Denied chance of promotion following merger

Rockpile

Hello everyone, and thanks in advance for any advice.

I work in an organisation (ok, the NHS), at a large general hospital. Over the last 5 years, we have been merged with 2 other, similar sized hospitals, each 30-40 miles from us. This has produced 1 very large organisation to replace the three previous bodies. We are in the process of standardising pay, structure and conditions across the board.

This has led to the creation of 3 new junior management jobs in each of the three areas, in my specialism. I work as a supervisor, so these new jobs would be the natural next step for me to take.

My problem is this. These jobs require a qualification higher than I (or anyone else in my part of the organisation) hold. The custom has always been, to apply for the job, and if successful, be awarded the job on condition of obtaining the qualification as soon as possible.

I assume this was to save money on training/educating people further, who then may never seek promotion, or even leave the organisation with their expensively provided qualification.

So I applied for the jobs, only, to my surprise, to receive a letter at home from my boss, saying he regretted he couldn't offer me an interview.

It turns out that one of the other organisations HAD been sending their employees to college routinely, and many of them, even on the shop floor, were qualified already. Their boss insisted, apparently, that no-one should be interviewed without this qualification. As we are 'harmonising', that meant that this rule had to be applied across the board.

As a consequence, only people from from one area of the organisation are allowed to apply for any management jobs. These jobs in my area have now been awarded to people from that area, while we are prevented from applying. The posts will not be filled for two more weeks though.

It seems very unfair that, due to operating under different protocols for the last 15 years, we are disadvantaged in this way. It feels that the goalposts have been moved at the last minute, and all the knowledge and experience gained here over the years count for nothing now, through no failing of our own.

I am a union member, but they have been no help so far (too busy, seemingly).

Ideally, I would like the appointments to be postponed, and the interviews re-run including those of us who were unfairly (to our minds) excluded last time.

Does anyone have any ideas how I might go about achieving this?

Sorry for the long post, but it is a complicated situation, and the disappointment is crushing.

Thanks for your patience, if you have read this far!

mountainofdebt

Tbh if I was a manager why would I give the job to someone who didn't have the qualification instead of someone who did?

Tigsteroonie

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Tbh if I was a manager why would I give the job to someone who didn't have the qualification instead of someone who did?

Sorry OP but I agree with this ^^. You take the best candidates forward for interview - if some already have the required qualification, then they are better than those without.

If you had worked at that other hospital and had put in the study required to obtain that qualification, how would you feel about non-qualified colleagues also getting an interview, let alone being awarded the position ahead of you?

Best you can do now is ask whether you can be permitted to study for the qualification ready for the future. Probably best to ask the manager who has insisted that all interview candidates be qualified!

agrinnall

I have to agree with the others I'm afraid, the fault lies with the part of the organisation that you worked in if that part wasn't pro-active in ensuring staff training was available to equip people with the necessary qualifications in advance of taking the jobs.

jobbingmusician

*Warning - showing my nasty side* Sorry for the chip on my shoulder.

As someone who works in the charity sector and has always had to fight tooth and nail for every morsel of training I've had, I rather resent the way NHS employees are often handed career development opportunities on a plate. Have you thought of taking this qualification in your own time and at your own expense? You'd be ready for next time, then.

*nasty mode off*

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible

ohreally

What is the job role?

KentishLady

Is the job role anything to do with Clinical Coding? Just wondered out of interest!

KL

Josky

I do agree with all other posters - there is no sense in paying (and waiting) for a candidate to undergo training for the role when there are people that already have the training and qualifications in place.

On the plus side though, now that your organisations have merged perhaps they will proactively allow yourself and anyone else from your branch to gain this qualification before any suitable roles are available? That way, should any vacancies or new roles arise you will be all set to go. I would probably focus on that rather than trying to fight for the existing managerial roles.

Paul_the_Painter

Whereas in the private sector, the primary consideration is "can you do the job".

FBaby

The custom has always been, to apply for the job, and if successful, be awarded the job on condition of obtaining the qualification as soon as possible.

It might have been custom, but was it a policy? I can totally see your point, and in theory might have a case to take as a grievance (which would have to be the first step before anything else happens), but where you are likely to fail is their stating that you have never applied to request it in the first place so not given an opportunity to your old organisation to consider you for training (even if you believe it would never have been granted). There was bound to be a policy about training, and bound to be a form to fill in to request funding for this course. If you never bothered to apply, then I think your chances of your grievance being considered are quite slim.

Rockpile

Thanks everyone for reading, and for all the replies.

mountainofdebt: Tbh if I was a manager why would I give the job to someone who didn't have the qualification instead of someone who did?

Because you've known the unqualified candidate for years, have been able to judge his character, abilities and work ethic where it counts: on the job.
Because he has built up years of relevant local knowledge and experience, which will take a newcomer years to match. He would hit the ground running.

Tigsteroonie: You are assuming that the applicant with the qualification is automatically superior to the one who hasn't had the opportunity to gain one. For the above reasons, I don't think that is necessarily the case.

agrinnall: I have to agree with the others I'm afraid, the fault lies with the part of the organisation that you worked in if that part wasn't pro-active in ensuring staff training was available to equip people with the necessary qualifications in advance of taking the jobs.

Good point, and my manager (or his deputy at least) has already apologised to me, saying that they accept the department has let us all down.

jobbingmusician: As someone who works in the charity sector and has always had to fight tooth and nail for every morsel of training I've had, I rather resent the way NHS employees are often handed career development opportunities on a plate

I think my case shows that this is a fallacy.

ohreally and KentishLady: The job is in infrastructure engineering, where site knowledge is indispensible. the new guys will constantly be coming to me (and others) asking where this valve is, how that system works, where the power is fed from etc.

Josky: I do agree with all other posters - there is no sense in paying (and waiting) for a candidate to undergo training for the role when there are people that already have the training and qualifications in place.

They have the qualification, but not the 'training', which would be done on our specific site, on our particular systems, and which all of us who work here have done over the years.

Paul the Painter: Whereas in the private sector, the primary consideration is "can you do the job".

It was here, too, Paul. We were blindsided by being merged with another organisation who had had a different approach.

FBaby: A colleague had asked several times over recent years to be sent for this qualification, and was told it was unnecessary at his level. Consequently no-one else asked, because they would have to be given the same reply in the interests of fairness.