Fixed term contract dismissed for no reason

[Pinkninja25]

Hi,

I work in the management office of a shoppping centre. I've been on ftc since May 2023 that was originally for 12 months. They extended my contract to 30th August 2024 and have let me believe I would be kept on permanently. They have now seemingly changed their minds and are not renewing my contract, saying they are restructuring my role to be done over 5 days rather than the 4 days they employed me to do. I was a bit confused why they didn't invite me to put myself forward for the new role. Especially when I noticed a few days later they were actively advertising on a well known job website and I realised it's 5 days but the same weekly hours I do and exactly the same job description. So I asked my manager for a meeting to discuss why she has decided to dismiss me and why I wasn't told about the job being advertised as nobody has ever raised any issues with me about my performance. She said the new role is more customer service orientated and based on feedback from others in the office she doesn't think it's my thing. At this point I would like to say I have 25 years experience in retail and in my time have even run my own post office for 7 years - is that not customer service enough??! She has since said I am welcome to apply for the job - which I have. But I really don't hold much hope for them even entertaining my application even though I am doing the job they are recruiting for. I have a grievance letter typed up and ready to be emailed to head office but I just don't know if there would be any point. And I can't help thinking I'll be shooting myself in the foot when it comes to getting a reference in future. My partner thinks I should send it off but I'm just not sure. I work in a small office - there's only 5 of us so as soon as I send this letter there is potential for bad atmosphere towards me. They (the manager, her deputy and another colleague) are already constantly scuttling off together. I've even caught them whispering in the next room today and I know it's about me as there was nobody else left in the office. What should I do? I've got 3 weeks to go - should I just see how my application plays out and then let bygones be bygones if they don't want me or should I risk being completely austrasized and submit my grievance?? Help!!

It seems either they don't think your customer service skills are good or they're using that as an excuse to get you out because your face doesn't fit. In either case it isn't a tenable situation for the future so I wouldn't bother pursuing. You haven't been there two years, it's a FTC, and you don't mention any discrimination, so there's really no recourse. I would put my energy into job hunting rather than a grievance.

Do you think they are trying to manage you out? What is this feedback from your colleagues about customer service not being your thing? Are they saying you’re bad at it? I wonder if they have someone else lined up for the role.

I've no idea what has been fed back to the manager. I was under the impression everyone got on with me. Nobody has ever said otherwise. This is a bit of a bolt out of the blue. I think the customer service thing is just an excuse and there is some other reason they won't tell me. I did notice a few months ago one of the girls was seemingly a bit off with me for a short time, but then she never came to me with any issues, and so I just put it down to her being stressed out with the job. We were quite busy at the time so it stood to reason. That's the only thing I can think maybe something was said then? But nobody has pulled me for any discussion.

My guess is I've been deemed not worthy of being part of the clique so they are making use of my ftc status now before I hit 2 years service.

Don't bother with the grievance. You're employed on a fixed term contract so it would be pretty pointless. It also won't help if you want a reference.

It all sounds very underhand. Do you really want to carry on working there?

I'd just accept that they either don't want you for the job or have someone else lined up. Use the experience you've gained for something bigger and better.