Sorry, this turned out much longer than I intended it to be.
I work for a local authority, in case that is relevant. I suspect this is something I need to raise with my union, but maybe someone will have insight and knowledge and can share their thoughts.
I was in my substantive role for several years, since the team was created. It was very stressful, and we were constantly micromanaged, and so I decided to take a break from the role. My substantive role was a grade 8. In April 2022 I took a year's secondment to another department. I really enjoyed it, and accepted their offer to extend the secondment for a further year. That role was a grade 5.
That secondment ended in April this year and from speaking to ex-colleagues from the old team (which is now unrecognisable from when I worked there) I knew I didn't want to return, so when a different role became available within the department I am in now, I was pleased to accept. This is only for 10 months (there was no further funding beyond 10 months) and will end in January next year. The other person working on this project is also on a 10 month contract, but started a couple of months after me, so their contract will end after mine. They were externally recruited.
I still don't want to go back to the old role, but the team manager there (who is not someone I know) has made it quite clear that although she reluctantly accepted extending the secondment for the 10 months, she was not going to extend it any further than that.
The project I am working on now, has thrown up so many additional tasks to it before we can actually do the main task, that it is clear that it will not be finished by the time the 10 months ends. In a meeting with the team manager today, she said that it's crucial that the work we do is completed, and that she would have to use her powers of persuasion to try and get funding to extend our contracts for at least six months. I would really like to stay and see this project through to the end.
Assuming she is successful, that will then give me a bit of a quandary. The manager of my old team has made it clear that in January next year, I either go back to my substantive role, or resign. If I resign, this means that once the temporary contract is finished, even if that is extended for six month, I have no job, as I will have left my substantive role, and we know that the current role is not permanent.
I assume that I would then have to go through the redeployment process. But what if they can't find me anything suitable? Would I get paid to stay at home, whilst they try and find something for me? What rate of pay would that be? I'd not still be on a grade 8 as I would have left that role, and I would no longer have the grade 5 role.
Anyone know where I would stand? How long would I be able to be in the redeployment process? If they can't find a suitable role, would they make me redundant?
Thank you for any insights or suggestions.