My boss hired two of us for the same job and then fired me. Is this ethical?

Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on the workplace, career and leadership in her advice column “Got a Minute?” This week: two people hired for the same role, how transparent you should be with your employer when searching for a new job, and a disjointed PhD experience.

I was hired for a senior role in a well-known company. After I joined, I realised they recruited another person for the same position; she started a month later. Our team leader then announced only one person would be chosen to take over the position. While there I faced constant criticism, an overload of work and isolation. While lost and confused, I kept silent so I didn’t rock the boat. They terminated my employment within my probation period and replaced me with a junior. Is this ethical to hire two people for the same position and promote unnecessary conflicts and competition?

Run as fast as you can. While it was a brutal way to find out, you have dodged a bullet by getting out of there. No, I don’t think it is ethical to hire two people for the same position and put them through a Hunger Games scenario without telling them beforehand. The whole thing seems very bizarre. I always remind myself that in most cases, organisations aren’t smart enough to go into something like this with a clear plan in mind. It is much more common there is an incompetent manager somewhere along the line who simply stuffed up. Either way, this sounds like an awful experience for you, and I am just glad you are now free to find an employer who will treat you with more respect.

I have a great relationship with my manager, and we’ve worked together well for over a decade. However, the work has changed, and I’m doing much less of what I love. I have applied for other jobs to see what happens. I don’t plan to let my manager know I’m actively looking, but also, if she matched what I was offered, I’d be happy to stay. How, when and what should I say to my manager?

I would not say anything until you are ready to leave. So when you are offered a new role that you are ready to accept, but before you formally accept, I would tell your manager. You should let her know you have been offered a great new role that is paying more than you are currently getting and plan to accept. If, and only if, she says something like “Is there anything I can do to get you to stay?” then you can open the door to negotiating your salary.

If there is only a small difference, she may be able to make it up, and you will need to decide if you want to stay. But be prepared that if there is a big gap, the chances are she won’t be able to match it and may simply say, “That is great news, and you should take the job”. That is when you can happily accept the new position, and move on.

My daughter is nearly 30. She achieved a first-class science degree and went straight to a PhD at the same university. The university decided to change the direction and made her supervisor redundant. Despite promises, the university has not found her a new supervisor, and she now realises she has to move on with her life without finishing her PhD. What does she say in her future job applications given she worked very hard at her PhD, even when she didn’t have a supervisor, but never finished it? What should she now do to improve her employability?