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This can't be right?? Unfair treatment at work

5 replies

cakedup · 03/12/2018 21:50

Please help. My sister started work in an industry and role she is familiar with and has had a good 11 months with them. However, a few weeks ago, she was given an extra and ongoing task that she finds very difficult to do. She asked for training repeatedly and was ignored. She has become increasingly stressed as when she has done the work, it gets handed back to her to re-do as it's full of mistakes. Other staff have also been affected and many are looking for alternative employment.

She was asked to see her boss today, along with her manager and was accused of not doing her job properly and costing the company money and even implied she was doing it wrong on purpose. They also were not happy that she had not apologised for doing the task incorrectly.

My sister told them that this new task had not been mentioned in the job spec, nor the interview and had she'd known it was part of the job, she would not have applied. In 22 years of working in the same role in other companies, she has never been asked to do this particular task. In the meeting she was belittled and told several times "you are clearly not able to do your job."

Her manager was in the meeting but did not say a word, explaining afterwards, that there was no point. My sister tried to hand in her notice but her manager refused it, as she doesn't want her to leave. She left it on her desk in the end but the manager won't look at it.

My sister (usually SO upbeat, positive and confident) is so stressed now she doesn't want to go into work tomorrow. I've told her she should sign off sick with stress but she only gets 4 days sick pay which she has used up.

This isn't right, is it? Can you really be given a task, that has never been previously mentioned, that you don't and can't do and are refused training for? Then after spending two weeks of doing the task incorrectly and feeling like shit (who wants to be wrong every day for two weeks?!) you are humiliated and reprimanded for it?

OP posts:
IncenseStick · 03/12/2018 22:03

No it isn't right, but unless this new task is a significant part of her role, she can't really claim constructive dismissal/breach of contract or whatever - if you're in the UK, ACAS have advice about this.

They also can't actually refuse her resignation either - she isn't a slave.

Singlenotsingle · 03/12/2018 22:07

If she wants to resign, she can. They don't have to "accept" it. It's a fait accompli. As far as the job itself is concerned, she's unprotected as employed for less than 2 years so she can't argue unfair dismissal.

cakedup · 03/12/2018 23:13

Thank you IncenseStick I will refer her to ACAS. We are in the UK.

Singlenotsingle thanks, I didn't realise about the 2 years thing.

I work for a local authority and still we moan but wow, this has really opened my eyes. No way would this fly at my office. I just didn't realise in this day and age you could treat your employee like this and get away with it. I thought if you asked for training it had to be provided, or at least you would not be expected to do the job you are not trained for.

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 04/12/2018 05:19

As she has worked there less than 2 years they could be setting her up to fail so they can get rid of her. They could just do that anyway but sometimes when management are clueless and inept they do it anyway.

They can't refuse her resignation, but she may want to consider whether that's wise if she has no new job lined up.

flowery · 04/12/2018 06:29

As she’s not been there long there would be no need to “set her up to fail so they can get rid of her” - they can do that any time they like.

As other staff are being asked to do the same, it sounds like a genuine decision that this particular task will now be performed by this group of staff.

Adjusting a job description to include a new task is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. If, as a result of their decision not to provide training, the task is not being done well enough and staff are leaving, I imagine they will have to at some point either provide training or get the task done by other people. I realise that doesn’t help your sister immediately though.

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