Unethical treatment by mgmt - advertising my job

isie1980

Sorry if this is lengthy.
I am feeling a bit peeved at my employer and wonder whether I am being oversensitive or if I have a basis for this and what can I do about it.

The Facts

1. I went on maternity leave from my job as a project manager in July 2011, planned to return January 2012.

1a. In November 2011 my boss called me into work to offer me the department manager position on my return in January. I verbally accepted.

2. I had a spinal problem which resulted in major surgery in December 2011, and left me with some residual problems, namely numbness down my left side including bladder function difficulties.

3. As a result of 2 I did not return in January 2012 but was off sick returning to work in March 2012 as the department manager.

4. End April/May I was asked to interview 2 candidates as they were advertising my job. Both had been interviewed previously, I assume prior to my return in March. In any case I think the recruitment agency must have been instructed to search prior to my return.

4a. The explanation given to me was that they thought I'd be bored with day-to-day management and they wanted me to manage special projects.

4b. The two guys I interviewed were both asking for £20k than my salary. (A niggle, but not really an issue as I accept responsibility for my own negotiations).

5. I spoke to HR director to say I was concerned and he verbally reassured me I had a future here, my position in the company is not at risk, it's a change of role, they think a lot of me etc etc etc.

6. I asked my boss last week what's going on and he said they are making an offer.

My Feelings:

I feel that they wanted me to be department manager but on hearing of my illness and subsequent disability they effectively 'wrote me off' and started a process to replace me.
My work is in no way affected by my health and I have not had a day sick in the 12 weeks I have been back.
But I am totally disengaged from my job now. I feel that when my replacement is brought in there will be a perception I couldn't cope/wasn't up to the job etc and that my reputation is affected. After all, I will only have held the position from January 2012.
I now want to leave because I struggle to see a future here, yet for 7 years I have steadily climbed the ladder and taken on more responsibility and generally been happy in my work. I now feel my short stint as department manager is a blight on my CV and harms it for making a move.

Am I being hypersensitive? Have they behaved unethically? I'm sure what they are doing is lawful, but how do I register my concern and unease with the situation??

Thanks for any help.
Isie

getmore4less

What's this special projects roll ranking?

Don't write that off yet.

I would be going for a pay rise as well now you have the numbers the new guys were asking.

Even if you end up going a pay rise will help.

remember you need 2 years in a new place to get any protections

Sambucus_Nigra

What job will you be doing once you are on special projects?

Acc72

Just to be clear :

You were project manager.

You are now department manager (i.e. managing project managers?).

The new person recruited - will they be a project manager (reporting to you) or the department manager ?

When the new person starts, what will your role be ? - who will you report to, and how does this role fit within the structure ?

isie1980

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

In response to your questions:

I assume the special projects role will be at my current grade. I work for one of the directors.
The person who takes on my current job will respond to the director, and I will also continue to do so. They won't work for me. I currently have 32 direct reports, but in the new role I will have none and they will all move to the new person.
My special projects role is entirely new and basically undefined (managing improvement projects within the department is all I know).
I'm not necessarily saying I won't want the special projects role, I just don't know how I can be offered the dept management position in November and the executive can decide to recruit for it for circa Feb/March before I have had a chance to show I can do it.
I think with no direct reports I would struggle to justify a payrise in my new role, irrespective of what the incumbent in my current job will be paid. I had planned to get my feet under the desk as dept manager for 6 months then ask for a mid-year review and request a rise then. Now, I'm just not sure how to proceed.

isie1980

Bumping. Anyone able to help guide me?

gibson123

You need to find out more about the Special projects role. If your Director has to make considerable organisational changes such as restructuring, the fact you are senior, capable of working at that level and been out of the workplace for a while would make you the perfect person to lead up this type of work. The reasons for re-organisation may not have been apparent when you were offered the other post.