forced to resign

miss_unhappy

last week i was forced to resign from my job shop work. the reason why i have come to this forum is for advise from other peoples views. already read some great stories and to cut a long story short the reason why i used the words 'forced' is because it was.

two weekends ago i asked my supervisor who was covering the store on her own with a cover supervisor as manager on hols if icould please take time off my next shift as emergency occured family relative terminally ill and wanted to be with my family to help them cope. i was authorized a shift off. i went home to family and its serious so on the sunday evening texted my boss as didnt get chance to have week off work to help family and can i approach a store transfer for the period one/two months. boss said fine but call her the following day. i did this but was so upset my family relative phoned on my behalf stating my relative was very ill in hospital and id needed time to help family. boss said ok. a week passed and i felt bit better and rang my boss the following monday to state i will need more time off and estimated maybe one month to two. boss said shell have to call the HR dept to find out more information. she called me back same day two hours later and said in order for the company to support me they needed more info. i suggested to go to the shop all way from london to home counties next day but my boss said ill need phopne HR again. she called me back same day evening 7pm left me voicemessage asking me to do that. shop was closed so texted her ok.

under false pretences i didnt know why i was going .i wanted to go to tell my boss in person my relative very sick. the day came met my boss in office with superviosr conviently sitting upstairs having her lunch. she talked to me about what i had told her and kept asking me lots questions. once or twice getting personal. one comment was i have known me for two years and think i shud eat more and rest. how insulting! THE MEETING TOOK 2 HOURS ...i felt i was interrogated cornered. she asked i need more information in order for company support me but i had. she told me i didnt want to show me this and presented company policies on time off...not actually but read it to me. she said company has sabbital leave, compassionate leave(10 days) maternal leave and that my reason didnt fall into these catergories...so because id need more time off there no options...she said she rang my local store in london and only had supervisor role was not an option and no more vacancies around for me...so she said i could resign...no time limit to consider was given. under statory right act i think she should of given me time limit? she said its busy time so need replacement fast. she couldnt give me transfer,time off for relative as apparently not immediate family.i was left after 2 hours grilling to resign...i am not happy about this treatment nor what else happened before. year ago we had xmas temps she promoted one of them above me to supervisor level after less than one month being a temp...she said i wasnt up to it. didnt progress me, develop me....thats tip of iceberg. what shall i do?

custardy

not sure what you are expecting?
you resigned?
you wanted 1-2 months off? paid/unpaid?
what were you told your options were? resign or what?

KiKi

Hi there

I'm sorry you feel you had to resign. However, you were asking for a couple of months off work to help out with a relative who isn't in your immediate family (usually this is a parent / child / sibling). Their leave policy doesn't cover more than 10 days compassionate leave, and there were no vacancies available for you to transfer to somewhere closer to home. You had already taken a week off prior to this.

From your company's perspective, they have explained the different leave options, but what you require doesn't fall into it, so after considering a transfer they were unable to help you. You therefore have a choice about whether you choose to stay in your job, or to choose to resign and spend more time with your family. Your employer does not have to provide the time off that you're asking for.

How were you 'forced' to resign? What did they actually say? You may feel you had to resign (because you want to help out your family), but that's a choice, it's not the same as being forced.


KiKi

padd_bear

Sounds to me that the manager was eager to get rid of you and to find someone else..

Sounds like she used your weaknesses against you, in jobs though it is a fighting battlefield! Every soldier for themselves..

I would not have anyone tell me what i can and can not do no matter what their position was, if someone told me i wasn't up to the job, i would prove them wrong and say, thanks but i am maybe you need to be retrained to see good potential yourself.

THE-WIFE_3

Please find your contract of employment and take it to a Citizens Advice if you are not sure. I think your employer has been reasonably fair in allowing you time off but you must seek advice from a Employment Law company if CAB advise you to go further. Youcould be subject to a constructive dismissal which some resignations have fallen under in the past.

It's a minefield and my OH's company allows them one day off for compassionate leave even if it is a spouse.

miss_unhappy

it was a forced resignation because of the conditions ive had to bare the past two years since being employed.its a complex story..

