Should I be grateful or insulted?

[user1471867483]

Hi everyone - seeking advice on a tough situation. As some of you may know, my 11-year temporary role is ending soon, despite promises of permanency by my 'manager A' falling through. 'Manager B' has compassionately arranged an interview for a lower position with reduced pay and longer hours, after acknowledging the unfairness of the situation. At 54, I am hesitant to go backwards in my career. 'Manager B' even suggested not working the notice period and leaving them in a bind!
Should I appreciate the interview opportunity or seek alternatives independently? What would you do in my shoes? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!"
By the way, ACAS said my employer is in the right as I'm a zero hours contract worker - just in case you mention contacting ACAS.

It’s a bit crap but it sounds as though they are trying to get you a position, albeit a lower one, so you’re not just suddenly unemployed. Presumably they don’t have to offer you an interview for any role really.

In your shoes I would still be looking elsewhere but wouldn’t discount the interview. It’s always easier to get a job when you are already employed and, if you got the job, it would mean money coming in whilst you looked elsewhere.

Take the interview and leave your old role on good terms if you are offered the role. Dont refuse to work notice or otherwise breach your contract.

Dust off your CV, contact a number of agencies and start to apply for new jobs at your current level and hold on in the new role until you find a better job that ticks your boxes.

View the lower pay job as a transition role as it will help you shake off the "comfee feel" that will have built up over the years as you are having to adapt to a new manager new system new co-workers etc.

And make sure that you have very short notice in the first six months or so as you want the ability to be flexible for your "dream" role.

Good luck

Thank you soooooooo much 😍. Please would you be kind enough to expand on your last paragraph????? 🤔

Try make sure your contract notice period is a week notice (or at max up to a months) for the first six months or so untill you pass probation.

And that you dont get locked in with training fees etc so that you can also leave for a new job on good terms.

If you need to change jobs again in a year or two then you want Manager A and B to be ok that you are moving on and willing to give a reference or even keep you in mind if they have a open position.

If s/he is not left in a lurch after arranged the new position and s/he feels fairly treated with you working your notice you keep your good reference and any good will that was offered.

As you were informed in your previous post you cannot be kept on a temporary contract for more than 4 years. After that you're permanent. For some reason you didn't respond to the posters who pointed this out to you.

Well, it carried on for 11 years as a temp which suited my circumstances.

Just take the job offered whilst you look elsewhere

I’m not sure you can just circumvent employment law like that!

There shouldn’t be a probation period if she has 11 years’ continuous service!

It’s not a great time to be job hunting. Take the opportunity You’re being offered, and keep looking for better. It’s easier to look for and get new jobs while you’re employed than it is unemployed.

You're automatically permanent after 4 years continuous service. The OP was probably on a zero hours contract similar to nhs bank staff. For some strange reason the OP is reluctant to mention this.

[(Edit)
Sorry misquote below is in reply to @AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti ☺️]

@user1471867483 is being offered a new contract for the new role so not being redeployed under the same terms and conditions so its likely that the contract terms have changed .

Notice is normally fixed by the written contract as most employers will want the option to match notice with the time needed to fill specialist roles or tie more senior employees in to longer notice etc

A genuine zero hours contract doesn't have a notice period.

Which suggests that you're employed.

Ring ACAS again. Explain the situation more fully.

I mean, it would be a lot easier if the info wasn’t peppered across multiple threads….

You should be eligible for redundancy pay if you've been there that long. Has that been mentioned?

It rather sounds like they don't know their arse from their elbow in terms of employment law/rights. The zero hours part doesn't matter, it would be worked out on average earnings.

No idea, but what I do know is other temps have been there 6 years plus too 🤷

I've mentioned it before in previous posts and didn't want to bore everyone.

I'll ring ACAS@ again tomorrow. Thank you 👍

Just an update:

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions regarding my role and job situation. I REALLY DO appreciate it. So many of you suggested I contact ACAS which I did yesterday (I did contact them in the summer too) and they said the same yesterday as they did back then, that I don't have any rights being a temp, but said the way I've been treated isn't great and said all I can do is write a letter of grievance outlining my dissatsfaction with how I've been treated, but as regards legally - no joy there. The only consolation is I have an interview for a lower grade role than what I'm doing now. Without sounding arrogant I shouldn't have to go backwards in my pay or career (seeing as my situation isn't my fault), but it is what it is and it's better than claiming JSA.
Anyway, once again, thank you to all for your advice - which I've taken/learned from.