I work in IT and I have been in my job for 18 months and I need some advice on joining a union.
Without going into too much detail, over the last couple of months one of the company MD's has been and continues to make life difficult for me, on some occasions its quite threatening and to me, bullying in the work place.
I am stubbon and asking why should I put up with this behaviour within a job. I have collected quite a bit of information and evidence to show that I am being set up for a fall, probably with the end goal of being sacked.
I am looking for another job and I am reaching the point where I will probably walk out of the job, BUT before I do can anyone offer any advice on joining a union or getting some support from an orgnasisation.
People are telling me to just leave and at some point I will probably explode within the work place. Another part of me wants to make life difficult for them.
I am a genuinely nice guy, honest, open and always acting professionally, even when I am being treated like an idiot.
This is starting to cause me a lot of stress and anxiety. I am always finding out stories that other people who have previously worked there have had the same problems.....
Just looking for some advice, please help! 🙁
If you've only been there 18 months then you don't have many rights. The lack of employment rights was upped from 1 year to 2 years recently. I'd focus on your exit and next steps
If you've worked there less than 2 years they don't need to "set you up" they can just sack you as they are within their rights to do so (thanks Tories!)
I've been there before although I'd worked for the company longer so had more rights but just left in the end was not worth the hassle of being so stressed out about it all just because my boss liked being a ****
Check the TUC website for the appropriate union.
As the others have said tho until two years service you have no rights effectively, Think long and hard about the stress v the chance of finding another job. Taking on bosses even with union help can be very hard indeed
unions usually have a three month period before they will help. This is to stop people joining getting the help and then leaving [ no offence meant]. They also wont deal with an ogoing issue for the same reason
IMHO before tow years they can sack you because they dont like your shoes so plan your exit strategy as its unlikely they will sack/admonish/punish the MD over you.
Move on. It's not worth the hassle and there is little chance any complaint will be taken seriously.
Leave a negative review on Glassdoor on your way out to warn future employees.
I'd line a new job up. Put in a case for constructive dismissal and see what happened.
Either way, you're wasting your time carrying on working for these people.
Years ago, I worked for a very abusive boss. It got so bad that I said I would leave if I wasn't moved to a different client. My only regret is not speaking up sooner.
Tape a mackerel fillet below his desk.
don't waste your time with a constructive dismissal claim. Very hard to show at the best of times and this does not sound like any sort of a case to me
unions usually have a three month period before they will help. This is to stop people joining getting the help and then leaving [ no offence meant]. They also wont deal with an ogoing issue for the same reason
Find a better union then, my missus joined GMB recently due to some potentially problematic changes brought in and they were only too happy to advise and provide assistance.
I'm not sure ignoring the problem solves anything either, surely getting this resolved is better for everyone (except said boss) in the long term?
Depending on which Union you go for they may help you even if you haven't been a member for long, but you'd have to check.
However, regardless of how long they have to sack you for whatever they want, you need to find the companies Bullying and/or Harassment Policy, and use that to build up a picture of what is happening against you.
Constructive Dismissal is very hard to prove in a tribunal so I wouldn't bank on that. However if you do continue to have issues, ensure you report them through the appropriate channels, referencing the Policy (keep all correspondence, but if its the MD being the bully that might be difficult to report to an impartial person!) but if you have a log of what/when/where/why, I'm pretty sure you can get advice from somewhere without a Union (ACAS maybe?) on proving they are not sticking to Policy with regards to Bullying behavior, which would help a constructive dismissal case if you deice to go that way. May also help to stop the behavior and make your life easier!
I'd always advocate Unionisation in any industry for exactly this sort of situation.
at under two years service there is no recourse to a tribunal
Do you have a link to a source for that TJ?
I am a Union rep, so that sort of information would be helpful for me to have in my file!
Junkyard..
Please detail EXACTLY which Trade Unions have such a 3 month waiting period.
That sounds like a load of piffle.
Sure you aren't mixing up the TUC and RAC?
I’d line a new job up. Put in a case for constructive dismissal and see what happened.
I've been in that situation and ended up leaving. Constructive dismissal sounds like a good idea but you may just end up making things worse for yourself and bear in mind that you still need to stick another 6 months before being at the start of any realistic dismissal claims which isn't going to look good when it comes to finding another job. I bailed out, decided that constructive dismissal (after 5 years) just wasn't worth it so didn't bother.
There is a lot more to this story, its no ordinary employment or working environment. I cant say too much on here, but there is bullying, threats and all sorts of ilegal activity.
