hi all,

this is completely off topic, hense the title, but i figure there are lots of good people here with lots of good life experiences, so you might be able to give me some clues as to what to do with the following.

i have been in a 'pilot' position at work for ten years, in addition to this pilot position, title and activities i have had a range of other "silent" activities.

recently the minister (like your governer i guess) has decided that the pilot work we have done for ten years, and therefore the associated positions need to end. hense my substantive position is to be abolished. i am not getting the sack, but my security and title in the govt workforce is being abolished.

i am having a meeting next week with various directors of our organisation to discuss this. this is totally new to me, i have never lost a job (apart from being sacked as a barmaid in 1983 for not having sex with the boss haha), and in a sense i am not losing a job now, just the permanent position i hold in our public/government service.

not having been in this position before, is there any tricks or questions i should ask about. i know i can talk about being offered redundnancy - but they have generously offered me a permanent job doing what i have been doing as a side activity for the past ten years haha. how nice of them.

tis a bit hard to explain, but if any of you have had experience in having your jobs being made redundant and how to go about negotiating new positions, retraining etc, then i would welcome your comments.

i am totally at a loss.

given that this is such an off board topic, if people dont wish to respond here, i recognise comments might reveal individual work experiences etc, then email me at kathyw@arach.net.au or kathyw@dcd.wa.gov.au

cheers to all and i hope to hear from you in relation to this random question

kath
ps, wa in my gov email is NOT washington haha

I'll answer you here, altho I really don't think I"ll be much help.

Maybe it's a language thing, but I don't know what you mean by "permanent job."  Here in the States, as I see it, there is no such thing....  Do you mean a full-time job with benefits? 

<<but they have generously offered me a permanent job doing what i have been doing as a side activity for the past ten years haha.>.  Does "side activity" mean cutting your hours to part-time -- or does it mean freelance (no benefits, etc.)?  Does Australia have universal health benefits?

Yes, I would negotiate for retraining.  I'd get my resume updated and ready, too.  And I'd do a bit of internet research.   If you don't already know, find out what the market pay rate for someone in your position does -- both on an employee and a freelance basis.  Also take a look at the "big picture" and write down your "crossover skills"  -- broader capabilities that you possess that would be advantageous to your employer no matter what other job they may offer.  

All I can think of....  most of my adult life I've worked either freelance or perm. part-time because of my kids.

Jean

hi jean, a permanent job means you join the public government and you get a job for life haha unless they do this to you hhaha

but underneath a permanent job are activities we do,some are connected to our permanent job and some aretn,

hope that makes sense
kath

If you work for the government you may have some sort of job security clause like I do. That is, if your job is ever to disappear they must guarantee you a job of equal pay and responsibility within the city that you live and I believe you have an option of refusing up to 2 reasonable job offers. If they fail to do this then they continue paying your salary until they find you the suitable jobs. I think they all it a "workforce adjustment clause" in our union contract.

If you are in a union, I would bring your union representative with you to the meeting. As well, I would contact your union in advance and talk to them.

I think you have an idea what you need to do. Retraining would be a good thing if you can get it. They may have other suitable similar positions in a different government organization you may be able to laterally transfer into as well.

K