Help and advice needed for employment trouble

Strider590

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

But just because 3% may be 'won' it doesn't mean that 97% were 'lost' - many could be settled out of court or dropped for one reason or another...and that's the figures that are missing.

Good point.... Most that i've ever heard of got settled out of court too!

getmore4less

dickydonkin wrote: »

EDIT - What happened to SarEL? Her very informative posts are a miss.

Posts elsewhere now regularly, easy to find(assuming it is the same person).

Googlewhacker

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

But just because 3% may be 'won' it doesn't mean that 97% were 'lost' - many could be settled out of court or dropped for one reason or another...and that's the figures that are missing.

I would guess that 3% has come from cases that have got to court, you are quite correct in saying some will have been settled before getting to this stage.

missblond

Why i though i migh have a case for CD is because my problems first started after i had contacted the head of the company after i suffered a miscarriage due to the workload and extra hours i was bullied in to working. I made a complaint to him, and within 2 days all the deputy managers from the region (south east england) were called to a hurried meeting where they were warned about the working hours and forcing staff to work them under threat of dismissal.
I am a department manager and was suspended 2 weeks later for an alleged serious breach of health and safety. When i went to the "investigation" with documents printed from the company computer that proved what i had been accused of was not wrong and proved i had done nothing wrong. The deputy manager who was conducting the meeting refused to read the policy i gave him and told me it was 'My opinion, and not fact' and this went on for 3 hours. He put me forward for a disciplinary where he made it clear that it was a dismissal he was looking for. I put in a formal complaint regarding the actions of the deputy managers and this was heard but the company found there was no evidence of bullying and did not uphold my complaint. I have a written statement from one of my team leaders in which they state that on the day that the regional manager came to the store to interview staff regarding my complaint, he was instructed by a deputy manager to give specific answers to questions he knew was going to be asked. This made me believe that there was something brewing in regards to CD. I again contacted the head of the company and told him my concerns that i was being set up, and it was agreed that the disciplinary was to be heard at another venue by a neutral manager. At that hearing 'Evidence' was produced in the form of written statements by 5 other managers around the region that said their 'understanding' of my offence was that i was wrong and should be sacked. After reading my evidence it turned out that i had done absolutely nothing wrong and had complied fully with not just comapny policy, but also at national H&S level, and was cleared of all charges. I was then offered a move to another store for 'protection'
I had 6 very succesful months at my new store, achieved all my bonuses, and passed all audits etc. We then had a very high profile visit from a foreign dignitary, and my department was the focus. I spoke to the head of the comapny and all the board members who all praised me for the work me and my team had put in. Later that same day the store manager left to go and work at another store and a new manager took over. Literally as the old manager walked out the building i was called in to the office and given a verbal warning for a funny comment i had made, which the deputy says was racially insensitive. There were 5 other people of foreign origin when i made the alleged comment and none of them said they were offended in any way. 2 weeks later (whilst 7 months pregnant) i was called in the office on 4 occassions, to investigate excess stock that had to be thrown away. This was because of the visit, the store had double the normal stock delivered to keep the store fully stocked. I had sent emails and made phone calls after the visit to stop the extra stock, but it was sent anyway. I was put on a final written warning, despite my arguments and also the fact that i had received no training for the department i was on. When i went to the new store manager and spoke to him about the decision, he threatened me that if i appealed the decision, he would sack me. As i was so heavily pregnant i decided to leave it for the sake of my health and malso the baby. I then had to leave for maternity 4 weeks earlier than planned as while i was working the managers decided to take all my staff from my department to work checkouts, thus leaving me alone. Despite raising concerns with the 2 managers in question, i received no help or assistance.
While i was on maternity leave the new manager then decided that i should not receive a bonus that had already been awarded to me by the previous manager which left me in financial trouble as i was depending on the money to help with chilcare costs. When i phoned him, he told me i was a crap manager, and did not deserve my 'Achieving' rating given to me by somebody else.
I returned to work after my maternity and was immediately sent for training, as the company were finally aware that i was not trained. After finishing my training i returned to my store on the monday, and I made an appointment to speak to the manager regarding my disciplinary warning. I was told he would see me on the following saturday. I was then called to the office by my deputy manager and told that my waste levels in the previous week were not acceptable and he was calling me to the office to face disciplinary action! When i pointed out that i had in fact been at another store the previous week and someone else was running the department, he looked very angry and told me to forget it. 2 days later i was then called to the office again and told that they had seen my time sheets for my time at training, and were suspending me for falsifying worked hours. I again made an official complaint and had the matters investigated by the company, and during the course of the hearings the manager that had authorised my original H&S disciplinary has stated on record that he had a 'Lengthy discussion' about me with the manager that took over my new store in which he pointed out my good points and all my bad points. He then states that he also informed the manager of how i left the store under a serious breach of H&S!! I was completely cleared of all the charges and he knew this, yet he is not only discussing my disciplinary with other people, but also spreading malicious gossip and lies. After my hearings, the company once again cleared the managers of bullying and i went ahead with my disciplinary, for which i was completely cleared again.
This is now twice that i have been suspended for completely untrue offences, and on both occasions i had to go to my doctors with stress, and was put on the highest dosage of anti depressants. The last time was was the worst, as i had just had a baby, and the stress on top of this was almost unbearable.
Now the company want me to return to the store in another department, as the manager has made it clear to me in a mediation meeting that i am worthless, and not capable of meeting his high expectations. He also got in the threat that if they want, they can discipline me for a number of things if they want to! I have all the notes from this meeting, in which he spent 2 hours putting me down, and making me feel like crap. Now the company are refusing to move me, and insist that i have no choice but to return to that store.
The whole thing stinks, but i need someone i can sit down with as there are lots of other incidents other than this, that the company need to be aware of, some of them are criminal matters where i was left in a law breaking situation, yet the area managers have chosen to ignore this.
I need help!

