arrgghh pregnant and threatening to be sacked! help please :(

atwitsend_2

I am 24 weeks pregnant. I work as a sales consultant in a very small office (only 4 staff) with no managers. I have been there for nearly 2 years now. The head office is based 85 miles away and we only have a visit maybe once a week from a member of management.
Today, me and 2 other members of the staff have had letters arrive at home which say

'constant monitoring of figures has highlighted disapointing figures and under-achievement of targets. You need to make every effort to reach your allocated targets and undertake the appropriate number of calls to reach your sales figues.

We are also disappointed to note your general poor timekeeping and misuse of company equipment, eg mobile calls/internet.

A further review will take place in 4 weeks by which time a sgnificant improvement needs to be evident to avoid a more formal approach on competency and performance issues.'

then signed by personnel officer.

Now, My time keeping is bloody excellent, I am NEVER late. I hardly ever take a mobile call either, the only time i do so is when my disbaled son's school ring me, which I count as an emergency. Ok i use the internet occasionaly, but on my lunch breaks!!! which i have always been told is ok. As for targets, I dont always reach target, never have doen for the last 2 years I have worked there, but they know I do sell and that I have a great relationship with the customers. I also undertake extra work at home for the office which I have always been willing to do.
This week they have also started advertising for new sales consultants for this office, we werent informed of this, we found it out on the company website, we thought this was odd as there is only 4 desks and 4 staff, so couldnt figure out where they could put these staff! Now I know obviously they want to get rid of us!

I am fuming, this has stressed me out to the max, the other 2 staff who have recieved this arent pregnant and it horrifys me to think I may be jobless just weeks before my maternity leave starts (which they agreed with me in writing abotu dates etc) I wont be able to go get a job at this stage in pregnancy

anyone with any employment advice please?

cazziebo

It's easy to say but calm down.. The company could have gone straight to disciplinary and they haven't. They are triggering the performance management process. What I would do is write a letter to the personnel manager, noting the letter and request clairification of the points raised. State your desire to be a valuable member of the team, throw in that although you have an excellent rapport with customers, you would like some support in making sales targets. Make the letter as co operative and unemotional as possible. Keep a copy.

During the next four weeks, give them no cause for concern at all. (I know sales can be difficult to hit but do what you can.) document any extra hours, reasons for failed sales, any positive customer or manager feedback.

If it should come to first stage disciplinary as a result of the review meeting, you will then be well armed with evidence to either make it fail, or to appeal against a negative decision.

At this stage, there is no grounds to suspect discrimination. If after the review, you are the only one of the three to be progressed into the disciplinary process, I'd be a bit more suspicious.

If it makes you feel better, most tribunals are won on procedural issues rather than fairness. When pregnancy is involved, companies have to be squeaky clean, to the extent that they just don't fire pregnant women, even when it is justified by conduct or performance.

Best of luck. And congratulations! :T

atwitsend_2

Thank you, that is very sound advice. :T:T:T
I am partly tempted to go to the doctors and get signed off with stress from this....they cant sack me if i'm on sick leave :rotfl: or would that be a really bad idea?

Emmzi

they *can* sack you while you are on sick leave. common misconception.

Anihilator

Why has pregnancy been even mentioned. Its nothing to do with it.

You have no choice but to improve. Failure to reach targets can be a sackable offence. They are giving you the chance to improve. Do it or face being sacked.

atwitsend_2

My reason I mentioned pregnancy was because if I do get sacked, being 23 weeks pregnant, I am not going to be able to get another job at this stage of pregnancy.

It is not possible to reach target in my job everyday, they do not give us the data to be able to do so! It feels so frustrating because without the data, we don't have enough people to contact to sell to!

p00hsticks

atwitsend wrote: »

It is not possible to reach target in my job everyday, they do not give us the data to be able to do so! It feels so frustrating because without the data, we don't have enough people to contact to sell to!

Have you previously raised this with the management ?

atwitsend_2

yes, many times, they promise various things that have never happened.

mountainofdebt

Speaking from personal experience, I know that an advert advertising your jobs is not a good sign,lol!

How do they monitor your timekeeping, the taking of calls etc?

Have you taken a copy of the advert - might not be of any use but perhaps worth having.

atwitsend_2

They dont monitor our timekeeping really as there is no one in the office to do so! we have a sheet that we have to fill out ourselves to state what time we come in and leave and sign. The calls, they can probably pull of reports to show these, but without the data, we cant call and then cant reach target. If I wasnt pregnant, I would be gone like a shot from there.

rach29

If I've read this right, there are 3 staff who have had this letter, and 4 staff who work in the office?

1) Is staff member 4 senior to any of you or are you all the same?
2) Are you on good terms with staff member 4?
3) Is staff member 4 meeting sales targets?
4) How were you "led to believe" internet usage was ok during lunch hours?

Seems odd to me that 3 out of 4 staff have been targeted by this letter & 1 is not

Have you kept a copy of the advertisment for new sales staff? If not get one.

If the company intend to take you down the route of underperformance there are a number of procedures which they must follow, including offering you the chance to have training/help to "get you up to standard. This takes time. At 24 weeks pregnant I would doubt they had sufficient time to complete a full competancy/underperformance procedure before you would be due to go on maternity leave.