I don’t get it

[lovebanter]

Childcare Manager is due to go on maternity leave next year as her deputy do I step up as Manager automatically ? Small setting total 5 staff.

No not automatically. Your employer will decide what they want to do about maternity cover. It might involve you stepping up, it might not.

If you want it as a development opportunity why not ask if you can step into her role. Do it before someone else has the same idea. If you don't ask you don't get, as they say.

They might even give you an 'acting up allowance', if such a thing exists in your organisation.

As deputy you will probably have to step into her shoes
But you should be asking the questions because if you do then you will also need someone to step into your shoes
There may also be an allowance payable so you need to find out

do I step up as Manager automatically ?

If you allow this 'step up' to happen automatically, your employer may be happy to get you working at the more senior level without giving you support or recognition (incl additional remuneration).

So, make sure you don't let the opportunity slip by to highlight it and seek clarity, otherwise they could make the assumption you've accepted the situation and it will let them off the hook.

Thank you all for your comments advice. I am an experienced deputy and have been a manager before. So I kind of expected to be asked if I would step up. We are committee run but no professionals in HR or childcare so really my boss would take the lead. She’s working until Easter and just thought she would of supported me and put me forward she knew I would do it as I told her. All I’ve heard through a committee mum is she’s going to advertise. So now I’m hurt she didn’t tell me to my face and who is supposed to train /support new temporary boss.

”who is supposed to train /support new temporary boss.”

That’s not for you to worry about. If your boss isn’t going on maternity leave until Easter there’s plenty of time to recruit/train a maternity cover. Besides, if the temporary cover is an experienced nursery manager, presumably he/she will need minimum support and training anyway.

It’s disappointing if you were hoping for a temporary promotion, but they would presumably have had to recruit additional help anyway, either as direct cover for the manager or as cover for you if you were to cover for the manager. They’ve obviously decided this is the best way to go.

I agree she should have told you directly though. Maybe raise your disappointment with her?

I don’t think this is joint decision with committee as I receive nothing but praise from the mums on committee. I will express my feelings once she tells me officially herself. I would of thought they’re would be some kind of expectation for a deputy to step up and I would want her to follow some sort of professional procedure.

”I don’t think this is joint decision with committee as I receive nothing but praise from the mums on committee.”

The committee have presumably delegated the job of recruitment for this post to her, which is fine. If they are unhappy with the decision and think you should have been temporarily promoted, they would be able to say so.

”I will express my feelings once she tells me officially herself”

Why wait?

”I would of thought they’re would be some kind of expectation for a deputy to step up and I would want her to follow some sort of professional procedure.”

Not at all any kind of “expectation” about deputy stepping up. Sometimes employers want deputies to act up, sometimes they prefer to recruit a direct replacement on a temporary basis. It’s completely up to the employer how they handle it.

What kind of “professional procedure” do you mean? Do you mean it should have been advertised internally so you could apply? That sounds fair, but in circumstances where a decision has clearly been made that you acting up isn’t what they want to do, that would actually be a colossal waste of everyone’s time including your own. The outcome would not have been any different.

The only thing anyone has done wrong here is not communicate well with you.

Yeah I guess I’m a bit hurt and stubborn as far as I’m concerned I don’t want somebody just mentioning casually advertising for a role I know I can do.
So I will wait for her to tell me. I would apply for role because then I can show during interview process where not just the manager but committee would be present as well. I would then during process explain how I feel I would be the best person for the job while she’s on maternity leave.
It makes much more sense to promote from within giving additional responsibility to existing staff if they are right for the job. So I don’t agree it would be a colossal waste of time it would give me a respected and able member of staff my opportunity and if after interview it’s a no that’s fine I would feel better to have had my opportunity rather then be just passed by, I think unfairly.

lovebanter they clearly aren't set up to accommodate a temporary promotion as you describe. What seems perfectly logical to you is probably not something they want to entertain.

From their perspective they may see a dilemma on their hands about what will happen when your manager returns from Mat Leave. By then you may have become accustomed to the higher level of responsibility and they'd only be able to return you to your previous role with no guarantee of further advancement.

Automatic promotion, even if temporarily to fill a ML post, can be problematic and disruptive to an employer, so unfortunately you may need to face the fact you won't be invited to fill that role. If you feel you are outgrowing your current post, and feel ready for promotion to a supervisory post, It wouldn't harm to look on the open market and fulfilling your potential elsewhere.

I see what you mean but my intention would only be temporary cover. She’s coming back within 6 months for financial reasons she has to. So I was just looking at it as surely it would of been the best scenario all round.

”So I don’t agree it would be a colossal waste of time it would give me a respected and able member of staff my opportunity and if after interview it’s a no that’s fine I would feel better to have had my opportunity rather then be just passed by, I think unfairly.”

