Sidelined at work

[Fishingmike]

Sidelined at work- I work as a senior manager in a retail focused business, my intention and agreement with my employer is to reduce my working week later this year when I hit the state retirement age, a new employee has been recruited and taken on the running of my department and team, due to some reorganisation within the business I have been informed (verbally) that I now report to a new line manager outwith the department I have been working in for the last 20 years, I have asked my new line manager and my previous line manager (recently promoted to CEO) for clarity of their proposal of my duties and responsibilities for the next 5 months until I take the “ newly created position” within the organisation, neither of them have given me guidance to what is happening, I am excluded from senior meetings, my reports do not liaise with me but now liaise with new head of department, I went on holiday for a week three weeks ago to return to find my line manager was the new CEO and all the colleagues who I thought reported to me were now reporting to the newly appointed head of department, I have been placed on the naughty step as my face does not fit any more, I attend my place of employment on a daily basis but in effect have no job as I have no involvement in the operation and running of anything, my employment record is exemplary over the last 20 years, I do accept that change is necessary in business but to be totally sidelined and not enlightened regarding my future is absolutely unacceptable, I have been waiting almost a week for a response from the CEO and my new line manager, my hunch is they would be happy if I just resigned.
Any advice from people who have had a similar experience would be great

[MIKE770]

well as you are due to retire in the not too far future then then steps been made an decisions made that situations have changed and events have happened, preparations are in place for your possible departure (retirement) old agreements? well for decades now mean nothing as I found out years ago. you are being paid for doing nothing or very little so not out of pocket? ULA may able to advise?

[echat11]

Hi FishingMike

I would raise a Grievance informally (I believe you've done this), put a formal Grievance in writing, send it to management and HR, that will get their attention. They should then arrange a meeting with you, you can state the issues you have encountered. Keep a diary of your treatment, so if your treatment deteriorates further you can refer back to it.

https://www.acas.org.uk/grievance-pr...e-step-by-step

Are you a member of a Union?

ULA

[ULA]

Hi Fishingmike you have already told the company your stated intention of reducing your hours when you reach state retirement age that is not an unsual situation in the workplace. Obviously the company needs to start making preparations for that and it would also appear there has been an internal reorganisations going on, again a perfectly acceptable situation in a work environment.

A week is not a long time to wait to get a response, given that clearly the CEO and your line manager are new in post and probably still trying to establish themselves with their new responsibilities. When you contacted the CEO and line manager was this verbally or via email?

If it was verbally then I suggest that you follow up with an email asking whether they have had time to consider the discussion of xxxx and whether you can arrange a meeting with them to follow this up. If it was email then follow-up it up with a futher email saying you accept that they are probably both busy but have they given any consideration to the contents of your email and would it be possible to arrange a meeting to discuss what you role will be up to the point that you reduce your working week in order that you engage in that work and maybe better placed to support them in their new roles - or something along those lines.