Funeral Attendance/Work

Hbeard

Hello MSE Forum,

I come once again to ask advice from you all.

My manager recently passed away, only 54 - far too young!

The next manager in line who I now report to (lets call him Super Cuddly Uniformed Man) did not tell me of my managers passing, I had to find out from a colleague.

His funeral is on Monday at 11am. S.C.U.M, asked if myself or my colleague would like to attend the funeral. We both indicated that we would. This happened a few weeks ago.

Today, my manager contacted my colleague to ask if he still wants to attend, my colleague declined. I was not contacted and asked the same. When I directly emailed and asked, I was told it wouldn't be possible as we are both required to be at work on Monday. If this is the case, why was my colleague contacted today and asked if he still wanted to go?

What I want to know good people of MSE, is do I have any options here regarding complaints via my companies HR Department. Its no secret that SCUM does not like me and has tried to have me fired on numerous occasions, my old manager prevented this from happening. Currently, I am doing my old managers job (the 4th time I have been in this position with this company) and we are not being told if there any plans to replace him. I am the next logical choice, but will not be offered the job because of SCUM's issues with me. I have other small examples of favouritism, disrespect etc from SCUM, but nothing particularly concrete.

I am wondering if I have an option to be either reassigned to a different department, or have the manager changed due to his obvious personal issues with me.

Any info is appreciated, thanks for taking the time to read my post!

IAmWales

That's a horrible word to use. If you show that attitude at work it's little wonder he is difficult with you.

You have no right to time off for a funeral. It should have been booked off as annual leave if you wanted to go.

agrinnall

Hbeard wrote: »

I am wondering if I have an option to be either reassigned to a different department, or have the manager changed due to his obvious personal issues with me.

No employer is likely to move a manager simply because of a personality clash with a member of their team (and the manager will probably deny such a clash exists anyway), so getting yourself moved is probably the only way for you to get away from this manager.

TBagpuss

It is unfortunate and insensitive that the manager has now said that you can't go and that they didn't contact you directly, but there is no right to leave. you could have booked a day / half day of work to attend.

in terms of moving departments, that would depend on your organisations internal policies but I suspect that you are more likely to be able to move if you appl for internal vacancies whch come up rather than seeking a trnasfer due to not liking your mananger.

obviously i there are specifc issues with your manager then you may be able to follow your firm's internal grievance process, but if you decide to to that I would try to ensur ethat your grievance is measured and fact-basd, and doesn't involve calling your manager names or accusing them of favouritism unless you can back that up with factual examples.

Hbeard

IAmWales wrote: »

That's a horrible word to use. If you show that attitude at work it's little wonder he is difficult with you.

You have no right to time off for a funeral. It should have been booked off as annual leave if you wanted to go.

Its a horrible word for a horrible specimen. I am very professional at work, which is becoming more and more of an effort in the face of such disgusting behaviour.

To be clear, this isn't about my right to have time off for a funeral.

I would have booked the time off had I been informed of when the funeral was taking place and had I not been told that myself and my colleague would be able to attend. I was only told today, 3 days before the Funeral, that I cannot go, and this is after my colleague was offered to go but declined - which to me is a very clear example of favouritism, to go alongside the way the work has been delegated (me getting more of it and the harder/physical stuff, my colleague getting practically none and the lighter stuff).

Luckily, my colleague is a very nice guy and understands the situation.

Also, booking time off isn't an option. At the beginning of March I booked off 3 days for the end of March. This was ignored, up until the day before my time off at which point it was denied. This has happened on numerous occasions.

TBagpuss wrote: »

It is unfortunate and insensitive that the manager has now said that you can't go and that they didn't contact you directly, but there is no right to leave. you could have booked a day / half day of work to attend.

in terms of moving departments, that would depend on your organisations internal policies but I suspect that you are more likely to be able to move if you appl for internal vacancies whch come up rather than seeking a trnasfer due to not liking your mananger.

obviously i there are specifc issues with your manager then you may be able to follow your firm's internal grievance process, but if you decide to to that I would try to ensur ethat your grievance is measured and fact-basd, and doesn't involve calling your manager names or accusing them of favouritism unless you can back that up with factual examples.

I have applied in the past for internal vacancies, even successfully interviewed for one, which never amounted to anything. I do have some evidence, but nothing particularly strong. Its looking like my only option is to start looking for a new job

Undervalued

Hbeard wrote: »

To be clear, this isn't about my right to have time off for a funeral.

I would have booked the time off had I been informed of when the funeral was taking place and had I not been told that myself and my colleague would be able to attend. I was only told today, 3 days before the Funeral, that I cannot go, and this is after my colleague was offered to go but declined - which to me is a very clear example of favouritism, to go alongside the way the work has been delegated (me getting more of it and the harder/physical stuff, my colleague getting practically none and the lighter stuff).

