Blocked for promotion

[Help9876]

NC for this in case it's outing, but any help or advice here would be very much appreciated.

I work in the Civil Service and a few weeks ago, I was offered a temporary position in another government department 'on loan'- that essentially means you move back to your original dept at the end of the loan term (unless your new role becomes permanent etc).

It's pretty common practice and to my understanding they can only block these moves when they have a good reason and they are not a promotion- this would be a double promotion for me and is a huge development opportunity. I won the position on fair and open competition.

They've now turned round and said that due to organisational changes, they're blocking the move! Does anyone have any experience with this?

They've told me this on a Friday afternoon so now I'm going to spend the whole weekend panicking- I fear they've u-turned so late that I'll miss out on the position.

If anyone has any advice I'd be really grateful, feelings really panicked now

Go to your union rep ASAP. My understanding (also civil service) is that sideways moves and secondments can be blocked if there are staffing challenges linked to your original role/department, they cannot hold you back from promotion.

Speak to the department you want to move to - tell them you definately still want it and see what they say / can do.

Thank you @UndercoverCop and @LittleOwl153.

I've gone straight to the union for guidance, and I've also contacted the new department to see if there's another way they can get me across.

I came from a different government dept which has a reputation for blocking moves and once blocked me for a sideways move. My current dept often sneers at them for that behaviour, so I didn't expect them to try it as well.

Who is ‘they’, is it your current department blocking the move?

@TheFlis12345 yes, my current department has u-turned and said they are blocking the move.

There's nothing in the transfers policy around your home department blocking a move, but it is my understanding that they can't block any move for a role on promotion.

When you say it's a temporary post but that it's a promotion, was the promotion permanent but the post temporary? Or would you revert to your original grade at the end of the posting. I've been out of the service for a few years but this scenario sometimes occurred if some one of the higher pay grade needed to be redeployed and the post was one that was available/suitable. They then took priority as they were already substantive in that grade rather than being promoted into it.

I have had this myself recently - I had a TDA with a option at 12 mo to return to my home department or stay on promotion if I did well. I really needed it because of COL and the massive increase in my mortgage.

When my home department found out they were really really smart about blocking my move. They didn't say no, they just attached so many stipulations to the TDA they made me too hot to handle and i was blocked.

The role has now come up external and I have applied direct.

Who fucks someone over for a promotion is a COL crisis?

Contrary to popular belief, promo's on loan CAN be blocked.

If the OP's dept doesnt want to release her due to business reasons, it doesnt have to.

The move is a loan - ergo, not permanent. That provision allows the home dept to say no to a move.

If it was a permanent promo, only a disciplinary would prevent such a move.

Suggest you read the guidance because almost all loan jobs in CS say that applicants should get approval from their current dept if successful to be released.

Clearly, your home dept here OP, is under no obligation to release you.

It's because it's a loan, they can indeed block you, promotion or not. That only applies to permanent moves.

They can also recall you from a loan by giving appropriate notice, usually the loan agreement says one month.

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Yes my understanding (and after reading our policy) is that they can block you for a loan, but this should only be done if there's a strong business reason. And this is subject to more scrutiny where the move is on promotion.

And in this case it seems the reason they've provided has been dreamt up as a cynical attempt to block the move, rather than based on any business need.

@Lizzt2007 in Civil Service, if the role you undertake is a permanent and you win the role through 'fair and open competition', you become substantive at the grade. It doesn't matter if there are other people 'acting up' to that grade, or even substantive at that grade and have simply applied for a sideways move- if you've scored highest through the interview process, the role is yours.

Unfortunately for me, I passed the grade threshold at interview but someone scored 1 point higher and won the only permanent position. I've now been offered a similar role but it's temp Mat cover. So if my dept block me, I miss out altogether- the opportunity goes up in smoke.

@flabbergastedandfumbletooted I'm so sorry to hear you were screwed over like that. It's sad and pathetic really, often people greasing the pole behind them...

Our own MPs have spoke in parliament and directed us to navigate the COL crisis by working more hours (doesn't increase take home when you're salaried) or by achieving promotion. And then they stand in your way at every turn.

My current dept is openly sneery of other government departments who have more of a reputation for stamping their employees down, they can't continue to trade off of being 'holier than thou'.