As to not drip feed, I will point out some salient points.
I volunteer ( so do not have employment rights about discrimination)
I have \mental health problems ( now much improved and I no longer see a psychiatrist and have been tapered of anti deps, I occasionally see a cpn with a view to be cut of from services completely in the near future
and most importantly - I do not do drugs, not even alcohol or legal highs etc.
5 years ago I started to volunteer for this organization that helps drug addicts, as I enjoyed it so much, I stayed for for more longer that what I was planned to, plus in 2012 I won volunteer of the year. I got on well with everyone including my line manager that really boosted my self esteem and trusted me with a lot.
He left and a new manager took over, she was always quite aloof with me and I assumed that was just her personality and did not take it to heart.
over the past few months she reckons that she has had complaints about me and that she herself as saw me look like I am on drugs.
she reckons that she saw me being half asleep/drowsy/out of it/slurring my words/ unsteady on feet etc. and that I was to leave the building and am not allowed back on site.
I was gobsmacked by this and said that there has to be some mistake and told her that I would take drugs/booze test and see any of the medics that we have on site( we have testing facilties and so forth on site) I told her that I simply do not take any drugs, and I was not happy with this implication that I do take drugs and that I wanted my name cleared. I even got one of the workers to test my urine which came back clear from everything, she is a nurse and she signed it, so I had proof that I could not have been under the influence of drugs on the date where the manger claimed to see me being under the influence.
she then switched tactic to my history of mental health. When I started 5 years ago, I was at uni and was taking anti deps, sleeping tablet, etc and saw my mental health team once a month. since then I have been weaned off my meds and no longer see a psychiatrist. I told her that I would be happy to get a note from my GP to confirm that I am well enough to work.
she told me that she wanted to discuss my future with this organisation on a certain date, I found out from a colleague who is also a friend that she told my work mates, not to contact me and to not invite me to a particular work nights out. He also said that she was going to finish me as a volunteer and give me a thanks for your service but you are no longer required here type of meeting and if advised me that it would be better if I resigned, so on the morning of the meeting Informed HR that I was resigning and the official letter is in the post.
At the meeting she basically said that she has too many complaints from people including service users, members of staff and others that the girl ( meaning me) looks like she is on drugs, I explained AGAIN that I do not do drugs, she then switched to mental health and said that I obviously did not have the insight to recognise that my psychiatric meds were causing me to present in a way that caused others to think I am on drugs.
I am now paranoid and embarrassed. I don't take any medication with the exception of sleeping pills for when I really cant sleep. I am reluctant to volunteer for any other place or carry on looking for work as I don't want people to think that I am either on drugs or am a mantel patient.
I am pretty chilled and talkative to the right people, so I don't know why people would say im on drugs.
I have listened to my voice and watched my pupils on vids etc and I appear normal, I take pride in my appearance and do not behave wacky or overly shy.
The manager has no reason to dislike me or to fire me. I have worked hard including working in weekends/evenings on projects and I was made to feel awful. I had to be escorted out the buildings. when I asked about references she said that companies were not allowed to give bad references, so she would not do that to me. she said that HG give out standard references in those situations. I am annoyed because it feels like a real kick in the teeth, because I wanted to work within that field, because I enjoyed it.
I honestly don't know how to approach this.
AIBU?
to be fuming after being fired because I look like a junkie ( apparently)
cottycandystick · 20/02/2014 16:18
It sounds like this woman is a bully. It sounds like she has taken a dislike to you for reasons that are definitely not her fault and I would say the problem is almost certainly on her. It sounds like you were very well liked and successful as a volunteer within the organization, could she have been jealous of that? It sounds like she has a very poor understanding of both drug-use and mental-health needs and that she is judgemental about both of these things, I cannot think she will make a very good management.
Unfortunately as you were a volunteer and not employed by the organization I don't know whether there is anything you can do, they are probably within their rights to ask you to leave even if it is unfairly. I would try to focus on the positives, it sounds like you have made huge progress in terms of your mental-health (congratulations, I know it is not easy) and are in a good place right now. You also have five years experience in the area you want to work in. You know you can't be given a bad reference so perhaps now is the time to look for another organization you can volunteer at to broaden your experience or, even better, to look for paid work in a similar area? If you know where your old line manager has moved to perhaps you could even ask him to write your reference as he knew you longer anyway.
I know it is hard but please try not to let this set you back and I don't think you should feel paranoid or embarrassed about your behaviour, if your behaviour really was erratic or like somebody on drugs no doubt somebody would have picked up on it previously. It doesn't sound like your old line-manager ever had to manage complaints about you so it seems unlikely suddenly when this new manager took over there would be a wealth of complaints, it sounds more like she is making it up. She sounds like a bully and, unfortunately, being a volunteer and not an employee she probably saw you as an easy target because you wouldn't have the same employment rights. I think this was very bad luck on your part but unlikely to be because of anything you did wrong. I'm very sorry you had to go through this with somebody so awful and I wish you good luck in finding work in the field because you deserve a job you love and which you are good at. 
Poor you :(
Please don't feel paranoid, but if you can't shake the feeling, then ask a few people who might be honest, like the mh team? Sometimes its good to get clarification off other people, especially as its something so undermining.
But basically, what a bitch. I'd agree with others that it sounds like a 'out with the old established people' as a way of making her mark. It's so so hard not to take things like this personally, as she's made it personal by her actions, but try to keep in mind that it's not about you, it's about her.
Hi. Sorry you've been treated so badly. If I were you I would contact your old line manager and ask them if you can use them as a referee on voluntary/job applications.
They will probably give a standard reference from HR confirming dates you worked there etc but you could easily explain that your old manager knows your work better.
If you were an employee I would take her to a tribunal but, as a volunteer, I would move on to something better than the stress of being around such a cowbag.
You sound very proactive and dedicated and I'm sure you'll do brilliantly at whatever you move on to.
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