Bullying, stress and forced resignation!

teabelly

Not me I hasten to add. Wife of a friend of mine has been off sick since about October due to stress mainly due to bullying. Just before Xmas she was forced to resign. Her union rep seemed to change tack at the last minute which makes me think a) the rep was incompetent or b) did a deal with the management. She's still sick so it seems they were taking advantage of her mental state. She has seen their Occy Health but I don't think she has been offered counselling of any kind. think she was forced to resign within a week or two of seeing occy health and seeing precisely one video about stress! Don't think this is exactly constructive help being offered.

What are the questions I need answers to offer the best help I can? I have already suggested a visit to the CAB as I think she was badly advised.

Are there any legal ways a company can force someone to resign that has been made sick by the company's actions and not face a case against them?

Her case is probably more political as the authority are money saving and she is well paid. There seems to be a history of people turning up and then bullying out existing well paid managers.

maninthestreet

Possibly a case for constructive dismissal, but there is not enough information to go on. Has this person taken this up with the Union to discover why their representative 'changed tack' at the last minute?

teabelly

I asked her hubby and she didn't ask why he changed tack. He said they got her into such a state she would have agreed to anything and she doesn't really want to talk about it. Not a nice way to treat a grow woman really.

With constructive dismissal do you need to have done a grievance first? One of the dismissals, can't remember whether it is wrongful or constructive you generally need to have taken one out in the first instance. I am pretty certain she hasn't done anything and has just given in to their bullying basically.

TigersEye

Please tell this person to take action immediately, I was in a similiar position a few years back, although I was not ill.

My situation was new people took over the company I worked for, I loved the job and my old workmates who left when the new company took over, told me it wouldn't be the same, we were a great team. Anyhow, the new people made me feel like S**T, as though I didn't know what I was doing. Anyhow I ended up being forced to resign and the union rep was terrible, however, her union leader and the opposition union thought the way I'd been treated was appalling, and yet I still procastinated. I didn't take action, I wallowed in self pity, my self esteem and confidence went to rock bottom low and every day I kick myself.

Please tell your friend that yes it does stink the way she has been treated but she's only going to punish herself by not taking action immediately and finding out where she stands and what her choices are and more importantly what she will do with the rest of her life.

ukjoel

Hi,
Been in similar situation and union were next to useless. Strongly suspect they collaberated with employer and did some deals although cant prove it.
I was certainly misled by union and would make sure you keep records of any contact with union and do it in writing.

These guys basically have very little power and force companies to follow the process which is why they turn up the pressure and bully, harass, and intimidate but do so just within the line of legality.

You see the stories in the papers of people who won settlements but for every one of those there are 100 people forced out because their face didnt fit or they couldnt change fast enough for their new manager.

Sad fact of life but many of the ambulance chasing solicitors who focused on no win no fee until recently are now advertising their services to companies or directors who want to save money by getting rid of staff.

TigersEye

ukjoel wrote: »

Hi,
Been in similar situation and union were next to useless. Strongly suspect they collaberated with employer and did some deals although cant prove it.
I was certainly misled by union and would make sure you keep records of any contact with union and do it in writing.

These guys basically have very little power and force companies to follow the process which is why they turn up the pressure and bully, harass, and intimidate but do so just within the line of legality.

You see the stories in the papers of people who won settlements but for every one of those there are 100 people forced out because their face didnt fit or they couldnt change fast enough for their new manager.

Sad fact of life but many of the ambulance chasing solicitors who focused on no win no fee until recently are now advertising their services to companies or directors who want to save money by getting rid of staff.

I totally agree with you

ronc01

I worked for a 'well-known' bank who got into difficulties (never out of the news) a couple of years ago. I suffered two years of bullying, abuse, humiliation. I was called an !!!!!! in front of other colleagues and told to get outside by my Tormentor when I performed a task specifically requested of me by another colleague which didn't suit him.
The only person to give an accurate reflection of events was a contractor
'Not beholden' to the company.
The 'media' always like to pick up on stories of payouts etc.
There are countless other stories they never bother with.

teabelly

If the union reps are doing deals then surely they should be held to account as they are acting for the employee in their duty as a union rep not the employer. I'll also suggest a complaint to the union once the reason for the tack change becomes apparent.

On my return to work after I was off I was also assigned one of the people that had been bullying me to over see my return! This is the general level of crass stupidity that is in public sector organisations. It can't be accidental, it must be deliberate as no right thinking person would ever put a person that had been off and complained of bullying with the bully!

SomeBozo

union were next to useless

I always wondered why a "union" got so many reccomendations on here! Look at any thread and if its not ACAS then its "goto the union".

In my many years of dealing with unions I find they are useless are individual issues. They are better at group / regional / national issues. I am shocked at the amount of cash given to unions which in any other sector would be stopped and shamed.

Sad fact of life but many of the ambulance chasing solicitors who focused on no win no fee until recently are now advertising their services to companies or directors who want to save money by getting rid of staff.

I'll put my hand up to this one. My company (though for 17 years) has been helping employers to do all kind of stuff via a consultancy.

What staff have to remember is that a business is a business. ie it needs to make money or the business stops (with a few exceptions).

If there is no cash to pay you for a 40 a week and we can only afford a 20 a week, you take it or you leave. Its that simple.

Employees are to quick to demand rights.

I am not talking about bullying etc, as no employer can ever justify this. In this situation you are better going to a solicitor, not the union an paying them to get witnesses and take it from there.

A union values its relationships with a employer and will not always act for the individual when it jepordises the group effort.

Bozo