Dismissed by text?

Mrs_P_Pincher

My friend's daughter has been working 16 hours a week for over twelve months. Last week she received a text telling her not to come in as they could only offer her three hours a week from now on. She hasn't been back.
She has tried to see CAB, but there was a 5 hour wait, she cannot get through to ACAS on the phone, our local Law Centre only takes calls on employment matters on Thursdays and she cannot afford a solicitor.
She is a single parent with three children and her 'emergency' appointment with DWP re her benefits is not for another two weeks.
Because I am allegedly 'good at writing letters', her Mum has asked me to write to the employer, but I have said no, partly because this is an area in which I have no experience and partly because I know she has had a break in service and also may not be telling her mother the whole truth. I can't tell whether this is constructive dismissal or what and depending when the break in service was, she may not have worked there 12 months.
The whole family is getting very stressed over this. Is there anything else she should be doing? Apparently she has absolutely no money and her parents are now supporting her financially.
Thanks
Mrs P P

SomeBozo

Has the daughter actually been into work and spoke to her manager?

What if the text message was from someone else other than work?
What if it was sent to her by mistake?
What if its a (bad) joke?
What would have happened if her phone was off/damaged?

I would not turn up for work on the strength of a text message.

Before anyone starts "writing good letters" and getting "emergency" appointments with DWP, going to ACAS or CAB, she needs to speak to her work.

Bozo

DCFC79

It could a bit of a misunderstanding OP, do as person above said

Mrs_P_Pincher

Good point - she is so busy running round with her head on fire that she has not spoken to them - won't speak to them in fact. My guess is that there is something behind this that she is not telling her mother, which would be par for the course, which is another reason why I won;t get involved.

Having said that though, presumably it's a good idea for her to find out what her rights are?

Mrs P P

dmg24

Mrs_P_Pincher wrote: »

Good point - she is so busy running round with her head on fire that she has not spoken to them - won't speak to them in fact. My guess is that there is something behind this that she is not telling her mother, which would be par for the course, which is another reason why I won;t get involved.

Having said that though, presumably it's a good idea for her to find out what her rights are?

Mrs P P

It is difficult to know what her rights are, without knowing the full story? If she has been there over twelve months then she will have considerably more rights than if she has been there under a year. However, as you mention a break in service it is impossible to know which category she will fall into.

Could you have a chat with her and try to get the full story (and get her to ring her employer!)?

SomeBozo

I dont think she has any rights? She has been there less than 2 years so thats redundancy out the question.

She was offered 3 hours and she didn't turn up? Sounds like shes probably been dismissed for not showing up.

All over a text message. Follow your own advice and stay away!

Bozo