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Original poster

Help - Discrimination while on maternity leave

106 replies

foxcub · 07/06/2007 12:34

I would be really grateful for some advice on this.

I am so livid I can hardly type!!

There are two issues:

1 My boss said he was "suprised I earn so little" and said I should ask for more (implying male peers on the same scale earn more, although I do a different job to them). This was while recruiting my maternity cover and discussing what pay we should offer my (male) cover. I have since put in a pay claim on the basis I am taking on new responsibilities (which I am - a whole new area of work has been added to my post).

This was in January. I put a strong case together and gave it to my boss in writing. I have since chased it several times and have been on maternity leave since the end of Feb. My boss refuses to respond to my e-mails. I have e-mailed Head of HR a month ago and she said she'd get back to me and hasn't.

I asked my boss what my maternity cover is being paid and he would only tell me verbally (he verbally told me its the same as me, but I'm unsure whether he's telling the truth or why wouldn't he want to respond in writing?)

In addition I didn't get my April 2007 pay rise, which is made up of an inflation linked rise and a performance bonus relating to 2006/7. I have now received this but had to complain twice in order to get them to pay me.

2 There is not enough space in our office due to expanding teams. A number of options have been proposed, to create more space , including utilising meeting rooms, hot desking and moving staff to another part of the building. Before I went on maternity leave, a male colleague X who is leading the "office seating" project joked that once I went on maternity leave he would "stitch me up" by moving my team to another location - i.e. I wouldn't be able to object, as I am on maternity leave.

My Mat Cover tipped me off two weeks ago that X was pushing a proposal to get my team moved in my absence. My cover has raised objections but at the end of the day he is a temp and is not that bothered either way. I e-mailed my boss on Friday 1 June with my concerns and specifically asking that I be included in the decision making, as I am returning to work and such a radical decision should not be made without my input. My boss has refused to respond to my e-mail. He has also ignored two messages I left on 4 and 5 June asking him to call me.

I have just found out that on 5 June, my boss pushed through a proposal at a management team meeting that my team should be moved out!!!!! This is after me contacting him 3 times, asking to be involved in the decision. The "office seating" was not even on the meeting agenda, so he has clearly stitched me, but pushing it through under AOB.

I feel extremely anxious and am starting to feel ostracised. My boss refuses to communicate with me.

I can contact HR but the Head of HR is personal friends with X, and they go on hols together!!!

help - advice needed.

I am planning to return to work in Septmeber.

sorry this is so long BTW

OP posts:

Original poster

foxcub · 13/06/2007 22:07

I'd love to work from home

when I go back I'm going to ask for 28 hours, compressed into 3 days, or 4 x 7 hour days, but one day working from home

I'm scared to involve the CEO at this stage . I know he loves my boss, who is nice BTW but a bit lame and cackhanded IMO

OP posts:

chocolatekimmy · 24/06/2007 20:37

Foxcub - I know you were having a meeting with the CEO about your complaint last week.

How did you get on - anything sorted?

Original poster

foxcub · 28/06/2007 19:13

chcolate - have just found this, so sorry about the delay in responding.

I had a meeting with my boss and someone from HR. I had submitted a grievance, but I agreed to meet with him informally to see if we could resolve the issues and avoid the grievance.

In the meeting my boss retreated and said he'd sort my payrise out and backdate it. he also agreed that he would seriously consider other options for relocating my team if I wanted to put them forward.

This all seemd good until I got an e-mail from him today. He's now closed down the opportunity for me to make alternative suggestions re location of my team and I am extremely angry and not sure what to do . He's said he'll send me a report tomorrow which will explain why the decision has been made.

I think he's chatted with X (the guy who said he would stich me up) and they've agreed X will conjour up this report, which will no doubt try and make it look like a sensible decision so I cannot challenge it.

Advice anyone???

OP posts:

Kewcumber · 28/06/2007 20:09

I think reply to him copying HR asking what happened to the agreement that he would consider our suggestions and was the meeting you all had just a sham?

chocolatekimmy · 28/06/2007 20:56

HHmmmmmm

Agree with Kewcumber about that.

