Made redundant - can I go to court?

jemmalucy

I'm pretty sure I can't, but I thought I'd ask in case any of you guys know.

I basically started working for a company in April. They were based elsewhere and ran successful business in that area. They hired me and another to set up a project where we live. It was overseen by two men from their actual base but they only visited every now and again and stayed in touch via email, me and the other lady were told it was our project to get off the ground and run how we see fit. We were taken on on a silly contract (my fault for signing, I know!)

It stated we had to give a weeks notice but they could give none. However, we were told it was running until end of school term (August time) with the potential of carrying on after the summer. We were also paid weekly.

There were a few things that over time started to not add up and we were a little suspicious of what the underlying reasons were for them setting up in this area and there were a few clashes between and the other lady and the two men back at their head office. Though these were not arguments or anything like that, it was situations where they weren't getting back to us and offering the support they were meant to etc. For example we were promised a work laptop and it took weeks of chasing up.

Anyway, in June I had a week off and when I came back, they had hired 2 more staff. We were told this was temporary to cover me on my week away and help the other lady out. However, going back on the Monday they were still there and we found out through them that our other member of staff had been fired without us knowing. These new staff also let slip that they were on a wage of almost double us!! Despite us being told we were still managers and they were simply support staff. They started trying to take charge and we felt something wasn't right.

We rang those at head office who basically said, neither of you are required effective immediately. We received an email from a man at head office we'd never heard of saying we were no longer required on the project and they would pay us until the end of the week out the goodness of their heart :rotfl:

We literally left half way through that Monday and suddenly both of us had lost our jobs (as well as our third member of staff), only paid until the end of the week and these 2 new people had come in and taken over! We received an email that copied and pasted a few bits out the contract we signed relating to not talking about them basically. In big bold letters it was like "JUST A REMINDER DON'T GO TO THE PRESS OR GET A LAWYER BECAUSE WE ARE RICH AND WE WILL WIN AND YOU WILL LOSE MORE MONEY." That was basically the gist of the email. (We know things that could definitely ruin their reputation and they knew that).

At the time we both decided to just leave it because it wasn't worth kicking up a fuss but fast forward to the end of the year and I'm still in financial difficulty due to losing that job and struggling to secure anything since (I had a temp job, then got offered another before they withdrew their offer due to funding etc).

I just feel like I'm still holding a grudge and wondering if I have a leg to stand on in terms of compensation or anything? I feel like they made the life of 3 people very difficult and just got away with it!

TadleyBaggie

With less than 2 years employment. you have very few employment rights. Taking them to court could be very expensive.

Comms69

You have no rights in essence for first two years; don’t waste money on a solicitor. By all means go to the press if you want

newatc

Can understand your annoyance (putting it mildly) but I think you should put it behind you and put you efforts into finding a new position (They don't sound like a company you would want to work with anyway).
I don't know what you know about them that could embarrass them but if you went to the press, is that going to improve your job prospects do you think?

getmore4less

jemmalucy wrote: »

I'm pretty sure I can't, but I thought I'd ask in case any of you guys know.

I basically started working for a company in April.

..........

We were taken on on a silly contract (my fault for signing, I know!)



It stated we had to give a weeks notice but they could give none.

The law gives you 1 weeks after a month the contract can't override that

...........

Anyway, in June I had a week off and when I came back,

...........

We rang those at head office who basically said, neither of you are required effective immediately. We received an email from a man at head office we'd never heard of saying we were no longer required on the project and they would pay us until the end of the week out the goodness of their heart :rotfl:

We literally left half way through that Monday and suddenly both of us had lost our jobs (as well as our third member of staff), only paid until the end of the week

............
At the time we both decided to just leave it because it wasn't worth kicking up a fuss but fast forward to the end of the year

You worked there over a month

Notice on a Monday June/July(does not matter now)
notice starts the day after it is given.

You are due 1 days pay

You will also have accrued some holiday pay, a week off will have used some of that if it was paid

you left it too late for an ET.
could use MCOL

TBagpuss

As you were within the 1st 2 years of employment they were free to dismiss you for any reason or none (other than discriminatory reasons)
You had statutory rights to notice regardless of what the contract said, however, as getmore4less says your entitlement would be 1 weeks notice, so you would have been entitled to be paid for the following Monday - i.e. 1 more days pay than you got.
To be honest, while I understand that you feel frustrated, it's probably best to put it behind you and move on.