My boss has cut my wages without my permission!

Luvly.cuppa.T

Hi all. This is the tip of the iceberg, but I am aware that my boss has reduced my wages by 30p an hour.

Apparantly she went barmy in front of the assistant managers and demanded to know who had put me on a higher wage- when it was infact herself back in June 2006. My boss had made me supervisor with the 30p payrise! (The AM managers didn't what to say!)

She now has altered my wage on the system (assitant manager got me a copy), so it is fact- BUT I have to wait until pay day before I can confront the boss , which is thankfully 12th Jan.

I have spoken to ACAS and they say that this is a breech of contract and that I can make a greivance with it.

However, there is much more going on with tips being taken from us by the boss for her own short fallings- she forgets what she says and promises- (we work in a bar) customers are allowed to help themsleves behind the bar after closing (!), her moods are terrible with snapping at customers- she has a drink problem and this effects a number of things.
The list is endless, including asking us to sign saying that we have seen new contracts,(we have been taken over) when we haven't! (I've persuaded everyone not to , and so far it has worked!)
I can write a whole load of stuff, but unfortunately I have not always been first hand witness, but trust staff that have shared their experiences.

I have also raised these issues with her boss who is taking everything seriously, but is asking me to write in using my name, or else he cannot investigate it- I had asked for it to be confidential you see.

I am not comfortable 'coming forward' with this as the boss can be very !!!!!y and nasty. Another (very valuable) member of staff left this week and put in her resignation letter a number of things that she was unhappy with. The boss said that if she wanted to raise a greivance , then the girl would have to leave the pub immediately (ie not work her shift) and not return. This is down right unacceptable , and is bullying and intimmidation. The boss also apparantly had answers for everything....

This isn't the only time that she has acted this way, and I fear that if I bring any kind of grievance she will either cut my hours to 0, or make life very difficult for me. My partner also works there part time and this will effect him too, I am sure!

SO I am thinking that if I leave and put in a huge greivance about everything, then surely the boss will be essentially sacked after suspension and hearing, and a request of mine will be to get my job back after she leaves. Which should be honoured.

I am in turmoil with this, as I already went through a greivance in last job, after I left due to equal pay (and again a whole load of other stuff!) and she has now gone -yeah! (It does work LOL) But it takes a lot to go through with it, and I actually want to stay at this pub, as I enjoy my job when the boss isn't around!

I cannot claim for contructive dismissal as I have only been there 9 months.
I am also worried that if I leave my name will be severely !!!!!ed upon to the locals (the boss is a great manipulator) and if I return it may not be the same. Also OH works in the day in a local business which may effect him again if this all goes horribly wrong.......

I also need to say that I am at Uni and we have 3 kids, so I only work Friday nights in term time, otherwise its too much for us all. That's why I say that my hours could be cut to 0. I like my job and hope to get temporarily promoted in the summer term to assistant manager to gain more experience. It's also very conveniently close, and I love the customers and staff.
Getting another job for just a Friday night may prove too difficult and I really don't want to go somewhere new etc etc , not when I want to concentrate on uni. But then you think, why go through all this for just a Friday night job? Is it really worth it?

Hopefully at least one member of staff who has left will be sending a fething great greivance (his should really rock the boat as he has been put in jeopardy through boss drinking- and he has witnessed a lot of things). I'm also going to try and convince the girl who has just left this week to put one in too. Other staff memebers who are planning to leave soon are saying that they will write too, but we shall have to wait and see.
I could just hang on and hope that something is done via these letters, but if you want a job doing properly...... yeah that old chestnut.

I would really appreciate any advice or opinions on this- I will be getting my pay sorted, but wonder if I should approach boss first or just go straight ahead with grievance? (boss will be on holiday at the time!)

Arghhhhhhh, please help!

N9eav

Long post, but if it was me, I would be looking for another job and then file a very large grievance case. I can't see it getting any better for you by staying. The alcoholism and "people helping themselves" will only lead to the business demise anyway

MDF_Goblin

Eject eject eject!

It will only get worse there. Start looking now before you get too desperate.

Knelley

Luvly I totally sympathise with you. I have just walked out of me part-time job due to the attitude of me manager and a so-called assistant manager. Loads of things happened here also but the icing on the cake was me being made Senior Sales alongside another collegue who is also a close friend. We got shop keys and basically told we had equal responsability and that we would be running the shop together in the absence of the management. I 'found' out on Thursday that I am in fact to 'defer'to my collegue and that I 'am to remember my position'! This is after I have been managing the shop myself every Sunday so my Manager could get some time off over Christmas. I have 2 young kids, she has none, I was trying to do everything I could to help her! Well, I did what I could...walked with dignity. I have left a message for my manager and my area manager to get in touch with me. I have been onto HR and they advised I have to have a meeting with my manager and if I am not happy then my area manager. I have already had a meeting with my manager about 5 months ago as I was not happy with the way I was being treated then so I am waiting to hear from my Area Manager. I am not going back into the environment until it is rectified. I am looking for another job as the one I loved has been taken from me due to other peoples bad people management tactics.

Luvly huns. If you love your job then do something about it. I totally undestand where you are coming from. It is very hard and I feel ' Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?' But just because someone is in management does not give them the right to treat others like S***! They are meant to be trained in people management skills alongside other skills, that is why they are paid more. If they are not doing that properly then you do not have good team moral and it is the company that suffers.

