Sexual assault

Proc

You guys could argue forever.

It's simple...if the OP wants relevant, useful answers, the OP needs to state relevant, useful facts.

Wishy-washy opinions and exaggerations don't help a single thing.

morganedge

A friend of mine got a huge payout from his work (Big company everyone here would have heard of) and the ''assault'' that took place was only ''lewd suggestions'' by his manager

burnleymik

marybelle01 wrote: »

I think you might wish to re-read what the OP actually said. The incident regarding name calling was six years previously and was a prior matter. There is actually nothing to say that he used a "single name" - in fact she states something quite different.

really, she actually said:

This is not the first time this has happened to me, 6 years ago a different supervisor introduced me to some new workers as a !!!!!,

and

this also led me to have time out with stress

you went on to say:

We have no idea really what happened or why it has upset her this much - but upset her deeply it has, and that does not make her weak, overly sensitive or a drama queen. We are not her GP - that would be the person who properly decides whether she needs time off sick. Not us. And obviously he or she thinks that the OP does need time off sick.

Surely if the doctor gave her a sicknote for the stress of the whole thing she would have been able to prove the physciatrtic damage request from the solicitor?

as per this:

The solicitor has said legally the company is doing everything that they should do and unless I can prove some sort of psychiatric problem that I have suffered because of this then she could not help me.

Remember as well that this was a female solicitor so more likely to be sympathetic to OP's case of she felt there was a serious issue, or amI wrong there??

You are right that I did mis-read her request, my apologies to Op for that, but it still seems like a mountain out of a molehill issue. As long as the company are dealing with it through the proper channels I don't understand the need for all the drama and time off.

Dimey

OP, I don't know if you are still reading this thread but in case you are...

I can understand that after the first experience you described when your supervisor introduced you derogatorily, you are feeling more vulnerable and distressed about handling this recent serious unwarranted behaviour.

My suggestion is that you visit your GP and ask for a letter from him to your employer to tell them medically why the incident directly caused you to have to take time off sick from work. Ask the GP to explain what emotional and/or physical ailments you are now suffering as a direct result of the incident and why he signed you unfit for work. Ask for a copy of the letter to be sent to you together with the original in an envelope so you can deliver the letter yourself, via the solicitor. Your GP may charge you a small fee for the letter.

If you want the Union solicitor to continue handling your case, fine. If not - do you have household insurance with legal expenses cover? If so, phone to see whether they would fund your case through an independent employment specialist solicitor. If so, get confirmation and terms in writing.

Take the letter from the GP to the solicitor and ask them to put a claim in to your employer for an ex-gratia payment to cover the damage their supervisor employee's actions has caused you together with the consequential loss of the difference between your normal salary and Supplementary Sick Pay for however long your sick leave lasts. Provide the GP's letter as evidence.

Explain you are seeking this payment due to financial hardship caused as a direct result of their employee's actions and that you are particularly vulnerable due to the company's previous track record - the inappropriate introduction - which had a detrimental effect on your work related stress and self esteem.

If you are worried about returning to work in the same department, you could ask the solicitor to negotiate a transfer to a new department. Request counselling to help you cope in future so you learn how to minimise the fear and anxiety and minimise opportunity for anything similar happening again.

Tell your solicitor and the company that you are satisfied the company is handling the situation fairly and you hope they will consider this request in the spirit of their duty of care to a long serving employee. You want this resolved so you can put the trauma and stress behind you, prevent long term psychological harm and return to work as soon as possible. Meanwhile you ask for their continued support and this reasonable gesture of financial assistance without prejudice.

Now - I have no idea whether any of that would stand up legally. The whole thing may be a blag but if you agree with the words I've put in your mouth and you feel you want to do something then it might be worth a go. A fresh specialist solicitor might have a different more independent view to the solicitor linked to the union.

However if you don't have insurance or can't afford an independent solicitor then you'll have to persuade the Union solicitor to work for you. Do that by being factual, provide the evidence and specialist medical opinion.

It all hinges on what the GP letter says. You can make the decision whether to go ahead after you ask the GP whether he'll write the letter and what the content will be.

Finally, life is hard and unfair sometimes as you've felt from some of the reactions on this thread. Try to focus on what you know is true and right and do what you feel is best for you. Hold yourself together and believe in yourself :-)

Edit: If by any chance you win, you might have to pay back your SSP to the government. You'd need to check that out.