A Tricky One part 2

vaksam

Hi all,

More advice needed I'm afraid, 1st part here :http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2337199

In summary, on March 4th I was told that my job was to be made redundant effective from March 20th. I was given details of another role within the business to apply for, which I did. First interview for this new role was on March 11th. At the end of the interview, I was told that I would need to have a second interview with someone else in the business.

The next week, having heard nothing re a second interview (the person I needed to be interviewed by was out of the business) and 5 days away from my redundancy date I called a meeting with HR to clarify what would happen next. I was told that recruitment for the new role was taking 'longer than expected' and my redundancy date was extended until March 31st.

I'm now in the position where I'm not wholly convinced that this alternative role will come to anything (recruitment started last December, and has already stalled at one point for over 3 months due to unspecified issues) so my focus is now finding employment outside of the business.

After my meeting with HR last week I asked to book today off as holiday. This was declined by my line manager on the grounds that there were tasks that needed to be completed today by me that were vital to the business. I find this more than a little ironic seeing as my role should have finished last Friday - so had this happened, who would have undertaken this 'vital work'? I let this go as I had nothing concrete booked for today, just wanted to do some serious job hunting and recharge a little bit as I've been on a course all weekend.

However, I've applied for a couple of jobs through an agency that I've used before, and am aware that there is a strong possibility that they'll need me to come in at some point this week for an interview with them as it's now a few years since they've seen me. I just want to know what I can do if my line manager declines my request again - just for the record, I would be honest about going for any interviews elsewhere at this point - I wouldn't be making another holiday request.

I don't want to rock the boat too much as there is still a slim chance that this other job in the business will come to something. But at the moment I feel as if I'm being taken for a bit of a mug - the member of our team that will be taking on most of my responsibilities is having some personal issues and is in effect now working part time - and my line manager seems to see me as convenient cover while I'm still on the team, for instance todays 'vital work' is something that would in future fall under my collegue's remit. My line manager also seems to think that this alternative role in the business is a given and I should just hang out for that, but this could go on for months and as you can probably tell by the time I'm stressed out and not sleeping properly due to the constant uncertainty!

So I guess what I'm asking is - if I do get called to interview and my line manager is difficult about it, how am I 'firm but fair' in my insistence that I need to have the time off?

Pete111

Working on the principal you are still very much under notice of redundancy I think that asking for some time off to attend interviews is both perfectly reasonable and in line with your rights

http://www.redundancyexpert.co.uk/timeoff-look-for-work-retrain-when-redundancy-imminent.html

Assuming you are (wisely) not hanging all your hopes on this alternative job coming to fruition I would be getting out there, looking for a plan B and asserting my right for time off to attend interviews. It might even get them to pull their finger out re the other role (though equally they may say - 'ok then, that's off the table')

vaksam

Hi Pete,

Yes you're totally right. Thanks so much for replying to my early hours panicking! In my head I knew this was the right course of action, but part of me still wants to play ball just in case this job does come to something, but I don't want to be played for a fool!

Yes I am looking for other jobs, mostly by applying directly. Yesterday, to ramp up the search I called in my agency of choice, and got a call back today to confirm that from their end the search is on.

I guess I just needed clarification that I'm not being 'disloyal' by looking elsewhere, or 'difficult' by asking for time off. Like I say deep down I knew the answer, just couldn't stop it going round and round in my head last night.