I started to work at bank in role A four years ago. One year later I was moved to role B where I am described as a key contributor by my manager. Recently, a role C was created which is 20% similar to role A. Senior management wants me to move to this new role without any revision in salary. I do not want to move because I am quite successful in my current role and a failure in the new role would result in the bank missing out on a significant cost reduction. I am afraid this could also lead to my dismissal.


After expressing verbal disagreement to the management, I have contacted HR and they said that in Switzerland an employee cannot be forced to change roles. Then it was quiet for three weeks until now when the management e-mailed me that the transfer is going to happen soon.


How can I ensure that they either:
a) leave me in my current role as this is my preference and I am not really qualified for the new role,
b) revise my salary as the new role seems to have a lot more exposure / responsibilities than my current role?

c) refuse and be let go
d) accept new role and look for alternatives when still employed
e) apply for mgmt role of same person offering you a job as "job rotation" concept so you can learn from 'the best'
e) mix of any of above

Honestly - there is you and job you are doing. There is maybe an end to the "cost reduction" job you currently do and your manager see it coming, maybe you not as good as they think or they have more chalanges elswere and think you could help, finnaly maybe they believe they overpay you on current position or you not flexible enough to take on new responsibilities ...

so many things that me being manager would offer job to anyone I'd expect that person is asking : why me , what can I learn from it , what can I do and how can I controbute to overall goal of my team/company/goals and how do I increase my value to the company by taking that job (so asking what be salary when you good at it and how it be recognised).

you seem to have your opinon already

If I get this right does your story mean that you had the exact same role for three years. In a bank. You know thats the exception not the rule these days, right?

In all honesty: I would not try to fight the change. There are no labour laws protecting you here. You cant demand an instant pay rise either. How this typically works is that you accept the added responsibility, succeed and then ask for a raise. Given that its a bank: corporate titles. Ask if the new role is a platform for the next step. Thats a way to bring up the added responsibilities without looking like you are trying to avoid them... and makes clear that you are expecting a raise in the mid term.

A Swiss employer can impose a change to an employees role.

If the change cannot be mutually agreed, the employer has the right to confirm the role change in writing, respecting the notice entitlement.

If the employee refuses the change, their employment ends at the end of the notice period. And, the ending of employment is treated as employee initiated.

In practice, it makes far more sense to agree a change.

Regarding salary, OP could ask their employer to help them understand their assessment of the grade / level / job size of each role and their position in the pay range.

That depends on exact circumstances. It could be employee initiated, it might not be. If it comes to that, spend a couple of hundred francs seeking legal advice. Or ask HR - they don't actually care as it makes no difference to the company, hence they might actually give you useful information.

This is unlikely to happen straight away, but it looks like a good area to negotiate a promotion and/or good bonus if you succeed.

Kick it off with something along the lines of "thank you for the chance to take on this challenge, let's discuss what this means for my career / salary / bonus for this year when I succeed".

You were hired to do role A. You didn't really like it and took the chance when you got it to move to role B. You like role B and don't want to move to role C.

So what is happening to role B, are they hiring someone else to replace you? Is this constructive dismissal in effect. How different are role B vs role C.

Do you have evidence [in writing] that you did role B well. Will anybody stand behind you in a court of law to say you did a good job. Can they simply claim role B is disappearing and they're doing you a favour by offering you role C.

A colleague in the last place I worked took the company to court because she claimed the poor management resulted in breakdown/burnout they as call it here.

The case took years to resolve, 3 to 5 years I kids you not. She won a financial payout in the end, I don't know how much, it was surely a 5 figure sum, but not 6 I suspect. But it must have been a s**tload of stress too.

It isn^t a good time to be looking for a new job. I have a good deal of experience in this area having spend the last 2 years doing so, losing my job 3 months before covid-19 surfaced.

My experience working for banks is that they pay well and expect a lot from their people.

Take role C and run with it. Look for another job if it really isn't you. Don't try and argue with management who will all stand behind each other and don't waist your time with HR who also answer to management and will do whatever they tell them to do, including making up a list of reasons to get rid of you.