Am reposting on behalf of very grumpy friend who has just lost his job (like I did last week). We were commiserating and he told me how his employer had treated him - he's disabled. I know this is a marathon, but what do you reckon is actually going on here....
Where it says 'I" it's him, not me. 40-something tech genius, now crippled with lung disease.
- Taken on after interview with director as part-time employee in April, earning a max of 115 on living wage a week to comply with disability rules. Job: to create the org’s online shop. Registered as a bank worker at suggestion of HR director who was not there at the job offer as this complied with hourly pay rules, who has now left. Was (and am) Only person in team (indeed dept) with any experience of online, let alone comms; I worked with 2 paid shop staff on secondment.
- Worked more than full-time on the project, six days a week. This was largely due to fixing the several very serious competency issues in the organisation at the same time as structuring and making the website. Developed all concept and content – eg hiring high-end photographers at minimal pay, writing the code myself, sourcing celebrity raffleprizes myself.
During this time I worked up to 50 hours a week as a volunteer as well as paid hours, dealing with the toxic legacy of the project (eg firing unsatisfactory freelancers) and bulding the site from scratch at speed.
- No employment contract issued. Chased etc for several months. No answer given as to why no reply. Longstanding HR worker tells head of dept she thought I had been contracted as an employee.
- Pay was irregular, missing, or short several times.
- In July, I had pneumonia & had to take 3 weeks off. Supplied medical cert as requested to line manager. Was told I had no entitlement to sick pay as I had not worked there for 3 months.
- When I did finally speak to someone in HR six months after asking for a contract, a new employee informed me that as I was registered as a bank worker I had no employment rights.
- Zero hours contract finally issued. I didn’t sign it. It was not a reflection of the work I had been doing for six months for the organisation.
5 ii. After yet more sudden illness, I inform Head of dept (then line manager) that I will only be working paid hours for 7 weeks as a means to stay reliable. We agree, with proj manager, that I will work Mondays and Tues.
- Co Director tells me I have to produce timesheets that show irregular hours to make it look as if I am a casual worker. He assures me my job is safe, despite rumours of cuts in the organisation.
He tells me my expenses are not to be paid as “the org don’t do that’. The org’s polices clearly state they do.
- Head of dept tells me I have to produce timesheets that show irregular hours to make it look as if I am a casual worker. Head of dept refuses to sign off timesheets that reflect hours we agreed and that I worked as not irregular enough.
- I bring this up with proj manager who is no longer on secondment and is my new line manager. I point out that as the 3 managers (as listed above) call regular meeting on Monday, I will have to lie on my timesheets. I ask not to do that.
- She says, twice ‘We have to fudge your timesheets.’ I say, it’s me that has to do them through the rules of the org., and I really can’t as it’s fraud. I email her. She doesn’t respond.
- I am told as of 30 Nov that I will no longer be paid anything for the work I am doing thanks to cuts. Head of dept says ‘We love you and we want you around, the job can be done as a volunteer.’
The other non-disabled staff are untouched, by the way, and have had large pay rises despite one of them saying 'I don't really have anything to do'.