AAAARGHHH I have to go to an appeal meeting with ex boss

[jampots]

Basically according to my solicitor, ex employer is keen for me to attend an appeal meeting to hear my side of the case (bearing in mind there was no procedure followed in dismissing me).

Not sure why but I am v anxious. I believe he was completely in the wrong but still hate confrontation.

Help....

Sorry jampots no advice, just wanted to wish you luck.
Also, to state the obvious, write down everything you want to say before you go. When your nervous (If you're like me) you can forget stuff and leave thinking "oh damn i wish i'd said that..."
Good luck.

thats exactly like me Cat - which is why Im anxious

just wishing you luck.....

Is your solicitor going with you - if not why not take someone who can take notes (they can't speak but can sit and take notes) a girl I used to work with did this as she was quite nervous and was worried in case she would forget anything said and in case "her words were twisted" Seemingly she also took her written version of what had gone on and followed it while the meeting was going on. Suppose 2nd person would give moral support - you osund like you could do with it ((((((jampots))))))

Yes i agree with Sunnyskies, if you can get someone to go with you. You sometimes feel stronger when you know someone in the room is totaly on your side, it can give you confidence.Keep repeating to yourself "i am in the right, i am in the right" as well.

my lawyer has today submitted my application to the Employment Tribunal so at least now hopefully he will realise Im serious. Ive said I cant attend a meeting before 12th April when the kiddies go back to school so Ive got a couple of weeks to sort myself out. My lawyer says he wants to meet to "discuss suitable alternative roles" {!) surely not ?

Jampots, it is okay. Your employer should have sought alternative jobs before he dismissed you and is probably trying do his best to cover his tracks. Go to the meeting - you don't have to commit to anything he offers - just say you need to discuss with your family and will get back to him. If he offers you your old job back then you will need a good reason for not accepting if you still take him to tribunal. Any other job offers are likely to be different and tribunals almost always accept if an employee says that the alternative wasn't suitable. The fact that he is three months late is thinking about alternatives isn't likely to do him any favours, just turn up, tell them why you believe they acted unfairly, listen to what they say and if they offer alternative employment, say that you don't want to act in haste and will get back to them after giving the matter due consideration. Also, if you are no longer employed by them, you could ask them to reimburse your travelling costs for the meeting.

ooh sis - how tempting.

Im assuming that if he offers me a job then hte fact that there was no genuine redunancy would be apparent - that or he makes his sister redundant? i think he's trying to fix a procedure he hasnt adhered to. However I accept I have to go to the meeting and will do so. My IT1 went in to the tribunal yesterday (today is hte last day)

sis could i possibly contact you offline as there;s something i want to discuss with you (but not in a public forum) -dont worry im not looking for legal advice

Jampots, of course you can CAT me - I'll sit here wondering what it is you want to discuss now...

• will do it now then!

update: Having responded to ex-employer agreeing to meeting, I then had to submit my application to the Employment Tribunal to safeguard my position. He has submitted his response on the last day and I have received a copy today. Get this though, amongst other lies he states that I have unreasonably declined his offer of an appeal meeting!!!!

Also appealing to Sis and Freckle (again) should I just collect my documentary evidence in readiness for the hearing being as though Acas have become involved in a concilliation capacity and ex boss has stated he will not negotiate any settlement whatsoever?

jampots - did you respond by letter saying that you'd have an appeal meeting? If you've got a copy of that it proves that he's lying in at least part of what he's saying, and is more likely to convince a tribunal that the rest of his story may be equally (in)accurate.

Hope it works out ok for you (btw call or email if you're in town and fancy a coffee or whatever - on me - sometime!)

Hi Lunar - yes Ive spoken with my lawyer and he will provide copies of the correspondence to me stating that I did agree to a meeting so that's ok. In addition, I luckily kept my work emails folder (which I had set up with fsmail) active so have been able to print off about 15 emails which also support my side and discredit his. Have typed 4 pages of comments/rectifications on his ET3 putting the story straight and cross referencing to documentary evidence. All this without even requesting copies of his own documentary evidence which should hang him too (Hopefully).

Only just spotted this, jampots. Sounds to me as though he is trying to cover his *rse . As I said before, just because your employers are solicitors doesn't mean they know what they are doing. I think a lot of them assume that you won't take matters further because you are convinced they must know what they are doing and wouldn't have acted the way they did if they weren't in the right, IYSWIM.

Good luck. What date is the tribunal?

dont know yet - probably mid August. They book the hearing date in the 9th week (which will be about 3 weeks time) and they are currently booking for 15th July so add on a few weeks to that. Dont worry I'll keep you well informed

Just wanted to wish you luck with all this, Jampots.

ah thanks - i know this has been dragging on for ages but really feel I should make a stand and see it through.

Can you take someone to take notes for you? I did this for a friends and she found it really helpful to have an (almost) verbatim record.

ooh good thinking - not sure really who I could ask. My one friend does shorthand, maybe she would do it. ANyone here a stenographer?

I'm a very fast writer but am no use to you in Belgium!