after couple of months since being there i noticed things happening. i have worked a number places and never experienced these issues ever before. i knew something wasnt right and when i realised and began to monitor everthing. i have listed about 8 accounts. one example, after couple months noticed one of the current supervisors begin to victimize me...she didnt do any work ,stood around the til with other co members chatting avoiding customers, not helping customers, showing they really didnt care. i felt this was very unfair as i was being paid same rate as the other people chatting to her. when it came to doing work she say to me in a weird fake tone darling, can u go and do this, but she never speak like that to the other poeple or ask them to do work. went on for few months got really bad.running around like a headless chickeneneded up having bad communication with the girl. i occured joint problems too.manager didnt pick up on this going on... i didnt want to say anything to any of them as didnt want to rock the boat but after feeling ;like a victim of unfairness and unreasonble behaviour i approached manager. i asked to go upstairs into the office and speak about it privately...told her everything. she said thanks for bringing up and she have words with the rest. she didnt do anything and problem kept going on. one sunday my !!! manager captured them on cctv doing nothing the whole day but standing at til chatting, eating. she knew something was fishy and said she couldnt speak to me about it but i guessed. nothing happened. no one got put on action plan or anything. the victimization went on and on so bad went to manager begging her to do something but instead she pulled us bopth in one afternoon after work and said lets clear the air. the supervisor said i make her feel telling her to how to do her job and i said carefully.i feel like your takling mickey out of me, bullying me. manager did nothing but said she put us both on action plan. the supervisor was leaving for gap year so manager said doesnt matter shes going. but why was i made to be put on action plan? i didnt do anything?except assert the wrongdoings. pretty sure area manager doesnt have clue.when it came to looking for new supervisor she said i wasnt up to it and will be looking for somebody whose strong.she never progressed me, never once went through on my performance.

another example. we used to do mystery shops and on one occassion carried out one with my manager on a customer...results cxame back with 90.9 and manager said shame my name wasnt on the report.

another example, when i began the job i signed up for 30 hours , after the incident with supervisor above i was told by manager there be some changes to contract.,..obviously got me worried. i asked if it was going to be not drastic but she said wait until we meet to discuss. there was a formal meeting between my manager, !!! manager and myself. she asked if i wanted anybody present as my witness. i said no. she had my !!! man sat in corner writing down notes whilst manager went through new contract and why. have copies of letters. she showed me the letter and said the reason why is the company wants to use power hours more. i would be loosing 30 hours. she gave me summary of alternative contracts for me to pick ..didnt want to loose any ...options were 8,12, 16,20 hours. i picked 20 the highest. mon, tues, weds, thurs, and sat. 4 hours per day. i noticed i didnt get a copy of new contract in writing and asked why, manager said why asking and said its normal response to have copy....had to go to cab to get advise . took me two weeks to get new copy ...not one thats adequate.

another example promoting a xmas temp after two-four weeks being there to supervisor role over me...whose been there longer. she didnt speak to me whole day about it, i had to ask new supervisor whats happening. the manager heard new one say it and the !!! manager watching my reactions. i was calm and professional.

another example, because of the change of contract loosing 40 hours a month...noticed other members my level on 4 hour contract being given over time of 25 hours a week one part timer on a 16 hour contract was given 32 hours one week...i wasnt asked or approached bout extra time and asked my current supervisor why and she said needed talk to manager. so i did. manager said dont be dishearted i thought u couldnt work 9am -6pm shifts?

so i have many accounts of things leading to a forced resignsation due to conditions being placed on me...stress ...developed asthma as a result this year too.

maninthestreet

Constructive dismissal cases are extremely difficult to win.

miss_unhappy

THE-WIFE wrote: »

Please find your contract of employment and take it to a Citizens Advice if you are not sure. I think your employer has been reasonably fair in allowing you time off but you must seek advice from a Employment Law company if CAB advise you to go further. Youcould be subject to a constructive dismissal which some resignations have fallen under in the past.

It's a minefield and my OH's company allows them one day off for compassionate leave even if it is a spouse.

i have made steps this week to see cab they gave me the instructions/advise who to seek...giving me advise on local drop in centre for lawyers and to present them with my case of constructive dismissal....maybe more. my first step is trying to solve the issues with my head office before going to employment tribunal and see if they will help me. accordingly to thre rights to work book they must promptly automatically send me a written statement of reason why i was forced to resign...if they havent i have to request copy to be sent to my address in writing...they have within 14 days to reply. after that if no recognition i am taking action. well see what happens next tree days...am due last months payslips etc...

Emmzi

I think you need to stop confusing the issues. Yes, you feel slighted by not getting promotion, how you feel you have been treated, etc etc.

You won't know if anyone else is on an action plan. They are confidential.

Your current position is this
a) you asked for time off
b) the company policies do not support this
c) there are no alternate vacancies in another region where you could work.

There is no case for the company to answer here. If you hadn't turned up for work, you'd have ended up sacked anyway.

Focus your energies on your family, and when the time is right, finding a new job. There's nothing for you to do that will make this situation any better.

KiKi

Hi again

I'm sorry lots of incidents have happened that you're not happy with. Did you raise these as grievances through formal channels?

But what I'm really asking is why were you forced at that particular meeting? From what you said, you have made a choice to resign at that meeting - undoubtedly influenced by some of the incidents that have happened. But that doesn't mean they have 'forced' you out by threatening you with a choice. To be honest, it sounds like you didn't really enjoy working with the people you were working with anyway, and as you need to spend time with your family, would you really have stayed working there?

Why were you forced to resign at that specific meeting, is what I'm getting at.

KiKi

THE-WIFE_3

You do need to write everything down and make an appointment with the Citizens Advice and take along all the contracts of employment you have and seek advice. CAB should be able to clarify the situation and put you in touch with an Employment Law specialist.