Just looking for advice. Daughter is pregnant with first child. She’s been working for her employer in a management capacity for nearly five years. It’s a family run business who deal with vulnerable people, with close links to the Council. She runs the ‘home’, with her manager being remote, but who links in obviously occasionally. Her manager owns the business. Never any previous problems with her work, and daughter has always had a very friendly relationship with her (female) manager. In fact her manager has always said how happy she is with her work and how they couldn’t cope without her. Daughter announced pregnancy earlier this year and things have gone dramatically downhill since. Her manager has had a total personality change, criticises her work daily, and arranges impromptu meetings, where she shouts at her, threatens her with demotion, has told her she has to use her holiday for antenatal appointments, which she has been doing as didn’t want to upset her manager. She brings up situations which occurred before the pregnancy, which didn’t happen. These meetings have been ramped up to every other day for the past two weeks. My daughter is highly stressed and goes home to her partner in tears most days. She’s normally a strong person. Her mat leave starts in June, and despite loving the job previously,she’s decided that after the baby is born, she will look for another job, but is obviously not able to in her current situation, as it’s unlikely she will get employment when going on mat leave soon. My suggestion to her is to try to keep her head down, just sit through the meetings, and try to get to her mat leave, as walking out will mean she will lose her mat pay with her employer, and also no money coming in in the meantime. The other alternative would be for her to get a sick note, stating stress, but might this affect her job prospects afterwards, ie, will this be something she needs to disclose with any future employer with her wanting to continue with a job with vulnerable people? And what about references? Could her current employer destroy her chances of getting a job she wants? Just want to make sure I’m giving her the best advice. Thank you.
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Legal matters
Propertylover · 18/03/2024 19:01
@Livelovebehappy meant to say make sure your daughter has a timeline and gathers evidence. There must be a paper trail to explain the demotion.
I suggest your DD gets advice asap and lodges a grievance about the demotion, the loss of salary etc. and includes maternity & pregnancy discrimination. This is the relevant section https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/18
trippingthelightfantastic1 · 19/03/2024 09:52
Maternity Action are also great and can provide advice and assistance. They have lots of information sheets including for pregnancy rights:
https://maternityaction.org.uk/know-your-rights/
Her manager sounds unhinged TBH and not fit to run a business. Doubly scary given it is a business supporting vulnerable people. Under her contract with the LA the employer will be expected to adhere to all relevant law including around employment.
Her manager MUST complete a maternity risk assessment. It is not optional. This is critical in relation to the existing employment arrangement and any proposed change. They cannot change her hours (the amount per shift or working pattern) without her agreement or without a risk assessment given she is pregnant. Your daughter should make clear in writing that she does not agree to these change and will not follow them (unless she is happy to make the changes).
An employee that is pregnant or on maternity leave has greater employment rights and protection to ensure an employer does not discriminate against them. This includes protection from being demoted, disciplined etc due to being pregnant (or on mat leave).
Livelovebehappy · 19/03/2024 20:34
Thank you for this. I’ve forwarded her the link. My daughter has loved working there, and had a very good and respectful relationship with them. It’s just so bizarre that she’s done a 360. The business has very recently grown and I suspect the timing of my daughters mat leave has fallen badly for them. She’s stood her ground today refusing to accept the demotion, but has been threatened with dismissal if she isn’t prepared to take the new role (along with substantial pay cut). She’s been talking with Acas today. She also had an appointment with her midwife today (which she has had to take as annual leave), who has noted the situation on her records, and told her if she needs the notes for any action in the future, to just let her know.
trippingthelightfantastic1 · 19/03/2024 09:52
Maternity Action are also great and can provide advice and assistance. They have lots of information sheets including for pregnancy rights:
https://maternityaction.org.uk/know-your-rights/
Her manager sounds unhinged TBH and not fit to run a business. Doubly scary given it is a business supporting vulnerable people. Under her contract with the LA the employer will be expected to adhere to all relevant law including around employment.
Her manager MUST complete a maternity risk assessment. It is not optional. This is critical in relation to the existing employment arrangement and any proposed change. They cannot change her hours (the amount per shift or working pattern) without her agreement or without a risk assessment given she is pregnant. Your daughter should make clear in writing that she does not agree to these change and will not follow them (unless she is happy to make the changes).
An employee that is pregnant or on maternity leave has greater employment rights and protection to ensure an employer does not discriminate against them. This includes protection from being demoted, disciplined etc due to being pregnant (or on mat leave).
ChateauMargaux · 21/03/2024 12:20
SMP will be calculated based on weeks 17 to 26 .. if she has already passed week 26, she will qualify for SMP and any subsequent reduction in salary will not affect her SMP.
You state that there is an HR function.. she should get in touch with them straight away... setting out her concerns / questions..
1: Paid time off for antenatal care
2: Risk assessments for overnight stays
3: Change in role resulting in 50% pay cut
4: Change in shifts without consultation
5: Clarification on terms of Maternity Leave and Pay
Propertylover · 21/03/2024 22:54
@Livelovebehappy i agree HR work for the business but their key job is to minimise risk.
The manager poses a risk to the business by not correctly applying employment legislation.
If your daughter tells HR, if they are any good, they will advise the manager to back off.
prh47bridge · 22/03/2024 00:17
From reading up on constructive dismissal, where this might be heading, it seems that the end result if daughter is successful won’t mean she gets her role back (not that she would want that) and neither would she get recompensed for her lost salary and SMP.
A successful claim for constructive dismissal consists of a basic award and a compensatory award. Assuming your daughter is under 41, the basic award is 1.5 weeks pay for each year she has worked there. The compensatory award is often much larger and is for losses that have been suffered including loss of wages and loss of future wages. This includes lost SMP. So, she would be recompensed for lost salary and SMP.
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