Effectively fired but no feedback...

[runningpram]

I feel so incredibly upset and in shock - although perhaps I shouldn't be.

But would be grateful for thoughts

Six months ago I got a hard-earned promotion in comms type role working directly for a senior executive.

Everything went well initially but the old exec was recently replaced with someone else and a new team. I've had three major projects to work on since then, which all need the exec's input/steer.

The first coincided with the first week that the exec was appointed. He engaged with it at the last minute meaning I had to put in some very fast work to adjust for their requests. However it went down well with stakeholders and seemed to go fine.

The next project again the exec engaged very late due some very difficult external circumstances. Again it appeared to go well and he gave positive feedback at a session where I presented the project and asked for their thoughts

Following this a few more directors joined the team. Suddenly there seemed to be a change in approach, my access to the exec seemed to vanish overnight and a director close to the exec started producing work in the area I would typically be involved in. The work they produced was terrible and I was asked by my manager to step in at the end to help fix it.

Since then I wasn't assigned any work from the exec, although I had other stuff to keep me busy.

I've just now been called into a meeting and told he isn't happy with my work and they're looking to replace me with someone else.

I was told that there wasn't anything specific they could cite that was wrong just a 'gut feeling' from the exec that I wasn't right for the job.

I've been given no feedback prior to this or any indication that there was anything wrong..

I also said I hadn't been really given a full chance to show what I could do over the course of 2/3 projects assigned or any feedback I could build on.

I've also not had any 121s with my manager over the past few months, I'm now wondering it's because they knew there was something afoot.

My immediate managers have been very apologetic and has said they thought I was doing great job.

I'm keeping my title and role for now and have said I can focus on some other areas. But my workload will fall dramatically and these areas are not great for career progression. It's also really against my nature to keep standing still/treading water for a long time.

As everyone will know I'm not doing this job any more and it will be really humiliating. I'm also really concerned about the future as if there are redundancies I'm clearly going to be a prime candidate.

I feel super humiliated about having to explain this to my team as they will be aware I'm not being assigned work in the same way.

And to be honest I'm really in shock.I'm from a working class background and have fought every step of the way in my career and have had great feedback the whole way through.

I'm the breadwinner and have put in so many long hours into the role to try to make a good impression, often at the expense of time with my DC.

I'm 99% certain that I'm going to be replaced by posh man who knows the exec in some capacity.

And to be honest I feel completely devastated that I tried to raise myself up and push myself and it has ended like this. I feel that everyone will be laughing at me for having ideas above my station.

I've been with the organisation itself in total 4.5 years now if that makes any difference.

Sorry for the long post can I ask if anyone else has experienced similar. What did you do? I don't think I can change the exec's mind but how can I salvage things? I'm a member of a union but not sure how helpful they will be or what they can do.

To be honest these past months have been such a horrible experience and I feel flattened.

I would be asking for a severance package and walking away, get yourself some legal representation. There's no way back from this but make sure you make some money out of it.

Call ACAS - they can’t just get rid of you if you have been there more than 2 years.

Can you speak with HR about getting some career coaching or a mentor? This demonstrates your commitment despite the exec's 'gut feeling'.
Get written feedback from the managers who've been positive.
Get feelers out for another role.
Hold your head high. Anyone who notices what's happened will be able to see how you've been shafted despite you being held in high regard by everyone other than the exec.

Hi
I'm not sure that a mentor from HR is going to make a difference in these but it is a good suggestion. I think the bottom line is they want someone else in my job and want to replace me and the exec prefers them personality wise.
I've not been given any kind of chance to show what I can really do or to improve ,so I don't see this as a reflection of my work.
I do feel upset that there's an attempt to portray it as such and that people will be thinking I'm rubbish and I've failed when I'm not.
I feel like they've known about this for a while and everyone has been in on it and sniggering behind my back.
They're not getting rid of me as such but my job is pretty unworkable now, I feel locked out of things and my role is prime for the chop.

Sorry OP - thats really horrible.

