Employer making life VERY difficult.

[Titslikepicassos]

Supposed to be returning from MAT leave in June, have childcare arranged and as a key worker they will still take my baby - excellent.

Had a team meeting with work this week to discuss going back and have been told that I have to relocate as my partner works on the same site as me - which has been known since I informed them we were in a relationship, however the policy changed in October (before I went on MAT leave). While we are on the same site, our jobs are separate and we are working in different buildings, have different managers and different hours. The different hours means I will need to do drop offs and pick ups to coincide with opening and closing hours.

So during the middle of a pandemic, with child care mostly closed I now have to find a new nursery, lose a significant term time deposit and start the settling in process all over again. Not only that, they have told me to find my own employment within the company - my head is exploding with all of this. AIBU to think this is an unnecessary ball ache!

I appreciate that this is a minor problem given the amount of people losing jobs!

I’ve asked for it in writing - expect it will take a while to send with some careful wording. HR have been very kind and helpful once they got the full picture.

They’ve just said they want to speak to both of us via teams, I asked again for email due to shouty baby and home schooling the big ones

Will discuss confidentially issues with them

What a bitch your manager is.

How does she actually have the power to move you, without consulting HR?

My manager does not have the power to move me.

I don't think I would be comfortable speaking to them about 'us'. Keep it to you are speaking about your employment and if they want to contact another employee - your DP - they should do that separately.

HR have been very kind and helpful once they got the full picture.

Did you hear a tiny gasp once you finished telling your side of the story?

Everything in writing tits.

Still waiting for the update...

But they’re trying to schedule another meeting to sort out my hours for my return - suggests I’m staying where I am.

My boss and their boss think they run our region and need no input, but my boss definitely pulls the strings - quite disgusting to watch. Regardless of what happens, I’m starting a grievance

Good to hear.

Good to hear.

I can only imagine how stressful this is for you.

Wonder if I can claim the last two days as KIT days 😩

Surely you should be returning to the same hours because that is what you are legally entitled to...

Feel free to message me if you like, I put in a 5 page grievance against an employer last year and it include breaching confidentiality. I may be able to help out a little

Glad they have finally got a bit more involved to resolve this.

Have you made a request to change your hours? Otherwise why are they looking to review those?

One area of the grievance you need to consider is what is your desired resolution/outcome? Make sure you are clear on what you want to get out of it if going down that route. Particularly if it is confirmed both you and your partner are staying in your roles and your hours aren't an issue.

I didn’t have proper hours when I left @RandomMess - another reason for my grievance, my boss tried to move me then, because I couldn’t work the unsociable hours she wanted me to but my acting relief could. Boss has also changed our shift pattern without changing our contracts so potentially another load of shit!

Thanks @Dotty1219 will message you shortly - glad to hear yours was 5 pages long, I’m on page 3...

Wonder if I can claim the last two days as KIT days

I seriously don’t see why not, especially given the current situation where most people are working remotely, if at all.

@FizzPopping - I’d hope they’d be disciplined or re-trained or something! My hours aren’t sorted so will need to address that

Just to add when I went on maternity leave, my boss and I agreed my hours and shift pattern but it’s not in writing (other than notes in my diary)

Also do you have proof that they spoke to your partner. I'm sure you can officially report that as a gdpr breach to the ico.

@tits isn't it crazy that your manager thought that she could move you.

In my job, we have sites around the country. My manager does not have any power whatsoever to move me. Definity raise a grievance

Well those shifts you were working should still stand.

How long did you work them for?

Regularly worked hours/shift patterns become contractual after a certain amount of time even if there is nothing in writing.

@dotty1219 - I do have proof they spoke to my partner. Regional manager and my manager have more or less admitted breaching GDPR in the minute notes from my meeting!

@Annamaria14 - my boss uses the regional manager as their puppet to get whatever they want - HR are bypassed regularly!

@RandomMess - they were awful shifts to be honest and I’ve sorted child care on the back of our verbal conversation. I’m sure they could be awkward about it but as they’ve changed everyone’s hours without HR knowing or a contract change...

@Titslikepicassos - I hope your HR meeting is fruitful, doing the meeting via Teams is good as you can record the meeting. Keep us posted.

Well HR have said we need to have a meeting at the end of the month to see if a risk assessment can be put in place for us to work at the same... seems more promising than it was but not sure why it needs to be so far away.

Arguing over the wording of the minutes - some trying to rewrite history by bosses boss

Need to finish grievance.

Presumably that means you are returning to your job and when you have you can have a risk meeting with them???

Why are they doing this on your mat leave???

I wouldn't put us past the manager to concoct duties to create risk that doesn't exist... if there isn't that means dp has to move not you as your right to your previous job protected in law...

Surely the default position is that you return to your exact same job, as that's what the law says? I would be pointing that out to HR.