Dispute with peer on line management

[blade81]

Hi all,

After some advice please I started a new role last June. The role included line management responsibility. When I first joined I was told there will be a bedding in period and then after a while we would split line management between me and my colleague who at that time had 4 direct reports.

We are both at the same level this person was also on my interview panel. Then our line manager left within the first month and a new line manager started who had lots to get to grips with so team structure was put on the back burner though I kept raising it. From the very beginning I got the impression my colleague wasn’t too keen on sharing out the line management responsibility in the team telling me I had to do the company formal training which there was a long waiting list final got on the course to be told that’s not the case it’s not mandatory. There were people on there that had never line managed before .

recently when we arranging a meeting to discuss a transition of team members reporting into me he has outright stated he doesn’t want to lose any of his direct reports which has now grown to 7.

The reason provided was LM is the bulk of his work, the original team structure was a proposal and not signed off etc. I put this in writing to our line manager and said she would sort. Since then she’s accepted a role in a new team starting in Sept and advised that this will now be picked up by our new line manager, also added we need to be sensitive to my colleague. This irked me as I feel that actually you need to be sensitive to me as I’m being denied my right to line manage as my colleague is basically saying he doesn’t want to lose anyone reporting to him and appears to be getting away with this.

Am I being reasonable ? I feel like I am walking on eggshells not saying what I really think to my LM as unsure how she’ll take it. Also now a moot point given she’s leaving but still in the company. Nee LM has worked with my colleague for many years so unsure what his view is going to be.

by the way it’s a very cliquey place to work and upto now it’s been ok but this situation maybe alter this.

Thanks
blade

[atticus]

I do not believe that this is a legal question, but one of finding a way of dealing with this. You may need to involve higher levels of management. I hesitate to suggest raising a formal grievance at this stage.

[blade81]

Thank you I do feel there is an element of discrimination with me being female as they push that they are a EDI employer but when I’ve raised the with my line manager she’s kind of not resolving and now stating new line manager in Sept will pick up. Half the annual review period will have gone by then and one of my objectives is line management.

[ULA]

Given that your current manager rather than trying to deal with the situation has decided to "pass it over" to her replacement then as atticus has suggested either speak to a more senior manager or even the HR department.

[blade81]

Hi Ula,

hope you are well. I will try that next and see what happens. I have always had the impression my colleague wants to be involved with everything at one point there was meant to be another role at our level we did the proposal next minute I’m told he doesn’t think we need the role despite spending a week on the proposal very strange behaviour.

they’ve all worked together a long time so expect they fee it’s awkward.

I will let you know how I get on.

thank you

blade

[ULA]

Hi blade81 I hope this approach works but if you need any further advice just come back to this same thread rather than start a new one so keep this site address bookmarked. We will get alerted to the post even if it is some time before you re-post.