Help - it's all such a mess at work

[rockyroad]

Hi there people, i've been looking through the forums and threads here and felt almost a sense of relief that there are a lot of people here who seem to be able to give sensible and generous advice. Sorry to trouble you with my issue....

 

I have been working for the same company for 3 years and 11 months

 

18 months ago we were bought out by another company

 

I was a shareholder, so an agreement (as part of the company sale) is in place for the parent company to pay a substantial bonus on reaching a profit target for 2008-2009 and another 2009-2010. Subject to audited accounts this month we have reached the 2008-09 target, so I am due the bonus - provided I am not dismissed for gross misconduct etc.

 

The parent company and our are polar opposites in terms of people and staff - they are very very corporate and very very cut throat, and you need to be one of their 'kind' to get on if you see what I mean.

 

The two original directors of my immediate company are my greatest admirers and they value me and know me. Unfortunately the immediate company MD was not one of their people and he was made 'redundant' just after xmas 2008 - the line fromt he parent company is that he wasnt the man to take them forward.

 

I know I am next on their agenda - please humour me in the fact it isnt paranoia on my part. I am the Sales Manager and they are going out to see clients of mine without my involvement - completely undermining relationships I have built over 4 years. Now the Director of Corporate Development at the parent company wants me to arrange meetings with the largest clients we have and take him with me - the reason for which hasnt been given to me.

 

I am petrified plans are in place and they are trying to engineer a way to get rid of me, and that I may lose my bonus entitlement if I am sacked (which I think would be their primary reason for doing so before the accounts are audited). I have income insurance, mortgage insurance etc so if I did get made redundant it wouldnt be the end of the world for me. Infact the effect this is having on my health would probably make it a good thing.

 

I have spoken directly with the remaining immediate company director, who is also a friend and he thinks they have an agenda and cannot offer me the support as he doesnt know the answers.

 

I have repeatedly asked for assistance in my role over the past 12 months and this has been constantly dismissed by the parent company although my immediate directors have acknowledged the need. Its affecting my ability to do the job properly and making me ill with stress and anxiety- I know if I went to the docs i would be signed off, but I cant risk that.

 

Importantly, as I am a sales manager, is my performance

 

2007 I was 160% over my annual target

2008 I was 175% over my annual target

on my performance review I received 4/5 (the only reason I didnt achieve 5/5 was because marketing needs to improve - a job I dont have the training or available time resources for, but am responsible for)

 

I am the only sales/marketing employee for this company - a company that turns over in excess of 5 million with 185 customers (so throw into that account management role as well!)

 

Personally I think the best outcome for me would be to leave the company, but I cant walk away (current climate etc) as I have a family, mortgage etc, I cant get sacked (insurances & future employment issues, bonus owed). I dont think I should be working either as I am struggling to cope with day to day things at the moment because of this, and it is affecting my performance at work - a place where I have always been successful previously.

 

I hate this, noone shoujld have to feel this way. I feel bullied, victimised and undermined and its just not healthy.

 

If anyone can offer advice, assistance or otherwise I would be very grateful

[p_cas]

I honestly can't see any reason from what youve written here as to why you think they would want to get rid of you. Why would they want to get rid of someone who is exceeding his sales targets like you are? They only reason is the pay off from when the company was taken over, but that would be very shortsighted of them in my opinion.

 

I'm not sure when your year end would be (end of January I'm guessing from what you say) so even if they sacked you now they can't backdate it to last year's accounts so it shouldn't affect any bonus for that year. Anyway, gross misconduct would have to be something fairly serious and not something they could just dream up.

 

Perhaps you could use this time to look around for another job? It might make you feel better in yourself to be applying elsewhere, especially if you feel that your face doesnt fit anymore where you are.

 

Good salesmen are actually quite hard to come by. Not many companies would discard a good one, even for the sake of a one-off payment.

[rockyroad]

I know what you are saying regarding not losing a salesman who has over achieved consistently and I tell myself that from time to time, but it's plainly obvious now.

 

The main issue was when the MD was still around, and he was pretty much a barrier between me and the parent company, destroying any relationship I may have had with them. Now he is no longer there opinions are already formed and there is no changing it. I dont get on with the directors there and I now have panic attacks when they come up which makes me look even worse.

 

The simple fact is, we dont get on, and now I am feeling ill with it all I dont feel able to rectify the situation.

 

The parent company are extremely corporate, and I dont really operate the same way. They sell differently to us with entirely different products/solutions but within the same type market. The customers I have are more SME who like the personal approach rather than the big business board room approach. Either way could be better or worse, but they are very different.

 

Its clear its their way or the high way.

 

Thanks for your input on the bonus issue - that has really been worrying me. The year end was January. If I did get that bonus I would be comfortable enough to leave and have enough to pay the bills for a few months whle looking for something else. I just worry because of the type of company they are.