Reinstatement to Civil Service - anyone know the law ?

[Scatterbrain]

Sorry this is going to be a bit of a boring tale - but I really need some advice !

I was a civil servant for 11 yrs before going on mat leave - at the end of my mat leave I stupidly resigned (long story but to work for a friends new business which failed) - so after 9 months or so I approached my department about returning ? They said there were no jobs but they had a few projects they could do with some help on. Well - for the last 4 yrs I have been working at home on what they call a "short notice appointment" basis - basically I fill in timesheets to claim my pay and there is only a weeks commitment required from either party. I have been quite busy - but the projects are the dull ones that no one else wants to do and of course I am totally out of the loop !

So - about 2 yrs ago my boss advised me to formally request reinsstatement - and said that as soon as a post came up at my grade I would be first to be considered - and that they would have to reinstate me before promoting someone else unless they could prove that I did not have the skills for the post. I did this and was assured that I would be first in line ! I was also told I could apply for jobs at grades immediately above and below mine. That boss has now retired !

Well - up till a few months ago there had been no posts at my grade - then I discovered last week that the man (not seen as a rising star ! whereas I was !) who took over from me has been promoted to a post at the next grade - which was not even advertised ! Had it been I would of course have applied ! AND - that leaves a gap at my grade - in fact my old job - and they have given someone else temporary promotion to it ! I have e-mailed HR to ask when that job will be advertised.

So - my question is really - do I have ANY rights ?

This is really irritating me now - these people paid for my MBA and I have excellent reports from my 11 yrs service - yet they seem to have written all this off ! I feel like they don't want me to come back. Of course I am an outsider now - out of the office for 5yrs - and I totally agree with promoting from within - BUT they made an investment in me and me in them - so I feel they are being pretty silly really ! But I can't make them give me a job !!

All advice gratefully received !

HI, I had a vaguey similar situation a while ago and contacted the National HR Dept, who were quite helpful. Their number is 08456015227. I was enquiring about reinstatement after 2 years but they said I had been away too long to be considered.
Let us know

I know nothing about Reinstatemnet but suspect this may be political. I assume if you were reinstated you would become perm and hence be seen as a new recruit? Don't know but recruitments into CS are being cut back/frozen, non? Which dept? (Don't say if don't want to)

As I understand it - CS not able to create new posts without huge justification procedures - but these are not new posts - they exist already and I want to be reinstated rather than they promote into them - so should be outside all the political stuff. Probably locally political though !

Can't be too specific - but agency of department that moos !

Does a short notice appointment mean you could be 'let go' fairly straightforwardly? If so, may = why reluctant to take you on permanently?

Absolutely Tinker - one weeks notice (either way).

Maybe I should just give up and try and find another job outside of CS - trouble is CS experience quite hard to translate into commercial jobs ! Will end up prob earning less ! Plus throwing away reputation (was fairly senior !) and experience inside !

Think you may not be included in the staffing figures (or recorded in a different way) when collating number of Civil Servants. Therefore, you're helpful to subsequent bragging about how many have been sacked.

bump

I am an ex civil servant who also resigned after career break.
The impression I had was that you would have to apply for jobs as advertised.

Have you checked the civil service website? It may have some info for someone in your position.

Good luck.

Hi MaddieMo, I think that's the line they give if you apply for another department - but you can request general reinstatement to your own I think ! If you are successful in an open competition then you can ask them to reinstate you - ie- you get all the benefits you had previously accrued - ie. amount of leave, pension etc...

Are you trying to get back in as well ?

Oh no! I really disliked my job. I worked in the most hated civil service department.

bump

bump again - sorry !!!

A huge number of people are being declared surplus in the civil service at the moment and priority should be given to these people to redeply them.

redeploy even!

Scatterbrain - I would have thought that you didn't have any rights but are you still in the union or do you have to be an employee of the CS to be an union member? If I understand correctly that you were only told verbally about possible reinstatement, and that person has now retired, I don't think I'd hold out much hope. Having said that, is there anyone that you could speak to who still has a position there that could influence the post filling procedures in future so that relevant posts are advertised externally? Or are you friendly with any PSs who could put in a good word for you with their bosses? I can sympathise as I know how tough it can be to get back in after being out of the loop. Are there any other CS departments locally that you'd be interested in? Can you set yourself up as a freelancer in any way? Or as a consultant? Sorry, I doubt that I've been any help! Good luck, though.

Thanks Katemum !

Hi Ivor, Yes I am doing consulting at the mo - also I do have the reinstatement rules in writing - staff handbook. Can't be in the union at present though as not employed as such - just "casual".

The problem is that as Katemum implies it's all about numbers - not actual people. My 11 yrs impeccable record seems to mean nothing, and their big investment in my development (fast stream and then MBA) seem irrelevant.

Feeling really depressed about it all - was hoping someone would have some insights - shame some came on here to have a go !

Did not come here to have a go. Sorry if that is how it came across, was merely trying to explain what was going on in the civil service at the moment.

Did you resign or go on a career break or take special unpaid leave? My understanding was that if you take special unpaid leave (if it's still available) they have to have you back, whereas if you take a career break or resign, they are under no obligation.