I've not been around much these past few days. The sh*t has hit the fan at work after 4 plus happy years. Its causing me no end of worry and sleepless nights but as of today I am trying to resolve myself to finally deciding on a course of action and then letting it all go.
Short version - I am a nanny and trying to do the decent thing I gave the family my maternity leave request (start date was flexible and well within the legal time frame). I also put in a request for 2 weeks annual leave prior to the start date and a fuel bill for the past 2 months as I am doing a lot more driving now. Until then I had only ever billed £200 a year. This time it was £150 for 2 months. The £200 was a gross undercharge on my part but I'll get to that later if anyone is interested
So, after getting this request and bill my boss asked for a meeting with me and for my hubby to come along also. I presently do 24 a week. Bottom line as she told it to me was 'I can cut your hours to 11 a week from Monday and theres not a thing you can do about it'. O isn't there
The reasoning? She had not expected me to take the full maternity leave (even though its my legal right and should not matter), the fuel was a shock and the annual leave wasn't really on as I had had extra weeks off already. She explained she could not longer afford or justify my hours, nor the fuel and needed to do something. And that when she hires someone to cover my leave she is only looking at them doing 11 hours.
Anyways, it pretty much comes down to seeing if I have a case for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal or even sexual discrimination. I do have rights and as a pregnant woman who had put in her maternity leave request, for an employer to suddenly cut hours for those reasons is not really on. It also affects my maternity pay the first 6 weeks and surely having put that request in, its not right to alter what I am entitled to.
And if my hours are cut, it means she pays less maternity leave for me as I understand it. Even though she can then claim lots of it back. It just sucks.
Had things been put to my differently, had suggestions for reducing my hours upon my return been tabled, had the annual leave not become this petty 'I've had to count everything from the past 4 years' and 'its all been about give and take on both sides, thats why this has worked so long' etc, I'd have been looking at this very differently. But to have it landed on me that my hours are to be cut, but to not actually have it confirmed (either verbally or written) as to how and when etc, more threatened unless I can come back with suggestions as to cuts etc, how the hell am I supposed to treat it?!
To explain about the holidays, I get 5 weeks a year. Of which only 2 are taken in the school holidays and only when the family go on their summer holiday. The rest of the weeks I was told to take in term time only. Any extra holidays the family took and therefore didn't require me to work while they were away was, I was told by my employer, for her to worry about and at her own expense. I should not worry about it. Its also worth mentioning that on many occasions in the past 4 years I've never used up the annual leave in term time and allowed it to be given when they go away. Not that its always been convenient to me but I felt it was a decent thing to do. I also stay late often, am flexible so as to enable them to do their jobs and they in return have always been decent and flexible also. It was never a problem for me, even when it was an inconveniece. I simply felt it worked both ways and why worry.
I also stupidly never charged them properly for fuel since I started. Its my own car and they have only paid me £200 a year. In fact if I add it up, its probably cost me in the region of £1500-2000 loss on fuel from my own pocket. Give and take as my boss kept saying on Thursday.
Yet here I am, facing possible redundancy or handing in my notice. And either way, facing industrial action against them. Such a shame I as adore the kids, love working for them and was happy and wished to return after my leave, even happy to have considered dropping hours then. But now, while I still adore the kids, I know I cannot continue there. Its all tainted either way. And I refuse to just accept it, roll over and agree to lose potentially 13 hours a week in wages (and maternity pay in those early weeks) when this has only become an issue since I gave them notice of my leave etc.
Umm anyways, rant over. If anyone can offer advice on the whole legal mess I am facing it'd be appreciated. I plan to seek proper legal advice later this week and have been in touch with CAB and other agencies so far who have advised me what to do atm, but argh I have to go into work tomorrow and I so don't want to.
Short version - I am a nanny and trying to do the decent thing I gave the family my maternity leave request (start date was flexible and well within the legal time frame). I also put in a request for 2 weeks annual leave prior to the start date and a fuel bill for the past 2 months as I am doing a lot more driving now. Until then I had only ever billed £200 a year. This time it was £150 for 2 months. The £200 was a gross undercharge on my part but I'll get to that later if anyone is interested
So, after getting this request and bill my boss asked for a meeting with me and for my hubby to come along also. I presently do 24 a week. Bottom line as she told it to me was 'I can cut your hours to 11 a week from Monday and theres not a thing you can do about it'. O isn't there
The reasoning? She had not expected me to take the full maternity leave (even though its my legal right and should not matter), the fuel was a shock and the annual leave wasn't really on as I had had extra weeks off already. She explained she could not longer afford or justify my hours, nor the fuel and needed to do something. And that when she hires someone to cover my leave she is only looking at them doing 11 hours.
Anyways, it pretty much comes down to seeing if I have a case for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal or even sexual discrimination. I do have rights and as a pregnant woman who had put in her maternity leave request, for an employer to suddenly cut hours for those reasons is not really on. It also affects my maternity pay the first 6 weeks and surely having put that request in, its not right to alter what I am entitled to.
And if my hours are cut, it means she pays less maternity leave for me as I understand it. Even though she can then claim lots of it back. It just sucks.
Had things been put to my differently, had suggestions for reducing my hours upon my return been tabled, had the annual leave not become this petty 'I've had to count everything from the past 4 years' and 'its all been about give and take on both sides, thats why this has worked so long' etc, I'd have been looking at this very differently. But to have it landed on me that my hours are to be cut, but to not actually have it confirmed (either verbally or written) as to how and when etc, more threatened unless I can come back with suggestions as to cuts etc, how the hell am I supposed to treat it?!
To explain about the holidays, I get 5 weeks a year. Of which only 2 are taken in the school holidays and only when the family go on their summer holiday. The rest of the weeks I was told to take in term time only. Any extra holidays the family took and therefore didn't require me to work while they were away was, I was told by my employer, for her to worry about and at her own expense. I should not worry about it. Its also worth mentioning that on many occasions in the past 4 years I've never used up the annual leave in term time and allowed it to be given when they go away. Not that its always been convenient to me but I felt it was a decent thing to do. I also stay late often, am flexible so as to enable them to do their jobs and they in return have always been decent and flexible also. It was never a problem for me, even when it was an inconveniece. I simply felt it worked both ways and why worry.
I also stupidly never charged them properly for fuel since I started. Its my own car and they have only paid me £200 a year. In fact if I add it up, its probably cost me in the region of £1500-2000 loss on fuel from my own pocket. Give and take as my boss kept saying on Thursday.
Yet here I am, facing possible redundancy or handing in my notice. And either way, facing industrial action against them. Such a shame I as adore the kids, love working for them and was happy and wished to return after my leave, even happy to have considered dropping hours then. But now, while I still adore the kids, I know I cannot continue there. Its all tainted either way. And I refuse to just accept it, roll over and agree to lose potentially 13 hours a week in wages (and maternity pay in those early weeks) when this has only become an issue since I gave them notice of my leave etc.
Umm anyways, rant over. If anyone can offer advice on the whole legal mess I am facing it'd be appreciated. I plan to seek proper legal advice later this week and have been in touch with CAB and other agencies so far who have advised me what to do atm, but argh I have to go into work tomorrow and I so don't want to.
