Really naffed off!

[Sunshine]

Just wanted a bit of a rant really - sorry if I go on a bit but I am about to blow my top!!! I am really hating my job at the moment. I have been here just over 12 months but have never been happy. I was looking for a new job until I found out I was pregnant, at which point I stopped because of benefits etc. Since I have been here I have had a fair bit of time off through illness (I have suffered from depression which hasn't helped) and also to look after my 2 kids when they are ill (they seem to pick up everything around).

My job is basically Office Manager (in otherwords anything anyone else hasn't done) and Accounts Manager. I come from an accounts background and have no real management experience (which they knew when I started). Anyway - I have been called in for a few discussions regarding my work and committment over the last few months. Basically they think that because I have had so much time off that my job is sufferring. They say my accounts work is great but the office management is slipping. They have said they have considered getting in someone else as Office Manager and keeping me to do just the accounts related stuff. However it was last left that I should try to buck up my ideas and see how it goes.

I have just been checking my bosses emails (she's often out of the office and I have to check to see if she's missed anything important - I'm not being nosey - honest!) and have found 3 emails regarding "the vacancy for Office Manager". Hmmmm - this is news to me. On top of that I have also answered the phone twice since then asking for more information about the vacancy!

I phoned my boss who told me rather huffily that it was because they can't rely on me because I am off work so often and it is also to cover aspects of someone else's job who has just been sacked.

They have not told me they were doing this and whilst I don't mind not having to do what I consider to be the crappy part of my job (especially as I would like to come back part-time after my baby is born - there's no way I could face full time) it would have been nice to have been told about it rather than finding out about it like this. Also they have not mentioned anything about whether it will affect my salary - which is a bit worrying, things are tight enough for me anyway - there is no way I can afford a pay cut.

I really feel like packing my things and going home. I hate the job anyway and wish I had never come here in the first place. I have no respect or trust in my employers, I do not like the way they do business and I do not like them as people. However I simply cannot afford to give up my job and maternity benefits - if I was not pregnant I would have walked out by now.

How am I going to get through the next 5 months? Do I really have to keep coming back to this place. There is no one here I can talk to (except the cleaner!). I work totally with blokes (except one of the bosses - the woman I was talking to today - who is never here anyway) and am going mad.

Sorry for the rant - I just had to get it off my chest.

 

[Sunshine]

Well things have progressed slightly since my last rant. Yesterday I was called into a meeting with my boss. He basically spent half an hour telling me that the company is having problems (which I already knew) and then turned round and blamed a lot of it on me! He kept saying that because he has had to ask me twice on a couple of occassions to do something that I am wasting time and causing delays. He kept repeating himself with his examples so I turned round and said " you don't have to repeat yourself - I got the message first time, surely this is just wasting time!"

Oh Dear Me - he did not like that and stood up and walked out of the room rather huffily. Next time I saw him he came back into the office I share with him and asked me what work I had to do that afternoon. I told him and he said - right I'll sort that out - I want you to go home, take a half day off - paid. I asked why I was being given a half day off and he said " because I don't want to be in the same room as you, I don't need this s**t!" So I packed up and went home.

The company treats its staff like dirt. There have been several times when we have been paid up to 2 weeks late. I have been asked to lie on the phone and manipulate figures. I just hate working here. For the last 3 weeks my boss has only spoken to me with regard to work and then only when I have asked him a question. It is a horrible atmosphere, but I have no choice.

I had to come back to work this morning, at which point, upon the advice of ACAS I gave him a written grievance notice. I could not even get the Dr to sign me off as I don't get paid if I'm off sick. I am not going to let them get away with this. They have definitely been a lot worse with me since they found out I was pregnant and I feel that I am being pushed out. I refuse to hand in my notice - much as I would like to. I guess I just have to lump it (unless they go so far as to sack me).

I really don't need this kind of hassle at the moment, but it does seem that all too often employers treat their pregnant employees really badly. I am not going to let him get away with it - I will fight it all the way.

Sorry for another rant, but its really getting me down.

 

[beanie]

Hi hon,

I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing all this c**p. you shouldn't have to go through it. Good on you for wanting to fight back, and for not letting them get away with it. Am sending you a massive HUG in support and hope you keep your chin up.xxxxx

 

[Sunshine]

Thanks Beanie

It just helps knowing that I have some support here.

 

[tracyM]

Good luck and stay strong.

My ex-employers were / still are a bunch of w***ers. I worked through every lunch hour, covered two other positions as well as my own as they couldn't find staff at the rates they were paying, was available at home every evening in case any technical stuff went wrong, and got paid barely above minimum wage. I left when they refused my pay rise request. They still haven't found anyone, and I now work for them from home, self employed, at my rates whilst building up a competing business - I'll get round to poaching clients one day .

What goes around comes around, and if your employers can't treat their staff fairly, they're heading for even bigger problems than they've got now.

Tracy xx

 

[bobtheunfortunateone]

Are you planning to go back to work after the birth of your baby?
Because if not then pull the it's because I'm Pregnant card out! if I was you and was planning to go back after the birth then I would say I would be going back, but look for a job while I'm off! Then tell them I have changed my mind about going back and tell my new employer that I am leaving my last job because of how they treated you while pregnant! It is easier to get a job while in a job! Plus the fact that you may get a bad refference from your last job you have already metioned that they treated you bad!

