Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Flip

Original poster

New job - walked into grievance & ET

23 replies

Cavancrackers · 15/04/2022 12:43

I started a new job at the end of 2021. I’ve walked straight into a problem….

On my first day I was told by the director they was a pending grievance and employment tribunal and to be careful.

I’ve now been with the company for 5 months and I am becoming more and more aware of what is going on.

Name changes for obvious reasons here. John had worked for the company for 20 years. John went onto long term sick leave due to stress which is is due to my manager being a hot head. Arguments in the office that escalated and kept on and on and on etc.

Whilst John was on sick leave the company recruited joe bloggs. Joe started at the company and commenced his role. Then one day John comes back to work with no warning and finds joe now sat doing his job. There are at this point 2 staff employed to do same job.

John and joe are having ongoing issues with the manager but decide to share the job. Joe then decides to jump ship because of the escalating situation. He makes an excuse and leaves.

John is then moved from one team to another team and is removed from the work area to another area of the company.

I am subsequently recruited and start the role. John has raised a full blown grievance and has said about going down ET route. Grievance is ongoing at the moment.
I have not been called as a witness but expect it to come at some point.

The issue is I am also having problems with this manager. He marked me down on my probationary review and made reference to work I have never been asked to undertake as a way to mark me down.

I am classed as disabled under the equality act. It has been formally assessed in court. The company are aware of my medical condition. Reasonable adjustments have not been made yet. My manager provides zero support and is very negative. All the time.

My work has been reviewed by the client as best in practice and the ceo wants the work implementing and rolled out across the project however my manager claims my work is not satisfactory. Mega difference in opinion here.

Now I am really starting to worry because there is repeating and re occurring theme of everyone in this role being managed out by the manager.

The director has even phoned me to say they want me on board and do not want to give him any opportunity to extend my probationary period as a form of control.

I am thinking of getting my doctor to write to the company stating I have disclosed my medical condition and reasonable adjustments have not been provided yet and that I am not being provided with any support from the manager. What do you think?

I was thinking of saying I want all work instructions from him in writing as I cannot be expected to do work I know nothing about.

I get a call on a Monday for 5 minutes and that’s it for the entire week. I’ve been on holiday for the past 7 days and he didn’t even realise I’m away despite agreeing my Holliday form.

My boss is also constantly on holiday or off sick and it’s been going on since day 1 of my employment.

I don’t want to leave the job but need to get around his dirty games and I don’t want my probationary period being extended either.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

OP posts:

rookiemere · 15/04/2022 13:07

Is the director you mention in the same company as you ?
Is he your managers boss ?

If so I'd go to the director and start with an informal chat around things. They already know there is an issue with the manager because of mentioning the extension of the probation period. Is there any other area you could go to within the company to move away from manager ?

SalsaLove · 15/04/2022 13:30

Is there an HR department?

Original poster

Cavancrackers · 15/04/2022 13:52

My director is within my company. HR is also within the company.

My boss is not hired by my company as such. I am part of a joint venture company.

I have already tried to move departments and not allowed.

I suspect grievance started in February time.

Probation ends at end of May. Thinking of going to doctor for letter at the end of this month.

OP posts:

UseHerName · 15/04/2022 13:55

Hmm not hr - have you a trade union?

rookiemere · 15/04/2022 13:57

OP I really don't think a doctor is going to write a letter saying how well or otherwise your company has complied with reasonable adjustments.

rookiemere · 15/04/2022 14:06

I think you need to speak to director as I've said.
If this manager isn't actually in your organisation it shouldn't be on him to determine if your probation is extended or not, and rather than putting the problem on you the director should speak to him.
They know he's an issue and there is an enquiry on him already, if there are any other jobs in your local area I'd start making noises about " considering your options "and "position feeling untenable " to your manager.

AmericanStickInsect · 15/04/2022 14:46

OP I really don't think a doctor is going to write a letter saying how well or otherwise your company has complied with reasonable adjustments

100% this. This is a totally inappropriate request for a doctor.

Reasonable adjustments not being made is one thing - I'd start that discussion with line manager/HR.

Manager being crappy is another - discuss with whoever oversees them/someone senior enough that you feel is appropriate.

Original poster

Cavancrackers · 15/04/2022 15:07

I don’t have any reasonable adjustments in place …

OP posts:

Anotherpassengerwantstogetoff · 15/04/2022 15:14

Then speak to HR and request OH involvement for assessment for reasonable adjustments.
It isn’t a situation for a GP.

BritishDesiGirl · 15/04/2022 18:19

@Cavancrackers

I don’t have any reasonable adjustments in place …

You need to speak to HR in that case and get everything in writing, email etc.

A doctor won't write you a note like this, it goes beyond the realm of what is appropriate.

daisychain01 · 16/04/2022 04:42

What is it you're asking advice for, it isn't that clear.

If it's advice about how to be given reasonable adjustments, then the most effective way to achieve this is to formalise your request in writing, stating what RA you would like your employer to put in place, ensuring your request is achievable and reasonable for the size of company they are. If you haven't fully declared what disability you're RA will support, it would be worth doing that eg: I have a bad back which means I need a lumbar support and none of the chairs in the office have the support I need for my disability.

