Is my boss stitching me up?

[muppetmummy]

I currently work 21 hours a week in a supermarket as a checkout supervisor. My shifts range in length from 7-10 hours and during that time I'm on my feet constantly running backwards and forwards carrying large amounts of money across the shop floor, and bending across checkouts. My job is also quite stressful because I have to deal with complaints from angry customers, and sort things out when they go wrong, which they often do as the store is so badly run.

I'm currently 13 weeks pregnant and I'm starting to find it exhausting doing my job and finding my hormones are making me want to cry when I get people moaning at me (I have already burst into tears on occasions!)

I went to the HR manager this morning to tell her that I'm finding it very tiring supervising due to being on my feet, and asked if I could work on checkouts instead as it's less tiring and stressful.
She said I could but I would have to write a letter saying I'm standing down as supervisor, and would have to accept a checkout assistants wage which is about 50p less an hour. She said that it wouldn't affect my maternity benefits.

Is this right? I thought they would move me onto checkouts, but I would stay as a supervisor in title and stay on the same wage.

I think that other pregnant supervisors have agreed to this, but it is a company full of yes people who do not dare to question anything so maybe they are all being misled.

No one at work has mentioned a risk assesment so I'm gonna request one because I know it covers sitting or standing for long periods of time.

One other thing, recently the store has changed it's opening hours and because I told them I can't stay late and close up the shop like I usually do I'm a bit of a spare part at the moment. Another supervisor told me today that I'm not any use as a supervisor anymore because I can't cover any of the shifts that I used to, and they can't employ another supervisor who can work the later hours until I stand down!

Are they just trying to get rid of me?

For the past couple weeks I've been put on checkouts quite a bit cos they are finding it hard to find me supervisor shifts to cover and don't know what to do with me?

What should I do? Any advice appreciated, and sorry this is so long!

 

[tuck]

Personally I would have thought that downgrading you because of your pregnancy is discriminatory. and a cut in your wages will affect your maternity pay .

try this website it also has some contact numbers etc for further advice and insist on the risk assessment, your employers should have done it by law
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10026556

 

[tots hope]

I would be checking out that website provided by Tuck - there are a couple of phone numbers on there so maybe give them a call. I don't think they can cut your wages, i have had to change jobs now i am pregnant and my wages certainly haven't been changed.

Don't agree to anything until you have checked this out because it would make you worse off each week financially. Good luck

 

[leckershell]

Argh I hate when companies take the p*ss.

Get them to do a risk assessment. It will no doubt flag up that you shouldn't be standing up for so long or dealing with stressful situations.

http://www.usdaw.org.uk/equality/resour ... let342.pdf (risk assessment example by USDAW)

Then they'll have to change your job or the parts of your job that are "risky" according to the risk assessment if they are reasonably able to do so. Which they are by putting you on as a checkout operator.

They can't drop your pay because the job you'll be doing is different, because it's only going to be different to comply with the risk assessment.

I would suggest that they need a shift supervisor to cover the hours you can't cover, and because they want you to stand down, it's their easy way of getting someone new in.

At the end of the day, yours and your baby's health is paramount and they can't discriminate against you for that reason. Would they do the same to someone who suffered a disability? (I'm not saying pregnancy is a disability... you know what I mean).

Don't let them screw you over. Get in touch with a union rep if you have one, if not USDAW cover shop workers so just give them a call for advice even if you aren't a member. Check out that other link too that has already been posted.

Hope you get it sorted.
michelle x

 

[heles7]

what everybody else has said...

they can't make you stand down and they are obliged to give you a risk assessment and change reduce or remove any elements of you job which put you at risk.

I hate it too when employers pull this kind of stunt especially when its through a face to face conversation because i get so tongue tied. I almost always find the best thing to do is put down what you need to say in writing. That way you can spell out what you know your rights to be and what you expect to happen. It's harder for an employer to screw you over when there is evidence in writing of any request that you make.

 

[muppetmummy]

Thanks for the advice ladies, I'll be checking out that website and will definately ask for a risk assessment

 

[NIE]

That is terrible. They can't get away with treating you like this. My work did a risk assessment without me even asking about it. All employers should know that discrimination against pregnant woment is not on.

Let us know how you get on, and ask your union rep if you have one. xxx

 

[muppetmummy]

One other thing. My boss metioned that if I do not return to work after maternity leave I will have to pay back my smp.
This is rubbish too isn't it as they claim it off the government? Or are they just referring to the 6 weeks at 90%?
I didn't return to work after having James and that employer didn't ask for anything back

 

[Rosebay]

Yeah it is rubbish I think. I work at Bristol Uni and as they are kind of public sector I got a really good maternity deal when I had Mel but if I didn't go back for 12 weeks after my leave was up I had to pay back the extra (above SMP) that the Uni had stumped up if you see what I mean? I did go back but only for 4 hours a week rather than 36! So I'm 90% sure that's rubbish and that all they could claim back would be anything over and above SMP that they pay you. It's worth checking out though.

+++

aha- just checked the DWP page and here it is:-

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is a weekly payment made by employers to their employees or former employees. Employers pay SMP to those women who have been employed by them prior to becoming pregnant. Qualifying women are entitled to SMP whether or not they intend to return to work for that employer.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/ni17a/smp/

 

[muppetmummy]

I used to work for a university (in the marketing dept) and I loved it there. Was treated so well.

Currently work for Somerfield and they are shockingly bad I can't trust a word they say, they take advantage of the kids who work there and bully them into working long hours when they're still at school
I've never known a company treat people so horribly before, it's all about the profits. They don't even treat there customers right, they overcharge them and the food is all mouldy cos it's left out of the chillers too long. I hate them sooooooooo much!
Got to be at work at 730am tomorrow morning too

 

[Urchin]

Is this right?

Nonononononononono.


NO!!!


Tell them to get their facts straight and do you a risk assesment, if you are long hours on your feet, lifting and bending etc, it's a FACT they will HAVE TO adjust your job role.
A pay cut is soooooo the wrong way for them to go right now, they need to be alot more careful that that!

 

[libs]

14 years ago when I was pregnant I worked in sales. Our slaes dept was in 1 building and our admin in a building across the road. There was no air conditioning or windows that opened in our building, just nice big windows that had a greenhouse effect I kept fainting - at least once a day.

Eventually they had to move me to the other building and let me work in admin - I had to work to convince them to look into my pay as they tried to lower it to admin rates, but when they looked into it they had to pay me my full wage AND my average commission each month as the move was due to them being unable to provide me with a safe working environment whilst pregnant - so stick to your guns and get advice