Advice re wifes job possibly advertised

[Sogra]

Hi, some employment advice for my wife if possible.

She started working as a purchase ledger clerk for a company in March 2012 and has had reviews at 3 and 6 months and has been told she is progressing well. She was not fully qualified for the job but she was taken on with the understanding that she would be trained and this has been happening. She also received a pay increase in November as she had hit all of her objectives so far in the role. So it all seems good.
She got a text a couple of days ago from a girl she works with telling her that the company are advertising for a position as a purchase ledger clerk on a job site. On reading the advert on the jobsite it appears to be the job she does. There is also another girl in the office that does a similar job but has been having some issues in her role; this girl has been there 2 years.
I know my wife has no protection due to the length of time she has been there but would like a view as to if she should ask her manager about the advert?
Are they looking to replace her or the other girl or possibly recruiting an additional person although there does not appear to be enough work for 3 people.
If she does ask and it is her job they may finish her straight away.
If she doesn’t ask and it is her role then it could well be a couple of months extra that she is working whilst they recruit and that will make all of the difference as by then I will be closer to stopping funding my daughter at Uni.
The downside of not asking is that she has it hanging over her although if she does ask there is no guarantee she would be told the truth anyway.

Any thoughts welcome
thanks

Edited by Sogra on Wednesday 2nd January 08:40

[anonymous-user]

Your wife has protection against unfair dismissal, as she started work before 6th April 2012, when the qualifying period increased from one year to two. [EDIT: this was posted when the opening post read March 2011. See below.]

I would not worry until something happens. The company may be seeking an additional employee, or replacing someone else. If really concerned, ask the boss.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 2nd January 11:35

[matthias73]

Ahem
She might be getting a promotion

[Sogra]

Breadvan thanks but I just noticed I put 2011 should read 2012 (getting confused with when last year was) Pillock!

Matthias 73, thanks, possible I suppose.

She only told me about it last night as she didnt want to spoil new year. I have said ask and be dammed pointless worrying about maybe and what if`s

Thanks

[anonymous-user]

In that event, you are correct in your opening post, and your wife is presently without protection against unfair dismissal (absent dismissal for reasons such as whistle blowing, union membership, pregnancy etc. She will obtain protection this March, if still employed then.

[Deva Link]

Sogra said:

The downside of not asking is that she has it hanging over her although if she does ask there is no guarantee she would be told the truth anyway.

If it's going to stress her out to the point that she's not sleeping etc then she might as well ask.

...but then they might wonder why she's looking at job sites! I worked in a garage where the Service Manager applied for his own job, advertised though an agency - and he lied on the application!

Having said that, and without wanting to seem unkind, it's hard to imagine a firm would go to the trouble of firing someone doing an OK job as a purchase ledger clerk to replace them with an unknown quantity.

[tim2100]

Could it be an agency fishing for CV's?

[Slurms]

As has been mentioned above it doesn't sound like your wife should be in trouble here.

If she's had positive reviews and they are investing time/money training her up then why replace her with someone else with whom they would have to start over again?

Could be I guess but it sounds really really odd to me.

[Sogra]

Slurms said:

As has been mentioned above it doesn't sound like your wife should be in trouble here.

If she's had positive reviews and they are investing time/money training her up then why replace her with someone else with whom they would have to start over again?

Could be I guess but it sounds really really odd to me.

Pretty much my thoughts although she does feel quite vunerable due to having been made redundant back in 2008 twice in a shortish period of time. She took 3 years off and we pretty much lived of savings and my salary so seeing the advert has just knocked her a bit.

We can get by if she is out of work but it just puts plans backwards and we would need to spend less on our social life

Thanks for the support I will update when we have an outcome

Thanks

[Odie]

This happened too me, I asked my place of work what the score was? turned out to be a clerical error. Apparently.

Especially since the advertised salary exceeded what im on.

I was miffed, but lifes to short ot worry about it.