Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2015 10:24:04 GMT -5
I'm having some issues at work. I'm the Sr. design director of two clothing brands. I've worked there 9 years. One of the brands I'll call it brand A is higher end, grosses more money per year and has a much larger design team etc the other is a newer casual brand brand B (tees and sweatshirts etc) and grosses less money and small team. When I left I managed 20 designers.
The night before I was due to return from leave the VP of HR asked me to call him urgently. I called him and he explained that my boss was in Paris and she was 'not ready for me to come back due to restructuring the department and new hires while I was out'. They offered me 2 weeks paid vacation for free. HR said that my manager would have a talk with me the day I returned to explain structural changes.
I started work and my manager didn't explain the structural changes. since then I'm not invited to 98% of meetings for brand A now. It's awkward because we work in a glass loft style office so I can see my boss having meetings all day with the designers I manage but I am not invited to any of the meetings.
My boss had a meeting w me yesterday explaining that while I was out Brand A is doing amazing and everything is going well. Brand B is struggling and needs 100% of my attention. She asked me to be a 'dog with a bone' on brand B and that there are no excuses for the brand not to do better. However since I started managing brand B 2 years ago business is up 150% to last year.
From my perspective I feel like they broke my job apart for brand A while I was out and hired people to do my job ( though not with director title) in addition my boss has assumed most of my job role. I feel so isolated now and like I was penalized for having a baby. I keep thinking this would not have happened if I had not had the baby. I'm not regretting having her but I am so distressed that this is happening.
I went to HR yesterday and told them what happened. I have a meeting set up w the vp of HR Monday. He says this is all a ' misunderstanding'
I talked to a corporate employment attorney yesterday (he would represent the business side in this case). And he said because they have not reduced my pay, benefits, or job title that I have an iffy case. Though he did say that going from managing 20 people to 5 people is something. Just not a sure thing. He suggested I look at this in a positive light that they want me to focus on a smaller brand so that I can grow the company faster.
I'm just sad about being forced out of the higher end product and don't feel like this would have happened if I had not had a baby
Side note I do know that 5 years ago the company was sued for maternity discrimination and lost. The CEO was also sued for smoking in the same room as the same pregnant assistant and lost.
The night before I was due to return from leave the VP of HR asked me to call him urgently. I called him and he explained that my boss was in Paris and she was 'not ready for me to come back due to restructuring the department and new hires while I was out'. They offered me 2 weeks paid vacation for free. HR said that my manager would have a talk with me the day I returned to explain structural changes.
I started work and my manager didn't explain the structural changes. since then I'm not invited to 98% of meetings for brand A now. It's awkward because we work in a glass loft style office so I can see my boss having meetings all day with the designers I manage but I am not invited to any of the meetings.
My boss had a meeting w me yesterday explaining that while I was out Brand A is doing amazing and everything is going well. Brand B is struggling and needs 100% of my attention. She asked me to be a 'dog with a bone' on brand B and that there are no excuses for the brand not to do better. However since I started managing brand B 2 years ago business is up 150% to last year.
From my perspective I feel like they broke my job apart for brand A while I was out and hired people to do my job ( though not with director title) in addition my boss has assumed most of my job role. I feel so isolated now and like I was penalized for having a baby. I keep thinking this would not have happened if I had not had the baby. I'm not regretting having her but I am so distressed that this is happening.
I went to HR yesterday and told them what happened. I have a meeting set up w the vp of HR Monday. He says this is all a ' misunderstanding'
I talked to a corporate employment attorney yesterday (he would represent the business side in this case). And he said because they have not reduced my pay, benefits, or job title that I have an iffy case. Though he did say that going from managing 20 people to 5 people is something. Just not a sure thing. He suggested I look at this in a positive light that they want me to focus on a smaller brand so that I can grow the company faster.
I'm just sad about being forced out of the higher end product and don't feel like this would have happened if I had not had a baby
Side note I do know that 5 years ago the company was sued for maternity discrimination and lost. The CEO was also sued for smoking in the same room as the same pregnant assistant and lost.