Bonus Docked Unfairly

Detroit

Your strategy should be to focus on your own situation and what you believe has been done that has affected you unfairly.

Bringing in the opinions and experiences of colleagues over complicates your complaint at this stage, and will likely result in you being told that matters concerning other staff are none of your business.

People in teams with unpopular managers frequently try to support their complaints with what so and so thinks and says, and why this or that person left the company, and in doing so blurs their complaint with hearsay.

Stick to what has happened to you and what you can prove.
Don't bring in your opinions about why your manager is doing various things, i.e., because others are his friends, as you can't prove his intent. Stick to facts.

Your issue is that others have been given the credit for ideas you have put forward.

You have raised this appropriately with a manager, who has asked you to provide proof, and told you how they intend to deal with it.

I don't think it's unreasonable that their first step is to arrange a meeting between the three of you. This is the beginnings of a grievance on your part, (I don't see how it can be considered whistle blowing. You're not reporting a crime, or anything that's outside of the public interest) and most grievance procedures allow for an informal approach to be attempted first.

It would not really be appropriate for senior managers to allow staff to complain about their line managers in complete confidentiality, without informing the line manager and allowing them to put forward their side of the situation.

If you have proof that you put forward the idea at an earlier date, and can provide it, I don't see how your manager can dispute this or hide it. You have the proof in your possession after all.

If you're not in a TU contact ACAS for advice.

Detroit

As an afterthought, it is very common for teams who have 'run themselves' for some time before a new manager is appointed to collectively have problems with the new manager.

As a team you will have enjoyed considerable autonomy, and there's bound to be some issues with suddenly working under a line manager.

However, if senior managers felt your team was running itself effectively, they probably wouldn't have wasted money on employing your new line manager.

It could be that the team's perception of their effectiveness is out of step with that of senior managers, and your new line manager has their full backing in bringing in changes, and in their decisions as to who is rewarded.

If this is the case, and you do not like the direction in which the team is moving, other than challenging any evidenced unfairness, you may have no option but to leave.

NeedSomHelp

So an update, things have progressed a little bit further and not heading in the right direction, however the bright side is I am currently in the recruitment process with a large company and through to the 3rd stage of five and fourth stage will take place at the end of next week, so maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

In the end my bosses boss agreed for a meeting and we discussed it but from the off he was very dismissive and told me bullying is black and white and unless I can show him some black and white proof then it's all rumor and speculation and the fact is that people make mistakes and co-incidences happen all the time and it appears that I am mistaking this for bullying and whilst he agrees that people may look at some of the things that have happened suspiciously at the end of the day sometimes lots of things come together to make things look worse than they actually are.

I handed him some documents which prove the points I was saying and he said he would look into them confidentially. I had the meeting right at the end of the day, and left the building straight after. The only papers he had with him was what I gave to him, the moment I walked straight out the door he walked down to my boss and according to a colleague gave him a copy of all the papers in his hands which could only have been what I gave him and had a discussion in the corner of the office with my boss.

On Wednesday someone else created a presentation and was awarded a "innovation mark" for it, despite the fact I had already created it in the past something pretty much identical that serves the same job. The colleague is very much in the "In Crowd" and was refereed to the job by my boss and comes from the same city. I sent this to my bosses boss, along with the original idea that I proposed in 2015 that my (now but then a regular employee) boss even was supportive of along with the previous boss and even sat through the presentation. Now my boss was effectively giving a £150 bonus to the guy for "Innovating" an idea which I had already presented.

Effectively what is going on is many ideas that I have proposed ant not got credit for because they are rejected are being accepted when submitted by other people who then gain financially from it, or in the most blatant case this week, people are going through all of the work an innovations that I did in the past, making the most minor changes and then presenting it as an innovative idea when it has been done before, I actually said to my bosses boss that the fact this guy is getting bonuses for innovating when it's clear that it's not an innovation if it's something that has already been done or someone elses idea that was previously rejected, is completely unfair.

At the moment it is almost like the in crowd don't have any ideas of their own, so feel free to go through all my ideas and then pitch them by themselves, for financial gain, I stated to my bosses boss that not only was this dishonest and unfair it becomes something rather worse when people are gaining financially from it. Prior to my boss taking over, the innovation competition and bonus aspect was overseen by a focus group from across the business unit, this was excellent, since it prevented internal politics from stiffling innovation.

However since my boss has came in a lot of processes have changed to the point where they are able to be manipulated and lack any independent verification or scrutiny which makes them more liable to be used for internal politics. Essentially it allows people to pursue their own agenda at the expense of the business. As I stated before with quality, all quality used to be audited by outside the department now it's controlled by one person who is heavily involved in politics internally within the team, basically all control has been assigned to my boss who only delegates to his one or two close friends, who take the credit for everyones work whilst all the rest of the team actually do the work. It is absolutely an abuse of power.

I spoke to my bosses boss again on Friday and he told me that he had not given or told my boss about the documents I gave him because they were in confidence. Now I'm fairly sure that it is a lie, and on Friday I saw my boss and his sidekick in the department discussing "Making sure we agree on a convincing story and stick to it" when he didn't realise I was there since I was in the office much earlier than normally. I walked past his desk later in that day since I was asked to bring him something for a all-hands and I couldn't help noticing when picking it up from his desk, directly underneath was his notepad laying open on his desk. "Onboard others onto story with incentives" Of course, this one line proves nothing but still it suggests that this investigation isn't going to be fair.