You say you sat down for an informal meeting to see if you can resolve it, seeing as you haven't I would include in the letter that you wish to go down the formal route and make sure they stick to the process by the letter.

Read up on their grievance procedure with regard to timescales, levels etc and if they step out of procedure at all you then have a breach of contract.

The fact that he has gone back on his word could be deemed as a breach of trust so throw that one in as well.

Such a nightmare isn't it, can be quite draining. Hope you are coping ok with it all

Original poster

foxcub · 28/06/2007 21:10

I feel as though they are playing games.

When I got the notes from HR of the informal meeting they were different to what we'd actaully discussed and agreed, so I challenged them on each point.

Now my boss is rescinding on his agreement to involve me.

I feel so frustrated and powerless

My maternity cover rang me last week to say he feels that X is on a mission to stuff our team

OP posts:

Original poster

foxcub · 28/06/2007 22:21

bump

OP posts:

spongecake · 28/06/2007 22:35

hi fox, what legal advice did you get? it sounds v stressful. can only say write everything down in chronological order each day and hand it to your lawyer. did you go to your docs for stress? if you didn't take notes at the informal meeting i suggest you write down some whilst they are still fresh n your mind. gits

TransfiguratingLily · 28/06/2007 22:40

Aw Fox I thought it was sorted, that man, what is his problem?!

sfxmum · 28/06/2007 22:42

foxie when you say you challenged the notes do you mean verbally or in writing?
because this should really go formal imo and every challenge/ conversation/phone call should be minuted/ logged

stepfordwife · 28/06/2007 22:56

sfx is right - you've deffo got to put your complaints about the meeting in writing so there's a record of them
what a bloody pain for you, foxie. really not what your mind space to be taken up with during ml..

Original poster

foxcub · 29/06/2007 07:41

Bump

OP posts:

mellow2 · 29/06/2007 09:16

I think you're right about them playing games. Are you proceeding with grievance now? If it were me, I would drop the informal route and do everything formally.

Original poster

foxcub · 29/06/2007 09:40

sfx I challenged it in writing via e-mail and the woman who wrote them admitted in writing they were inaccurate (which is useful).

I think they've deliberately lulled me into a sense of security in that informal meeting, so they could do some fancy footwork behind the scenes (having "tamed" me as it were) and then stitch me.

OP posts:

Kewcumber · 29/06/2007 12:04

some people are beyond the pale - I would be very tempted to escalate the grievance now.

Original poster

foxcub · 29/06/2007 13:09

but does anyone ever have grievances upheld?

OP posts:

slug · 29/06/2007 13:21

I have. Not a maternity leave issue, but one about a colleague's unreasonable behaviour.

eleusis · 29/06/2007 13:28

This is probably not what you want to hear, Foxy, but if it was me you'd find me back at work in a hurry. I have a competitive nature and cetainly rise to the challenge and defend my turf. (this is not always a good thing -- my current employer regards me as a peky American who is never satisfied)

Original poster

foxcub · 29/06/2007 20:38

Bump

OP posts:

Original poster

foxcub · 29/06/2007 22:04

Bump

OP posts:

spongecake · 29/06/2007 22:43

hi foxy, hope this is further forward? Agree i would drop all the informal stuff and go for them- it can;t be any more stressful, and a lawyer does all the work anyway. how dare they use an informal meeting enviroment to stitch you you can add that to your notes

Original poster

foxcub · 01/07/2007 08:58

Bump

OP posts:

sfxmum · 01/07/2007 09:09

hi foxie just to let you know we still following the thread

is there a plan for this week? i know it is daunting but i think you should really start more formal proceedings and get proper legal/ union advice.
not what you want at this time really

TransfiguratingLily · 01/07/2007 11:56

Hoping you can do what you have to do and not let it impact on you too much. Life's too short to let these people get you down.
Maybe let them do their worst, then sue them and move to Ireland where everyone is friendly

Original poster

foxcub · 01/07/2007 12:30

I felt better when I'd just put the grievance in than I do now TBH!

I think I may write an e-mail pointing out the breach of trust - they invited me for an informal resolution meeting - we agreed several things and now he's gone back on it - confirming I may proceed with the grievance. What do you think?

OP posts:

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