AAAAGGGHH (sorry, long)

[SerendipitousHarlot]

OK, big rant...

I work on a helpdesk comprising 6 people. Very busy, but I love it.

Last year, a position became available for a senior position, that I was well qualified for, but wasn't going to apply for, as my colleague and friend was going for it. My line manager persuaded me to apply, as her line manager had asked me to - so I did.

It was a difficult interview, with a powerpoint presentation, which I did, and interview went really well. There were 3 people that went for the job, myself, colleague and an external candidate that used to work with my managers manager With me so far?

Obviously, the external candidate got the job - from the minute we knew he had applied, we knew it was over. And we were right.

Since then, although I really like him as a person, things have gone from bad to worse. He spends all day doing work for the senior manager who employed him, instead of the work that he was employed to do. He claims overtime every time he's on leave, for doing work for her - and is unable to do any of the work he's supposed to during the working day as he's too busy with the other stuff.

Is there anything I can do?

I've made my feelings known to my manager, but she's possibly the most unassertive person I know, and won't take it further - in fairness, the person that she would take it further to, is the manager that employed the bloke, and it's all been a big cover-up.

Any advice? I'm getting increasingly stressed about the situation, and I don't want to make waves by making an official complaint myself - process is a Very Big Thing in my company, and it would likely be Frowned Upon.

Thanks.

It's one thing to "make your feelings known" but I think it would be more useful if you can detail to your manager how the situation is affecting your job - if you can show that your productivity is down because of lack of support from the senior post, then surely she can feed that back up to her manager in a way that doesn't come down to personalities?

It sounds as though the senior manager really needs an assistant, if they generate this much work for a lower grade, but that assistant should not be gained by your section losing their senior post, which sounds like what is happening in reality.

This is exactly the problem, AMumInScotland. The senior manager asked for an assistant, and wasn't allowed to have one - then miraculously this position became available....

It's not so much that productivity is affected - because we all work twice as hard to cover the shortfall, which is half of the problem.

Well, if it's affecting your workload, and everyone else's, then that's going to cause problems sooner or later. Presumably until the change, you had someone in that post who was able to do part of the work, and now you don't?

I think it's fair to complain that things have been changed and it's going to cause problems. But as you say, if your manager won't stand up for herself than it's hard to see how anything's going to change, unless there are visible signs that this is causing problems.

I think it depends what you would be complaining about, which isn't clear from your OP tbh. If you would be complaining because you think you should have got the job in the first place, and because you think this other person is taking the p&£% by claiming overtime or whatever, then you will sound petty and a bit bitter and twisted.

If however you have concerns about workload and the impact on the team of this person not doing the job they were hired to do, then you are absolutely right to raise them and insist they are dealt with.

I think if it's the second thing then you need to be a bit more pushy with your manager. It's all very well her not being assertive, but part of being half decent at managing a team is being assertive on their behalf when you need to be, so you are within your rights to insist on that from her.

Ask for another meeting with her, and go prepared with examples of how this situation is manifesting itself and how it is directly impacting on you and your colleagues. Ask her for details of what actions she proposes to take to remedy the situation.

flowerybeanbag - thanks for your response. I wouldn't dream of complaining about the former - purely because, as you say, it would come across as sour grapes. Although it does grate that this person was pushed in through the back door, if you like, for another role entirely.

It is more the second thing. We do have a team brief this week, and I'm hoping to bring it up, if not there, then in a one to one situation. I do think I'm within my rights to insist some action is taken.

I think what annoys me more than anything is that I was turned down for the promotion, yet still expected to carry out the role, without the extra money and title!

Well if you are being expected to carry out the role you were turned down for without the appropriate recognition then that's absolutely not on and you definitely need to insist on action I totally agree.