I have been demoted and would appreciate some advice

[Applepickle]

I have worked for a small company for five years as a department manager with one staff member reporting to me.

Management has decided to make some changes to my role. They have removed several of my key responsibilities and given them to the member of staff who up until now reported to me, but who will now report to my manager. I have not lost my job title or had my salary reduced.

There has been absolutely no consultation, this was sprung on me at a meeting on Friday. There have never been any performance issues in the whole time I've worked there.

I would like some advice on what, if anything I can do. I am considering whether or not to raise a formal grievance. I know they can make changes for operational reasons, but am I right in thinking that by not discussing and consulting with me in advance they have broken the law? Do I have grounds for constructive dismissal?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I think given they haven't reduced your salary or changed your title in any way not put you under additional stress, constructive dismissal might be a stretch especially when you only had one person reporting to you . They could argue that they wanted a flatter structure and that having a manager with just one direct report didn't make much sense.
Have you spoken to them as to their thought process?

For this situation to be Constructive Dismissal, you would have to lodge a grievance and then resign with immediate effect stating that the change they've imposed on you with no consultation is so unacceptable that they have given you no alternative but to leave. You would have to forfeit your notice period, so would be unemployed with no income.

This may sound an extreme approach, but it's what CD amounts to.

Alternatively, you could lodge a grievance and see if they can do anything to adjust your responsibilities to regain your status somehow.

Join a trade union so you have proper legal representation, support and advice in future.

www.tuc.org.uk/join-union

Why does it bother you? Less work, less stress, same pay and job title?

@Crazycrazylady this only happened on Friday so I haven't had a chance to speak to them properly. I intend to tomorrow. Interesting about a flatter structure, I hadn't thought of that. I don't want to out myself too much, but my role is more about managing facilities than staff and I am the only person at my level.

@daisychain01 yes, that's what I feared about CD. I knew I would have to exhaust the internal grievance process before claiming CD but hadn't realised I'd have to resign immediately and forfeit my notice period. I will think about lodging a grievance.

@WorldEndingFire yes, I never thought I'd need to join a union, but will look at doing so for the future.

@LuluBellaBlue well, you might have a point there! I quite liked my status in the company, but the thought of less work and less stress at my age is appealing, I have to admit that.

Thank you all for your thoughts, it's helping to clarify things in my mind.

Sadly it's often the case that people don't think they'll need one until they do! Good news is your working life will be much safer (and more enriched if you get actively involved).

As Mary McArthur once said:

"A trade union is like a bundle of sticks. The workers are bound together and have the strength of unity. No employer can do as he likes with them. They have the power of resistance. They can ask for an advance without fear. A worker who is not in a union is like a single stick. She can easily be broken or bent to the will of her employer. She has not the power to resist a reduction in wages. If she is fined she must pay without complaint. She dare not ask for a ‘rise’. If she does, she will be told, ‘Your place is outside the gate: there are plenty to take your place.’ An employer can do without one worker. He cannot do without all his workers.” (The Woman Worker,
Autumn 1907)

I'm a Union member and believe in what they stand for, but that said they've changed significantly since 1907!