Hi all,
I am going to be sacked tomorrow, I spoke up against my boss altering our terms of contract and now I find that I am a problem to the company.
I work for a small company,8 people at a site in Redditch,5 work in the office and 3 of which I’m one are in the workshop, I have been there 18 months.
When I started there I found the original workshop supervisor to be a violent bully and everybody who worked there was scared of him even the boss! My boss would do nothing to help us he was to worried about the confrontation with this guy, then one day approx 12 months ago the guy attacked the woman who works in the office and although he didn’t actually touch her, he came very close to striking her.
Now you would think that there was the opportunity to rid yourself of this w*nker but no, the boss hesitated and tried to get everybody to forgive him and let it go.
I mustered the other workers, which wasn’t easy! and we stood our ground and demanded this guy’s dismissal.
My boss eventually sacked him, but I know he paid him off so as not to go to a tribunal.
I realized that my boss is a gutless knob but he bears a grudge and that is my problem now, its payback time.
A couple of months ago the woman from the office made a pass at me and I missed it at first! I’ve been out of the game for years and didn’t see it coming and she took my rejection badly. She has since gone out of her way to get back at me with every opportunity basically telling tales to the boss about me, most of which are untrue , but that doesn’t seem to matter, my boss as found his backbone and sees it as his chance to get back at me.
Now I don’t really know where I stand legally, I think I’m stuffed in all honesty and I don’t really want to go to a tribunal against people who will lie about me.
I think I’d be better off just getting out but of course it isn’t that easy.
I would like your opinions and ideas, where I’ll stand when I need to sign on and looking for work.
Thanks
Matt.

Citizens advice?

what exactly does he think he can fire you for? also if he makes you redundant and then hires someone to replace you I think you can have them over for that too?

A month before I left my last job, whilst in a meeting where we were discussing my request for a weeks holiday (October – my first week off that year – a month before my first child was born) I once used the nuclear option of “**** it, i’ve had enough of this shit, I’m leaving.”. Two and a half years later his reaction still makes me smile. What makes it even better is that he didn’t know that I was planning on handing my notice in that day regardless. 😀

Union! Join one now – they might take up your case.

Get real advice anyway.

Sorry to hear that Matt.

However I’m sure the company will have a hard time to prove you were in any way at fault unless they have evidence.

Perhaps the best thing to do it threaten a tribunal and see if they give you dosh and a clean break? The best thing is to get out. It is the usual ‘if your face doesn’t fit’ routine. If they go for dismissal then they have to prove it and that could end up costly for them.

If you are sacked there is a possibility that you would lose JSA, BUT it has to be considered on an evidence-basis (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3954987.stm is all I could find). The place of work will be sent a form to fill in and they have to give their version of events and if it is just one person’s word against another that is unlikely to succeed I would guess (but I’m not a lawyer).

I wish you luck and hope you manage to get out on the bike to vent your frustration.

Get some advice from either ACAS or Citizen’s Advice, but here are a few basic legal points:

You only get protection from unfair dismissal if you have more than 12 months service, which I am guessing you have.
You can be sacked for gross misconduct, but it doesn’t sound like you’re guilty of that, not even remotely.
If they really want to get rid of you, then they can but they have to follow a process and it’s not so straight forward. You need to have been notified that there is a problem, you need to have had the option for representation at that meeting, you need to have been told clearly what the problem is and what you need to be doing differently. You need at least one follow up meeting where your manager reviews your progress against the targets you were set. Only then can they dismiss you.
The limit for compensation against unfair dimsmissal is £50k (if its discrimination then its unlimited.)
If you are going to get the bullet, then they will have to present you with a compromise agreement in which case it’s your to negotiate but bear in mind the limit of £50k is their exposure if you took them to tribunal.

Document everything and let the boss know you have a little black book. See an employment lawyer after CAB. Union would have been better choice but I suspect you aren’t a member.

“telling tales to the boss about me, most of which are untrue “

which ones are true?

sorry to hear it bud. i’ve never been sacked. always left before it got to that point. saying that, do you get given anything to f*ck off? mate broke his leg. had two months on sick pay but told them he wouldn’t be able to do everything expected of him. then he got paid out three months salary to jack it in…. lucky git.

Having read my tale again, I can’t believe what I’m reading.
I can’t understand why I have bothered to stay there?
My boss will be sacking me because I don’t agree with some of the deceitful ways he works and I voice my concerns about it.

Couple of things spring to mind, but I am no lawyer

A couple of months ago the woman from the office made a pass at me

This is Sexual Harassment, if your boss tries to sack you tell him\her that you will take the company to an industrial tribunal as he\she did not address in appropriate behaviour in the work place.

She has since gone out of her way to get back at me with every opportunity basically telling tales to the boss about me, most of which are untrue

This harassment and bullying again some thing that you are protected against in law and if your boss acts on this by sacking you, industrial tribunal for redress

My boss eventually sacked him, but I know he paid him off so as not to go to a tribunal

Being honest it sounds like a very poor company to work for, if your boss does attempt to sack you then say you will take the company to an industrial tribunal. But if the severance package is acceptable you won’t but you want a good reference.

Join a union and seek professional advice and best of luck

I agree with the above points, but I do have a question. If you’re leaving it until the (Sunday) night before the meeting to ask for advice on a cycling forum, do you really care about the job?

If you do, but you’ve approached the job with the same attitude as the tribunal, do you think that might be why the boss wants rid of you?

Kin’ell Matt, sorry to hear that. Hope you get something sorted soon.

I’ll give you a shout soon for a ride, as soon as the snow on the upper slopes melts… 😉

Why do you expect to be sacked, you should really get a written warning, and another then a final, like ive said many times when you leave school you dont leave all the bullies in the playground, they become managers.

Oh and best of luck.Take a freind into the interview for support and as a witness.