As stated upthread, your GP will not want to get involved in any discussion about whether your employer has supported you. What they could do, very likely at a cost to you, is to provide a letter to you confirming your disability which you could then include with the reminder about the absence of your RA and this could hasten them to take action, as anything in writing starts to give them hints that you could be building up to a tribunal action if they don't get their act together.

Other than this, I'm not really sure what the relevance of the John and Joe situation was all about, and it is highly unlikely you would be called as a witness at Tribunal when you weren't in the company at the time it was all kicking off.

If they try to suck you into the drama, firmly and resolutely decline, you are under no obligation to be a witness and you'd be foolish to get involved.

wildseas · 16/04/2022 06:51

If you’re at the point of considering notice anyway, I think that one thing which you could do is ask the director whether it is possible to change line manager because you and x are not a good fit.

They will likely ask for examples and you could use the things in your op as «different styles «

HairyScaryMonster · 16/04/2022 07:18

Is there occupational health? I'd write to hr stating adjustments not made, refer to OH.

And yes ask for everything in writing from manager or follow up meetings with an email detailing discussion.

Aprilx · 16/04/2022 20:27

I don’t understand your post. What is the relevance of the Jim and John situation to you? It is nothing to do with you as far as I can tell.

Your post seems to condense down to you are still waiting for reasonable adjustments and the rest not really relevant? You need to go to HR and your manager and ask for your reasonable adjustments to be considered, are you clear on what it is you require?

Original poster

Cavancrackers · 17/04/2022 10:26

In my post I said that I am having the same issues as my predecessor who raised a grievance.

I’ll give some examples

Manager is avoiding coming to work since I started. In December he took off my first day then 3 weeks for Christmas. Came to work January for about 1 week then went off sick. Has been off on the sick another two times. Booking off holiday weekly. This makes him entirely unavailable.

Making himself unavailable generally and declining all meetings.

Team meeting on a Monday - I get given five minutes to provide an update. I am rushed so don’t have adequate time to speak. I’m then told I have a communication issue. He ignores me the rest of the week.

Does not review work which stops all work from being progressed.

I have written management plans and asked for feedback from him. No reply or acknowledgement.

I’m unsure if he’s trying to set me up to fail or is bullying or both. I’m amazed that HR is allowing him to call in sick a lot and take constant holiday.

OP posts:

daisychain01 · 18/04/2022 07:19

What you've now described sounds untenable.

In your position I'd pull out all the stops to find a new job. No other advice than that. It makes me wonder how they can possibly run a viable business with management behaving like that. Not your problem. Cut loose!

HavingA · 18/04/2022 07:41

That sounds all crazy, what a muppet your LM is.

Are you raising the reasonable adjustment point now because you are worried he won't pass your probation? Will you claim unfair dismissal if you don't pass?

In your shoes I'd raise the RA (what are they?) as soon as possible. Once you have passed your probation, complain about your crazy LM.

HidingFromDD · 18/04/2022 07:47

I think which company is accountable is key here.

The company who employs you should ensure reasonable adjustments are made. That means your director needs to be sorting this one out. It sounds like they know there is a problem but aren’t providing the support.

Is this actually a joint venture or are you an outsourcing supplier and manager is the client? In that case options are more limited tbh. Manager is probably being an arsenal as he wanted it to go internal and will continue picking fault until project is delivered.

One point though, 5 minutes is plenty for a project update. You need to be able to deliver key points succinctly

Littlegoth · 18/04/2022 07:47

HR here. You need to tell HR. Reasonable adjustments have been set by HR (in consultation with OH/external experts) everywhere I’ve worked. If yours are not being adhered to, HR need to know.

M0RVEN · 18/04/2022 07:50

@daisychain01

What you've now described sounds untenable.

This. There were serious problems before you started and you can’t fix them.

Cut your losses and move as soon as you find something else.

hopeishere · 18/04/2022 07:54

Find a new job! But in the meantime...

Speak to HR about the adjustments.

agree you're unlikely to have to get involved in an ongoing tribunal, but as you say there's a pattern.

Can you go to your bosses boss?

Aniita · 18/04/2022 07:57

I agree speak to the director under the guise of discussions about your probation period and nailing down their expectations. (In saying this, I assume director is LM's boss?) Get these expectations in writing. You can also ask how to access OH for your reasonable adjustments.

And also look for a new job. The director knows what your LM is like and is not interested in managing him properly. That doesn't bode well

Original poster

Cavancrackers · 18/04/2022 09:48

I had already raised the RA point.

I am part of a joint venture company. Two companies joined to form one. Director is not line managers boss… and is not employed by my company.

Under the JVC he is my manager but has no duty of care whatsoever as not employed by my company.

Just before I came away director said he wants my probation signed off at the end of May. Then he said I do not want line manager to have any excuse to extend it.

The funny thing is if I leave then John will know he has done it again and could use it against him so line manager is putting himself in difficult position

4th person in my team has also resigned and is due to finish on 22nd.

OP posts:

Flip