Scared my husband is going to lose his job....

lovelygirls

Just after a bit of moral support really...

My Husband has been hearing lots of rumours at work over the last couple of weeks that he is being pushed out and basically he has the feeling that someone high up doesn't like him. He has heard that they may try and force him into doing shift work which he doesn't want to do as it would mean he never saw me or our children and he doesn't see us much as it is as he works really long hours. He thinks they might try to get him to do shifts as they know this would make him leave. Surely thats constructive dismisal? Anyway, its all rumours and hearsay so far , but he has heard that his manager has asked one of his colleagues if they would want to take my husbands job. So he doesn't trust his manager.....anyway, he's going to go and speak to the HR manager on Monday. Also he is on a performance review scheme at the moment and he says that he is being prevented from reaching any of his targets as is is not getting the training that he needs to be able to do this.....


So we are really worried to say the least! We have recently moved house and have a fairly high mortgage - neither of us are on huge salaries and we have two young children, so things are pretty tight as it is. We don't have any major debts except the mortgage and have a little bit of savings tucked away which were supposed to help buy us a bigger car and for stuff for the house. I guess we just have to prepare for the worst and try and cut back and save as much money as possible and keep the savings we do have in case we need them...Is it worth taking out an accident sickness unemployment type insurance policy just in case? Is there anything else we can/should do? Anyone got any advice for how to manage back stabbing bosses!! Honestly it makes me so cross, Chris works so hard and such long hours, it just seems so unfair and until recently everything was going really well and there was even talk of promotion.....

Also Chris has been really unlucky career wise and had been made redundant several times in the past, its never really been his fault, for example the last place was going bust and thats why they had to let him go. This is the first job he's had that really seemed to be going somewhere and that had really boosted his confidence. I think if he lost this job he would have a really hard time dealing with it, this has been a really hard year for us for other reasons and I think that would be the final straw.

alwaysonthego_2

My dh was made redundant last year but thankfully we had pp on our morgage payments, which did pay out. Although it was a ball ache having to get the job centre sign forms etc.

It may be worth going to see the CAB who will be able to advice re- constructive dismissal. Has he been working for the company for over a year at this company? The cab will be able to advice you what action you would be wise taking and what benefits you will be entitled to.

ailuro2

Keep a diary of all the things you have heard too- who said what ,when etc, what action your DH took to find out about rumours etc.

Any chance he may be getting mixed signals and they are going to promote him-thereby needing to replace him in his current post?

(Yes, I'm sorry, I do always try to find a lining of some sort in all clouds:rolleyes: )

p.s. Best of luck- start cutting back where you can now, and if the worst doesn't come to the worst then you will have a little extra to make you feel more secure should a similar situaiton arise.

fwiw I think accident redundancy schemes normally have a time you have to been in them for before they pay out.?

Running_Horse

I was made redundant from a 9 to 5 job last year and only accepted shiftwork out of desparation thinking I would hate it, but it was one of the best things to happen in my career.

We do 12 hours for 3 days running, rotating between nights and days; 3 days, 3 off, 3 nights, 3 off etc. Nights are great because you are working when the kids are asleep, with days being a little harder as you are tired in the evening then early bed. The amount of time I get to spend with my wife and baby is far more than any 9 to 5 job, particularly between shifts.

It does take some getting used to sleep patterns, but for me the pros far outweigh the cons. It may be worth giving it a try?

brasso

If he senses that someone doesn't like him, it's best to be proactive and try to deal with the situation. Why does someone dislike him? If he's upset someone, it might be best just to swallow some pride and apologise -- though there's always a right way and wrong way of dealing with these things.

I always find that if I use words like "Do you mind if I ask your advice about something...?" I get a positive response as people feel that I'm acknowledging their expertise. Often better than saying "Is there something wrong?" or "What do you think about...?"

It's never bad to think about protecting your finances or protecting your position but try not to get into a negative frame of mind about this. Going to see HR is OK, but be wary that it doesn't actually create or worsen the problem that the consultation is aimed at solving.

Good luck, and try not to worry. These things are rarely as bad as they seem at first. These days, most companies are very careful about treating employees unfairly becasue it can rebound on them.

nickij_2

This happened to my husband two years ago. A new manager was appointed that didn't like my dh, so set him targets that were unobtainable, and eventually told him that he should leave and take a months pay or stay and his manager would keep disciplining him until he was sacked. He was given a week to think about it.
As my dh had begun to hate work due to his manager harassing him constantly, and not wanting to have 'being sacked' on his cv, he left.
My dh had worked hard, constantly since he was 16 (31 years) without ever claiming for anything and was now left without a job, because of a bully.
He decided to take his ex-company to an industrial tribunal for constructive dismissal, with the help of a 'no win, no fee' solicitor. It took 6 months to come to court, in which time he cleaned chicken sheds (urgh!), sold kitchens, drove fork lift trucks, whatever to make some money. Because of how he'd left, it was difficult to know what to put on his cv and who to use as referees. He'd also lost his confidence due to this bully.
However, when it came to court my dh won the case and was awarded a lump sum - this gave him some of his confidence back.
About 2 months later he was offered an excellent job, which he has progressed in and enjoys much more. I'm a believer in fate!

What I'm trying to say is that these things really do happen, even to the hardest working, nicest people. It may not happen to your dh, but he needs to be prepared if he thinks it may. Definately keep a diary of who said what, when and any witnesses (this is what won my dh case). Tell him not to get drawn in to any arguments etc to give them a 'reason' to sack him. Tell your dh to ask for the training he needs and ensure he makes a note of his request, and that he lets hr know.
Unfortunately - they can tell he'll be doing shifts, but have to give notice.
CAB are also good sources of information.
Best of luck, hope things turn out well.

Oldernotwiser

A few points occur to me:
1. If he has to do shift work, might his shift payments allow him to do fewer hours?
2. Is he in, or can he join, a union?
3. In case the worst happens, perhaps he ought to get his CV sorted out and have a look round to see what else is available. It's always easier to get a job when you've already got one and it would be better to jump rather than be pushed!
Good luck!