Employment Rights

Donna_A

I am looking for some advice.

My manager is bullying me at work. This all came about as a guy was hired about a year ago and I was his line manager.

However, he wasn't very good at his job - had to him continuously how to do stuff, not understanding certain things, didn't write down anything or used his diary.

I went to HR about him 3 times and nothing was done.

A few weeks later, he went behind my back and complained to HR saying that I wasn't treating him right but I hadn't been.

My manager believed what he was saying then she started accusing me of stuff that I hadn't done giving me tasks with an reasonable deadline. She was picking on me and asked her to stop. Other things have happened too like she's been phoning him on his mobile and holding meetings with my staff behind my back.

I was going to work crying and scared of her so I couldn't take anymore as it causing me to not eat or sleep properly so went off with stress.

I went off on the 7th April and done a self then got a sickline from the 12th April to cover me for 2 weeks.

I do have a union and the rep has been great.

However, I received an email asking me to meet with my line manager and HR.

I spoke with my rep and he suggested that I have a meeting just him, the hr manager and me without line manager. I am just wondering can this be done?

Thanks to all who replies :-)

marliepanda

Yes you can request that meeting.

However this seems like a he said she said situation, and currently people don't believe you.

Do you have any evidence of your reasonable steps to help this staff member of yours and his 'failings'

Donna_A

Yes that's exactly what I think too but my manager has blown it all out of proportion.

It's a bit difficult as we did sit 2 feet from each other so a lot of it was verbal.

Since this though he has left now but I also got blamed for that too.

Donna_A

He has also asked my colleagues the same questions that he asked me on various tasks.,

Thanks for replying to me.

sangie595

A couple of questions.

You say that you are scared of your line manager. Why? What you describe here is that they have talked to people you manage (allowed); talked on a mobile to a person you manage/ managed (allowed); and set some deadlines on work that you think are unreasonable (a matter of opinion). You even suggest that these things are nothing different than what is being asked of all your team. I am struggling to see what is scary about any of this - it doesn't seem very intimidating, and certainly not something to be living in such fear of that you can't go to work.

You said that this individual was no good at the job. And your solution was to go to HR three times and expect them to "do something about it". What did you think it was their job to do about it? Because as their manager, managing performance would be your job wouldn't it?

All of this appears to be something that yes, is blown out of all proportion - but it's perhaps also a matter of perspective. Another possible scenario is that this episode has raised questions about your performance, and that is what your manager is now monitoring, based on these issues having been brought to their attention.

Then there is the issue of not wanting to meet with your manager. That isn't very realistic as an approach. Yes, if you want, you can ask to just go and see HR. And they might agree. And you want to do this to complain about your manager? How is that different than your former member of staff "going to HR behind your back"? Isn't that what you are doing?

Perhaps I am wrong, but it seems to me that you expect HR to tell your manager off so that you can go back to work and everything will be ok again. Not too dissimilar to your expecting them to do something about the member of staff you couldn't manage. That isn't what HR do, and it certainly isn't going to improve things.

If your HR are even slightly competent, they are going to alert your managers manager to the fact that you are complaining about their conduct, and making serious accusations about them being responsible for your sickness. That would lead to an investigation of your manager - and one way or another that is something that you aren't coming back from. There are three likely outcomes from that. An investigation finds that your manager is "right" and you aren't very good at your job. An investigation finds that you are "right" and the manager is disciplined or warned - which, in your shoes, means they may really be out to get you next time you give them the chance. Or you end up in some form of mediation of compromise, which means that it will probably end up being a mix of the two former!

You cannot avoid your manager for ever. You need to talk to them. And if you can't talk to them, even with your union rep, then how is that going to get easier as time passes? What are they going to do in front of your union rep that is so terrible?

Donna_A

I am not saying that these things aren't allowed but it's all suspicious the fact she's goi g behind my back to talk with my staff. I am frightened at what she is trying to do and the way she spoke with me before I didn't know what I going to expect each day. One minute she's fine and the next she's not.

With the regarding the employee not doing his job properly, I did actually try with him first. I spent time with him showed him how to do things and answered any questions. I went to HR for both advice and to see what else I could do.

I haven't done anything wrong - I actually set up the department as they had nothing before I started. I been there a bit longer.

I have had no support from my line manager at all in dealing with a difficult employee and she is blaming me for the whole thing. I do my job well and incompetent. Even the hr manager said that the employee was talking pretty much rubbish as well.

I have wrote down everything she has done. But other folk in the organisation has problems with her too and even the rep has went off sick with her before. I have advice from the Union and ACAS as well so they do believe that I am being harassed.

I will speak to my manager but I want to have a meeting with just my HR manager and union rep to begin with. Yes my manager is responsible for me being off sick.

You have your opinions and questions - that's fine but I've done nothing wrong.

For the record, I'm not expecting HR to save the day but I'm not putting my health at risk either. If I have to leave then I will.

But thanks for your positive input!!

Donna_A

*she has made feel incompetent but I am competent in doing job

tea_lover

Do you have a lot of experience in line management, or was this person one of the first ones you've managed? It sounds as if maybe you're unsure of what people management involves. This is understandable by the way - a lot of people get 'promoted' to line management because they are good at their jobs, but managing people is a whole other skillset, and one that doesn't come naturally to a lot of people.

k3lvc

Donna_A wrote: »

Yes my manager is responsible for me being off sick. Really ? This is very much your opinion unless confirmed by your medical professional

For the record, I'm not expecting HR to save the day but I'm not putting my health at risk either. If I have to leave then I will. Personally with what you've written unless you change your perceptions then this is probably a foregone conclusion

I've been in your position - it almost cost me my career but I took some good advice and some counselling and have now been back at work in the same company with no similar recurrences for 8yrs.

Sometimes you need to look close to home rather than blaming others

Donna_A

Hi I have had previous experience with management where I managed 2 staff but never had any problems in a previous job.

Then when I started here, I only had one staff member but she's fine and can be left to do her job. Obv check in with her as well and go over any problems or issues.

We then took on a second employee due to the workload. I sat with him and showed him his work and tried to help him. He never wrote anything down or write down any of his tasks. I did say to him to use diary and set up a timetable a few times but not done. Then he was making the same mistakes but again showed what he had done wrong the first time and didn't seem to understand the basics. Then he was doing things that I didn't ask him to do. He did want babied as in I have to give him tasks to do but he had been there a year so he should've known his job by then.

I feel have really tried with him so that's when I was asking HR for advice.

Donna_A

I've done nothing wrong so no need to look closer to home thanks