How to deal with this?

[WiggyClawsThe2nd]

I'm at my wits end. I have a zero hours job that I've held for 20+ years. Over the last few years I've not been allocated much work at all. I've tried to be patient, but I'm getting increasingly upset that my line manager completely ignores my emails. There is a pattern emerging where I contact HR for advice, my boss makes all the right noises, then I spend months just trying to get a reply to a simple query. Recently I was approached by another organisation and asked to pass on a message about an event invitation that would have been excellent PR for my employer. I duly passed on the message and received a very terse email back implying that I was somehow poking my nose in. Meanwhile I still haven't received any reply for a query raised months ago (and raised several times since) What on earth do I do? I have had enough but refuse to be bullied out. I am good at my job, and this feels very unfair.

Not clear on whether the issue is not receiving work or them not replying to your emails? Or are your emails primarily asking for work?! in any case, isn’t that the main problem with a zero hours contract, that they don’t even need to ‘bully you out’ as they can simply give you zero work? It sounds a horribly insecure role

Trying not to out myself here, but my job is very specialised and the employer is very keen to expand my department generally. It has been in a bit of a slump and all kinds of strategies have been suggested to change things, with the implication that all staff should be doing their best to help. It's the fact that when I am sending an email that should lead to extra work it is answered in not a nice way by my manager, yet other queries and emails are simply ignored. HR specifically said that communication needed to improve between me and my manager, yet if the attempt is one sided, what is the point!

It sounds like they don’t want you anymore.

You think?

I'm confused by your post OP. Are you saying that the intent is to improve a department but when you suggest ways to do so you get nor replies and feel they are ignoring you so as not to pay you?

If there is an HR dept then this is quite a big organisation so you need to speak to them about an 'hours' contract. or somebody more senior about the under-performance and lack of management in your own department.

Or, if your role is this specialist as you say, go elsewhere.

I'm not really getting the full picture of your post though, I feel something significant is missing.

Look for another job asap. They don't want you and don't deserve you.

Thank you @Tissueboxes !

@Tortephant I literally was in a meeting a fortnight ago where my manager told the entire department that there were specific things we needed to focus on. What's frustrating is that there are things that would be easy to implement but only if it's possible to communicate! As my RL mate said, the manager is going to an awful lot of trouble to shoot themselves in the foot. I've seen at least 5 women bullied out in the last few years and don't really want to be one of them.