Employment Advice please

[Jenswish]

Work are calling me in for a disciplinary on Friday?!! Apparently I'm bullying?! Its a load of crap there, they're just trying to get rid of staff cos the market isn't too good at the moment and I think they are losing money with so many employees. They've already fired 7 people who were on probationary periods so now they're resorting to bullying the others out of their jobs (They've brought the same things against 2 others who have just handed their notices in instead) obviously I can't what with being pregnant.

What I want to know is, if I don't get fired on Friday can I legally ask to go on my mat leave straight away? Also if I do get fired have I got a case for unfair dismissal?

Well this way they will show their cards now Lucky, keep us posted won't you...

Hopefully they'll back straight down.....

Wistful Wisty xx

Have had a reply today, meeting is set for week on friday.

Received copies of emails and the companys "disciplinary proceedure" although there is no proceedure mentioned.

Fair enough; does the disciplinary procedure mention what constitutes gross misconduct?

Good luck anyway and how are you feeling pregnancy wise?

W x

No it mentions nothing really. I've read through it and there is no policies as far as I can see.

Pregnancy wise I'm ok, just knackered and feeling really fat!! lol

LS - just wanted to say good luck for Friday.....may the force be with you etc x

I have just read through your posts. My goodness you've been treated badly. I am ashamed to say I work in HR, but never in my working life has an employee been treated like this by me or anyone I know. I must say that it sounds like a 'fly by night' company. You are not allowed to copy or remove the policies and procedures - how the f**k are you supposed to know what they are, let alone bloody abide by them???

How dare they put you under this amount of stress. Bast*rds!

Good luck. I hope that they are forced to re-instate you with full pay and you go straight on to your mat leave and can forget about them for 9 months and focus on your beautiful bundle. And, that while you're off, the bosses get fired for their incompetence.

Carnival I'm glad you've said all that - I wanted to say similar things but wasn't sure of my facts......

Smaller companies seem to take gambles all too often on their staff not having the guts to confront or challenge their decisions so I am very glad that LS decided to go for it!

Good Luck for today. x

My appeal went great, they've near enough done a U-turn. Got there and it was with the great big boss (who is a lovely guy) and someone they'd hired from a HR company. They asked me what I was appealing and I said the outcome, I agreed that company emails shouldn't have been used or company time but not that it should have resulted in gross misconduct and dismissal as it was not bullying.
We went through the bullying bit and I argued the fact that as far as I was aware it was a private conversation and would never had been made aware to the person being "bullied" also that if I had not been pregnant I would have resigned but I didn't have that "liberty"
They've now changed it to a serious misconduct which still means i'm fired BUT I get my full pay and maternity pay. So 1 month normal pay then 9 months mat pay. AND if they're requested to do a reference for me they will not mention any of this as if I hadn't been pregnant I would have quit.
It was really funny cos it felt like they had my appeal letter and then got this guy in (from HR) who's gone "What the hell have you done and how can I fix it?"

Anyway, am all happy now cos I haven't got any money worries, all it means is at the end of my mat leave I have to find a new job which was where I was anyway cos I wasn't going back there anyway.

That's brilliant news!

I'm just sorry they put you through it to start with.

I'm glad you're happy with the result, but I'd still be a bit iffy about them having sacked you. Clearly, I don't know all of the details, but from what you describe, verbal/first-written warning would have been the result I would have expected.

BUT, at least you're ok finances-wise and as you say, you wouldn't have went back anyway. It's probably less stressful knowing that you'll never have to have anything more to do with them.

Good luck! Enjoy your pregnancy and your bundle when he/she arrives.

Thanks Carnival!

I still wasn't happy they'd sacked me but as it's not going on a reference and i've got the money I wanted it's kinda like they didn't.

Money problems over so I can now go shopping for baby!!

Well done glad you're happy!

I agree it is still odd that they 'sacked' you, still never mind- you're happy!

Enjoy your shopping xx

Sounds like a company i once worked for - had to leave partly through the stress they put me through - and they wouldn't give me a reference either. Had to go temp to perm to get a new job.

What bizarre treatment - but i wouldn't have e-mailed anything personal about a person - but dismissal!!

Sounds like they did it to avoid paying you maternity pay.

Happy shopping and lots of luck for the future.