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!

@Titslikepicassos I hope you're enjoying the last bits of maternity/hols. How are you getting on? So angry and upset to hear what you're being subjected to.

@Ringsender2 - I’ve had to extend into AML as the hours my line manager keeps trying to give me are unworkable.

She’s refusing me access to the rota, won’t talk me through the reasons why she needs to change my shift, and is being an arse quite frankly.

Nice to have more time with the baby but very anxious about where this grievance is going to land me. I’m thinking about applying for uni in September. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to continue working where I am.

Maybe now's a good time. What would the course be?

Oh*tits I’m glad you’re going the grievance angle. I know it’s a nightmare but keep documenting - are you forwarding all the emails to your private account in case you need it for a constructive dismissal claim? Bastards.

@Titslikepicassos - I know there are some deeper issues here, and not sure what your union stance is, but would you consider mediation?

Constructive dismissal is very very difficult, and what you want is the job you left before maternity leave.

Some unions are really against mediation - it does tend to depend on whether you sign away your legal rights, and technically speaking it wouldn't be considered mediation, but arbitration. But some unions favour mediation as it has a high success rate, as long as the mediator is actually impartial and agreed by both parties.

Just a thought.

@PrincessConsuelaVaginaHammock - I’m still researching my options, there are a couple of routes I could take with my work experience.

@timeisnotaline - I’ve downloaded all emails as pdf and saved them to a memory stick.

I keep second guessing myself and wondering if it’s me that is being unreasonable.

BASTARDS

They are bastards. Please remember that. Stay a bit angry so you can fight it. I'm sorry they're dragging this out!

Hi @ilovemydogandMrObama - I would have been open to mediation but I can’t face sitting in front of her. The professional relationship is destroyed. The only way I can face going back to work is if she is redeployed within the company (unlikely I know).

I don’t particularly want to go to employment tribunal either. I know grievances rarely go in the employees favour but I’ll wait and see what the outcome is before making any decisions.

Thanks @GeraltOfRivia - I’ve taken to reading my grievance when I’m questioning myself.

Why you and not him? Surely discrimination. Ring Acas and try your local Cab.

Email your line manager to get them to confirm what you have been told verbally. Get legal advice quickly.

You’ve done nothing at all wrong here.

@Disfordarkchocolate - neither of us have to move now, it was ‘sorted’.

My manager has gone rouge, roped in her manager, and HR are picking up the pieces.

@Titslikepicassos - oooh, is this a new development?

@ilovemydogandMrObama - there’s been several.

It’s really messy now.

HR admitted to a different senior manager that the original policy didn’t apply to me/us.

Possible GDPR breach when informing the regulator, then found out they didn’t approach my partner’s regulator.

My monstrous manager then refused me access to any rotas so my flexible working request was nearly impossible to fill in. HR stitched her up by repeating in email, word for word, what she said. Union rep took a sharp intake of breath when I relayed it.

The HR stitch up may be a small sign of how things are going, internally.

Keep calm.. good luck.

Hopefully this will be enough to show your ex manager is acting irrationally, and HR will see her for the liability she is.

Please don't give up - it really seems as if you are getting somewhere having identified the source of the problem.

This is shocking, hope you get a good outcome soon. Go back to work and if it's terrible you can look for something else, hopefully it will blow over but none of this is your doing or your fault.

The way you have been treated is disgusting ... really hope u get the right outcome!

I have name changed from a previous supporter but coming back in to say, omfg, what a psycho, massive for you!!! Keep going! My gentle, sweet little sister as taken TWO discrimination suits to tribunal (I think people keep fucking with her as she looks so sweet) and all that happened, given that she was in the right both times, was that she got a massive payout (a years gross salary for one) before she got to the tribunal. So even if you’re thinking of leaving and going back to uni, KEEP GOING, you could end up with compensation for your atrocious, sexist, GDPR-breaking and horrible treatment that PAYS for uni.

Thanks all.

@Beboombop - good on your sister! It seems shitty employer behaviour is all too common

My monstrous manager then refused me access to any rotas so my flexible working request was nearly impossible to fill in. HR stitched her up by repeating in email, word for word, what she said. Union rep took a sharp intake of breath when I relayed it.
I really hope your "manager" gets managed out. She really doesn't sound like a good representative of or asset to the company.

What an extraordinary situation! Utterly bizarre! Here's you all ready to return and they are doing this. However it sounds like your manager is a liability to the company. Quite possibly won't be around much longer - no one wants a loose cannon causing staff problems.

I hope my manager gets managed out too but I doubt it - there have been complaints about her before.

However, the regional manager has just been moved from our region to another so she’s lost her enabler.

Ooh! That is good for your situation, no?