I need some advice and fast

[M3StuT]

I will keep this short and sweet.

I was looking as docs today that I shouldnt have been and found that my job is going to cabinet on monday to be passed for redundancy (its a local council job)! No one has mentioned this to me and they are trying to get it passed behind my back so that it would be too late to defend myself.
My job is to be used to finance the two new positions which have just been filled which no one advised me i should go for even though they planned my redundancy. So basically they want me to leave and slip it through before i find out. I have been there ten years and I am panicing like mad. It has been very underhand with no chance to defend myself. I cant believe they didnt give me the opportunity to go for one of the new jobs. What can i do? Is there anything I can do? Do I have a case for action?

To clarify I am not supposed to know any of this, can i use this to my advantage?

[Muntu]

M3StuT said:

I will keep this short and sweet.

I was looking as docs today that I shouldnt have been and found that my job is going to cabinet on monday to be passed for redundancy (its a local council job)! No one has mentioned this to me and they are trying to get it passed behind my back so that it would be too late to defend myself.
My job is to be used to finance the two new positions which have just been filled which no one advised me i should go for even though they planned my redundancy. So basically they want me to leave and slip it through before i find out. I have been there ten years and I am panicing like mad. It has been very underhand with no chance to defend myself. I cant believe they didnt give me the opportunity to go for one of the new jobs. What can i do? Is there anything I can do? Do I have a case for action?

To clarify I am not supposed to know any of this, can i use this to my advantage?

I would imagine that the local council will do everything by the book, and at some point inform you that the position that you currently fill is at risk of being redundant. If at that point you have any concerns, contact ACAS

In the meantime, get to to the aforementioned docs again, and take some photos, James Bond style - may come in useful for the constructive / unfair dismissal claim

[M3StuT]

They used this method to get rid of my supervisor two weeks ago. They got it passed for redundancy at cabinet then two days later told her she was redundant, no chance to defend as it had been passed and was set in stone. I am in the same position but they havent passed it yet and I am going to the cabinet meeting on monday where my two managers will be trying to justify my redundancy. Basically they are trying to get it passed and then make me redundant, should I fight it at the cabinet meeting or do something else first?

[edc]

M3StuT said:

I will keep this short and sweet.

I was looking as docs today that I shouldnt have been and found that my job is going to cabinet on monday to be passed for redundancy (its a local council job)! No one has mentioned this to me and they are trying to get it passed behind my back so that it would be too late to defend myself.
My job is to be used to finance the two new positions which have just been filled which no one advised me i should go for even though they planned my redundancy. So basically they want me to leave and slip it through before i find out. I have been there ten years and I am panicing like mad. It has been very underhand with no chance to defend myself. I cant believe they didnt give me the opportunity to go for one of the new jobs. What can i do? Is there anything I can do? Do I have a case for action?

To clarify I am not supposed to know any of this, can i use this to my advantage?

Quite rightly so you are panicking. Technically the role is redundant rather than you the person. There will be some good (maybe not for you) reason why one of these other roles was not for you. From what you write it sounds like you had no interest in applying for them in any case.

If your fears are founded and these 2 roles may have been suitable alternatives for you but they were filled immediately ahead of an impending redundancy then you have to ask yourself the question why your manager did not get you in the frame. This may seem harsh but perhaps they felt you were not the one for them in those roles.

Using confidential information which you may have deviously obtained against your employer is not going to get you anywhere fast in the short term. Firstly, you might find yourself facing disciplinary action or even dismissal as worst case for this and secondly you are going to be using information which will unfortunately go some way to destroy the trust and working relationship with your managers (but this may already have happened).

You are in the best position of anybody writing here to understand your organisation headcount planning processes, structure, etc. To be perfectly frank pooling new recruits with some existing staff is one way some organisations will remove existing staff.

One avenue that may be worth exploring is to see whether the 2 aforementioned roles should be included with your role as part of the pool of selection. Again, being perfectly honest, if the managers and HR team have thought this through and the ultimate aim was to get you out you are on a hiding to nothing unless they make a procedural mishap or the selection process is in some way discriminatory.

If you are truly concerned my advice would be to seek some professional advice from somebody who can spend much more time analyzing your specific scenario and context.

[davepoth]

Are you in the union? This is pretty much exactly what you pay them for.

[rog007]

These things are terrible for folk in the moment. Personally, I would let matters follow their natural course and attempt to turn the event in to an opportunity (redundancy package plus chance for a new start in a role/location I've always hankered after) rather than turn it in to a potentially corrosive event that will only ring further anxiety and stress. Good luck!