There has also been what appears to be some attempted intimidation of my friends in the company, two of my colleagues, were asked to 1-2-1's recently, the only people and out of cycle, and they were asked questions such as:

- Are you happy in your job?
- Have you heard any speculation?
- You do know that (ME) is having a tough time now
- Do you have any innovations for x (Normally related to something I'd already done)
- There are valid reasons why people in the team are being treated different but I cannot say why.
- You have a bright future here, you could become a senior member very fast if you continue to avoid distractions
- Your career could really head places in next few months, I'm going to give you some extra duties since you work so hard and do so much for the team and we have an excellent working relationship.
- Keep your head down and keep focused on your work don't get tempted to walk into others problems.

It all seems to be an attempt to try and stop people coming forward to speak against him, there is one girl who has a young child who is being told about the benefits of job security for her family as well, who also is one of my closest friends in the company

Now HR are going to arrange an investigation meeting next week to investigate their concerns over the seriousness of my concerns, I asked them if they would investigate the seriousness of the allegations to which they said they were investigating the seriousness of their concerns about my concerns and I hve no faith that it will be fair.

However two or three people have now come forward and suggests that whilst they are too scared to come forward to any internal company conversation or investigation about it, they would be willing to do so in front of a mediator or via a solicitor. The company, obviously have not entertained this.

sangie595

What was the question?

Personally, I am not seeing it. All you seem to talk about is based on inference read into things that seem to be perfectly normal activities. The management is concerned about the team, and so is speaking to people about how they feel. They are talking about the benefits of job security - well there are a lot of benefits in job security. And innovation is often not the result of a single thought - it is often about taking something else and making it better. It is only your opinion that it isn't better. And really - favouritism based on the fact that someone comes from the same city? Unless that city happens to be St Davids, the chances of meeting people who come from the same city it pretty high - the majority of our population live in cites!

I see nothing at all unreasonable in a manager sharing details of a complaint with the person against whom that complaint has been made - it is unfair to not tell someone. He made it clear that he did not want to meet with you without the manager being present, and the fact that he finally agreed to meet with you on your own was not a promise not to discuss what was said with the person it was said about. If a complaint were made against you, I assume you would expect to be told what the complaint is, not left on the sidelines being told that you can't be told what the complaint is? And to be honest, your snatches of conversation and/or notes could mean anything at all.

I have to agree with Detroit - if your management was happy with the team as it was, then they would not have appointed a new manager; and if they were unhappy about what is happening now in the team, then they would do something about it.

kazzah

short and simple
your boss doesn't like you/your attitude
he holds all the cards
HR are NOT there to work for you - they are there to protect the company
in my experience they will rarely ( almost NEVER) take your side- they appointed the manager - their decision making would be under scrutiny

they can quite easily say " well, this is precisely whey we appointed a new manager and needsomhelp just doesn't like it and is causing trouble"

they will try everything to make you leave- have some dignity forget "justice" you will never get it - leave.

patman99

Good luck with the potential new job.
If you get it, you can proudly tell your boss that you are off to a new job with a salary that would make his eyes water (even if you arn't).
Then smile and say 'good luck recruiting new staff. I have been telling everyone I konow what an ar5ehole you are to work for'.

Detroit

If you have any cause for grievance, I think you are in danger of this getting lost in a mire of gossip, assumptions, your own interpretation of events, and the motives of others, for which you have no evidence.

If others are getting credit for your ideas, and you can prove it, this is a clear cause for complaint and any investigation should be straightforward and based on the evidence you provide.

However, you seem insistent on blurring the issue by including numerous other allegations that even as an impartial reader, with only your perspective to go on, seem a little far fetched and paranoid to me.

Objectivity, consider, if your boss had a plan to influence the investigation by getting support from others, do you really think he would write a memo to self about this on his pad? Would he need to remind himself? Or could the note refer to something else entirely?

Would your boss act against his own interests, risk failing in his role by bringing forward inferior ideas and allowing poor quality, just to please his friends?

His own success is based on the success of the team. So why on earth would be stifle innovation and sideline you and your ideas when he could reap the benefits of your success?

Bosses are frequently accused of favouritism, but to favour the undeserving is highly illogical behaviour.

The majority of bosses favour employees who do their job the way they want them to do it, follow instruction, have a positive attitude are easy to get on with and don't divert resources away from the business needs.

Some employees for whatever reason are unable to do this. Perhaps because they genuinely disagree with the direction of the business. In these cases it can be better for all concerned for the employee to move on.

NeedSomHelp

This came to an end Tuesday

As the companies position got weaker and weaker after my doctor sent a submission that the stress caused by this could potentially lead to my mental health being affected, and two further people resigned due to my boss, the situation in work got more and more tense to the point where it was clear it was getting untenable and something had to give.

Following the fact that one person came towards me who was leaving the company in two weeks compiled a statement through a solicitor that they would be willing to take part and provide proof my boss is corrupt at a tribunal or a grievance sessions providing a third party or legal representation was allowed.

At this point the company stated that whilst they do not admit any liability or wrongdoing, they will be prepared to make me an offer to leave the company and enter negotiations to achieve this. Following legal advice, I accepted their offer off a sum of several months pay, rounded up to the nearest thousand after tax was removed, an agreed reference, non deduction of overtaken holiday and pro rata sick days in exchange to drop all legal action and non disclosure of the settlement.

Following my departure, approx a third of the team handed in their resignation.

NeedSomHelp

I should say, does anyone have any ideas of how I should approach this subject with prospective employers?

Undervalued

NeedSomHelp wrote: »

I should say, does anyone have any ideas of how I should approach this subject with prospective employers?

With care!

The settlement agreement will no doubt contain a confidentiality clause which, if properly drafted, will allow you some limited additional freedom about what you tell a future employer. You need to be very careful indeed to stick to this.

An agreed reference is the best you can do under these circumstances but it is often quite difficult to disguise the fact that is what it is.

The agreement probably also states a reason for leaving, eg ill health or mutual agreement. Again you need to stick to this.