I believe I can provide evidence of lack of management support and development in my business line since December 2008.
I know I have to take forward a formal grievance as I can not live with myself for allowing such poor treatment.
What actions, if any, will be taken if my evidence is supported. ?
Rest is background.
No need to read any further this helps me to write it down as I am not 100% yet. Still have mobility issues.
There are four other ladies with some similar issues and feedback.
I have reviewed our published company policies on management and welfare.
I believe I have been systematically failed on many occasions and have proof that the processes have not been applied to me correctly.
The 'boys' club have all since moved on and forward, to a wider sphere of influence.
I worked for this manager until from Sept 2008 to May 2016.
During my time in this department I have delivered. Consistently. To the top 5% of the employees of our business.
I have delivered millions in revenue for this Company.
Have numerous award although nothing I have ever done has been publicly promoted or shown in any regard positively by my management line of First, Second and Third Line Managers. A one way street.
I was nothing but a 'cash cow' who has helped them develop further along with a number of other peer ladies in our teams.
Following a sustained period of uncertainty I became seriously medically ill. Had to have an operation. Very serious one in which stress is a contributor.
Same for the Nervous Breakdown I had in 2008, directly linked to threats about job role/loss As a single mum i convinced myself I would lose my job, my house, my children. Never had one before.
Following a year I was able to return to work
A year later I was diagnosed with M.E. and Fibromyalgia
While working in his team (he was my second line prior to moving) he once, drunk, tried to kiss me in a taxi which I quickly called a halt to. It was never mentioned again, he is also known for trying to touch one of my other female peers. A business partner told me this who was there.
She sought a new job and she has since left the department and will not work for him again due to lack of trust.
My other peer female team member also left the team due to lack of opportunity and trust. She was threatened with not getting her promotion if she left among other things.
Another female Exec PM also had to leave the Company. She is helping me write up my grievance and review the evidence.
The last 3 years I had to fight to get promotion case support, when I found others in my team were going forward and they did half the work I did I decided to do this.
I was told by another colleague I should have been shown the process a year before submission, 20 letter of support are needed from internal and external senior exec's / managers.
I had not seen a copy of a promotion document to complete.
I was getting married in the month my manager came to see me about this and the submission was 6 weeks after.
I was given NO support by my manager to proceed so I decided to leave to the following year as I had not had the year to prep.
I later met a VP who in our first meeting told me to write it and canvass the letters. She suggested asking for a few more days at the promotion board would sit months ahead and with me being away on honeymoon etc. they may give me the weekend. I asked the board leader and was given a further week.
I called my manager and this was not met with any approval. Initially I was told no it was too late, I explained situation he was not happy. I told him I had to feedback to the VP so I will tell her I cannot do this, this was then agreed. There was a witness with me while this discussion was taking place on the phone. Who will confirm this and team members who I helped and support with their careers etc have offered to feedback.
I wrote my promotion, got my letters in, 20 outstanding letters of support.
Sent it to my mentor, my first and second line manager. She read, reviewed and return it to me in 24 hours. I have never received any feedback from them to this day on my case document.
I know it was glowingly received as I knew 70% of the board, mine was the only one from our team....
Following this, I got my promotion in Sept 2003.
My second line later told me I was 'damaged' as my mentor upset my 3rd line manager. I would not progress further this this kind of thing happening. etc.
I wrote up this feedback to him and asked for a face to face meeting to address my concerns. I did stand up for myself when confronted but again to this day there has been no face to face meeting to discuss.
When the business was struggling and needed more sales coverage I offered to cover a secondment for 4 months to assist with revenue, growth etc along with giving me further experience. This was later agreed in March and I was told to move across within a week. Hand my team over. Go.
I got there, I was not expected and there was no plan for me so I asked about going back. I was told I could not go back. I could return to the department but not a management role. Devastating.
There is a policy for governing secondments in our business, a clear and legal one.
I told my manager he could not do this and he told me 'yes they could' this was later amended I had to chose to return at the end of 4 months to my old job, I could remain for longer but would be allowed a management role in the team. This decision took months and put me under tremendous strain. I chose to extend my time as I was learning and making more success for us. This revenue directly support this team.
Following that activity my task management was done by my secondment line, my career and welfare retained by holding manager.
I was also told not to discuss this with the person they had given my job to avoid any concern for them.
I also asked to be put on the talent program which I was highly eligible for, there is no money for this but is considered a positive. I was denied, multiple times by him in writing. I was told there was a quote. Once I raised a complaint re secondment I added this to the issue. I was then allowed to go the night day before. 4 hours drive etc. On arriving I met a colleague who runs this program he told me there is no quota. Inside I was a mess. I had to get through the day.
I started to become ill again during this secondment process issue and this worsened in February 2015 was keeping my health in focus. Relapse avoidance. I had no support. Odd email exchange, couple of work calls with my manager until May 2016. No monthly meeting phone or otherwise, no welfare checks…I had to go to him…remember my sickness was linked to threat of job loss...I was demoted, outside the department, my task manager did not want me but he 'ate his words' as my results were excellent. Which they all needed them to be.
I was removed from our team rooms ( got this reinstated) , removed from any later structure calls, not shown on org charts, not consulted during restructure and offered nothing in the new organisation despite my 14 years of exemplary performance in that team.
I was moved into a Sales role with no interview in the end. My manager did not discuss this with me. The system made the change and that was that, no announcement, no thank you, no nothing.
Towards the end of my time in this department there were issues in communicated with him as I had to go to him for certain work activities. Formal and cold.
I stopped working in November 2015 as I was diagnose with hemiplegic migraine and brain aneurism. I now had to look to return.
How can I work with people who behave in this way.
I have an audit trail for lots of things.
I am going to ask them to provide evidence of where they have actively supported me, my career, my career development, my health / welfare as well.
I would like to know why I was never consulted about anything in 2016 when the reorg was done.
Why no one told me there would be a different appraisal cycle for me.
Why I was not told my line manager would not do my appraisal.
Why I was not told until I wrote to ask in January 2016 where I was to report back to as it ended 31st Dec 2015. Told to stay on secondment.
As a manager myself if someone had told me this outline I would have been totally disgusted.
Since I have been away I have not seen one person from either management line. I have not received a card, any flowers, nothing.
I do have calls with my new line manager, he got me back as my new line manager left in October.
I had to go in and see my manager last week about going back to work. I do not feel able to go back in and my migraine symptoms started to resurface. If you have ever had one of these you can look like you have had a stroke. Facial drop, loss of mobility in arm and some in the leg for me. Eye aura and severe pain in eye, head, neck.
My sickness has not been formally logged on the systems as I have also not received any letter outlining the process. I have not needed to review sickness policy for some time.
After 21 years I would only be eligible for statutory redundancy and I am currently outside of selection due to my high performance.
My marriage has suffered since I started to get ill again.
My children have had to watch me decline very seriously once, and the last two years have been hard for them to watch. Neither of them will apply to join this company. One has a first other other is on for a first, they would be assets.
I have engaged ACAS now, family support and my manager is going to support me in taking this forward.