Falling foul again..!

aimzee84

Sorry, I'll try and answer everything and stop drip-feeding!

I have worked here for three years and four months.

My hours are not specified; they are 'work until the job is done'. This is stated in my contract and is an expectation of the grading across all posts. At the moment, I have very little work, as the main provider of said work is no longer in post (I'm an executive assistant to one Professorial post and a small research group).

Usually they would put a secondment in place across to another similar role, however there are no suitable vacancies (the only one is two grades below mine, they won't do this as any potential successful candidate in future could request a regrade on account of it being deemed Ok for me to do the role).

They know that the post will be filled, as it is a permanent Chair, however the recruitment process can be long and drawn out. I could possibly ask them for a more beneficial 'deal' to retain me, but I am on the limit of affordability for my rent/bills etc. so anything short of full time hours would be almost impossible.

I could ask for redundancy but finding a similar role elsewhere for the same salary would be impossible - it is a very well paid role.

I am not a member of a union because I have chosen not to be! Naive perhaps but I've never given it much thought!

bouicca21

In my experience large academic institutions, especially red brick and earlier are total !!!! at anything HR and employment law related. Get some outside advice. Union? ACAS? The employment board on MSE?

Mossfarr

"Usually they would put a secondment in place across to another similar role, however there are no suitable vacancies (the only one is two grades below mine, they won't do this as any potential successful candidate in future could request a regrade on account of it being deemed Ok for me to do the role)."


This would be a completely ridiculous assumption - you would have been temporarily redeployed to a lower graded post for a reason relating to your own permanent post.
Only if you, as a more experienced employee, had been redeployed due to an increase in the duties of the lower graded post, could anyone possibly make that claim.

I worked for a large government organisation for many years and this situation cropped up quite often. The employees concerned had their conditions of service protected until their own post became available again or a suitable alternative would be offered. If no alternative was available, or their own post was deleted, the protected pay lasted for a set time (2 years). At that point they could either accept the lower graded job or were offered redundancy.

You need to fight this. If there is a union - join it now!
Your organisation appears to have little understanding of employment law (although I accept that not everyone has the same conditions of service that I enjoyed).

oystercatcher

Would a lodger help tide you over until full time hours are reinstated ?

Cakeguts

If what you have is a very well paid role why don't you have any savings?

knightstyle

HMMMM... Well I am not an expert in these things but it seems to me that you want to stay and hope that when the chair is filled you get the hours you need in a post you enjoy and have good benefits. So perhaps it would be better to accept the lower wages for a short while and get another part time job? That way you would not upset anyone and be seen to be flexible which is always a good thing as you never know when reductions in staff and the dreaded redundancies may come.

aimzee84

Thanks all, I am meeting with HR this afternoon to discuss.

@Cakeguts, my personal situation changed dramatically at the beginning of the year. I live in a hugely expensive area (and still have a 45 minute minimum commute to get to work) and my savings went on my deposit/furniture/white goods. I only managed to pass the affordability check on the property because they lowered the rent by £11pcm. So single living has been expensive.

@oystercatcher a lodger would be a breach of my tenancy agreement, plus I've no room for one, but thank you!

Comms69

aimzee84 wrote: »

Thanks all, I am meeting with HR this afternoon to discuss.

@Cakeguts, my personal situation changed dramatically at the beginning of the year. I live in a hugely expensive area (and still have a 45 minute minimum commute to get to work) and my savings went on my deposit/furniture/white goods. I only managed to pass the affordability check on the property because they lowered the rent by £11pcm. So single living has been expensive.

@oystercatcher a lodger would be a breach of my tenancy agreement, plus I've no room for one, but thank you!

Just FYI - this often isn't a breach (it's not subletting or assigning) and in any case is unenforceable.