AIBU to think my ex employers can’t do this?

[Wowsharona]

I recently accepted a settlement to leave my job after discriminatory comments were made to me on two occasions after announcing my pregnancy.

it was a good offer so didn’t want to go into a long drawn out tribunal process whilst pregnant.

I left last week, today I received a message from an ex colleague asking if my mother was ok. I was confused as my mother died years ago in my early teens.

turns out after I had been paid off and left (was an abrupt leaving due to the situation) 2 days after I had officially gone an email was sent from my work email address saying goodbye to everyone and telling them I was leaving to take care of my sick and elderly mother!

it ended with ‘I’m sorry this is abrupt but for my own mental health I am requesting no one reach out via linked in as I’d like to put all my energy into my family’

I’m absolutely fuming, AIBU to think although yes my email address is technically their property they can’t pretend to be me and email everyone?

Oh wow, that’s completely shocking. I’d be demanding that they send out another email immediately to say that the previous email was not sent by you and apologising for this. They cannot do that.

Be careful that this isn't a fishing expedition to see whether you'll breach the NDA. DP received a 'OMG, what's going on? I heard you were ill' WhatsApp message the day after he received his settlement. He didn't respond.

I think you will have to be careful unfortunately. If anyone else messages you just say the truth about your mother and nothing else .

This is awful. Given this was a lengthy settlement agreement, was an announcement about your leaving included - agreed wording? I’m guessing not (although your solicitor should definitely have advised on that!) but if so, they may have broken their terms of agreement.

I actually can't believe they've done that!
I misread at first and thought you meant they'd sent a company wide email from a generic internal comms inbox, or your line manager to update everyone, which is bad enough given the complete lies about why you left suddenly. But to send it from your own inbox is just next level appalling!

I had a colleague who was managed out of the business via a settlement if she went quietly (on the down low but I know as I was involved in giving evidence of gross misconduct type stuff she had done) and she emailed a few colleagues she was friendly with on her last day saying I am leaving today, keep in touch type thing, then a week or so later the director of her department did a company wide email saying 'Jane Bloggs has decided move on to pastures new, we will be recruiting for the xyz role, in the interim contact xyz for any queries'

Go back to your lawyer..

At the very least they need to retact their email.. colleagues should not be told they should not contact you and no one should be told you have walked away from.your job because of your mental health.

I don't know whether you cacompensation but they are going to look completely incompetent.

I don't know whether you can expect compensation ..

You need to speak to a solicitor before you do anything else.

Oh god yes. This could be true, especially if you haven’t been paid yet the settlement amount,

I know only too well how sneaky some employers/ ex employers can be.

I would be really pissed off!! And as you said why bother saying anything at all. They could have sent an email from their own email address if they wanted saying you had left but to pretend to be you is very weird. Especially since it is all completely untrue

Hey lovelies making my mum so proud thru all these years she’s been wit da angles xoxo

get legal advice on this.. shocking.
impersonation of individual via their personal (but company email address)
slander ( as they make assertions re mental health etc.. what if a future employer heard this and made a judgement which they should not do but it happens)
upset ( as they use your Mum's passing as reason)

you might find that in the terms of the settlement agreement it may be that you can't take action against them on previous issues but you might be able to take action on this matter as it is a separate issue...

Seriously talk to a good lawyer who specialises in employment law.. this is just unbelievable behaviour. Is it a multinational?

Are you crazy?

It may be "one way of handling it" but it's an extremely unwise and quite frankly ludicrous way of handle it.

never ever put something of a sensitive or confidential nature on any social media platform, not only because the OP left on a Settlement Agreement which will have a confidentiality clause included, but also it is career suicide to be so unprofessional as to make the situation with the fraudulent email so public.

Does your settlement agreement bar you from adding (ex)co-workers on LinkedIn? If it doesn't specify that (which if they've sent that email, it probably doesn't), add everyone you can find with a cheery personalised message about how you enjoyed working with them, are keen to keep in touch and will be seeking new opportunities once you've finished maternity leave.

Say nothing and get legal advice. They may be trying to trap you into breaking your NDA.

Yes, please do this! I’m incensed on your behalf.

RUN (don’t walk) to your lawyer

do not comment on it via email, LinkedIn, phone etc

I’d want actual proof of this so called email first.

So if I am getting this correct, you left due to discriminatory comments made after announcing you were pregnant, then an email circulated stating that you left due to you leaving to take care of your sick mother.

Your mother passed 2 years ago, this is awful someone has to be accountable for this. Are you in you in a union Op ? x

No, it doesn't.

It could potentially be defamation, because effectively they have been making OP into a liar.

I doubt that that agreement applies to things the company does after you have left, but you need to get specific legal advice.

That is absolutely disgusting!!! How dare they!! Tell ur ex colleague what really went on! And tell them to spread the word around the office

Wow. I agree with getting legal advice asap and not commenting further. How horrible of the company to treat you this way.

Her mother died years ago when OP was in her teens, not 2 years ago.

Omg that is sooooo sooo bad!!! I’d speak to a solicitor and see if there’s anything legal you can do cuz I’d be so angry I wouldn’t want them to get away with it!