Strider590

Again... You need proof, you need to keep a diary, you need to voice record meetings and conversations. Without proof, you have nothing and THIS is why the bully managers have been cleared.

missblond

I know i need proof, but is being suspended on two occasions and completely cleared of all charges not enough? Is having a written statement (from hearing minutes) where a regional business manager admits to spreading malicious gossip that is harmful to my career and destroyed my reputation not enough? Having the diagnosis of three different doctors who have all concurred that i have suffered undue stress which resulted in me having to take prescription medication not enough? Or being knowingly left in charge of a very large supermarket without an alcohol license? This offence carries possible imprisonment or a £20,000 fine, yet the company have said they are satisfied they acted correctly as it was unavoidable because the deputy who left me there needed to go home and had messed up the work schedules? I'm pretty sure that one wouldn't stand up in court as a valid reason for running a shop without the license.
All these incidentas there is proof of, along with my wages being constantly short, that has left me in some financial difficulty.
All i need is someone to discuss these matters with, as there are serious failings here, and i haven't got a clue who to talk to

Googlewhacker

A solicitor is a good start.....

Have you got home insurance? If so you may have cover on there for legal fees etc, would be worth a check.

Strider590

missblond wrote: »

i haven't got a clue who to talk to

The CAB would be a start.... ?

ohreally

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

But just because 3% may be 'won' it doesn't mean that 97% were 'lost' - many could be settled out of court or dropped for one reason or another...and that's the figures that are missing.

Indeed.

Perhaps KiKI can elucidate.

missblond

I have tried my home insurance as i had the "Gold" legal cover, but they say because the matters started (over 2 years ago) before i took out the insurance policy, they aren't interested. When i spoke to them and explained the circumstances, they just did not seem bothered really, which upset me a little. Also the union have told me the same story, which i am absolutely gobsmacked by, as i have paid my subs to them for over 18 months, but because the incidents started prior to me paying them, they say they can't help.
Looks like an expensive solicitor is my only option now!