Long story and will try to keep it short(ish).
A few years ago, I had a fairly traumatic personal loss. I developed depression. I had a few days off work in the first year after, but found staying in routine helpful. I had counselling and CBT and I great GP. Boss initially supportive. However, after a year, I was more depressed and had a couple of weeks off work. I was referred to Occ Health, who recommended a few things, including allowing me to attend CBT appointments. Also said my depression now amounted to a disability under the Equality Act. After this report, boss said he'd been patient for a year but enough was enough.
For the previous year, I'd attended appointments during work hours (45mins per week) and made up the time outside 'core' hours. My boss decided that this could only continue if I took a reduced contract. My union said no, as I would still be more than fulfilling my contracted hours and also they said it was a reasonable adjustment.
After a very horrible meeting with boss and union rep, it became clear my boss just wanted rid of me. I loved my job and had been there for over a decade. Boss was new and 'asserting his authority'. I could not see how the situation could be sorted and rep suggested resigning and claiming constructive dismissal. Instead, I tried to kill myself and was off work for three months. During this time, my boss would not budge his position much. I went back to work in a horrible atmosphere, as my boss had told his team lies about me. The majority of other colleagues were very supportive.
Boss continued to make life difficult. I raised a grievance. It was ignored. I couldn't apply for other jobs due to attendance. Eventually, I had no option but to raise a tribunal claim for discrimination and victimisation.
Things got worse in the run up to the tribunal. I got through it with the support of my lovely colleagues, but my boss and his cronies tried everything to make life impossible. I had to raise another grievance, which was carried out by someone very senior to my boss. He found most of my complaints to have merit and made recommendations to my boss. My boss has not carried any of them out.
The tribunal was very very hard. Lots of lies told by my boss, and even more poor behaviour exposed through documents they'd tried to hide. Plus, they attacked my sanity/ truthfulness. My barrister said it went well for us, but it didn't FEEL like it did. It felt like they tried to destroy me and partly succeeded. I was in a state afterwards and my GP signed me off again. We still have no decision from the tribunal and it's so hard to see a way forward.
I have done nothing wrong. My boss has. I want to go back and be able to do my job. I suppose what I want to know is how my boss will be advised to behave towards me when I go back...is he likely to just carry on where he left off?
I still won't be able to get another job due to my attendance, so it's work there or work nowhere nowhere, and I can't afford not to have a job.
I just want life back to normal for me, dh and dd. I don't know how it will happen.
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Back to work after taking employer to tribunal
15 replies
neverknowinglynormal · 30/10/2016 19:08
OP posts:
MummyGem31 ·
30/10/2016 19:29
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