downgraded after job evaluation

mico62

Found out today that my job's being downgraded and I'm going to lose £3k a year.

My line manager already says I do way more than my predecessor (been in post for 4 yrs) and I was regraded because I took on extra responsibilities. I wasn't interviewed as part of the evaluation process so how can they put me down to the scale I was originally appointed on but expect me to still do the extra duties?

I stayed an extra 2 hours (without overtimne) to minute an important meeting yesterday and feel totally undervalued and taken for granted.

Emmzi

the *job* is being downgraded, not you.

did you get a new contract?

mico62

Not yet, but anyone who is downgraded will only have their salary protected for 6 months. People who are getting an upgrade will get 2 years back pay.

browneyedbazzi

Do you work for a local authority?

There are ways of appealing the scoring that was done for your role - you can explain that the job has changed in xyz ways since the original job evaluation questionnaire was completed and that you don't feel the job overview is representative of the role as it is now. They should then give you a chance to explain what has changed and then re-score/grade the job if appropriate.

If you are in a union then talk to a rep and find out what the appeals process is.


In some cases, jobs have been overpaid historically and the process is about setting that right which will mean pay cuts for some people - I can imagine it feels horrible to people in that situation but it is also necessary.

eamon

One question. Have all the jobs been evaluated? And by this I mean the jobs not the people that perform the roles. I went through job evaluation a couple of years ago and your grounds for appeal may be limited. From memory the process follows a line of questions abiut the job roll/function and the direction taken is governed by responses to questions. For example you may think that you have some decision making authority but if somebody else was answering the questions said no then that could well be having a financial impact on you. For what its worth at my place of work some people declined to take part in the process and later found that their colleagues (with the same job role) had different perceptions of the work and all of them found their jobs evaluated downwards.
Probably the best you can do is ask searching questions about the process. If your workplace is unionised and you are a member get them involved as well. Hopefully Kiki, Jarndyce and the mighty SarEl will pop in and they will have much more useful opinions/advice than I have.

KiKi

Hi there

Can you give us some clarification over why your job was re-evaluated? Was it a mass re-evaluation of all JDs, or JDs for a department / grade? Or was your JD submitted for re-evaluation because the job had changed over the years?

KiKi

mico62

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

Do you work for a local authority?

There are ways of appealing the scoring that was done for your role - you can explain that the job has changed in xyz ways since the original job evaluation questionnaire was completed and that you don't feel the job overview is representative of the role as it is now. They should then give you a chance to explain what has changed and then re-score/grade the job if appropriate.

If you are in a union then talk to a rep and find out what the appeals process is.


In some cases, jobs have been overpaid historically and the process is about setting that right which will mean pay cuts for some people - I can imagine it feels horrible to people in that situation but it is also necessary.

It is local govt. I wasn't interviewed nor did I complete a questionnaire I think about 8 people out of 60+ were interviewed but I'm the only person doing my role so I can't be compared to any of them. I'm PA to a college principal and only on scale 4 so its not as if I'm highly paid for what I do, scale 3 would be a mockery.

I did get a new contract when my job was regraded but was never given a new job description and didn't think to ask for one. When I mentioned all the things I do that the previous postholder didn't do and I've been publically thanked for doing I was told tough that's how it is, be grateful you've got a job in the current climate.

I feel sick and don't know how we'll manage if I lose that much.

CIS

The grading issues came up in an authority I know of - Council Tax Recovery and Benefit Overpayment Recovery were graded differently (generally because the benefit officer was expected to do front desk work although the council tax officers actually did a lot more and overpayment staff never actually did) with the Benefit Overpayment Officers graded 1 scale higher. The Benefit Overpayment officers did not process (council tax staff do), do not attend court, did not have any of same level of job stress and did not deal with bailiff's.

Since the re-grading they have handed off 75% of their work and yet still remain on a higher scale - its not their fault but it shows how the grading for 2 jobs can differ. I believe it was primarily pushed through for budget reasons and a factor of nepotism.

browneyedbazzi

Job evaluation doesn't result in a new job description but you should be able to see the job overview that is compiled following the job evaluation questionnaire. The job overview is about describing levels of responsibility, the knowledge and skills required and physical/mental stresses involved with the job. When you were given the results of the job evaluation you should have also had details of how to appeal - have you followed that process?

Most LAs have an intranet page that describes the process, what it all means, how it has been done and how appeals work. You should read that information and follow the process if you haven't already - your line manager likely has little control over the evaluations etc so you need to follow the correct route to appeal rather than complaining to someone who can't really do anything about it.

Jarndyce

As the procedure will be specific to your authority there is little to add except to reiterate that you should put all your efforts into appealing against your evaluation, gathering all the evidence you can to support your case.

If you are not already in a union you must surely see the benefit of joining now.