T
Threepwood
- Original Poster
- #1
Hi all,
I have worked for 4 years as a technical reporting manager for a large UK bank. My role is unique and I do not deal with customers so I (did) have plenty of flex working. I take a 45 min break in my shift to pick the kids up (I’m female, this matters I think) this was verbally agreed when I started and has never been an issue, nor am I the only person to do this.
A year ago my manager was made redundant and I was moved under a new female manager. Last Christmas I contracted covid and was left with one lung, a heart condition and reduced mobility. I am officially registered disabled.
New manager in September sends out a mail saying we need to be in the office weekly as a team (my team are unrelated to my role we just have the same manager) until 4pm. I reply saying I cannot, as I pick the kids up and I use this time as my occupational health recommendation to take some air in every afternoon. I then work late to ensure I’m on track with my reports (which no one reads! They just go in a folder for audit purposes!) I’m also not keen going into the office with no business need as I’m incredibly vulnerable and would be very ill indeed if I was to get covid again.
She does not like this and goes off on an email rant about how I need to be contactable (no one ever contacts me?!) during this ‘crucial’ 45 mins and that I am needed for a team meeting she has now moved from Monday afternoons to Thursdays at 3pm. The only point on the agenda was where to have the Christmas party! (I couldn’t attend in person in the end and she refused to include me on zoom. In that meeting she made everyone else sign a charter saying they commit to being in the office. Apparently it was signed on my behalf as I ‘couldn’t’ attend!) The rest of the team seem terrified of her but have confided in me they are unhappy putting their health at risk for pointless meetings.
She rings me on zoom a few days later and gives me a month to ‘sort my life out’ and not to even try asking for formal flexible working as she would decline it. She suggests I get my husband (who travels for work and is a key worker) to ask for flex working with his company. No child care has space in the area and I have no family in this county.
I am so upset at her constant nagging I ended up on medication for stress. I decided to give my three months notice as she said if I hadn’t got my life sorted out we’d need to have ‘a serious chat’. Luckily I managed to find another role in a company who accept my disability and are sending me the equipment to work from home from April.
When the work from home order came back in my boss constantly attempted to force and cajole the team into the office as ‘it’s quiet’ and ‘it would be so nice to see each other‘. When the team said they were uncomfortable with this she changed it to a zoom meeting despite telling me there was no option for that. I’ve since found out she’s moved the meeting as a one off to accommodate my male colleague’s childcare needs.
Over Christmas I lost a close family member. I had to tell my boss as I need time for the funeral. On that weeks team meeting on zoom she announced my loss to the team and I burst into tears. I have now been signed off until the end of my notice period. Despite that my manager actually sent me a what’s app to my personal phone asking me how I’m going to finish my workload. I’ve blocked her.
I raised a grievance with her manager (as is policy) who refused it as I said in it I felt I’d been discriminated against due to being disabled and a parent. He said it needed to go to HR. HR insisted I go though the complaint in detail and agreed to send it to an independent grievance manager. One entire month later and they’ve assigned it back to him to investigate even though he is my managers manager and obviously both prone to bias and involved. When complained and asked for an impartial grievance manager HR refused saying it made sense as he was technical- even though my grievance regards policy not my role.
I called ACAS who say really I can’t claim constructive dismissal until I’ve actually left (fair enough) and that it would be frowned upon if I didn’t proceed with the grievance- but this manager is part of the grievance (as my manager referred to having to speak to him many times when I quit) and he wants a list of all my evidence supporting the grievance 24 hrs before he even calls me to hear my complaint. I feel like my company is dragging their feet and trying to pre empt any legal actioni pursue. They’ve already told me when I leave there’s no obligation for them to take any action and yet If thet need further details they can ring me even after I’ve left which certainly doesn’t help my stress levels.
Can I refuse this clearly biased grievance hearing and what should I do in the 3 weeks before I leave, if anything?
(Sorry it’s so long)
I have worked for 4 years as a technical reporting manager for a large UK bank. My role is unique and I do not deal with customers so I (did) have plenty of flex working. I take a 45 min break in my shift to pick the kids up (I’m female, this matters I think) this was verbally agreed when I started and has never been an issue, nor am I the only person to do this.
A year ago my manager was made redundant and I was moved under a new female manager. Last Christmas I contracted covid and was left with one lung, a heart condition and reduced mobility. I am officially registered disabled.
New manager in September sends out a mail saying we need to be in the office weekly as a team (my team are unrelated to my role we just have the same manager) until 4pm. I reply saying I cannot, as I pick the kids up and I use this time as my occupational health recommendation to take some air in every afternoon. I then work late to ensure I’m on track with my reports (which no one reads! They just go in a folder for audit purposes!) I’m also not keen going into the office with no business need as I’m incredibly vulnerable and would be very ill indeed if I was to get covid again.
She does not like this and goes off on an email rant about how I need to be contactable (no one ever contacts me?!) during this ‘crucial’ 45 mins and that I am needed for a team meeting she has now moved from Monday afternoons to Thursdays at 3pm. The only point on the agenda was where to have the Christmas party! (I couldn’t attend in person in the end and she refused to include me on zoom. In that meeting she made everyone else sign a charter saying they commit to being in the office. Apparently it was signed on my behalf as I ‘couldn’t’ attend!) The rest of the team seem terrified of her but have confided in me they are unhappy putting their health at risk for pointless meetings.
She rings me on zoom a few days later and gives me a month to ‘sort my life out’ and not to even try asking for formal flexible working as she would decline it. She suggests I get my husband (who travels for work and is a key worker) to ask for flex working with his company. No child care has space in the area and I have no family in this county.
I am so upset at her constant nagging I ended up on medication for stress. I decided to give my three months notice as she said if I hadn’t got my life sorted out we’d need to have ‘a serious chat’. Luckily I managed to find another role in a company who accept my disability and are sending me the equipment to work from home from April.
When the work from home order came back in my boss constantly attempted to force and cajole the team into the office as ‘it’s quiet’ and ‘it would be so nice to see each other‘. When the team said they were uncomfortable with this she changed it to a zoom meeting despite telling me there was no option for that. I’ve since found out she’s moved the meeting as a one off to accommodate my male colleague’s childcare needs.
Over Christmas I lost a close family member. I had to tell my boss as I need time for the funeral. On that weeks team meeting on zoom she announced my loss to the team and I burst into tears. I have now been signed off until the end of my notice period. Despite that my manager actually sent me a what’s app to my personal phone asking me how I’m going to finish my workload. I’ve blocked her.
I raised a grievance with her manager (as is policy) who refused it as I said in it I felt I’d been discriminated against due to being disabled and a parent. He said it needed to go to HR. HR insisted I go though the complaint in detail and agreed to send it to an independent grievance manager. One entire month later and they’ve assigned it back to him to investigate even though he is my managers manager and obviously both prone to bias and involved. When complained and asked for an impartial grievance manager HR refused saying it made sense as he was technical- even though my grievance regards policy not my role.
I called ACAS who say really I can’t claim constructive dismissal until I’ve actually left (fair enough) and that it would be frowned upon if I didn’t proceed with the grievance- but this manager is part of the grievance (as my manager referred to having to speak to him many times when I quit) and he wants a list of all my evidence supporting the grievance 24 hrs before he even calls me to hear my complaint. I feel like my company is dragging their feet and trying to pre empt any legal actioni pursue. They’ve already told me when I leave there’s no obligation for them to take any action and yet If thet need further details they can ring me even after I’ve left which certainly doesn’t help my stress levels.
Can I refuse this clearly biased grievance hearing and what should I do in the 3 weeks before I leave, if anything?
(Sorry it’s so long)