It would be a waste of time because they’ve already made up their mind.

Why do you think it’s “unfair”?

Whether they like it or not they have to advertise and interview that’s procedure. If they don’t it would be unfair and wrong not only for me but other senior staff. I don’t think committee have made up their minds as a couple have mentioned their support.

”Whether they like it or not they have to advertise and interview that’s procedure.”

Really? A setting with 5 staff run by a parent committee has a policy stating they must advertise vacancies?

In any case your earlier post stated your boss intended to advertise, so what’s the issue?

My issue was I felt as a deputy in a small setting for a temporary period of time I should be considered.
Let’s see what happens in the new year thank you for your time and comments.

It makes much more sense to promote from within giving additional responsibility to existing staff if they are right for the job

Sometimes that makes sense, but it does come with problems too (potentially at least) and sometimes management would rather have a new external perspective by hiring outside of the organisation.

It sounds to me like they have decided that for whatever reason they want to appoint someone else. That’s disappointing for you but it’s not unfair.

There may be other reasons for bringing in someone from outside. For example with future expansion or change of workstream in mind they may wish to take the chance to grow the team by one. They may not be able to backfill your role as easily as they can recruit to the manager's role. Your manager may have indicated that on her return she might be seeking a change of role or hours, and the recruitment may be in anticipation of that. They may lack confidence for some reason that you would be able to fulfil the role in the way they require. If it's a small organisation run by a committee, it sounds to me as though it could be a charity of some sort, in which case they may be fulfilling some sort of corporate responsibilty agreement on a wider level to try and make opportunities available to more people. They may be trying to improve their diversity stats. The committee chair might have a son or daughter who 'just happens' to be perfect for the role. It could be any one or a combination of many of those things. However if the role is advertised externally then there is nothing stopping you applying.

”My issue was I felt as a deputy in a small setting for a temporary period of time I should be considered.”

I am certain you were considered. And for whatever reason, a decision was made not to go down that route for maternity cover.

I’m afraid your OP and subsequent posts made it sound as though your issue was in fact that you thought you had some sort of automatic entitlement to promotion, which just isn’t the case at all, any more than it would be if your boss was leaving permanently.

Yes that’s why I wanted some feedback as I did initially feel that I should be considered as a temporary acting manager. I can’t help the way I feel. My manager has taken considerable time off sick and she won’t return to work until mid January. I obviously am holding the fort and working during the break to get ahead with planning and various admin duties. That’s why I needed some advise as I feel a bit taken for granted. Anyway as I said before I will happily carry out my job in a role I love and see what happens when she returns.

I obviously am holding the fort and working during the break to get ahead with planning and various admin duties

Unfortunately it's a bitter pill to swallow, having to step into your manager's shoes during her period of sickness absence, but knowing they aren't going to let you do the job in any formalised way.

It would be worth arranging a meeting and seeing if they are willing to be honest as to why you have missed out on this temporary acting up role. At least it would clear the air. Otherwise your resentment will build and it will sour an otherwise enjoyable role.

”I did initially feel that I should be considered as a temporary acting manager.”

You will have been considered, especially if you’ve been covering for sickness absence recently. I agree with Daisy’s advice to have a meeting and find out why they’ve decided not to do that. Clear the air a bit, otherwise resentment will build.

Yes will do that thank you both for advice.

Apologies if I've missed something but I don't think anyone has said to you that you can't apply/ won't get the job? If they are advertising, you can apply and go through the formal process (likely with shortcuts as an internal applicant). This is how it's worked in most of my workplaces. If you're the best candidate, they will offer you the role. If you go through the process and they deem another candidate is better suited, then I'm afraid you have to take that on the chin if you decide to stay there. Good luck.

What makes you think that you aren't free to apply for the post once it's externally advertised? Many posts are externally advertised but with the full intention that internal applicants can, and should, apply.

Secondly, you don't know why they haven't automatically promoted. Perhaps they felt that if they automatically promoted you, they would have to automatically promote a deputy, and the didn't feel that anyone was strong enough to take that role on. By leaving you as deputy, they don't have to do that. Or, maybe they felt that the team couldn't deal with two role changes at once (you to manager and another senior to deputy) and by recruiting externally they'd only have one role change to manage.

Whatever the situation is, at the end of the day you have to accept that the parent management committee does have the role of management, and they are allowed to manage as they see fit, within the confines of the law. It's disappointing for you, but you have no automatic right for promotion, temporary or permanent.

A good deputy is very hard to find so they probably feel they need to keep you in your current position as recruiting a good deputy is very tricky
You would have to support the new deputy as well as acting as manager, in effect doing both roles
It’s probably easier for them to just look for a temporary manager because that way they have you as the consistent factor and to steady the ship