NHS senior manager - nothing to do

[TakeANote]

I’m a band 7 working in legal/records for the NHS. Following a merger/contract takeover six months ago, I’ve moved from a private provider to a NHS trust. There were basically two of us doing the same role but because I have fewer qualifications (no Masters) and the other guy was a band 8, I couldn’t meet the essentials of the new shared JD so couldn’t apply.

Now in theory I work for the man who has “my” role but he hasn’t given me anything to do since we joined teams. I work from home four days a week but I’ve not had any work to do since July. I keep asking him for a new JD but he keeps saying he is too busy to sort it.

HR have said they aren’t looking into it, but weeks are going by and I’m being driven crazy tbh. I think they want me to resign so I don’t have to be made redundant because they keep saying this takeover means no redundancies.

What can I do? I don’t belong to the union. Should I get legal advice?

Ps I know I’m not that “senior”! (Certainly not now...)

What a bloody waste of NHS money. This 40k E.g. your salary could employ 2 nurses! Resign.

Yes I think they want me to resign. But they are making me redundant so I need to have that done properly. I’m a specialist in nhs legal services and can’t really work elsewhere. I will end up earning half my salary if I resign. I can’t afford to just walk out.

It does sound like they're trying to force you out. But hey money! You've got bills.

They're the ones draining the system through inefficiency not you.

To be honest my head is a bit of a mess. Until six months ago I’ve was working mad hours and always behind and busy. Now I’m just sitting at home waiting to see what I’m supposed to do. I know it sounds great but I feel as though my career is over and the thought of having to start again is horrific. I need to have that acknowledged and proper processes followed.

Can you train while at home

you need to use your time at home making a plan for what happens yet. Surely there is a role they could be using you for in the meanwhile? I would make an appointment with HR and ask them to find you an equivalent B7 role, or even a B 6 role with protected salary for a year whilst you find something else. As an NHS therapy lead who spends most of my time clinical because we have such a small staff budget, I find it outrageous that these situations are allowed to happen. Not your fault OP but still a crime.

What does legal/records mean?
I work with NHS BI & contracts, so I'm trying to understand what OP's role is. Info governance, maybe?

I don’t want to give too many details as it is rather outing.

You could be a lot more specific without revealing anything too specific.
I'd rather be poor than bored witless, myself.

Yes I’m at the stage of accepting that I will lose a lot of money. I’ve been through the angry phase and the upset/not sleeping stage. I’m accepting it now. I just don’t know how to make them follow a process. I’ve raised it at every 121.

And this is really the end of my career. I need that acknowledged by them!

Happy to give you details via DM.

Sure you can DM if you want. :)
I'm taking a lad for a walk so will reply later (not ignoring you).

I once posted on here about having nothing to do working in the public sector and was told I should be cleaning the office! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lol

I work from home... I’ve done most of the laundry?!

Why aren't you in the union?

I’m just not: now it’s too late tbh

I think it's important you document to him that you need more to do and that you are unused to not being busy. That way they can't pull any tricks, or say that you don't meet your outcomes. I would ask for clarification on your JD and expected outcomes.

Can you approach his manager or the head of Department?

I'm public sector, and I would be horrified if any of my team didn't have work to do.

Assume you've been looking at other roles at your band, or is your profession too specific?

I have appointments with his manager and their manager during December. I’m trying to force the issue.

There’s nothing on the same band: I’d have to drop a band.

Even if you are relatively expensive it would still be cheaper to make you redundant than employ you forever to literally do nothing! That makes no sense.

Before I got into teaching, I worked in various public sector jobs doing temping. I had nothing to do most of the time.

If they're genuinely fine with you being at home doing nothing then use the time to build your skills, do some career planning and fine tune your CV. That's a gift.

Don't forget you can call ACAS for advice.

Not your fault OP but no wonder the NHS is in such a fucking state. Your situation is probably replicated throughout the UK. ☹️

Can you go back to HR and tell them there is no work for you to do and you are sitting at home doing nothing which is a waste of NHS money and ask them to start the redundancy process?

And as PPs said, use the time to brush up your CV, tap up your contacts and start job hunting.

That’s rubbish. Feeling under-utilised is awful.

Your manager is being pretty foolish, isn’t he? In your position I’d make sure that my requests for work and clarity on my role are on the record.

Remain dignified and be clear about what you want When you have your meetings next month. It sounds as if redundancy may not be your best option if your skills are specialised. You might be able to specify a role for yourself: do some research and go in with a plan.

The NHS and the public sector in general are terrible for this sort of thing. Nobody wants to grasp the nettle and have a difficult conversation. When I worked in the NHS, relatively junior people were feverishly recruiting ‘admin support’ roles to do their photocopying, to make them look important. The poor sods they recruited had barely anything to do and they hated it. I know that you are not junior, but it’s symptomatic of the lack of joined up thinking.