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AIBU?

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Original poster

Dd been sacked for isolating

228 replies

ShittingHell · 23/01/2021 15:46

My 16yr old has a part time job. Me and her dad had tests earlier this week. Unfortunately she was supposed to work so had to call in and say she couldn't.
Today she gets a text saying she's let them down! She's replied and said she can prove the tests were genuine and she had to isolate by law but they've not replied. This isn't bloody right is it?

OP posts:
AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 23/01/2021 19:37

@BruthasTortoise

Apologies I used redundant interchangeably with sacked. The point is employers can not legally use punitive measures to get their employees to come to work if they are meant to be isolating. Surely this is a good thing? And we should be expecting employers to do their duty?
Firstly I don't think there is an employer here, the girl is working off the books cash in hand bug even if there was the owner didnt try to get her to do anything. She told him she couldn't work and she didn't work, no one forced anyone.
Nicknacky · 23/01/2021 19:38

@BruthasTortoise You haven’t posted the legislation detailing the act, just a news article where is talks about employers possibly being guilty in certain circumstances. You clearly said there was offences committed, can you link to that act?

SmidgenofaPigeon · 23/01/2021 19:38

She hasn’t been sacked, it’s cash in hand and she has no contract.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 23/01/2021 19:40

There is a (existing actual not made up) legislation protecting, for example, pregant women from being fired for being pregnant. If that happens...
Who you gonna call?
Some lawyers.

... Not 101...

Backbee · 23/01/2021 19:41

Echo what others are saying, if it's a cash in hand job she won't have a contract, she will have zero chance to pursue a claim or anything. I suppose she could report them if she was feeling petty, they should not be having staff as cash in hand, it's done to evade tax and legal responsibilities to employees.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 23/01/2021 19:41

Point being 101 isn't employment advisory service

Backbee · 23/01/2021 19:42

It's a crime? Why wouldn't you ring the police? If she has been made redundant because she had to self isolate that is a criminal offence.

Haha FFS. For starters she hasn't even been sacked, but is assuming they're annoyed and might sack her from a brief text message. Secondly, the police would likely be more interested in why she accepted a job cash in hand.

00100001 · 23/01/2021 19:42

@Couchbettato

Um, no. Don't call the police. What a silly idea.

Ring ACAS.

😂😂

What are acas going to do to help a 16yo who had a cash in hand job for a couple of weeks???

Floralnomad · 23/01/2021 19:45

What a pointless thread , a 16 yo , who works ad hoc for a take away , cash in hand , may or may not have been told she is no longer required .

violetcobra · 23/01/2021 19:50

@unfortunateevents

So she's not been sacked then. And all these people telling you to report them to Environmental Health - seriously?! The owners of the takeaway speak English as a second language, they message her to say she had let them down (this is today, so after her supposed shift), there is no mention of sacking or suggestion that they were pressurising her to come in to work - what a load of fuss.
Except for the fact that they feel "let down" because her DD was following government guidance. That's a horrible and unfair thing to say, and is absolutely pressuring her to come into work!
BruthasTortoise · 23/01/2021 19:52

Fair enough. I must have misinterpreted the guidance but I believed it was a crime for employers to sack employees for self-isolating based on the news article I posted which is why my initial advice was to phone for advice. We have such high infection rates that the police in my area are all over businesses flouting the regulations. Hope your daughter gets sorted OP.

ArosGartref · 23/01/2021 19:54

Ring the police because you've received a shitty text from your boss. This is truly the golden age of Mumsnet.

Mmn654123 · 23/01/2021 19:54

@BruthasTortoise

If they have sacked her then report them to environmental health, inland revenue and I would ring 101 for advice regarding the legality of employers sacking their staff for following legal guidance in the middle of a pandemic. And I'm not joking about any of this - we are too far into this for business owners not be taking their obligations seriously when so many people have died and so many other businesses have collapsed.
Why would environmental health care? She hasn’t suggested they are poisoning anyone?

Why would the police care? It’s not a criminal matter.

The inland revenue might care if they aren’t paying tax on her salary.

violetcobra · 23/01/2021 19:55

@ArosGartref

Ring the police because you've received a shitty text from your boss. This is truly the golden age of Mumsnet.
No, the reason calling the police has been suggested is because the employer is potentially running an unsafe business (by pressuring employees with symptoms to come to work) and deliberately flouting government guidance. Not because of a text.
BruthasTortoise · 23/01/2021 19:57

I would've thought environmental health might care if a business is encouraging people to breach the coronavirus regulations by coming to work when they should be isolating? And by encouraging i mean sacking people who do isolate.

Nicknacky · 23/01/2021 19:57

@violetcobra That does not make it a police matter. We have to stop thinking that the police are there to deal with every minor matter.

There are other agencies that would be more interested.

ArosGartref · 23/01/2021 19:58

potentially is key word I think.

mellicauli · 23/01/2021 19:58

Report to the Health and Safety Executive
webcommunities.hse.gov.uk/connect.ti/concernsform/answerQuestionnaire?qid=594147

SoupDragon · 23/01/2021 19:58

and is absolutely pressuring her to come into work

It really isn't.

violetcobra · 23/01/2021 19:59

[quote Nicknacky]@violetcobra That does not make it a police matter. We have to stop thinking that the police are there to deal with every minor matter.

There are other agencies that would be more interested.[/quote]
Possibly - I don't know the details of what agency should be called, but the fact is the employer could (and should) be investigated for this.

SoupDragon · 23/01/2021 19:59

[quote mellicauli]Report to the Health and Safety Executive
webcommunities.hse.gov.uk/connect.ti/concernsform/answerQuestionnaire?qid=594147[/quote]
Report what?

mellicauli · 23/01/2021 20:00

unless it's a shop when it's local council

www.gov.uk/find-local-council

violetcobra · 23/01/2021 20:00

@SoupDragon

and is absolutely pressuring her to come into work

It really isn't.

They explicitly said that they were disappointed (let down) at OP's DD for following government guidance, and presumably they realised the she was a minor - they still wanted her to come into work. That is called pressuring.
Nicknacky · 23/01/2021 20:00

@violetcobra The point is, it’s not a police matter. They have enough actual crime to deal with.

IndiaMay · 23/01/2021 20:02

This is crazy. As far as I can tell OPs DD text employers that she couldnt come in as she was self isolating. The employers text back that it was disappointing. Presumably them thinking it's a shame she couldnt come in is better than them being overjoyed.