I work for a large organisation with many different buildings, some of these buildings carry out similar roles and come under the same department from a payroll point of view, others are completely different . The building I work in is closing, we have known this would be happening for a couple of years now and when we were first informed this would be happening we were told we would all have 1:1 meetings to discuss our skills, personal situations re family/childcare commitments, if we drive/ how far we can travel etc and would be asked to give 3 places/roles we would be interested in and would then be matched with a new place of work.
However, we are now in the process of being shut down and were told that unless we are asking for a straight transfer to the same role/pay grade we would need to have an informal interview.
I am currently on maternity leave, due to return in just under 2 weeks.
During my 1:1 they didn't really ask about my skills, circumstances or anything other than my 3 choices. My 1st choice was a slightly different role ( this would require interview) and 2nd and 3rd choice was the same role in 2 other buildings.
A couple weeks after that during a conversation with my manager I was informed I would be going to the same role in building x(not 1 of my 2 choices), didn't think much of it until I started hearing that colleagues had been invited to interviews for what was my 1st choice. I thought about contacting the person that carried out the 1:1 to ask why I didn't get an interview but colleagues had said it was not an informal interview but a proper one with a panel and written excercises etc so decided just to stick with what i had been given.
I had emailed my new manager asking to come in and meet some staff and discuss what training I need to update as I have been off since the start of the pandemic due to being pregnant and public facing/unable to social distance then on mat leave for a year. I did not recieve a reply, I was then informed by a senior member of staff at current workplace the myself and the other colleagues that were going to eh same place as me had been invited for an induction at new workplace, this was then cancelled the next day and so far has not been rearranged.
Today just before 5pm I recieved an email informing me that as I had "registered an interest in current role at building x" i am invited to an interview on x date, this date is 5 days before I am due to return.
I tried to email back for more information on why it was an interview invite but got an out of office, till 2 days before interview, reply and I won't be able to speak to my current manager until Monday as he doesn't work on Fridays.
I am so stressed with it all now, I was already struggling with the idea of returning to work, I am dealing with some family problems at the minute, my baby still doesn't sleep through despite being 1 in a few weeks, i am worried about going to a new workplace with new staff and different ways of doing things, my partner was made redundant during the pandemic and we have held of him applying for jobs as I am better paid so wanted my job to be priority and him to get something that will work around me and now this is happening.
I feel so unsupported throughout all this, I wasn't informed of the meeting where we were told they had a closure date, I didn't get the 1:1 with my manager before the official 1:1, I didn't get an interview for my 1st choice and was then told I would be going to building x and now being told I need to interview for that building.
When this first started we were told they would not be offering redundancy there were jobs for all of us, they would try to match us with something that suited and if we didn't accept it we would basically be giving our notice but now from what I can see we have to interview for everything and if we don't get the job then what?? Does that mean we are unemployed? None of it seems right and now I will need to worry about this till Monday as I don't know who to contact.
Sorry it is so long I am just so stressed with it all. Does this sound correct, can they make us interview?
I'm not sure if everyone has had an interview invite, 1 other person has but they had not been given a new building/role and has asked for interview for another slightly different role, I also know that a few staff have already been moved so as far as I know that is their new Permanent place of work.