Stand my ground? WWYD?

[Workingmyassoff]

New boss (2 days in post) has carved up my job and given it away to three different roles. One of the roles is a job from which the present incumbent is retiring soon. I have been offered this position and boss deems it 'suitable alternative employment' and that I have no claim for redundancy.

The new role is currently being advertised as F/T, yet when I pointed out I am P/T the boss offered it to me on a P/T basis, although the job is already being done F/T and now has 50% of my job added to it. It is also much more responsibility than I want and they are not offering me more money.

The other option boss has suggested is to keep the work I do now but reduce my hours by 50%. However, I know for a fact the job I do now might be amalgamated with another job next year and I'd be at risk of redundancy again. (Boss told me this)

Should I stand my ground and request redundancy? (they'll refuse, so it will mean an ET).

An employment lawyer has told me that I am justified in saying neither option is suitable and to request redundancy.

Yep.

Really not sure what to do.

50% less hours of an already part time job is not great.

F/T with lots of added responsibility and increased workload not great either!

OP "Or maybe they do and this is just how things are done these days"

there's that yes, with so many people available to work they don't care if people are overloaded because there's always some poor soul ready to step in and work a 17 hour day for 7 hours pay.

if he already knows you have a lawyer, he sounds quite determined. You could try saying to HR "right, redundancy offer on table or ET, your choice" and see what happens.

for the record, I was a new recruit in a similar situation. A new CEO was hired, had been there about a week before he cut a few jobs (he rewrote them and recruited his mates). Those who held out for ET did get a proper offer.

Thanks Lorelei. It all hinges on whether what they've offered can be considered as 'suitable alternative employment'.

Boss say it is; I say it isn't and lawyer agrees with me...

If I accept reduced hrs, will I have won the battle but lost the war? Could be at risk of redundancy again next year and then will be on reduced hrs, so payout would be less.

To me the moral battle isn't the issue
Your redundancy payout is key
I imagine they have calculated that your payout is lower if you a accept the reduced hours and get made redundant later

Then again, I don't know your financial situation so you may feel that option is worth a go if it saves you finding another job.

We don't rely on my wages but I do like to contribute.

Luckily, my situation is not as dire as someone who is the main wage earner with mortgage, etc.

It's the principle that annoys me. Job 'no longer exists' in boss's own words, yet they are disputing redundancy!

Its true these bosses dont do the basics, so ask him to. Say 'wheres your time planning diagram' . My asshole boss told me that printing an A0 poster took less than a minute, because it took less that a minute to press the printer button,so 40 would only take 40 minutes. He knew this because 'he had run a print shop'.

It takes 20 minutes just for the poster to scroll out, and sometime 10 mins of loading if it's graphics heavy. That's if it goes right first time. So that's minimum 20 hours and he tried to discipline me for not doing it in three hours, and was backed up by other senior staff. Unbelievable.

Mind you we also paid a strategy director '£60k equivalent to design a new committee structure and she couldn't even work out the existing structure. Six months in and she hadn't either worked out there wasn't a responsibilities structure, not had she derived one from practice, so she didn't know what she was changing, much less what she was changing it to! Criticising her was 'rude' and the people who employed her hadn't the skills to know she was shit!

So challenge the arse, politely, say you want to understand. This will give you an indication of his calibre.

'Basic' admin jobs can be bloody hard work if the workload is heavy.

I would cut my losses and get out, trying to get a pay off in the process. Unfortunately, as someone said further up the thread there are plenty of other people lining up for admin roles who are prepared to work longer hours for less pay.

Yes, I agree that usually these types haven't a clue!

What's frustrating is they get paid a huge wage for shoddy management.

Don't get me started on the salaries they earn for their incompetency!

Ha! Yes, this one's earning getting paid a ridiculously high wage. Outrageous; especially for a small charity.

I really worry that the ethos of the organisation has been forgotten.

Go to the press?

After what you've said- swapping one administration job for another, with less flexibility on when you can take leave, I think your case is weak. It's reasonable for an employer to ask someone to do that.

The work volume is another thing, but you won't be able to argue that until you are actually doing the job.

Well you can have a 4 week trial before deciding the role isn't. Suitable alternative. I'd say it's worth taking the trial so you have more weight to it being unsuitable.

Choughed, I think the argument against would hinge on the job being F/T versus my current hours being P/T.

Things taken into account as to whether it is 'suitable alternative employment' are hours, pay, location, status according to ACAS.

It is a bit subjective though, I'd agree.

Tired, I know about the 4 wk trial but I don't want to be F/T. I have family obligations that would make it virtually impossible to be F/T.

I just hate the feeling of being pushed into something against my will.

Unfortunately, this is how it is in the modern workplace. A lot of the power is wielded by the employer.

The only way you can really take back control is to decide on what you want and act accordingly.

He sounds like a knob anyway. Do you really want to work for him? The comment about the soon-to-be retired colleague would have me looking at job adverts.

I have a very similar situation, new boss after a few days says my job is going and I might need to accept a different job. On the other hand he doesn't like me being part time and wants me doing the job that doesn't apparently exist full time.

No idea what to do because none of this has been actioned or put in writing yet but the writing is on the wall and just wanted to send some solidarity!

Also he has been saying bad things about other staff members. I didn't realise this was an actual technique to see if I'd agree! What an arse.

I'm calling ACAS next week.

Thanks pizzatray, I hope you get it sorted.

I replied to the boss's offer, saying neither option was acceptable and requesting 2 days instead of the 1.5 I'd been offered and offering to take on specific extra work duties.

I've now been invited to a formal meeting to discuss the situation and I can take either a work colleague or a trade union rep in with me.
The boss will be accompanied by the HR people the company use. HR will be there as a witness and to take notes.

So no further forward really... I can't see them budging tbh.

pizzatray, how did you get on?

I hope your meeting goes well and you reach an agreement you're happy with.

I still haven't called ACAS but will do that this week. I have applied for another job though so I'm taking proactive strides!