Name changed for this one.
To cut a long story short, my senior suggested three of us put in for workplace analysis. She was very supportive of this, gave us relevant documents we needed to compare, and explained we needed to show, from the documents, our justifications for requesting a salary increase. She did say she couldn’t look at our notes, but it should be fine and hopefully we get it. HR sent an invite out for workplace analysis meeting; didn’t think much to it, can’t speak for the others but my mindset was if we get it, great, if we don’t, fair enough. We were told we could contact the union rep prior for any advice but we decided against it, as we were happy either way with the outcome and didn't have any pressing issues prior.
The meeting was nothing like I expected - never had one before and felt completely overwhelmed. in the room was us, a HR representative, union rep, our senior and her boss. I suffer with crippling anxiety and at one point I just wanted to pick my bag up and leave. Our senior and one of my colleagues had several disagreements over a couple of key points in terms of their own role, and I just wanted the ground to swallow me up. HR said at the start we would go through each point in our job role and explain what we do differently to what is said - this was irrelevant in my eyes, because our concerns were another team on the same spinal point as us but with a different job title, do significantly less, but because the set up was looking at OUR job role, there was only a few points we could add to it. What I wish I’d done in hindsight is halted the meeting and said ‘look we are here because we feel Team A do more than Team B but are both on the same spinal point’ but I didn’t feel I was able to, because of the emphasis on our job and role that was on the board in front of us.
another colleague mentioned a few bits and pieces that they have been doing and referenced being a team leader, and was abruptly told that as per the staff structure, he isn’t a team leader. He explained that our line manager has said for the last 3 years + he is a team leader, he has staff who are answerable to him (but ultimately to her). Line manager at this point just glared across the table.
anyway - we didn’t get it, the process was awful, the 24 hours after it happened I spent in tears because I just felt like I’d caused trouble, and since it happened (7 weeks ago now) it feels like relationships in our team are really strained. One colleague just keeps his head down and doesn’t speak, the other is fired up and thinks the process is archaic, and in just feel really sad and worried, like I’m now seen as some sort of money grabbing trouble maker. I did bump into my senior in the staff room and after small talk she asked how I was since, then said that she was ‘blindsided’ at the comment I’d made (about rewriting a resource; she said it was her idea and her template, so I corrected her that my one was completely different, and had different content to hers) and had ‘no idea’ about the meeting until it went in her diary… she was the one who suggested we put in for it! (Albeit verbally, I don’t have any written evidence of this).
FWIW I’ve since heard our senior is on an action plan to rectify some of the findings that were outed- coincidentally she now avoids the three of us, tone is a lot colder, and seems to be trying to push us to one side.
im not in the playground, and I love my job, and I have complete respect for my senior and her manager and really got on with them both prior. I just feel now like I’m in the wrong and I’ve tarnished my reputation. My seniors manager however is completely fine - no animosity, very friendly and supportive still and has just moved on like water under the bridge. It’s just my senior.
sorry for the ramble, I just can’t stop thinking about it.