Everyone is telling me to just leave and I know thats exactly what I should do. I have been under massive stress and anxiety with this over the last few months.
I have been to see my GP about the stress and anxiety casued by all this, if my GP signs me off sick for a period of time, can they just refuse to pay sick pay and sack me?
I am thinking of taking some times out to sort my head out and look for other work....just looking at options.
Just quit. It really is that simple.
Why should he quit, hang on in there to get your rights heard. Voice your concerns and have your boss sacked.
atleast stay there to wind him up more and know this whilst continuing to ignore his shit but this time breathing exercises and mindfulness might help well will help.
I have a passion to hate bullying bosses especially ones who run off into sunset with wages. I know that it how over time it gets under one's skin but seriously try stick it out.
I can't offer anymore advice than that really but chin up and smiley happy vibes submitted and sent
Your health matters more than anything else - and getting away from a pretty toxic environment would probably be best. Unless you have definitive and concrete evidence against your boss, its simply down to your word against their's and they can affort expensive lawyers to defend their interests.
If there's illegal activity, get out quick.
Personally, I'm in a union even though I'm management. I treat it as insurance - it's always good to have someone on your side if things go wrong.
Why should he quit, hang on in there to get your rights heard.
There is no right to be forced to work somewhere you hate. You are well within your rights to leave and get a job you might like.
I went through a similar experience a couple of years ago, joined a union (gmb) who were supportive but discouraged me from pursuing constructive dismissal. Ended up finding adifferent job. I’d worked there 14 years and been both happy and successful until a manager ( a (now ex) mate who I got into the company) got it in for me.
since found out that unions usually do discourage constructive dismissal for some reason , if I’d gone to an employment lawyer I suspect I would have left on much better financial terms, if you get my drift,
Do you not have a HR department?
The reason unions discourage you for going for constructive dismissal its almost impossible to prove the fundamental breach of trust that you need. If you had gone to a lawyer he might have taken your money but the chances of winning a constructive dismissal case remain tiny.
Being aggressively managed is not enough. Even bullying is not enough. The standard of proof is very high indeed
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">, "if my GP signs me off sick for a period of time, can they just refuse to pay sick pay and sack me?"</span>
No - even with only 18months service that would automatically be unfair dismissal. they can go thru return to work protocols and find that due to your illhealth you are no longer capable of doing the job but not summarry dismissal
Try talking to him and in a non aggressive way ask him what is his problem?
If he's a complete bellend then record it covertly for the constructive dismissal claim.
Kick his ****in head in, you’ll get done for it, but you will feel better and he probably won’t do it again.
i once worked in a factory (in the 90s) and the manager there was a bully, eventually, after six months of shit, i told him what would happen if he didn’t shut his mouth.
i had 12 witnesses to prove I hadn’t said anything, so they couldn’t sack me, but his attitude did change, all the threats stopped instantly.
many years later, i found out that he quit after a young guy kicked his head in, he still has a position with the company but now works from home.
I know its not right, but it’s the only thing some people understand. Having a managerial position is no reason to treat people like shit.
Just to be clear, I’m no hardman, on the internet or anywhere else, but no way would i put up with that.
after six months of shit, i told him what would happen if he didn’t shut his mouth.
My version of this was, "if you talk to me like that again, one of us is going to get sacked."
I'm no hard man either, I'm ten stone wet through, but I'm pathologically averse to bullies and I'm not paid enough to put up with that kind of crap.
crazy jenkins - you mean " no recourse to tribunals at less than 2 years employment under most circumstances"? It was a legal change the tories put in when Cameron was prime minister. Look on the TUC site / ask your full time officer
Sounds like it's the whistleblower policy you need.
Ask for that and probably a good time to discuss salary review.
I am switched on enough to know that I should just walk away, but I'm being stubborn, because they have made my life a misery over the last 6 months or so...
If you run a business and you employee people, you have a duty of care to look after those employees, he just thinks (with everything in life) that he can do and say what he likes about anything and to anyone.
I have to admit I do take some pleasure in making things difficult for them. Believe me there are no policies of any sort within the company, no HR, no support, both MD's (if you call them that, just a bit of paper) dont give a shit about anyone but there own greed and self importance.....
In my 25 years+ I have never seen anything like this....
There you go MR semtex avail yourself of facts and remove the piffle from your mind
Would you like the same from other unions as well?
they dont cover you for an issue that started before you join- the reason should be pretty obvious rather than surprising