Surely there should/would have been some negative performance reviews if they were unhappy!

Best advice I can give you is to get this moved to the Employment Issues chat and request @flowery to give you expert advice.

I'm fairly sure this isn't about your work. It's probably not even about you. You said your self you think you'll be replaced by a posh man. You feel hard done by and rightly so by the sound of it, so just focus on getting the most leverage you can.

That sounds awful. Try not to focus on the emotional aspects - I'm sure no one is sniggering. I'd be looking for a severance package or Googling constructive dismissal. Gut feeling my arse!

thank you. I'm literally shaking. But I'm going to try to convert that anger and upset into determination to achieve my goals.
I will try to talk to my union. I'm not sure if there's a case for constructive dismissal but I don't want to be pushed out of an organisation in which I've invested a lot of time and have been really happy. Especially if I've not actually done a bad job!

Also how would I claim a severance package - would I need to make a case for constructive dismissal? I think I probably do have a case to be honest but like my managers and it's a small world so don't want to get a reputation for threats etc

What's happened to old exec you were appointed by, is he/she still in the company? I suspect that 'all' that's happened is you are associated with the old regime and so your face doesn't it. I don't mean that to sound as if it isn't extremely upsetting for you, but I really don't think it's anything you've done.

As you've done a decent stint within the company, what about looking for work elsewhere? How is your network? 'Tis the season, can you make some contacts during Xmas events?

Your immediate managers don't seem to be doing very much other than hand-wringing and making out it's nothing to do with them. Is there anyone who will go in to bat for you with this new exec?

I'm hoping the end result of this is you get a better-paid job in a better organisation where you can exercise your ambition properly. This place doesn't seem to deserve you.

A similar thing happened to me after a company takeover. The new exec wanted their man in my job. First they offered me a move to another, much smaller department , then when I turned down the move, they started criticising my work, saying I was struggling in the role. I had been there 10 years with good appraisal and promotions, never any issues. Eventually I was told they “wanted me out and wanted to know how much it would cost”. I signed a compromise agreement and negotiated a settlement. I would start looking for a new job and emotionally detaching yourself from this one. As PP said, they associate you with the previous exec and you have already had to rescue the poor efforts of one new exec - do you want to work for such people? Get advice from the union and take it from there. Good luck x

thank you @tribpot you are right. To clarify the old exec has moved on, the new exec's directors have come with them from their old company.
I know it sounds boring but I get a brilliant pension in this job and my plan was to stay another 2 years at least so I've got a decent basis for retirement.
My new managers talked about giving me an expanded job title which covers all the new work I will pick up and probably helps me to save face.
But you're right, they're handwringing. They could have organised a proper role for me if they had wanted to. But instead it seems really vague.
I'm now wondering if it's to stall me and weaken my case for a constructive dismissal claim.
I have loads of emails to the exec's team asking for their steers/feedback which have been fobbed off etc and apparently the new exec was really complimentary about a central element of my role. So it really feels like they just don't want me doing that role full stop, have made a weak attempt at dressing it up as my failings but realised there's no way they can justifiably prove that.
I will see if I can get some legal support via my union on Monday and put some feelers out for new roles

Thank you @Ladyface I'm sorry you had this unpleasant experience too and hope things worked out for you in the end.
Onwards and upwards! (hopefully!)

I felt very bitter about it for a long time after but I got another job which I loved so it worked out well in the end. Remember you are good at your job and you have worked hard to get where you are. Check your contract and any related company policies and give ACAS a call. Take care.

You have done nothing wrong this is about a new exec wanting their “man” to do your role. It’s shitty but does give you some leverage.

