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AIBU?

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Original poster

Urgent employment q

37 replies

TooTrusting · 14/12/2021 14:12

Sorry to post here but it's urgent.
What employment rights do you have if you've worked somewhere for less than 2 years?
BF's DH has been called to a meeting at 4 and has been told he will be sacked for setting up in competition and poaching clients. This is a lie and there will be no evidence of it.
Can they still sack him with impunity if he's been there less than 2 years? Presumably proper grievance procedures have to be followed?
I've told him to ask if he can take someone with him and try to speak to a lawyer before 4 but I'm worried he won't find anyone to talk to.
BF doesn't know if he's a union member so assume he isn't.
TIA for any suggestions anyone can make.

OP posts:
MrsFin · 14/12/2021 15:52

Why on earth would they think he's been setting up in competition and poaching clients if he hasn't?

There's likely to be more to it than you're aware of, possibly even than his DW is aware of.

Floundery · 14/12/2021 15:58

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

maxelly · 14/12/2021 16:26

I'm sorry to hear this. As others have said unless there's grounds to believe the 'real reason' is to do with a protected characteristic as opposed to plain and simple maliciousness or error, there's probably very little he can do. Is there any chance there's been some kind of misunderstanding? They aren't obliged to follow a full investigation process but he could ask them to anyway just to establish the facts. But I guess if they've already made up their minds the best he can try and hope for is a quiet/dignified exit with a neutral reference and his notice period paid? They may well agree to this to prevent the airing of any dirty laundry in public...

ChicCroissant · 14/12/2021 16:31

It seems unlikely that a company would arrange a meeting to sack someone after a single report from one employee. I would be wary about getting involved tbh!

OldTotty · 14/12/2021 16:41

Get an exit reference is all i can add. The two year rule only favours the employer. I have recently lost my job to a fictional redundancy. Interview last week and they smelt a rat. Not fair on me. I hope the gentleman is OK.

MrsFin · 14/12/2021 19:24

Any update OP??

Original poster
TooTrusting · 14/12/2021 19:44

Not a full one, he hasn't been sacked is all I know. I'll update when I know more. They have young DCs so will be doing bath and bedtime now.
There's definitely nothing going on and no intention to set up his own business, I'm 100% confident I have the full story.
He says it's one person being malicious. The same man took photos of his work a week or so ago when he was on his lunch break, and sent them to the boss at the end of the day saying he hadn't finished (when he had finished the job by the end of the day). This got laughed off as a prank. He's in the building trade. The different trades on-site can apparently be quite unpleasant to each other (dressed up as banter).
It was his site manager who'd told him the meeting was to sack him. It came out of the blue (apart from the fact that he knows that this guy doesn't like him and has tried to get him into trouble before).

OP posts:
MrsFin · 14/12/2021 22:19

Sounds really odd. Hope it works out in the end

Original poster
TooTrusting · 16/12/2021 09:30

So the boss listened and is going to investigate. It came out that the guy had done the picture stunt several times (taking photos at lunchtime so he could claim at the end of the day that work was unfinished). Those will of course be date stamped. The boss seemed genuinely concerned at the growing culture of trying to get fellow workers into trouble and said he should have spoken up before. Friend's DH is going to get into the habit of photographing his work at the end of every day so he has his own record and will tell boss he's doing this, so if that happens again the other man will dig his own grave.

OP posts:
user1471457751 · 16/12/2021 09:46

@CorrBlimeyGG but they didn't reduce it to 6 months, did they? They had it at 1 year. So therefore it's untrue to say under labour its always been 6 months. A labour govt had over a decade to reduce it to 6 months if they had wanted to, they didn't.

Aprilx · 16/12/2021 09:51

@daimbarsatemydogsbone

BTW this is a clear Tory policy - under Labour governments since 1974 it has always been only six months until you qualify for rights - the Tories always extend it to two years.
The right to claim unfair dismissal was first introduced by a Conservative government in 1971, no protection at all prior to then. Since it was introduced, the qualification period has varied in length over the years. Most recently it was increased from one year to two years by a Conservative government.

There is not need to politicise OP’s thread, but if you must you should try to be accurate.

MrsFin · 16/12/2021 12:06

that sounds like good news Trusting.

Thank you for the update

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