Is there anything I can do here?

[BrookeD]

I think this is all legal from my employer's perspective but I'm trying to work out what my options are (if any).

I work full time in a public sector role and have been in place for 6 years.

My JD is all about doing certain activities. It talks about me leading on say, 10 specific responsibilities. This is what my performance objectives and metrics for my team are based on. I've received a top mark at every annual review.

My organisation is going through change and my team is merging with 2 others. The proposal is to remove me from my team, along with my equivalents in the other teams and put us in a central team. My role will change from looking after my 10 responsibilities within my team to looking after 1 responsibility across all 3 teams. My line manager will change and I will report into another person at my grade rather than my current manager's grade.

My pay and hours will remain the same.

I'm not happy with this for a number of reasons including I perceive this as a 'downgrade' in terms of breadth of experience and I'll have less exposure to leaders.

My working assumption is that I don't have a leg to stand on here in negotiating/not wanting to go?

Does anyone have any experience in anything similar?

It doesn’t sound as though they have thought it through very well? If you have 10 responsibilities now, and will be doing one, and presumably the two people from the other teams will also have only one responsibility each, how will the other 27 responsibilities be dealt with, or are there a lot more team members this will happen to?

I think you are correct though, although you will have your consultation period, the outcome will not be what you want. Can you apply for a different internal position, if not, probably time to look for another job, if the new role isn’t for you.

Thanks - its definitely not been thought through. My current manager doesn't want it to happen and has pushed for alternatives but it looks like it's happening anyway.

Would they have to consult? Not sure they're planning that at the min
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Yes I do have this experience. I went from running a large project with a team into another team who were running hundreds of projects, and when I say running I mean paying out money from one pot with virtually no checks and balances whereas my pot was UK DofEducation money and I was audited by the audit commission directly rather than being lumped in with the whole of the rest of the organisation.

I'd love to say it went well for me it didn't - my working processes were vastly more intricate and our reports went to the PM's office [Boris at the time] and were quite important whereas theirs was inconsequential and they spent all their time on developing processes that they never followed.

I ended up taking redundancy and not applying for more jobs there, I couldn't stand it, and taking it 3 months early. My team stayed, managed to stomach the unbelieveably annoying 'manager' who was given the role during a very tumultuous period of the organisation, and who couldn't manage his was out of a paper bag.

I wouldn't have stayed in that team if I hadn't taken the redundancy, I'd have been on the look out for something else - it was only that it was my project that I was involved with from day 1 that I stayed so long.

What is your current manager thinking, are they looking to leave or bring you over to their new department?

Yes I've had this happen to me. I was heading up a team in a university with a broad remit across a faculty, we did everything and it was varied, required I knew a lot about a lot of areas, formed great working relationships with lots of colleagues to get things done and great job satisfaction. We restructured and I was responsible for one area across all faculties. The rationale was that by focussing on one area, the team could be experts in said area but mostly resulted in everyone feeling de-skilled, everyone being annoyed and leaving and I got out when I could.

Sadly, I don't think there's much you can do if they can evidence that you are on a comparable role. I'd encourage taking redundancy if that's on offer to you and/or looking for another job.

Current manager is looking for new roles but is fairly senior so I doubt it would be quick.

I'd honestly take redundancy but There's been no mention of it and I know it can be expensive in the public sector. Is it worth me asking or do you think that would be a bit cheeky?

Thanks for all your comments!

I think its worth asking the direct question whether redundancy is within the scope of the restructure if only to show how vehemently you disagree. Are there enough roles for everyone? Have you had the consultation meeting and asked the question about your concerns around narrowing of scope, etc?

Also - are you in a union?

It's all about how different the role is. If there's been a substantial change you can argue you need to trial it and be put on redundancy etc.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts so far

I am in a Union but there's no talk of any consultation. The view seems to be that because I look after responsibilities 1 to 10 in my team now, looking after only responsibility 1 across more teams isn't a substantial change. I'm not sure if I could argue it is and there's no change to my pay, hours etc?

The new line manager has stated he doesn't want the three of us to report into him directly and so will be looking for a 'first among equals'. This will mean I'm reporting into an individual at my level, 2 grades down from my current manager. I'm really worried about career progression, the lack of visibility or exposure to leaders but I'm being told the decision is made.

Perhaps a call to my Union would be helpful even if my employer aren't going down the consultation route?

My understanding is that they're trying to avoid redundancies.

Union are massively snowed under with all the strikes - not sure where to go next.

My current line manager obviously doesn't have any power here and my new line manager doesn't want me either!

Really is demotivating to say the least.