Due May 2009 - Bring on the Creme Eggs, mooing and choo chooing

[Jennster]

Thought I'd better start this soon.

dandylioness putting things in writing doesn't work. Their are only 9 of us and the secretary is the bosses girlfriend (and a complete cow). I asked her over a week ago to let me know what holidays I had left to take before April and she still hasn't worked it out. We don't get sick pay and when I had my MC in June they docked me 2 days holiday .

I have put my maternity leave letter and MATB1 cert on my bosses desk a week ago and have asked to have it confirmed in writing but he hasn't even mentioned it to me.
He thinks I'm stupid for wanting to have a family.

looby i'm so sorry to hear about your cat... i'm sure they're used to people crying all the time. I know if it was my dog i'd be exactly the same.

as far as your work goes... why not use your holiday if there's nothing much for you to that's what its for.

dandylioness I don't have a contract of employment - none of us who work there do.

pulapula have you seen this bag - it's reversible, so nearly 2 bags in one!!

I am just so fed up and stressed with not having any money and also worried its going to affect my BP and the baby

Looby I can't believe how ling this has gone on for. Have a look at this site and you'll see DandyLioness is absolutely right. I fear that you will have to take this as far as an Employment Tribunal, as no reasonable employer would withhold wages for this long unless they were seriously inept, insolvent or just plain rude. Have a look at the link and help them out by spelling out just what will happen if they don't cough up soon.

Anyway enough about me..its been a very emotional day and I am exhausted so I'm off to bed now.

Night night ladies.

Will catch up with you all tommorrow.

I too worked for a small firm for a while and they always made me feel guilty for wanting to be paid. It's a horrifying prospect I expect for you to threaten tribunals but sometimes the threat is all that's needed. I bet you're not the only person there to be in this position either. I feel very they're making you feel like you're the bad one just for expecting to be paid...

llare love the reversible bag... but unfortunately out of my price range. great colours!

Loobylou- if you dont have a contract of employment, if i were you i'd speak to your local citizens advice bureau or something, to see what your rights are. Your employer sounds very dodgy and this needs looking into. Try not to stress.

DS off school today cos he was comlaining of feeling sick = sore throat etc. Took him to GP - nothing wrong!!! Urgh! I hate him missing school.

No snow here!!

No piles either!!!

One other thing, check your household insurance as mine has legal cover for employment disputes.

ACAS

Oh Looby I'm so sorry to hear about your cat the poor little thing . We're still sad from the loss of our cat over Christmas so I understand how you feel.

Agree with Dandy and llare about your employer. I'm sure you won't feel like it just now but as soon as you can you need to tackle the situation. Is it even legal to not pay statutory sick pay? Being a small business is no excuse.

Really glad I didn't go into the office today. The snow was really deep by 6pm and from what DH said I don't think I would have made it back up the hill from the station!

Night night all xoxox heading off to bed as DS was in bed and asleep early tonight so I'm expecting him to be awake v early tomorrow...

Looby I'm so sorry to hear about your cat . I'm sure the vet didn't think you were nuts, anyone would burst out crying at such a phonecall.

Your employer sounds unreasonable. You need to get paid and I'm pretty sure that as an employee you have the right to a number of sick days a week. Hope you get your holidays and maternity leave sorted out soon too.

Right bedtime now. I'll have to get up extra early tomorrow to inch my way to work in the snow. Another 10cm expected overnight on top of the 15cm that's there already at the moment

Morning ladies.
I am back at work today and still stressing cos I have no money. Just bucking up the courage to ask my boss AGAIN. He's not in a good mood tho.
I am just so fed up.
I think LO is trying to tell me to snap out of it - I seem to be getting punched and kicked at both sides of my belly at the same time. He/shes co-ordination is amazing.

Got to ring the vets back this morning too. I expect I'll have to pick Maisie up today or tommorrow - trouble is the garden is under snow at the moment so I expect the ground is rock hard and I don't want her to hang about in a box - I just want to lay her to rest

Looby

I am so sorry about your cat - I have lost so many that way

I hope things pick up at work for you, do go to Tribunal, DH had to do that with our previous employer (bunch of wankers) and he got a settlement before it actually went to tribunal. The tribunal people are absolutely lovely as well.

Hi Ladies

Quick question: I am right in thinking that when you go on maturnity leave your annual holiday accrues whilst you are away? So you still have that holiday to take either when you go back or at the start of maturnity leave?

I've just had a run in with the secretary about this. My holidays go April to the end of March so I have said that I will finish on 9th April then take 2 weeks annual leave and start my maturnity on 27th April. She says this is wrong. I told her that I was correct and she got a bit pissy.

thank you grumpyoldcaa

I still can't believe she's not going to come back through the cat flap

I still miss my 2 Siamese, they died a few years ago......It's just not the same, roasting a chicken without Clarrie yowling the whole time.

Looby The worst time for me is when I get in from work as she would hear my car and be sat waiting for me near the front door.

You're right that your annual leave accrues whilst you're away on maternity leave. I don't really see why they should object to you taking 2 weeks before you start mat leave, morally, although I suppose they could argue that if you are 'working' 1 April - 27 April of your leave year before mat leave, ie 3 weeks, they could argue you haven't accrued 2 weeks worth of annual leave in that time. Does that make sense?

Eg where I am, we have 30 days per year (lucky I know). My leave year starts 9 November, so I have sent in my form to HR for them to work out on how many days of A/L I have accrued before I go off on mat leave on 20 April. They do it on a daily basis, ie 30/365 x no. of days between my leave year starting and me going off on mat leave. I can then take up to that amount before, no more - unless I agree with management and HR.

Not sure if that makes sense! Llareggub may be able to explain better.