What would you think in this situation?

[LemonSwan]

I have a part time role which is distinct in that I am the only employee which does this area. Its not irreplaceable or unique in terms of job role itself - its a common job. Its just they only have one in the workplace IYSWIM.

Another department is run by one person full time. We are related fields but completely distinct skill sets.

We have a new manager who is shaking up the whole workplace and many people have left.

It was proposed recently that we would be hiring a new part time role to be half helping my department, and half helping the other related department. Dual role. This is helpful obviously if it is just that.

The issue is it was mentioned not once but twice that I would be moving to the other department in 6 months time for half the year - even though I have not a single skill in that area and no inclination to learn this new distinct and highly specialised skill set (essentially a whole other career in itself).

This leaves the question is my department being abandoned for half the year which I find hard to believe, or am I being demoted/engineered out of my role.

What would you think?

Sorry I'm not totally clear from your post what's going on here. When you say 'I would be moving to the other department' do you mean you will continue to do your current job but sitting within/being managed by the other department or do you mean you would actually change job for that time and do something different, and if the latter why and who will be doing your job while you do that one (or will it just not be done at all, or by the new 'helper' person)? Why for 6 months at a time only, is your job cyclical/seasonal in some way?

It's quite common if you have a distinct/individual job in the way yours is, that you end up being line managed by someone fairly random and not connected to the actual job (because there isn't anyone else that does that job) which is a bit annoying but also a bit inevitable particularly within smallish companies - otherwise everyone would have to report to the Chief Exec or Managing director which can be unfeasible once its 20+ people so you have to add a bit of structure even if this means e.g. the marketing person is managed by the operations person or something - it doesn't mean the marketing person suddenly becomes an expert in operations or vice versa.

I can def see it being unsettling and unhelpful to move departments every 6 months though and can't see why they'd want to do that unless it makes business sense in some way?

If it's just that they want to change your reporting line and give you an extra staff member/help and nothing else, I wouldn't have thought it's an attempt to engineer you out. Of course, if they're actually saying you need to do a completely different job in the new department for 6 months of the year and/or you have other reason to think that the's case and/or this is the latest in a series of events which have made you feel unwelcome/unvalued then it could be but I wouldn't leap to that - it would be a bit of a weirdly oblique way of getting rid of you personally although perhaps it does indicate a declining need for the work you do...

Thanks @maxelly

When you say 'I would be moving to the other department' do you mean you will continue to do your current job but sitting within/being managed by the other department
I would be moving to be line managed by the other department which I am not at all concerned about - it has happened previously and we get on well.

Both departments are always extremely busy. 3 of us could work really well but I am not convinced its with the best intention because why move me from my job? It is being pointed towards me no longer doing my job fully - splitting 50/50 between departments and learning new responsibilities. So we have two people 50/50 and one 100%.

I think the new manager thinks I do a crap job which is upsetting as I know I am not crap and I do take pride in my job. I am not being given enough details about what I will be doing, who will be doing what etc. with the new job share.

As I will also be part of a team of 3 now equally split its unlikely my current flexitime arrangements will work (not a flexible working agreement - these were originally negotiated flexitime at interview a number of years ago).

Yes it is seasonal/cyclical but I am not sure they are understand what is required at each season. I have tried to involve the new General Manager but they have no interest when I approach them.

I am not sure whether she knows I would be difficult to fire so is trying to get me to jump and wont follow through as it may essentially be impossible to change my role to this extent.

I do this job part time not for the money really, but for the job satisfaction so I dont really feel like fighting over this; but I begrudge that we change mananger every year, so I could walk out, really let down people relying on me and my department, throw away all the gains I have worked tirelessly for in this area and they ends up leaving anyway.

So even if it is to engineer me out of the role I am also stuck on what to do.

Your post is a bit too vague to really understand what is going on, but one though I have had is that they are trying to eliminate key person risk through cross training / knowledge sharing. Personally I would just ask what the intention is.

My first thought was that they were trying to reduce the risk of skills sitting with one person as @Aprilx suggested, which is reasonable. Your post is very vague though and it's hard to tell - you need to speak to your manager.

Actually I would say either you are being trained to do both jobs, or you are being managed out. More likely the former.

Thanks all, thankfully my manager approached me and clarified. I am put at ease now and think I was jumping to worst case scenario! I can overthink things sometimes.