Forced to move to a different position during first week

Question

I recently left a Director level position to move to a Manager position at a large company. I moved my family and made the move for the role. The role was a Marketing role. Week 1 they tell me that I need to switch teams and take a new role which is an Operational role. I just signed a contract with one title and they are now moving me with out my consent to a new role that is a demotion of sorts, though my compensation will stay the same. It is because they need to fill an immediate hole. I don't know what to do because I moved my entire family here and now I am in a strange situation where I fell I need to take this new position. What should I do?

Answer 1

Will you be happy with the new role

This is the question you should ask first. If you don't believe you'll succeed or be happy in your new role, you have a much larger problem than a job title.

Here is what I would do

Decide if the new role fits you at all.

If it doesn't fit your skill-set you need to seriously consider staying at this job. Most states in the U.S. are at will, so I wouldn't hold out much hope of holding them to their contract (they can fire you on day one if they want to).

Before making any final decisions, I'd candidly ask my boss why the sudden move. I'd say something like

I've never done logistics, and I'm really wondering why I was moved so soon after I started. I just moved my family X number of miles for this job. This is really concerning to my family and me, and having a better understanding of the situation will put my mind at ease.

Then listen to the answer. If it sounds like the position will not work out, then I'd talk to an employment lawyer in your city. I say this because I'm assuming relocation assistance was involved.

If the new role isn't a fit you'll have to job search again (as in now), so you'll likely have to pay it back. Talk to a lawyer to see what your options are.