Help needed ASAP, don't know what to do

Hayley_M_13

Hi All,

I was wondering if you may be able to offer me some advice, This is going to be long, so I’m sorry, and thank you to anyone who reads this.

I started a new job in June last year, working for a local councils housing office, originally a temp position that was due to end the end of August 2008. However, the position was then extended to February 2009. There is a stock transfer happening soon, where all the council housing will transfer to a new private landlord. I was then offered (last month) a permanent position with the new company, which is due to start March. The new role will be on my same terms and conditions, and salary as my current job.

I work at what is known as a ‘area office’ which looks after all the houses in certain areas. My new job role is based at the same area office as I currently work. We had both verbal and written confirmation of the new jobs, and will receive more in-depth paperwork shortly detailing our exact day to day duties (which will change a little, but not much)
However, a little bit of a drama has happened over the last few days
Basically my line mangers Daughter in law works at another area office, but has been off a number of weeks with depression, my boss wants me and her to swap jobs so she can ‘ease herself back into work’, which I wouldn’t mind if it was only for a few weeks, however we all know that once she gets her feet under the table, she won’t be leaving.
Being as my line manger is her family member, she will look out for her, and ensure she has a ‘easy ride’ and stays there. (My line mangers son, (married to the daughter in law) used to work at the company, and I’ve been told by a few people, that he was only there two months and all of a sudden somehow landed a really high job within the company, then all think my line manger was helping him – but I don’t know this for sure, as it was well before my time)

My boss told two of my workmates all this in a meeting the other day, she did tell them not to tell me, but they decided it wasn’t fair to ‘keep me in the dark’ and told me! So far my line manager hasn’t mentioned a word to me, and it’s been over three days now.

I’ve just wondering what my rights are with regards to this, at the end of the day, I’ve only been in the company nine months and don’t want to move to a totally new role and location, especially as we’ve all been offered new roles, and mine specifically said I was based in the same area office as I am now.
I really want to ask within the workplace (a area manager or someone like that) but can’t, as I’m not supposed to know anything about all this.

Argh, it’s really annoying me, as I keep wondering what’s going on, and I feel a annoyed and let down, that my line manger/boss told two of my workmates (who do exactly the same job as me) what was going on, but yet has not mentioned a word to me! I guess she is trying to get permission from HR, but at the end of the day, it’s not going to look very good, moving me, so her daughter in law can work there, esp when my line manger (her mother in law) would be her boss! :mad:

Could they force me to move? Or would they need a good reason?

Any help/advice would be great, as I’m stuck in a hole here, and don’t know which way to turn.

stevemLS

They may be able to force you to move - it depends on your terms and conditions but when I worked for a local authority there was always a "work at any office in the area" condition.

Your post illustrates perfectly the insidious nature of workplace gossip, in undermining (perfectly justifiably) staff moral.

Sorry I can't offer anything more constructive

Liz_the_Whizz

Hi Hayley,

Why does work get so complicated (answer = people, especially relatives!).

How has your boss left this with you? Have you been given time to think it over? Can you trust your workmates "reports" on this?

Essentially, you have two choices: refuse the move or agree to it. Before you decide, ask your boss for a "cards on the table" meeting where you can try and get some assurances and feel out which option may be best.

Bottom line is, is the move to the other office really the worse option? If you stay, your boss may make life difficult in other ways. At least if you go, you are well out of it and still master of your own destiny.

Good luck!

OrangeProse

It sounds like the mafia!

Short of finding a member of your boss's family to marry so that she includes you in her little ring of favour, I'm not sure there's much you can do at the moment.

With regard to the rumoured move, until they ask you officially you (theoretically) don't know about it, so you are probably best sitting on that information. If you're not supposed to know about it, you can't talk to anyone in the office about it. Which is really, really hard - I have a lot of sympathy for your situation.

You'll know more when you get the paperwork concerned with your permanent role, hopefully. That should set out what the terms and conditions of your employment are, and will detail if they are allowed to move you to a different office, if they have to give reasons for that move, and if you can appeal that decision. If the paperwork that you have states specifically that your role is based in the office that you're in now, and there's no clause in your contract that says that the company is within its rights to ask you to work at alternative locations, you might have a stronger case to stay put.

The office gossip thing is a bit of a distraction and I'd try to ignore if I were you. Sometimes people get hold of all sorts of weird bits of information that turn out to be complete nonsense!

To be honest though, if this woman enjoys promoting based on DNA rather than actual ability, you might stand a better chance of advancing if you were at a different office, under a different manager. Of course, if that office is five hundred miles away from where you live that isn't much help, I realise!

Hayley_M_13

Liz_the_Whizz wrote: »

Hi Hayley,

Why does work get so complicated (answer = people, especially relatives!).

How has your boss left this with you? Have you been given time to think it over? Can you trust your workmates "reports" on this?

Essentially, you have two choices: refuse the move or agree to it. Before you decide, ask your boss for a "cards on the table" meeting where you can try and get some assurances and feel out which option may be best.

Bottom line is, is the move to the other office really the worse option? If you stay, your boss may make life difficult in other ways. At least if you go, you are well out of it and still master of your own destiny.

Good luck!

Well since the meeting she had with my team mates last Friday, she hasn't mentioned a word of this to me. I keep waiting for her to call me into the office for a chat, but so far nothing. I'm not even supposed to know about it, so I can't really mention it to anyone.

SomeBozo

only been in the company nine months

Therein lies the problem.

Others can offer more constructive advice, but legally, from a purely legal point of view, they can sack you and not give a reason.

BOzo

HO87

The fact that you have only 9 months service only excludes you (normally) from being able to bring an action for unfair dismissal. If the grounds are sufficient you can still bring an action for wrongful dismissal. Regardless of your length of service a contract of employment still exists and should you be dismissed without reason then this would not comply with the law (in simple terms) unless you were given the notice as set out in your contract. What you are suggesting may happen is known as "bumping" and (as always) depending on your length of service and the way the company go about things may be unfair/wrongful.
I suggest that at present (and as uncomfortable as it may be) that you hang on in there (the closer you can get to or over the 1 year mark will make a big difference). I also suggest that you get along to your CAB as soon as possible where they can take full account of your situation and advise you far more accurately than I can.

Good luck and don't let them grind you down.

SomeBozo

HO87 wrote: »

The fact that you have only 9 months service only excludes you (normally) from being able to bring an action for unfair dismissal. If the grounds are sufficient you can still bring an action for wrongful dismissal. Regardless of your length of service a contract of employment still exists and should you be dismissed without reason then this would not comply with the law (in simple terms) unless you were given the notice as set out in your contract. What you are suggesting may happen is known as "bumping" and (as always) depending on your length of service and the way the company go about things may be unfair/wrongful.
I suggest that at present (and as uncomfortable as it may be) that you hang on in there (the closer you can get to or over the 1 year mark will make a big difference). I also suggest that you get along to your CAB as soon as possible where they can take full account of your situation and advise you far more accurately than I can.

Good luck and don't let them grind you down.

You can be sacked in the first year for any reason except those based on gender, age, race etc.

Bozo

Hayley_M_13

Thanks for all your help guys. will keep you updated. I am going to sit on the information until she decides to say something to me, hopefully it won't be long, as it's driving me insane! argh!!

Savvy_Sue

It could be that she's raised the idea with HR, and they've said no. You could give them a call and ask if there are any circumstances in which your firm offer of a particular job at your current office would be changed?

Hayley_M_13

We've all got a meeting in the Morning now, talk abot job roles within the new company, so hopefully she may something there. I should know where I'm based, so fingers crossed Will keep you all updated