You have an email that says that? Print it and store it: you have permission. It's not clean, it's not pretty and it's not something that anybody wants seen by more professional eyes.

From what you've said here, you've followed the process, and you have the answer. How they handle the process on the other side of the fence is up to them. They did give you an answer.

If there is any conflict, your supervisor is the one that will be in trouble. He's actually not in a safe position, I would hope he has documentation of that message from the CEO (probably not, that's what separates them from regular weasels).

This is the kind of work I do in a union setting and I'm trained to work through the different processes that are in place (Human Rights, Grievance steps) . From what you've said here, you have won.

So, if you were a worker I was representing, I would revisit that line in your story where you mention the old supervisor. How long ago was that caution? Were you wearing a kilt then? How does that apply now?

The bottom line is you asked permission to do something and they gave it to you.

The piece of information we don't have is how safe do you feel with this. A lot of times I'm telling people that we will win years down the road but they need money now. That's the position you're in having followed the process and printed out the answer. I'm not able to look out at your world from behind your eyes.

The other advice I have to give the workers in a similar situation is that, having asked, you sort of have to follow through. You can't make them give you a cleaner answer, you've already got a yes. I know it's not the way you'd want it, it is a rude response. However, the ball is in your court now. They're not going to revisit the question. It's now a question of your credibility.