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!

Good god I can't believe this is still going on! I read this back when you started but had forgotten to click watch then lost it til today!

I really hope this gets wound up soon for your sake OP, I fought my company on a change of policy that was resolved within a matter of weeks and that was stressful enough. Well done for sticking it out this long!

I think they’re trying to find a way to white wash everything. The grievance had 32 points with 20 pieces of evidence - they’re probably struggling.

It was passed to the union’s legal team yesterday as ACAS will sign off the early conciliation on Monday and I’ll get the tribunal certificate.

Never ending...

If you end up not going back I would be insisting on a LOT of compensation!!!

Well think about how much your company will be resenting your old boss now! What a mess.

If you have nervous energy and childcare paid for, can you do bigger projects round the home? Just because having free time to do organising/decorating/gardening projects when you work and have small kids is like gold dust. But you sound like you're quite organised anyway so maybe not?

Can you add the flexible working request taking so long to your list ?

@RandomMess - I’d quite like a year’s salary!

@BletheringHeights - Did everything during lockdown, would have waiting had I known I’d be out of work for so long!

@notapizzaeater - I’ve been advised to start a grievance about the grievance and flexible working request. I’ll wait and see what happens, they’re aware they haven’t followed the procedure for either.

Wow this is so draw out for you

[quote Titslikepicassos]@RandomMess - I’d quite like a year’s salary!

@BletheringHeights - Did everything during lockdown, would have waiting had I known I’d be out of work for so long!

@notapizzaeater - I’ve been advised to start a grievance about the grievance and flexible working request. I’ll wait and see what happens, they’re aware they haven’t followed the procedure for either.[/quote]
Depending on the industry, 5 years salary isn't uncommon, based on the fact they know you're going to find it difficult to find another position based on your perceived litigious nature. If it gets to this point, a proper employment lawyer is a must.

This must be so stressful, I'm sorry you're having to go through it.

Wow how stressful. Can’t believe it is still going. May as well start a grievance about the grievance, fuck them.
If your dp is planning to leave he should start looking. He can negotiate the 3 months notice, everyone i know has. ( In his case he says we all know this company doesn’t follow procedures so I’ll finish up in 2 months, it’s not like we don’t have a lawyer hired already. )

Well it's just been passed over to the union's legal team who are assessing it to see if there is any point taking it to tribunal and if they'll support me. Should take 2 weeks for that process to finish which is around the time of my third grievance hearing.

I feel like I have case but I'm not sure how much of this is incompetence and whether any laws have been broken.

I want to put in a subject access request but not sure when the best time to do it is.

DP is now actively applying for jobs and if he finds anything will ask to go early, this is causing issues for him because our clients are asking why I'm not back in work and he's unwilling to lie for my arsehole boss.

Good luck 💐

Update -

Meeting today, basically told that they weren't upholding the grievance and they would be stopping my pay later when they send the letter out.

They haven't looked at my flexible working request despite it being part of the grievance and offered to move me to another work location - despite this being the main reason the grievance was started and they HAVEN'T EVEN LOOKED AT MY FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUEST. They can't give me hours or a work location but have stopped my pay - so that's good 👍🏻

They said something about my "poor boss" and I burst into angry tears.

Oh OP,
You poor woman.
What are the union saying?

I'm so angry on your behalf. Time to take it to tribunal! From all the shit they've put you through i cant see their chances being good.

After all of this, this is the most inept thing I have ever heard.

You have all of my sympathies OP. I hope you hang them out to dry

Also ask them for a rights to access request. It will give you every single bit of data they have on you. They legally have to give it to you within a set time period (28 days i think) i did this with my old company and they even had to give me emails between other colleagues that I was mentioned in. Might be worth doing. And the extra paper work will piss them off which is a bonus.

Really sorry to hear this update OP .
Unfortunately my experience of a similar situation is they will continue to protect each other, however, obviously wrong they are.
The threat of tribunal may prompt the offer of a compromise agreement.

Thanks all 😭 I was so stressed by the time I came out of the meeting, I lost all feeling in my arms and legs 😕

@Dotty1219 - I put a SAR in immediately after the meeting.

My union rep was great but it didn't help, they've just escalated it up the chain of command again but are still taking my pay. He's saying that they obviously haven't investigated properly - the flexible working request formed a massive part of the grievance.

What have you asked for in your DSAR? And are you putting in a grievance about the failure to consider the flex working request?

To an earlier poster I’d say 5 years salary is stuff of dreams, don’t get over excited OP but get proper advice and support from your union.

If you think I there’s discrimination you can also bring a claim again individuals personally not just your employer. Very powerful tool make sure you use it.

I can't see how taking advantage of someone's mat leave to piss them about like this is not discrimination, tbh. And I love the idea of the action being against individuals as well as the company, I had no idea that was possible.

The failure to decide your FWR in a timely manner is huge. How the hell are you supposed to arrange childcare without this being decided, ffs? It's adding insult to injury.

Was anything said about the data breach? Time to report that imo, and drop the bombshell about the manager who thinks his job description seems to include being the in-house shagger.

They way they've treated has led to your DP having to resign. It's like constructive dismissal, one step removed, but I rather suspect that there's no such thing in law.

Don't get despondent, OP, very few grievances get resolved at the first hurdle. When they realise you're not giving up that easily, they may well start talking sense.

I want to name my line manager and the shagger individually - will see what the union says.

@Pumpkinnose - I’ve asked for records of everything from the moment I announced my pregnancy, flexible working request, return to work, risk assessments, grievance etc.

I’m waiting for the letter that states that company believe my poor, poor boss over me and will appeal before starting another grievance about their mishandling of the FWA and the first grievance

Not getting my hopes up regarding a pay out and am quite tempted to return just to annoy everyone.

OP that's dreadful. So they are stopping your pay from today? How do they expect you to continue after today?

@PrincessForADay - at some point this week they said. Seems like I need to accept their awful behaviour and go back or lose my house!

Time to ring around so no win no fee places and see if anyone is interested in taking on your on case...

Just utterly ridiculous!!!

Have you spoken with rights if women recently?