a super long notice period.

Four of our 'interns' just didn't bother to show up this morning. I don't blame them, they all live at home, it's no skin off their nose, and this job has just become a dead end.

So the workload has already started to massively pile up when there's a whole load of people who are fed up and disinclined to 'be a team player' to sort it out.

In good news, I have an interview for a job this Friday, sadly, it was a speculative application (not in an area that I am very knowledgeable in and a solid 20K above my current pay banding), and I don't think I have a chance. But it is good for practice and getting interview patter tested and rounded out - It is nice to do that when the stakes aren't high

OP that's good news isn't it, a place that was using you but now shutting down with long term notice helps you justify taking a step back and lots of time to find a new role.

I'd see that as win win

If you have an interview you have a good chance. They aren't looking to fill up their time with recruitment so they must have seen something of an opportunity in you. If it's something you'd like to try give it your best shot by having good research and your super can do attitude that you displayed for your current company.