Hi everyone, I'm worried sick, I've been on mat leave since last January but was on sick leave for a few weeks before that as my pelvis was misaligned. My boss had constantly made comments as she was not best pleased I was pregnant in the first place. I had told another manager about this but was told to concentrate on myself that I should just relax as I was going on mat leave etc. I should add that my boss has been a nightmare since I started, I have notes and emails about it all. I don't go sick and am generally good at what I do so she would use little things to try and chip away at me and get me to quit as I was told at the start it should have been someone already in the office that got the job. When I became pregnant it was open season on me.
I have tried to speak to my boss about how the ignoring/then conments/sniping makes me feel but nothing changes.
On Xmas eve before my mat leave started HR used the standard sickness procedure and sent me an invite to a meeting to explore why I was ill and discuss possible disciplinary action. I was obviously upset as I was heavily pregnant and hadn't had any sick leave prior to that. Anyway this was recinded after I called occupational health who told me it was daft as I had a pregnancy related illness. My boss completely ignored me after this and I received no telephone calls or emails, no contact at all.
Fast forward after my baby was born and my boss still ignored me, I sent pics of the baby but no reply. So my anxiety increased, I sent another email to a boss above (who I spoke to when I was pregnant and told about how I was being treated) and was told everything was fine and to concentrate on my kids.... so I was getting more stressed, worrying myself sick as its a very small office and my mat leave was running out. So I contacted my union, told them all about it showed them emails I had that showed me asking for help and the weak response along with the HR thing. They said I had been treated really badly and suggested a meeting with HR.
So I had the meeting, my union said I should do the talking. So I told HR and the other boss (who knew everything) about how I had been treated while I was pregnant, how I had been treated poorly by this person for years before etc and I felt the sickness procedures had been used incorrectly to cause me distress. That my boss had made comments about how I couldn't come back to the same job, who was looking after my kids and a few other things. All I asked for was a change of manager and a move. They said no to both.
I became really tearful as I felt like everything was finally tumbling out. HR said she thought I needed counselling that I was taking things too personally, that my boss could have been "trying to be helpful" by suggesting I couldn't come back to the same job and should be working part time. All the while my union person just sat there. I asked why the sickness procedures had been instigated they said it was their error and again I shouldn't have taken it personally. They said they didn't know how long I was going to be off even though my boss had been told, even though I had emailed HR too and asked how this would affect my mat leave.
So the jist of it is they want me to do mediation as HR say I could be taking things the wrong way. I can't do that, my boss will be sweetness and light to their faces but then ignore me/make things very difficult in the office. I told them I have approached her a number of times regarding her behaviour to no avail. They say its the only solution.
I've had to get a sick note which states "work stress" I need to go and see my gp today as I am literally shaking and worrying myself ill and have done all through Xmas.
I've never been like this before and feel like I'm messing up my employment history but I don't feel I have any backing. I told HR in the meeting I have worked concurrently since I left school and have never worked in a situation like this before.
I asked the union about a grievance but they seem to think I should get the mediation and go back???
Any help would be really appreciated.