Confused! Good luck! xxx You must look after your self now! you have a baby that can pick up on the stress in your life! Some bosses are tossers, I thank my lucky stars for mine!

 

[Sunshine]

Thanks for the advice girls.

I am planning to return to work part-time after the baby is born and hopefully do some after-school childminding to top up the income! The last 3 weeks have actually been slightly better than I expected. I have just returned from a week off, that has helped and has cleared the air a bit between us. I did not want to come back though - Monday morning was a case of dragging myself back into the office.

Nothing has been said at all about my grievance letter. It is 3 weeks tomorrow since I wrote it and I gave them 4 weeks to respond. I need to find out from ACAS what I do if I get no response - it wouldn't surprise me if they just lkeft it and said nothing - surely that will go in my favour!

They appointed a new chap as the office manager 2 and 1/2 weeks ago. He's a lovely guy, but on Friday whilst I was on holiday they told him he was not what they were looking for (not a miracle worker in other words!) and they would be looking for someone to replace him!! I've since filled him in on a few things (I had kept quiet as I didn't want to scare the poor guy off!) and I now think that he realises he's better off out of it.

Anyway - I keep coming back and sitting at my desk. I am working well (well I think so) and have had a few compliments about things I have worked on. So at least I am keeping my side up. And I am not letting the situation get me down - it is all water off a ducks back now - in fact if they did sack me they would be doing me a favour - I am already registered with some temping agencies just in case and I am sure I could get some temporary jobs to keep me busy until January.

Sorry - I've gone on a bit again - I'll shut up now!

Sunshine

 

[Rosieroo]

I need to find out from ACAS what I do if I get no response

My employers did not respond to my grievance letter other than to say that they wouldn't hold a meeting with me until I returned to work and my doctor said I was no longer suffering from stress, which they couldn't do, and the tribunal wont look at them well for doing that.

Did you put in the letter that you were giving them 28 days to respond? If you resign because of their behaviour towards you then it's best to wait until the 28 days is up, state in your resignation letter you are resigning because of their behaviour towards you and their disregard for the statutory grievance procedure - you can then look at taking them to a tribunal for constructive dismissal.

 

[LouisecH]

That is awful. They could be in huge trouble for how they've treated you.
By the way, I think it's now illegal to give a bad reference, the least they can do is just confirm you worked there and the dates, so don't worry about that.
It is worth sitting tight for the benefits.
Hope it gets better for you!
Louise

 

[Sunshine]

Thanks for the info.

Rosieroo - is your case still outstanding? What point are you at now? I do hope you manage to sort something out.

I did put in my letter that they had 28 days to respond. That is up tomorrow. I got a letter handed to me at work today saying that they want to discuss the matter with me on the 26th September. Should they not have had the discussion with me within the 28 days?

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do now. I am still working for the company, I can't afford not to work. I am looking around to see if I can pick anything else up in my area, but its not easy when you are pregnant is it? I know how this meeting will go - they will just throw everything back at me - I know the way tyhey work, they are very good at fighting things. I just don't know what I can achieve from this all now. I haven't given up my job (even though I have desperately wanted to) so I can't go for constructive dismissal. I have not been sacked so I can't go for unfair dismissal. So what is it exactly that I am fighting for? I don't want them to get away with it but I don't really know where to turn next!!

Any ideas anyone?

Hope everyone is keeping well

Sunshine

 

[Rosieroo]

I haven't given up my job (even though I have desperately wanted to) so I can't go for constructive dismissal.

If you don't have a satisfactory response to your grievance in your meeting then you can appeal, if things still aren't sorted out then you can still leave and try for constructive dismissal. They are acting badly towards you because of your pregnancy, therefore they are discriminating against you. The fact that they've waited so long to respond to your grievance shows that they are not interested in keeping things stress free for you. They are also holding the meeting after the 28 day deadline for a response, so what have they been doing for the past few weeks?

Speak to ACAS and find out if they can hold the meeting after the 28 day deadline. It would also be worth speaking to the Citizens Advice Bureau for advice on what approach to take in the grievance hearing. I'd also recommend you see if you can get a free 30 minute consult with an Employment Law solicitor. That was the best thing I ever did.

At the moment I am waiting for my solicitor to send me through a Schedule of Loss which details how I have lost out financially because of my ex employers behaviour and what I will be claiming for (I.E I have lost out on wages, SMP etc). They are also writing up exact details of my claim for me to go through and confirm so they can send that onto the tribunal. It's a long process - I might have given birth before it even comes to the tribunal. But most companies settle before that point.
When my claim goes to the tribunal ACAS get involved and try to help settle things, if that doesn't work then it goes through to the tribunal.

I'd check out your home insurance policy to see if you have legal protection cover, as that would help pay for a solicitor. Because I had to give up my job and we've only got DH's wages, we qualify for legal aid. So all the running around of the solicitor is paid for by that - could be worth looking into.