Luckily, my colleague is a very nice guy and understands the situation.

Also, booking time off isn't an option. At the beginning of March I booked off 3 days for the end of March. This was ignored, up until the day before my time off at which point it was denied. This has happened on numerous occasions.



I have applied in the past for internal vacancies, even successfully interviewed for one, which never amounted to anything. I do have some evidence, but nothing particularly strong. Its looking like my only option is to start looking for a new job

Sorry but there is no right to time off for a funeral. Equally, your employer can (with very few limits) dictate when you can and cannot take your annual leave. Your right is to 28 days leave a year to be taken at the employer's discretion.

Favouritism is not, in itself, unlawful. It only becomes unlawful if it amounts to unlawful discrimination on one of the few grounds prohibited by law (race, gender sexual orientation) etc.

I have not quote your original post but I would strongly suggest you edit it just in case anybody identifies you as it would almost certainly amount to gross misconduct.

Hbeard

Undervalued wrote: »

Sorry but there is no right to time off for a funeral. Equally, your employer can (with very few limits) dictate when you can and cannot take your annual leave. Your right is to 28 days leave a year to be taken at the employer's discretion.

Favouritism is not, in itself, unlawful. It only becomes unlawful if it amounts to unlawful discrimination on one of the few grounds prohibited by law (race, gender sexual orientation) etc.

I have not quote your original post but I would strongly suggest you edit it just in case anybody identifies you as it would almost certainly amount to gross misconduct.

I think I should have titled this differently as 'To be clear, this isn't about my right to have time off for a funeral' doesn't appear to be as obvious as it should be.

I could have used a much less wholesome word to describe said manager, and I do believe I am entitled to my opinion, however I do take your point.

The issue here really is that it is very VERY obvious that this specimen has it in for me and is displaying that in a variety of ways, none of which it appears I can do anything about.

I find it quite depressing that within today's work environment, employees seem to have no power/rights to combat an abusive superior.

Undervalued

Hbeard wrote: »

I think I should have titled this differently as 'To be clear, this isn't about my right to have time off for a funeral' doesn't appear to be as obvious as it should be.

I could have used a much less wholesome word to describe said manager, and I do believe I am entitled to my opinion, however I do take your point.

The issue here really is that it is very VERY obvious that this specimen has it in for me and is displaying that in a variety of ways, none of which it appears I can do anything about.

I find it quite depressing that within today's work environment, employees seem to have no power/rights to combat an abusive superior.

Sorry but your editing hasn't helped one bit. You may have every justification to be frustrated but it is crazy to risk making a bad situation worse by handing them ammunition on a plate.

If his behaviour is actually unlawful then log it carefully and raise a grievance through the proper channels.

I have to say though that nothing in your second post actually comes over as unlawful. Provided you are actually allowed to take your statutory holiday (28 days) at some point that is all the law requires. If you could show that say, women were allowed to book holiday when they like but men could only take their's when the company says, that would be unlawful. But if say, two white heterosexual men get the same amount of holiday but one is allowed far more choice as to when he can take it, that is not in itself unlawful. It could just be that the firm values his services more and rewards him in that way.

Pick your battles carefully.

Malthusian

Hbeard wrote: »

The issue here really is that it is very VERY obvious that this specimen has it in for me and is displaying that in a variety of ways, none of which it appears I can do anything about.

You can leave. You said that you had applied for internal vacancies; that suggests you haven't applied for any external vacancies, which suggests your position isn't intolerable.

You said that your other manager had tried to get you fired on numerous occasions and had only been prevented by the late manager; since you are no longer under his protection, presumably you need to be looking at other options now anyway.

I don't know what you mean by "today's work environment", it has never been illegal for a manager to be an !!!!!!, and employees have more protection than they ever did from abusive managers. Partly due to modern employment rights but mostly due to freedom of movement.

Sauasage_Roll

Actually Undervalued Your right is to 28 days leave a year to be taken at the employer's discretion.
not quite right im afraid.

Its 5.6weeks which does normally equate to 28 days but thats based on assumptions.

The law does not state 28 days it states 5.6 weeks,ive just had this same issue with my old employer.

paddedjohn

Sauasage_Roll wrote: »

Actually Undervalued Your right is to 28 days leave a year to be taken at the employer's discretion.
not quite right im afraid.

Its 5.6weeks which does normally equate to 28 days but thats based on assumptions.

The law does not state 28 days it states 5.6 weeks,ive just had this same issue with my old employer.

28 days is the stat min for someone working 5 or more days a week, bit finicky nit picking