my job is changing-prefer redundancy

R.j.Belcher

Hi have been in my job in IT since 2009. We were very busy then they decided to change the business and our team has been reduced from 15 to 3 over the past 5 years! It is now come to the crunch and they have decided they want those of us remaining to switch roles . We had been field engineers out fixing printers and PC's and occasionally helping out with other departments. They now want us to switch to working at schools supporting IT, which I have little knowledge of. I feel I am too old to retrain at 52 and want to stick to what I know. Plus that role involves staying away from home lots, or long travel to the sites (maybe 4-5 hours travel plus 7 hours on the job 5 days a week). My fear is that we will just be told to lump it or leave, where’s I would like redundancy. Do you think it would be reasonable to argue that my job is now redundant?
thanks
Rob

TadleyBaggie

As was said in your previous thread, your job is changing and there is not a case for being made redundant.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6284136/job-changing-beyond-my-skills-constructive-dismissal#latest

Thrugelmir

Ultimately the onus is the employer to prove suitability. Though you would assume that they've considered this when defining the new roles. Have you had a formal discussion yet? 

R.j.Belcher

Formal discussion is tomorrow. I feel it will involve a fundimental change in my contracted role.

R.j.Belcher

TadleyBaggie said:

As was said in your previous thread, your job is changing and there is not a case for being made redundant.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6284136/job-changing-beyond-my-skills-constructive-dismissal#latest

Sorry I missed your previous reply, lots of food for thought.

Jillanddy

Redundancy isn't a preference. You can argue anything you like, but if they refuse then you will have a hard sell persuading a tribunal to agree with you. If you do not like your job, you should get another job. And for goodness sake, 52 is nowhere near old. Retraining / learning new skills is hardly beyond you!

Dakta

"We had been field engineers out fixing printers and PC's and occasionally helping out with other departments."

In all fairness, isn't supporting IT at schools just going to be recovery the odd pupil from the internals of a multi-function printer, taking bubblegum out of cd-roms, re-inserting network cables and a bit of whatever the other departments want in the quiet moments?

I might be wrong, just fondly reminiscing of my own school days...

TELLIT01

Dakta said:

"We had been field engineers out fixing printers and PC's and occasionally helping out with other departments."

In all fairness, isn't supporting IT at schools just going to be recovery the odd pupil from the internals of a multi-function printer, taking bubblegum out of cd-roms, re-inserting network cables and a bit of whatever the other departments want in the quiet moments?

I might be wrong, just fondly reminiscing of my own school days...

No, they sound like massively different roles, unless the OP will only be expected to fix peripherals and PCs but in a school based environment.  If the employer now expects the engineers to manage servers, infrastructure, etc it is a totally different job.

A comparison might be made with a person trained to change tyres and exhausts suddenly being expected to repair the engine and bodywork of a car.

pjcox2005

Just have a conversation about it. State that you are willing to listen and take on the changing role but have concerns around travel, change of scope etc and would need additional training. Ask if there is an option of voluntary redundancy and what that would be as an offer?

No offence, but you may find that having been there for 11 years they may be happy for you to leave and employ someone direct to the role with more relevant experience and a lower salary. No harm in asking as long as you saying it as an option only, and not i refuse to do the new role so you have to make me redundant, in that situation they may just wait for you to quit,

Dakta

TELLIT01 said:

Dakta said:

"We had been field engineers out fixing printers and PC's and occasionally helping out with other departments."

In all fairness, isn't supporting IT at schools just going to be recovery the odd pupil from the internals of a multi-function printer, taking bubblegum out of cd-roms, re-inserting network cables and a bit of whatever the other departments want in the quiet moments?

I might be wrong, just fondly reminiscing of my own school days...

No, they sound like massively different roles, 

They could be but given that the only detail of the role is ' switch to working at schools supporting IT,  you could draw any conclusion.

How are we defining supporting IT, literally doing the jobs they can't be bothered with or providing the fundamental backbone of it?

I couldn't say they sound like massively different roles yet. Have you had any kind of indication what you are actually going to do and the depth of it?

robatwork

School IT does sound pretty different to what the OP was doing - probably more stimulating IMHO. Possibly Citrix, firewalls, interactive whiteboards...and lots of teacher password resets!