Appraisal - employer not delivering

[Dis86]

So...slightly annoyed today.

Basically I joined my current employer 3 years ago. One of the reasons I joined was the position was advertised as offering certain things (working in certain locations which would be extremely beneficial to career progression).
I knew it wouldn't happen straight away but - made sure every year during my appraisal to mention and have recorded that I still wanted to do it and also it's recorded in my appraisal that should the opportunity arise I would be accommodated.
Well...the opportunity has finally arisen! I've worked at and developed a very good relationship (to my employers benefit) with my client and they have agreed to cover all expenses and accommodation for me, the only thing my company would have to do is let me go and cover my salary.

They won't.

I'm management so require an exec to sign off and they're refusing saying that I'm needed elsewhere within the business.
Instead they're sending someone who my client doesn't know, who hasn't worked with the client and will not benefit from the experience to the extent I would. Needless to say they're not overly impressed either as having me out there would have been of great benefit to them.

Now my knowledge of contracts is deep enough to know since it ain't in my contract there's bugger all I can do - however is there anything I can do about them not agreeing to what was previously agreed and signed off in my appraisal? This was signed off by the exec in question as well.

Basically I'm livid and want to know if there's anything I can do other than find another job and move on from a company that is apparently an 'investor in people' and 'top 100 UK employer' which clearly from my experience there in the last 3 years they aren't?

 

[Dis86]

Already spoken to the other company, they can't in case it's seen as discrimination.

 

[Dis86]

That is bizarre - it isn't necessarily unusual for a client to push hard for a particular consultant/whatever.

The trouble is I wouldn't be there to work. I'd be an observer. So they can't justify it that way.

The other person gets paid from a different departmental budget and is cheaper. It's also worth noting that the contract is coming to a close. However thanks to what I've done repeat work is almost a certainty. Quite frankly I worked my arse off and put up with a lot of crap from our client. I delivered on time (actually early) with nobody hurt and no major quality incidents when at one point we were three months behind and the end user was considering pulling out of the deal and had grounds to!
I genuinely thought I had a good relationship with the person making the decision which I think is one of the reasons I'm stung so badly.

 

[Dis86]

It makes no sense to not send the primary contact for this customer where both sides want it. Presumably they're saving no money at all by sending someone else?

Who have you royally ticked off in a past life?

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Dis86]

As someone mentioned before, can you get the client to speak to your exec directly and heavily insist it's you they send?

I'll try this on Monday. See if i can knock some tact in to them first cos they're blunt as anything!

 

[Dis86]

So...client has spoken and got told I can't be spared for it as i'm needed elsewhere.

 

[Dis86]

Well..update on this.

Put my money where my mouth is and got myself a new job. More money. Fewer hours. Closer to home. Let's see how it goes!

 

[Dis86]

So work have now made two rods for their own back by possibly negatively affecting their client relationship by not sending the clients preferred candidate and now has lost you too? Sucks to be them. Good luck in the new place.

Can confirm the client were not happy. They pointed out the person that was sent in my place served no purpose at all.

 

[Dis86]

It's all just been complete and utter rubbish. A few times I've proposed training which would be beneficial to both myself and the company and every time it was shot down.
One example was where we were being forced to use contractors at a cost of about 200k a year. I told them I was happy to do the courses necessary to become qualified, showed them which courses and where I could do them. Initial cost was 25k. Would they let me? Would they heck.

 

[Dis86]

It's sadly not. Given the industry downturn at the minute I really struggled to find anything given my specialisations. Luckily this ties in nicely, corrosive environment piping and pumping system design. I'll be overseeing a few decent size projects and have a team of technicians and design engineers reporting to me.

 

[Dis86]

After reading the OP.

I have one issue

"Your Client"

Were they yours? Or were they a client of the company who employed you?

They were a client of the employer however I was the sole contractual interface. Any contact between my company and theirs went through me. Incoming or outgoing at all levels. Whether it was one of our technicians needing a bit of information, a supplier requesting a deviation from drawing or spec or whether it was a multimillion pound scope variation coming in from their directors.
The working relationship was built and maintained by me.

 

[Dis86]

The difference is matty that whilst that's true in a lot of cases I do have the full picture.
There was no logical reason for me not to go. The job that it was claimed i was needed on didn't start until over a week after I would have returned.
Either way it's done and I have it in writing that our client weren't happy with the decision and it'll be recorded during my exit interview that I wasn't happy with the decision and it contributed to me leaving.
I also believe I know the reason why the other person was sent in my stead but that's another story entirely...

 

[Dis86]

Ah right, so the other person was female or not white or both.

They were indeed. Have no idea if that played a part in the decision making or not. Even if it did I bet nobody would ever confirm it! Not that I care. I have nothing against that person, it wasn't their choice and I get on very well with them (we're friends outside of work). It is a bit of a joke between us that she's the ultimate company box ticker though.

 

[Dis86]

Lol it's true that it's a point of perspective!

When things needed sorting they were most definitely MY client.

When things went well they were OUR client.

 

[Dis86]

That's the trouble though, within the company I am the client. All other departments feed in to me. It's a straight line through my boss to my VP to the CEO.

 

[Dis86]

So, notice is in and I've given work a bit of time (2 weeks) for either someone more senior (basically means CEO or a VP) or HR to approach me after I requested an exit interview. So far nada.
My boss has spoken to me at length about it and stated he's going to be gutted to lose me however without me even mentioning them he guessed my reasons and said he doesn't blame me in the slightest and that he's already mentioned the way I've been treat whilst at the company has been poor. He also apologised, saying that in many cases it's looked like he was unwilling to do x or y but it's simply the case that he couldn't. The instructions from above were simply very clear.

It's a shame really as I have some fantastic colleagues, I greatly enjoy the industry, the work I do is interesting and quite frankly I'm very good at it.
I have no idea at this point if they'll try and come up with a counter-offer to retain me but frankly it would have to be exceptional for me to even consider it. The stupid thing is if they'd even been willing to make a little effort before now they wouldn't have to.

 

[Dis86]

Good for you - one door closes but another opens - but it sounds like your conversations with your manager have been taken as constituting your exit interview.

No, they were just unofficial chats over lunch and whatnot.

 

[Dis86]

Could well be that's what they intend but I've literally had nothing from them other than acknowledgement that they've received my notice. They haven't even confirmed my leaving date.