Strung Along with Promotions until Backfilled

[adridude]

Hi,

 

I was just wondering if you guys n gals could help me. A year ago, I joined the company I'm at as a low level position. Within a month, I was offered a promotion to a better position, higher salary etc... I was performing this duty for the past 11 months, but recently, I was offered yet another promotion to a more senior position and more operational one, I was given the choice to not accept it if I didn't want it, but ofcourtse I chose it as it fitted my skillset perfectly.

 

The MD even sent me messages over teams to ask if I was "happy with my new position", which ofcourse I was extatic about.

 

The company found someone to fill my position, so it was all go, but had to wait a few weeks until they started.

 

2 weeks to go until the "go date" for the new position, I get told that it's no longer available due to "operational problems". This only arose as I insisted that I get a contract or at least a letter of intention along with the offer.

 

I've now found out that the company can't afford the position, that they've lost alot of business (in the last 2 weeks) and that they are unable to break the new contract with "my replacement".

 

The only offer on the table was to go back to my old rudimentary position, albeit at the same salary. So basically a totaly demotion and back to square 1 with 0 professional progression.

 

I've only been with the company for a year so I was wondering:

 

1) Do I have to take the "lower" position? My feeling is that the oversight of hiring someone overzealously when the role wasn't vacated, isn't a me problem. its a company problem.

2) The old position required me to come into the office once a week, which has 2 caveats. 1) being medical as I can't make it in as circunstances have  chanaged since I was in that position, 2) financials don't allow for travel to work every week.

 

 

I met with the MD, Ops Director and my own Director to dispute this and stated that I'd happily filfil the role required to "assist the company temporarily to tide things over", but it appears that they aren't playing ball. I explained why I can't come in weekly, but they again, made it out to be a "me problem", which I explained clearly wasn't as 48 weeks / 52 working from home is a clear indicator that I'll be working from home. The 4 weeks were the intial 4 weeks when I joined... 

 

I don't quite know how to approach this as I have absolutely been scre**d here, but I still need an income whilst I look further. But until then I'm concerned that they'll insist that I come in "whether you like it or not" and if I can't mark me as "absent" etc... After the way this has all panned out, I wouldn't put anything past them as trust went from 200% to below zero in the space of one meeting.

 

Any pointers would be handy.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

 

[unclebulgaria67]

From what I am hearing, there are many companies going through significant financial problems and are having to make changes.

 

Yes the company have put you in a difficult position, but if the new position is no longer available due to a restructuring, at least you have a job with the salary level maintained.

 

Remember if you have been employed by a company for less than 2 years, you don't have much in the way of employment rights. So you really need to find a way to attend the office as agreed with managers. If you have health barriers, you have some rights under Equalities Act 2010 with the employers needing to make any reasonable adjustments. Have a look at the Gov.uk Access to Work website.

 

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

 

If you start to become difficult to manage, the employers may then plot to terminate your employment and then you will become a job seeker. And if this coincides with a recession with companies cutting and not recruiting, you could then face being unemployed for an extended period.

[Emmzzi]

Within a month, I was offered a promotion to a better position, higher salary etc...  

 

Do you have a contract for this one? I am confused about why it is more difficult to honour your contract for this than the new person - who is presumably on probation and thus easier to dismiss?

[adridude]

It was a verbal contract and I have confirmation via email etc.. relating to me starting in the position etc... The onbly reason that I came about all of this is because I asked for a letter of intent or offer to confirm the position, thats when this all came out of the woodwork.

[Emmzzi]

In the absence of a new contract, you revert to the contract you are already on.

 

I;m not 100% clear from your post which one that would be - the job you had for the first month, or one after that.