Work problem - can you please help?

Liam1000

At the start of the year I decided to try and find a new job.

An opportunity came up through an agency so they submitted my details.

Unfortunately the employer rang my boss and told him I had applied.

The last four months have been terrible, when I thought things couldn't get any worse.

My boss offered me a 5k increase if I agreed to stay for at least 5 years. I told him I couldn't do that.

Now my deputy is moving further from work and was considering leaving.

The MD is giving him a 8k increase and a company vehicle which is worth 8k, or 16k before tax.

This will put him on a lot more than me.

How do you think I should handle this?

What can I do?

What can I do legally?


Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for your help.

smcgiff

"What can I do legally"

What?!? My sympathies here are with the employer

Liam1000

smcgiff wrote: »

"What can I do legally"

What?!? My sympathies here are with the employer

Hi. Would you mind elaborating please?

Irish_Elect_Eng

"At the start of the year I decided to try and find a new job.
An opportunity came up through an agency so they submitted my details.
Unfortunately the employer rang my boss and told him I had applied."

Unfortunate certainly, but many industries in Ireland are a small pool of jobs and there is always the risk of your current employer finding out that you are looking to move. However it is only natural that your current employer is upset / disappointed / angry / betrayed to a certain extent. An implied trust has been broken and the atmosphere is work will become strained to say the least.

"The last four months have been terrible, when I thought things couldn't get any worse. My boss offered me a 5k increase if I agreed to stay for at least 5 years. I told him I couldn't do that."

Your employer saw a that you were unhappy/unsatisfied and made an attempt to rectify that by making an offer, with conditions, otherwise knows as "golden handcuffs", he was probably seeking to bring stability into the role so that he could plan for the future. I would also have seen this as a vote of confidence in you as he obviously wanted to retain your services. But you refused, this would then have confirmed in his eyes that you were on your way out the door and he could not stop you.

"Now my deputy is moving further from work and was considering leaving.
At the start of the year I decided to try and find a new job. The MD is giving him a 8k increase and a company vehicle which is worth 8k, or 16k before tax."

You had told your employer twice that you intended to leave soon, once through applying for another job, the second time through refusing his 5 yr retention offer.

Ask yourself, really what did you expect him to do next?

In my oppinion your boss has moved on, you are now out of the picture as far as he is concerned and he is focusing on your deputy as a sucessor for your position once you leave, or even if you don't.

"This will put him on a lot more than me."

Jealousy? Perhaps you manager has decided that he is willing to pay to ensure your deputy's loyalty. It is not uncommon for replacements to get more to ensure that they stay. After all you just refused an extra 5k, som maybe you set the bar for your replacements wage. Or perhaps he just has better negotiation or soft skills that you? Curious to know how you know the exact raise that he got?

"How do you think I should handle this?"

Hopefully with good grace

"What can I do?"

Not much now I would think, can't have your cake and eat it... two choices really.

(a) Stay, be sidelined and watch your deputy get the opportunities and be eventually promoted above you.
(b) Move on, Leave and get another job, learn from the experience.

"What can I do legally?"

Legally? I really hope that you are joking


Best of Luck.

fasttalkerchat

One other thing. When you are applying for other jobs, write references available on request/at interview stage.

mr_edge_to_you

I think your manager/employer has responded in a decent and respectable manner after they heard you were leaving. They made you a reasonable offer in an attempt to keep you satisfied. Albeit with terms and conditions which is understable.

I suspect your boss has started to plan for your departure by ensuring your deputy doesn't decide to leave at the same time as you. Probably good forward planning on his part. Filling two roles in a single department like yours would be a lot of hassle for your manager.

You can't be certain of what terms and conditions have been agreed as part of your deputy's new remuneration package. You can be sure he too is tied in to a 5 year agreement. Perhaps he may be promoted on your departure but he may not have a deputy.

The employer should not have contacted your current employer without your consent but The best thing you can do is chalk this down as experience.