Tribunal Cases

[PithyMauveZebra]

This may sound silly, but I know I’m being bullied at my current workplace. I’m convinced that they are trying to push me to quit, and my line manager is having lots of underhanded conversations about me to make me feel insecure. It’s so underhanded that it’s being portrayed in a “growth and development” light, but I know exactly what this is. I can see it clearly.

My issue is that I know I have to file a grievance first, but I am not willing to let this go. The tone of emails, the constant deadlines, the relentless undermining commentary, the way she makes me cry and have panic attacks on my way home.

In terms of evidence, all I really have are emails, dates and times, and logs of conversations. There is nothing else. The emails themselves aren’t really eyebrow-raising in nature — it’s always the verbal conversations where she makes me feel uncomfortable and belittled.

If I hand my notice in, can I still take a grievance out, and could I still take this to tribunal level?

For reference, I’m a teacher.

Have you spoken to your Union @PithyMauveZebra?

Yes you can still raise a Greivance. The only time I have known one to succeed was when several employees raised greivance against one of their colleagues and they had clear written evidence of intimidation and witnesses.

You might want to seriously consider finding another job instead. Employment tribunals are extremely difficult to win, especially in cases like this, because they require very clear, objective evidence of bullying or a fundamental breach of contract, not just how the behaviour feels.

Feeling bullied doesn’t always mean bullying can be proven to be taking place. Line managers do have a duty to set deadlines, give feedback, raise performance issues and direct work, and those actions can sometimes feel undermining or targeted even when they fall within management responsibilities. That’s why the legal threshold is so high.

If most of the behaviour happens verbally and the emails themselves don’t clearly show misconduct, a tribunal claim would be an uphill battle and very emotionally draining.

In many cases, the healthiest and most practical option is to move on to a different workplace rather than put yourself through a long process that you have a slim chance of winning with limited “evidence”.

Sometimes a win isn’t legal action at all — it’s moving on to bigger and better opportunities and taking your excellent skills somewhere they’re properly valued.

Excellent advice. I have never seen a successful grievance and as for a tribunal - despite the fact they are time consuming and potentially expensive do you really what that stress in your life? What you see may not be what others see.

Honestly after many working years my advice is find another job and leave. The rest is to give us hope that because we are right something will be done. They will protest themselves.

@PithyMauveZebra You have started so many threads about your workplace. I really think you need to leave. You’ve said numerous times that you are struggling with aspects of this job and it sounds like they are trying to support you, but ultimately, if it’s not working it’s not working.

you don’t get benefits for five months if you leave a job so make sure you have another one to go to.

Agree with others that you are better off moving on.

Are you able to speak to your union or HR dept? It is clear that you feel bullied, which is usually taken seriously with feedback to the person you feel is bullying you and arrangements made going forward but you appear to have no proof you are being bullied and that may not have been the intention of your manager.

If you do want to make a written complaint get help with it. You need to be clear what they did and how it made you feel and the outcomes . 'She made me cry and have a panic attack' is incorrect, 'she said this or did that, I interpreted it like this and felt it was an attack in my competence, I was upset by this and cried and had a panic attack'.

I'm sorry op, this will not succeed as a grievance. If you recognise that the written communications are done in the style of 'helping you', that is how those investigating the grievance will see it whether you agree or not and whatever her tone is in your conversations.

You were advised on a previous thread to go and speak to the Head. Did you do that?

If you leave and raise a grievance afterwards you aren’t entitled to a full investigation, just a written response. Which wouldn’t help any tribunal claim (which it sounds like you don’t have anyway).

There are strict time limits on raising them once you have left.

Definitely focus on getting another job.

I've only heard of one tribunal being successful in the employees favour. He had a very strong case with evidence, he had a head of department investigating his grievance prior to the tribunal who did it very fairly with some damning comments which were evidence (rare, they usually close ranks). His wife was also a solicitor with experience in the field. Not sure if she represented him or he got mates rates at her firm. There were no big risks around legal bills to pay, he had knowledgeable invested support and very strong documented evidence. It was still hugely stressful. He didn't return to the employer, he still had to find another job, the payout wasn't like a life changing lottery win.
It was all pretty secretive and I expect the most satisfaction he would have got would be if he knew that someone (I think it was an indiscreet partner of a union rep who forwarded it on by email) had somehow got a transcript of the tribunal ruling, in which the negative behaviour of certain managers was outlined and they were named. This was circulated (unofficially) round the business like wildfire. So his former colleagues could see he was vindicated.

Unless a person has an absolutely clear evidenced, documented, unambiguous and witnessed case, I'd put the energy into finding another job elsewhere.