Job at risk letter

CuriousUser

Hi,
The company I work sent me a letter stating that my position will be removed and replaced with a different rank and therefore my job is at risk. I had my first consultation meeting with my manager and he said that I have the following options: 
1. To apply for the higher-up position as he really wants me to stay and based on my performance reviews scores I will get it without any issues.
2. To receive a redundancy package if I am not interested in the first option.
Now, I wanted to stay so I applied for the new position which was made available for internal candidates and only to those in my position. The issue is that the new position did not have a salary advertised but I just found out that it will be less than what I am earning now with much more responsibility and work which I am not happy with so I am thinking of taking the redundancy. 
Now, is there any way I can approach this at my next meeting as I am not sure how much the redundancy is or if I can negotiate the salary?!

Dox

CuriousUser said:

Hi,
The company I work sent me a letter stating that my position will be removed and replaced with a different rank and therefore my job is at risk. I had my first consultation meeting with my manager and he said that I have the following options: 
1. To apply for the higher-up position as he really wants me to stay and based on my performance reviews scores I will get it without any issues.
2. To receive a redundancy package if I am not interested in the first option.
Now, I wanted to stay so I applied for the new position which was made available for internal candidates and only to those in my position. The issue is that the new position did not have a salary advertised but I just found out that it will be less than what I am earning now with much more responsibility and work which I am not happy with so I am thinking of taking the redundancy. 
Now, is there any way I can approach this at my next meeting as I am not sure how much the redundancy is or if I can negotiate the salary?!

Hasn't exactly been handled brilliantly by your manager, has it? Raise the salary issue with him now and see what he says, and also ask for details of the redundancy package. You can't make an informed choice without this information. Keep two things in mind:

• if you apply and are offered the job at a lower salary, but then turn it down, your employer may claim you didn't accept an offer of reasonable alternative employment and that could impact on any redundancy payment
• you may not like the lower salary/increased responsibility (can quite see why!), but be realistic about just how many millions are going to be job hunting by early next year. Unless you are within sight of retirement, could you survive if you didn't work again for another year or more - and then no guarantee it will be at a salary anything like the one you are earning now.

lincroft1710

What you don't state is how long you have worked there and what is the percentage difference between your current role and the new position.

I do think this is a crafty way of making you work harder for less money. But Dox's comments are unfortunately spot on.

CuriousUser

Dox said:

CuriousUser said:

Hi,
The company I work sent me a letter stating that my position will be removed and replaced with a different rank and therefore my job is at risk. I had my first consultation meeting with my manager and he said that I have the following options: 
1. To apply for the higher-up position as he really wants me to stay and based on my performance reviews scores I will get it without any issues.
2. To receive a redundancy package if I am not interested in the first option.
Now, I wanted to stay so I applied for the new position which was made available for internal candidates and only to those in my position. The issue is that the new position did not have a salary advertised but I just found out that it will be less than what I am earning now with much more responsibility and work which I am not happy with so I am thinking of taking the redundancy. 
Now, is there any way I can approach this at my next meeting as I am not sure how much the redundancy is or if I can negotiate the salary?!

Hasn't exactly been handled brilliantly by your manager, has it? Raise the salary issue with him now and see what he says, and also ask for details of the redundancy package. You can't make an informed choice without this information. Keep two things in mind:

• if you apply and are offered the job at a lower salary, but then turn it down, your employer may claim you didn't accept an offer of reasonable alternative employment and that could impact on any redundancy payment
• you may not like the lower salary/increased responsibility (can quite see why!), but be realistic about just how many millions are going to be job hunting by early next year. Unless you are within sight of retirement, could you survive if you didn't work again for another year or more - and then no guarantee it will be at a salary anything like the one you are earning now.

Thank you for your complex answer
Every meeting we have is based on a script so basically, he goes reading everything and after a few paragraphs he is asking me what I think of it and if there is anything unclear so as far as I know, he has no input into this, it's just following the HO schedule. My idea was to try to negotiate as these meetings will be held until the 12th of November and we will meet for as many times as it will be needed until agreed.

I have the second one next week when he will be able to offer me more details. Now I am thinking to stay on the fence and see what package I will be offered and also if the salary is the one he mentioned, which is lower than what I am earning now. 

Thank you once again

getmore4less

Crafty
They can  use the you have "applied for the job" if we offer it to you you have to take it and can't back down approach.

You need to decide how far you can push this if you want to stay to get a better deal.

Needs addressing ASAP I would not be waiting for the next meeting but letting manager know you are not happy and they need to review the current proposal, maybe add in particular the pay.
if the manager is just the lapdog they then have a chance to go back before the meeting, if they are any good, they may also be going so don't care, just going through the motions

If happy to take the ultimate alternative of leaving if they won't budge then I would push back a lot harder 

if there is a decent payout and job prospects are OK leaving may be the option to go for, if low payout just hang on in their and resign once you have a new job..

In these situation it is very important to have it clear in your mind what your goals are and what outcome you want, the tactics change depending on the goal.

Also you need to work out who is driving the changes and what the pecking order is to get the current proposal changed

Consultation is a two way process and you need to be convincing the right people to get your preferred outcome, if you have to go through your manager you need to be sure they are in your corner.

Another tactic is to get organised,  those involved work as a group, companies often use keep people separate so they can pick you off one at  time, 

You get this sort of thinking we prefer Sally to do the job but if she won't take the pay cut we know John will take it.