I love my job and get the feeling you do too. What gives others the right to take that away from you?

Good Luck huns and let me know how you get on

Hugs
Cazza

Three_Dancing_Dragons

I had a psychopath for a manager once. He only hired people that he "had by the balls" (actual quote). Incredible control freak as many small businessmen without proper management training can be.

Did the job trial on a lower wage than advertised but was then only offered lower position at the lower wage. Rather put his nose out of joint by quitting. He assumed I'd not requalify for benefits but I was travelling a long way and they agreed it was 'unreasonable' and I went straight back on.

Luvly.cuppa.T

yeah its tough, as I want to stay as I do love it. I also would have opportunities like I say to gain more experience and it suits with flexible hours (that's the only good thing that the boss allows!)

My problem is, that a lot of stuff that has gone on , I am not witness to, so I think in law that I cannot put these in my greivance.
The reason that I feel that I have not seen this kind of stuff happen , is that the boss is fully aware of my last greivance as I was going through it at this job. She also said to me that I was a 'dangerous woman' as I basically got the last manager sacked through my greivance.

However, this boss does have a drinking problem and then of course things happen that are unacceptable.

Even leaving and going through the greivance will be hard, like I say due to being local and seeing the locals all the time around the place. What will OH do aswell with his job there?

malcindebt

I know how you feel. I was employed as a fabrications inspector once, and the guy who owned the business didn't have a clue. I left a very large international aerospace company and then went to work for him.

His reject average (items returned for being incorrect) when I first started was 65%, when I left (after only 20 weeks) it was 15%. But I was the one who didn't know what i was doing according to him. He even blamed me for a batch of items that came back, that were manufactured before I even started working for him.

He used to come in, shout and scream at people, throw things about (including fabricated items that were incorrect), pay the minimum pay he could get away with, and most of the people he employed couldn't read or write in English. Now I'm not being racist, I got along with all the people who worked there, but when you are manufacturing items from technical drawings, it does help when you can read dimensions, and critical notes.

In the end I found something else after it got so bad that I hated the prospect of getting up in the morning. The doctor diagnosed me with depression and urged me to find another job.

I was going to file a claim for constructive dismissal, but the job I got was better paid, an easier life, no hassles. And I really didnt relish the thought of having to be in the same room as this guy ever again.

Luvly.cuppa.T

Hi malcindebt- phew glad you left there!

Why do these people exist, and why on earth isn't the grievance proceedure more confidential, so people can come forward easier?

On a good note though, I know that through my last grievance, I did not have to see the manager again, but only deal with the higher managers who were great! (I specifically said that I didn't wish to have any more dealings with her)
They knew what she was like, and were waiting for that golden letter to act upon it *smug look* - only thing is when you start the proceedure, you really don't know what you are up against.

Unfortunately my current boss has another position within the company as area training manager, but the irony is that she doesn't offer any training within her own pub! No contracts given out, no support for mew people, no appraisals, or any quick meeting individually to see how people are getting on. Even at staff meetings all we get is how she has wonderfully trained up another pub, and how good she is!!

So with her other position to boot, either my grievance will be fully embraced (as they do not want this type of person, especially when the company is newly formed) or they will bah har it as they need her.
Who knows.....

welshcakes

I'm suprised and disappointed that the boss's boss stated that they are only able to investigate if you provide your name. I really don't think that's a very pro-active stance to take; I can undertsand if they wanted to take action that was being contested and they required your witness statement but apart from that, your name on a piece of paper won't make any difference to their capacity to audit the books or instigate surveylance of the employee under suspicion.

The following website gives some good advise for anyone in the difficult position of potentially becoming a whistleblower:

http://www.human-resource-solutions.co.uk/Areas%20of%20Interest/Whistleblowing.htm

I had personal experience regarding matters so serious there were multiple charges brought against my former employers by the police etc. It is not for the faint hearted and nearly destroyed me and subsequently my family. Sadly, unless it is something that you consider seriously immoral, unethical or criminal, I would recommend thinking very carefully before putting yourself on the chopping block - no one will thank you for it, but you will sleep with a good conscience for having done the right thing.

Small or big, sole trader or multinational, if you offer proof against them that can seriously damage, you will often see how very ruthless rotten apples can be.

Luvly.cuppa.T

Hi Welshcakes, I am sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that. But well done. I know that taking a small greivance is hard work , so I can understand that something of a bigger nature must have been extremely crushing on you.

I do know that this boss will get nasty, and how far she will take that I am not entirely sure..... so it does make you think twice. But like you say I am one of them peeps who likes to see justice done!

Whistleblowing (thanks for the link) was something that I considered, but I think on this scale it won't work, as whistleblowing is designed for those not to reap any reward from it. Ie it cannot be personnal, so the likes of my wages bring reduced and tips being stolen is personal. However, I will speak to acas again, and also ask them about this confidential thing. Acas did say that I can put a grievance in, initially asking my name to be kept back, but would have to at some point disclose it.

I have been asked to raise a formal greivance by the company via a letter (I wrote it in email previously) as email can be tampered with and they need me to sign it! However I know that Acas say that emails are acceptable..... someone is not playing straight here!!

us,thecat&thedebt

Crikey (((HUGS))) i would start looking for something else..