Any advice please!

pesky_princess · 18 February 2017 at 3:00AM

Just wondered if anyone has any knowledge to help me please -

So, I have worked at my current job for over 18 months.
I have had an exemplary record whilst being there. No verbal warnings, no written warnings - not even an informal telling off for my behaviour, or work. Nothing.

I have had a disciplinary meeting a week ago. the letter I received stated the consequences of the disciplinary will be either a final warning or dismissal.
I attended the meeting which was with my operational manager. I put over my defence and talked it through etc.
I was told he would be having a meeting with the higher bosses and would inform me of the outcome.
Today I have the outcome.
I have had a final warning and also a £1,000 (per year) reduction in my salary.
I had no prior notice that the reduction in salary would be a possible consequence.
Also - the letter states the reduction in my salary would be starting from 01/02/2017.
Are they allowed to start a pay cut from prior to being informed of the paycut?
I am appealing against the whole thing - the pay cut and also the final warning.
I do not feel I am to blame for the incident - in fact I believe they are to blame.
I would really appreciate any advice here before I dig into official advice... this whole thing has about destroyed me in just a week.
I work hard, I take my job seriously always and I am absolutely gutted to have this whole thing going on when I pride myself in my work and job.

£1000 a year may not seem much to some but it is to me. My wage is low as it is for what I do (that's another story!)
Just really upset.
Don't even know exactly how to go about appealing and if I should know anything before hand. Feel lost - fighting the powers that be... its not nice

Thank you.

Undervalued · 18 February 2017 at 10:42AM

Keep in mind that with only 18 months service they did not actually need to follow procedure and could have dismissed you without even giving a reason.

All you can do is appeal following the firm's appeals procedure. Whether or not that is worthwhile is another matter. Very few internal appeals are successful even when there is sufficient service to bring an unfair dismissal claim. In your case there is not so you are, in effect, asking somebody more senior to say that you are right and your manager is wrong. Are they likely to do that?

Even if that were to happen it would leave a terrible working relationship. Realistically your best bet is to keep you head down whilst looking for another job.

Technically no, they probably should not backdate the pay reduction. You could almost certainly make a claim for the shortfall up to the date of the disciplinary decision. Again though, is that wise? If you find another job fairly soon and you don't need a reference from this place then you threaten to bring a claim for breach of contract / underpayment of wages and maybe claw back roughly fifty quid.

robatwork · 18 February 2017 at 1:19PM

No advice. Just wondering what the "incident" was.

kingfisherblue · 18 February 2017 at 7:38PM

Does the pay cut take you under the minimum wage?

pinkduvetdiva · 18 February 2017 at 8:31PM

Were you demoted?

-taff · 18 February 2017 at 10:26PM

Final warning or dismissla is usually gross misconduct. If there is a policy for this, what does it say the consequences of a final written are?
If they have these policis in place, there should have been a copy of their procedure with a section detailing how to appeal. Have you got one of these?
As above, a pay cut usually stems from a demotion, not an arbirtrary figure plucked out of the air.

[Deleted User] · 18 February 2017 at 10:37PM

I fought the law, and the law won. 21 years hard labour and thrown on the compost heap to rot because of my health. Thank you not.

Takeaway_Addict · 19 February 2017 at 4:02PM

Sleazy wrote: »

I fought the law, and the law won. 21 years hard labour and thrown on the compost heap to rot because of my health. Thank you not.

relevent to the original thread how?

Takeaway_Addict · 19 February 2017 at 4:02PM

-taff wrote: »

Final warning or dismissla is usually gross misconduct. If there is a policy for this, what does it say the consequences of a final written are?
If they have these policis in place, there should have been a copy of their procedure with a section detailing how to appeal. Have you got one of these?
As above, a pay cut usually stems from a demotion, not an arbirtrary figure plucked out of the air.

Doesn't matter at 18 months though...

-taff · 19 February 2017 at 10:12PM

It does. If a company has policies they have to follow them. They can't say 'we're only going to apply these policies to people who have worked here less than 2 years'
For all we know it could be an attempt at constructive dismissal, which is a no no however long you've worked somewhere.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser · 20 February 2017 at 9:22AM

-taff wrote: »

It does. If a company has policies they have to follow them. They can't say 'we're only going to apply these policies to people who have worked here less than 2 years'
For all we know it could be an attempt at constructive dismissal, which is a no no however long you've worked somewhere.

The only problem being that if you go back saying "you haven't followed proper procedures in giving me this pay cut and I view it as an attempt at constructive dismissal" there's nothing to stop them saying "Fair enough, ignore that, we will go through proper procedures and dismiss you."

Any advice please!

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