Made Mistake in Accepting Job

LegacyUser

So I have been working in the company for nearly 15 years at this stage. About 3 years ago my old team got amalgamated with another team to combine two areas of the business with my boss at that time moving onto another project. Over the past 18 months or so I has been doing less and less of the work I had been doing in my old team and was happy enough about it. Last June my boss from the old team came back and took over the same role with the same work and 2 people joined his team. Just before December he approached me and asked would I be interested in rejoining the team and as I always had enjoyed working with him I said I would be interested. Nothing really came of this until the start of feb when the job was advertised and I had a discussion again with my old boss on it, I advised that while I would be interested in it there was certain aspects that I had done my time with in the role and didn't want to be doing them again, he advised that the two guys on the team would be looking after them and I would be more project focused which was one of the appealing aspects of the role. I went for the interview and after a lot of consideration and a few more discussions with my old boss I agreed to take the job.

I have been working my notice in the current job and will be due to start in the new job in about 2 weeks time, however a couple of weeks ago I heard that one of the team in the new role is leaving. The fella that is leaving would be doing a lot of the older work that I had agreed with the manager I wouldn't be taking on. I am now having worries that I will end up doing all this work again even though I had agreed with the manager that I wouldn't. I have spoken with the manager again since and he was a bit different about it now - he was saying that we would all have to pull our weight with it. They haven't replaced me in my current job yet so I guess I am asking would I be stupid in going to HR and checking to see is there anyway I can back out of the job??

If you want to move between roles/teams there in the future backing out now will probably make it nearly impossible to move in future.

The person who was going to do the work has decided to leave. Unless they pull the headcount/salary budget for that person or use it to hire you then they should be able to hire to backfill the vacated position. The question to ask yourself is, can they find and hire someone to do that job? If you believe so, agree a timeframe when the responsibilities you fear will become yours at least temporarily will be given to someone else. A verbal agreement is not enough if you want a reasonable amount of control of the situation so don't settle for it.

Ballpark suggestion would be that they hire within 6 months and that you lend assistance and training support for the replacement to get them up to speed in the position for an additional 3-6 months of hiring. Take the initiative and verbally agree that this is a one time arrangement which you are HAPPY to do to support the immediate needs of the business. Put a monetary value on this contribution and it's up to you if you push to be paid something extra or not. I wouldn't, personally.

If the whole point it progressing your career then you'll need the support of the manager who it sounds like is interested in working with you and helping you move things along in the direction you wish. Right now they have a problem and you can either help them fix it, with a written agreement and clear timeframe set out to make sure you're not stuck indefinitely doing something you don't want to do (explain that to him in person, without HR), or you can take a stand and show that when something comes up that needs a flexible and helpful approach, you're not willing to roll up your sleeves and get on with it.

Be smart about it. You don't have to be a pushover but you should try to find a way to work it out so you can both be okay with the arrangement. If they push way beyond the agreed timeframe, you'll have a written agreement in place and can use that to pick a fight at that time if you must. Right now, find a compromise or shaft yourself with HR and end up stuck where you are now which doesn't get you anywhere.

LegacyUser

Well for better or worse I went to HR and they were very understanding and actually thanked me for bringing it up rather than waiting. They have gone to discuss with the powers that be what the options are so we will see where it goes from here.

LegacyUser

JayZeus wrote: »

If you want to move between roles/teams there in the future backing out now will probably make it nearly impossible to move in future.

The person who was going to do the work has decided to leave. Unless they pull the headcount/salary budget for that person or use it to hire you then they should be able to hire to backfill the vacated position. The question to ask yourself is, can they find and hire someone to do that job? If you believe so, agree a timeframe when the responsibilities you fear will become yours at least temporarily will be given to someone else. A verbal agreement is not enough if you want a reasonable amount of control of the situation so don't settle for it.

Ballpark suggestion would be that they hire within 6 months and that you lend assistance and training support for the replacement to get them up to speed in the position for an additional 3-6 months of hiring. Take the initiative and verbally agree that this is a one time arrangement which you are HAPPY to do to support the immediate needs of the business. Put a monetary value on this contribution and it's up to you if you push to be paid something extra or not. I wouldn't, personally.

If the whole point it progressing your career then you'll need the support of the manager who it sounds like is interested in working with you and helping you move things along in the direction you wish. Right now they have a problem and you can either help them fix it, with a written agreement and clear timeframe set out to make sure you're not stuck indefinitely doing something you don't want to do (explain that to him in person, without HR), or you can take a stand and show that when something comes up that needs a flexible and helpful approach, you're not willing to roll up your sleeves and get on with it.

Be smart about it. You don't have to be a pushover but you should try to find a way to work it out so you can both be okay with the arrangement. If they push way beyond the agreed timeframe, you'll have a written agreement in place and can use that to pick a fight at that time if you must. Right now, find a compromise or shaft yourself with HR and end up stuck where you are now which doesn't get you anywhere.

Well for better or worse I went to HR and they were very understanding and actually thanked me for bringing it up rather than waiting. They have gone to discuss with the powers that be what the options are so we will see where it goes from here.

jimmycrackcorm

JobAcceptanceGoneWrong wrote: »

Well for better or worse I went to HR and they were very understanding and actually thanked me for bringing it up rather than waiting. They have gone to discuss with the powers that be what the options are so we will see where it goes from here.

You were right to do so. I'd expect they would come back with a plan where your manager would commit to getting the leaver replaced and that while you might "pull your weight", it would be with a view to helping to get the replacement to take over those aspects. That way everyone wins.

beauf

JayZeus wrote: »

....If the whole point it progressing your career then you'll need the support of the manager who it sounds like is interested in working with you and helping you move things along in the direction you wish. Right now they have a problem and you can either help them fix it, with a written agreement and clear timeframe set out to make sure you're not stuck indefinitely doing something you don't want to do (explain that to him in person, without HR), or you can take a stand and show that when something comes up that needs a flexible and helpful approach, you're not willing to roll up your sleeves and get on with it.....

The plan sounds great. The problem with that is they are struggling to keep anyone doing the old work. Anyone taking it on, is very likely to be stuck doing it indefinitely.

Its more efficient to train a new person in the new stuff. That's only one person being trained. Rather then two, the new person on the old stuff, and the old person on the new stuff. The busier the place, with less resources, the move likely you'll be stuck on the old stuff.

I've never worked in a place where the "can do" person got rewarded with anything other than more stuff that no one else will do.

In general new roles and new promotions, will all be about the new work. If you are busy doing the old stuff, then you will not have any experience gained in the new stuff, and at a severe disadvantage.

You'd imagine in the interest of being fair, you'd get rewarded for doing the old stuff. I've never seen it happen.