Is their a suitable equivalent role in the organisation that you want to do and could be moved too?
Start looking for a new job, it’s not right but the writing is on the wall and sticking it out could undermine your confidence. It gives you options.
Start talking to HR, and asking them what is happening with your role and what are their plans for you. If there is a different role you want to do suggest I could do x role. If the person the new exec wants is a man make it clear to HR by repeatedly dropping it into the conversation x wants his man to have my job, I am being replaced by a man etc. If they start getting twitchy be bold and say “should we be having a Without Prejudice meeting”. If they offer this take it and ask for a severance package/compromise agreement - if they go for this they have to pay for you to have legal advice.

thank you @Princessglittery yes it seems like I'm going to have to look elsewhere. I'm hoping it will work out for the best but I'm just disgusted with them to be honest - particularly by their (failed) attempt to try and pin it on me.

Just had a thought overnight about whether I should send an email back to my managers recapping our conversation, thanking them for their support but highlighting I've been given no feedback or support and the difficult circumstances around the projects. I also want to state that this doesn't seem to be a decision based on performance and I will strongly defend any attempts to damage my professional reputation. This last bit is so important to me.
I think the managers are for now standing up for me behind the scenes so don't want to annoy them or bring the shutters down but also want to stand up for myself

This happened to DiL who was Business Manager to the President of a financial company. He left and was replaced by someone who wanted ‘his own people’. In the end she negotiated a severance package and retrained. They weren’t able to offer her anything on the same level. I didn’t think you could just have employment terminated - there have to be warnings and procedures to monitor your work. I would suggest speaking to an employment lawyer (are you in a union) and always taking a friend into meetings with you. Alternatively, do you want to accept the new job title and just coast for two years?

I would go a bit easy on the 'I will defend my professional reputation' bit @runningpram . So far no-one has really criticised your performance, beyond the vague second-hand info that new exec isn't happy with your work. It's a big step from that to imagining people will be going around smearing your good name publicly. I'd write as you describe in the first part of your post but make clear you've always had positive feedback and you'd be happy to discuss directly with exec to get a better handle on his 'style' and to clear up any misunderstandings which may have arisen.

I wouldn't use the 'strongly defend' line as I think your managers may think you're about to launch a grievance procedure and they will be implicated in it.

thank you @tribpot - noted. I've written an email, mainly for catharsis but will take legal advice before doing anything or sending it. As this has clarified to me that they are on incredibly dodgy ground.

I think you need to decide what you want

If you were only planning on staying another 2 years, then maybe have a think about whether you could be happy in another role.

I do think this is constructive dismissal. I think you've read the situation right. New director has a useless posh man he wants to work with. I think it's worth getting any evidence you have that you had to salvage his work.

If you want to stay for the pension, you need to tell them you want another real role. And make sure you get it and on the same money with the same prospects. If you don't think you can stay there, I would definitely go for constructive dismissal and if the director and his new posh guy are both male, you may even have a case for discrimination. But these things are not easy and not pleasant

I also wouldn't send anything yet till you decide what you want and I would get advice. Often the first session with an employment lawyer is free. Take a bit of time getting your evidence together and have a think about the outcome you would like.

Incidentally @runningpram pension entitlements can be part of a negotiated settlement. I'm not saying go in with that as your opening gambit, but it's worth knowing the facts before you open discussions so another thing to check with ACAS tomorrow.

Some companies seem to think they can just move employees across into a non-job, or one at a lower level, and employees have no recourse as long as they still have a job. That is not the case, as your firm will hopefully soon find out.

thank you @thing47 that's incredibly good to know. And thank you @1Sky sage advice.
I've drafted a calmer more positive email outlining my perspective. But I'm going to chat to my union/lawyer/Acas before sending in case I've inadvertently put anything in it that limits my options. Mumsnet has kept me sane in this sorry saga. I've barely eaten or slept all weekend from the stress. The more I think about it, they've been laying the groundwork for some time. I have been wondering if they may try to make me redundant or demote me after Christmas.
Should I hold fire on any job title changes in the meantime? I'm wondering if they shunt me into a non job, then bring in the new chap they could then axe me pretty easily.

I wouldn't accept an expanded job title at the moment, until you've taken some advice. I think that could be seen as going along with this 'sideways move' and undermine your case. If anyone pushes I'd just say you'd need to see something in writing so you can consider your options.