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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my employer is being unfair

175 replies

nuggies · 21/03/2018 12:29

Last Friday I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle. Following a trip to A&E I am now on crutches and having to wear a moon boot. I can't drive and the doctor said I'm looking at a healing time of six weeks.

My job is office based but my particular role means I would usually be out and about carrying out appointments. I live 20 miles away from the office and there is no train station near me, or any buses that run to the city that I work in.

My husband works in the town next to our village and in this town is another branch of my company. Although it is not the same 'brand' as my company, and in fact their counterpart in the city I work in is a competitor, we are all owned by the same company and use the same systems.

If my husband was to take me to work every day, I would need to be dropped off 45 minutes - an hour before work starts in order for my husband to then drive back to his office and be on time for work. I finish work at 5.30pm and my husband finishes at 6pm (and 7pm on Thursdays), it is at least a half an hour drive between our two offices meaning I would have to wait an hour and a half between finishing work and being picked up.

I have explained all of the above to my regional director and have requested for the next six weeks I work out of the 'competitor' office in the same town as my husband (although because they are not in our city, they aren't even competitors to my office). I have been informed that they do not want me to do this because they don't want me working for the competition and they want me to be in my office as part of that team. I have asked if I can be set up and connected to my offices system from the other office and this is possible, but they don't want me to do it.

Now I am massively upset and feel my employers are being incredibly unreasonable. Not to mention the fact I will be spending time before and after closing hours in the office, alone and on crutches, is this not a health and safety risk? Thursdays for example, I will be in the office alone from 5.30 - 7.30pm.

My employers have offered no other solution and I am only entitled to SSP which is not enough for me to live in. It wouldnt even cover my half of the rent.

Help

OP posts:
ikeepaforkinmypurse · 21/03/2018 13:28

Is your office completely deserted and usually locked down at 5:30?
Genuine question, I've never worked in a place where people didn't stay late, and they was always a night guard taking over the receptionists, at least for the evenings.

Your employer is perfectly reasonable to refuse to have you work in a competitors office, even if they all belong to the same

Couldn't you change your hours? Work longer hours some days, take some holidays and have Thursdays and Fridays off for example?

Try carpooling websites, you might be very lucky in your area, they are usually very useful - especially if your husband can drop you off at a pick up point a few minutes from your home, it wouldn't take him that long.

PurplePirate · 21/03/2018 13:30

I was just about to suggest a carpooling website. Or a close friend or relative who could drive you (someone retired?) in exchange for petrol money.

WaxOnFeckOff · 21/03/2018 13:32

I can see both sides to this. OP are you in a union? If not, I wouldn't see an issue with speaking to HR directly. I know our office would not be happy having a lone person on the premises from a H&S perspective regardless of the injury element. I was once allowed to work at home as the location in the building would mean that I was alone in a windowless room with only one entry and exit point. There is a separate fire exit. They felt that it left me vulnerable as there wouldn't be anyone passing through if I was to have an accident or collapse (or even be attacked randomly) and unable to get to the phone.

I would play it from their perspective or potentially not having you available for work for 6 weeks rather than the loss of income to yourself. Could they give you a temporary secure laptop/mobile phone to enable home working?

flippyfloppyflower · 21/03/2018 13:32

Your situation is not covered by "Lone Working" H&S legislation or even their guidelines. Your employer would be entitled to ask you to leave the premises outwith your normal working times (as PP stated) so probably best not to go down that route.

As to the original question - maybe but unless it was their fault you broke your leg not really their problem. All that said they probably could do more to assist you in the circumstances.

Hope you feel better soon Flowers

WaxOnFeckOff · 21/03/2018 13:33

You aren't in the habit of falling off your chair or taking seizures or anything

Maybe not, but that doesn't mean it can't happen and the OP is more vulnerable to having an accident if her mobility is already compromised.

Quartz2208 · 21/03/2018 13:36

Data Protection rules I suspect would make it difficult to have you connect from one office to another when as you say although part of the same parent company is a different brand. I can totally see why that is not plausible.

