Local authority

[Erica]

I have been employed for 13 years for the same localauthority. Due to austerity measures and reorganisation I was asked to changemy role and take on more responsibility. I agreed and my old role wasadvertised and appointed to before commencement of my new role. My proposed newrole meant keeping part of the job I had been doing since 2009 and adding moreresponsibility. It meant an mixture of strategic and operational management andworking across two venues. During the transition time further responsibilitieswere being added and one very small part of this I objected to because I feltmy legal and emergency priorities would be compromised. The objection was to be part of a rota. Senior managementdisagreed and to cut a long story short I ended up on sick leave with stressinsisting that the extra part of the role was too much. I am back at work andhave to attend a meeting tomorrow where they are commencing a 30 dayconsultation period re redundancy/redeployment. They have indicated that evenif I agree to all their proposals now (the rota work) they have to consider theoccupational doctors report and stress risk assessments. This is the only stress episode I have everhad and my only other sickness in 13 years was due to cancer treatment 8 yearsago. It appears I am working my socks off in a job that’s no longer mine? Ifeel quite bewildered. Any comments /advicewould be really appreciated.

[enquirer]

Re: Local authority

You have bucked the system and they want you out. Are you a member of a Union?

[charitynjw]

Re: Local authority

Hi Erica, & welcome to Legal Beagles.

I would tend to agree with enquirer; it would seem likely that the employer is trying to 'competence' you out.

Have you submitted an official grievance?

Have a Google around re Mental Health Care v Biluan ( http://www.stammeringlaw.org.uk/cases/biluan.htm )

& as enquirer suggests, if it were me I'd join a union asap!

[Erica]

Re: Local authority

Thanks for the replies and sadly I think you are both right. I am in the union but haven't gone down the grievance route as I thought that would make it worse for myself. I have accepted as I feel there is no real choice. My loyalty has gone and am looking for an exit route but feel I need to try and get them back on side to get a reference.

[enquirer]

Re: Local authority

Thanks for the replies and sadly I think you are both right. I am in the union but haven't gone down the grievance route as I thought that would make it worse for myself. I have accepted as I feel there is no real choice. My loyalty has gone and am looking for an exit route but feel I need to try and get them back on side to get a reference.

Involve the union rightaway. Refute their claims and then counter attack. Get them on the ropes, and then give them to understand that you will leave, but only with a suitably generous exit package.

This is what I did when much the same thing was done to me. I left, but it cost them.

[Erica]

Re: Local authority

Thanks for the advice. I will contact the union again. He didn't say much at all in the last meeting. What they are saying to me now is that my last job has gone and I am being redeployed into this one so I will have to have a 28 day trial which can be extended if they feel its needed. This is to run concurrently with the stress assessments. This is not what was said in the first place and I wouldn't have changed the last job if I had thought all this was going to happen. Do you think it would be worth seeing a solicitor?