Bad dog grooming boss?

[supersop60]

DD (23) has been working at a dog grooming salon, initially bathing dogs and then starting to groom. She is also doing one day a week on a BTEC Level 3 in dog grooming. She is working on a self-employed basis - this is what the owner does for some staff. For 8 months she was on £8ph, and then recently negotiated up to £10.20.
In the last month, she has been approached by a fellow mature student to work at the new salon she is starting up at considerably more money.
DD has never had a copy of her contract, so she handed in her notice giving two weeks, which seems reasonable after 10 months.
The owner has just told DD by Whatsapp that she needn't come in to work tomorrow "as it's quiet", and when DD looked at the rota for the coming week, it seems that two new people have been given all her shifts!
My AIBU is this - AIBU to think this is constructive dismissal?
(or just mean spirited?)
Happy to answer any questions - I don't like long OPs!

Speaking as a (solo) self employed dog groomer, it sounds as though your daughter's boss has thrown her toys of of the pram a bit here and is essentially pushing your DD out in favour of the new hires.

It's worth noting that technically in order for your DD to be a 'properly' self employed groomer she'd need to be supplying her own clients/ equipment and setting her own pricing and hours of operation. Plus she'd need her own insurance.
If she's being given shifts on a rota and told which dogs she's to bathe/ groom then really, she should be considered an employee and given all the benefits that come along with that. Her boss seems to be taking advantage a bit in this situation.

Unfortunately it's become quite common in the industry for business owners to try to class people as self employed in order to avoid having to pay sick/holiday/maternity etc...

I haven't explained all that fantastically well but encourage your DD to join the English Groomers Group on FB if she's not a member already, she'll be able to ask any questions she has in there and get far more in depth and eloquent answers than I can give.

Not really a proper answer to your AIBU (sorry) but I thought it was worth mentioning to hopefully save your DD getting caught out again in future.

It is mean spirited.

(Kind of Joking but she should whatsapp back to say she will picket on her days off)

She was not self employed as from your details the owner had total control of her workflow.

So if she never signed a contract the best the boss can claim is that she was employed on a zero hour contract.

Who was paying tax and NI?
Was DD in reciept of the total pay with no deductions?
DD if self employed would have to file even if no tax was due.

As PowderPuffGirl points out if she is going to be "self employed" at the next job she needs to understand her liability if something happened to an animal in her care.

She should raise this as a training isse on her course and ask if they could cover the business end of her working if not already included.

Thank you. That's pretty much what I thought. The owner does the same with most of her 'employees ' - they submit an invoice for hours worked at the end of the month. She has a bad rep in the business, because DD's tutors have been telling her to leave.
DP and I can help her with tax etc because we are s/e too. I'll tell her about the FB group.

Report the boss to HMRC because if she is screwing her employees over tax and NI she will be playing fast and loose with other taxes. And she will claim her insurance is not covering her employees either.

It’s not Constructive Dismissal … she’s not being forced out of her job, she resigned as she’s got a better job.

Its shitty behaviour, and some may well be illegal, but, best option is to walk away and start a new (and hopefully better) job

It is constructive dismissal as she has been removed off the roster (so docked pay as a punishment) with immediate effect.
The fact is she is employed there for another 2 weeks and has been forced out of her job.

https://www.gov.uk/handing-in-your-notice/giving-notice

DD gave notice as required

even if only relying on minimun notice the boss would owe the DD a minimum of 1 weeks pay. she is trying to play fast and loose with people who can not afford the time and money it would take sue.

[ £8 ph was not even the National Living Wage and DD has to file her own tax returns so no training rates on any sort can apply ]