Is it you who does not want to be there after 5:30 or the company

Skarossinkplunger · 21/03/2018 13:36

Two years ago I broke my ankle and was off work for 6 weeks. I couldn’t get to work and would not have been able to navigate the building. One of the days I was summonsed to give evidence in court as an expert witness and my company paid for a taxi. Apart from that I was off sick.

elfofftheshelf · 21/03/2018 13:37

If this were the company I work in, we would pay for the taxi to and from work.

LaurieMarlow · 21/03/2018 13:38

I totally get why they don't want you to work from a competitors office. That's a no brainer.

But if you could work from a different office then why can't you work from home?

You need to talk to HR, outline the entire situation and come up with a solution, whether that's car sharing/taxis/WFH/reduced hours. You're mentally capable of work, there's no reason why you should be out sick.

Zaphodsotherhead · 21/03/2018 13:39

Surely if you have a broken ankle then you aren't covered by insurance at work, because in the case of a fire you wouldn't be able to get yourself out of the building swiftly?

I am sure this was the reason given for someone at my place of work not being able to work despite being able to get in, and sit down for most of their shift.

Babyroobs · 21/03/2018 13:40

Just ring in sick, it's short term, lots of people have to manage on ssp for a few weeks, even months. It's not ideal but it's just life unfortunately.

flowery · 21/03/2018 13:40

Your employer is not being "unfair" not wanting you working at a competitor's office.

I think you have a number of different options:

-Go off sick completely
-Get taxis there and back, which depending on how much you earn, may or may not leave you with more money than SSP is
-Get your husband to drop you there and get a taxi back
-Wait elsewhere for your lift home rather than in the office if you are concerned about your safety
-Look into the various car pooling options
-A combination of the above

It seems unlikely you're going to be able to continue working as normal with no financial impact at all, however if you can use one or more of the above options, or other options, hopefully you should be able to achieve a scenario where you are financially not as impacted as you would be by just going on to SSP.

Cornettoninja · 21/03/2018 13:40

I think negotiating flexible working is a fair solution.

Because your dh dropping you off means longer days make that official working time (obviously don't make an issue of lone working) meaning you do four days instead of five?

I think you proposing working in a different location was fine but they're well within their rights to say no given it's not a true like for like branch.

troodiedoo · 21/03/2018 13:41

I don't think your employer is BU.

Hope you can find a workable solution though. Surely someone is going your way?

scurryfunge · 21/03/2018 13:42

Zap hood, doesn’t your place of work employ people with disabilities?

GnotherGnu · 21/03/2018 13:46

If there's a town near you and you work in a city, surely there's some sort of bus service between them, even if it's indirect? Can your husband take you to the bus stop?

Lichtie · 21/03/2018 13:46

My friend had a similar issue. He hired a car that was pedal free so he could get to work. Which foot is it... Could you drive an automatic.
Otherwise is there anyone in your office you could car share for a period?

Zaphodsotherhead · 21/03/2018 13:49

scurry No. We're a small local supermarket. Admittedly, one or two may have hidden disabilities, but no physical ones that affect mobility.

gigi556 · 21/03/2018 13:50

It sounds like you haven't gotten HR involved yet which I think you definitely need to do.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 21/03/2018 13:51

Yes consensed hours ie 5 days into 4 might work well. I can understand boss not wanting you in competitors’ office.

Aw12345 · 21/03/2018 13:52

The thing that makes me so cross... Why is SSP so low for someone who is hard working and just had an accident? Why are benefits so generous for some and then so tight for hard working people who need time off work to recover?

Anyway rant over!!

Good luck with it all!

scurryfunge · 21/03/2018 13:52

Ah, ok. Zaphod.

ValueAddedTits · 21/03/2018 13:53

Just sit in the car and wait

ValueAddedTits · 21/03/2018 13:54

You can get a taxi there. Or DH could leave the car at your office and walk.

Whyiseveryonesoangry · 21/03/2018 13:54

When my colleague was on crutches, I drove 15 minutes out of my way at each end of the day to pick her up and drop her home. No second thoughts about it. Is there no one you work with who would do similar for you?