I feel bad!!

[PeanutBean]

You and your friend should make a joint complaint. Fight the good fight! Just because a company is small doesn't mean they can get away with discrimination. I work for a small charity of about 40 staff total and we have fantastic HR. There's no excuse.

 

[cuddles314]

Go Kerry!! Go Kerry!! Go Kerry!! Go Kerry, Go!!!!!!!

 

[SuzyQ]

I agree. Go for it-it's only getting what you rightfully should.

 

[Vickie]

Agree with the others. You should get what you deserve, and they shouldn't be treating pregnant women this way!

 

[leedsforever]

I know your all right... and I should def go ahead with it!! And Im going too.... Ive said for ages Im going to sort it out etc!! And Im glad Ive finally made the first step!

I dont know why I feel so terrible about it though!! Im quite nervous about ringing this solicitor tomorrow. I wish I was someone who didnt have a conscience (sp?) sometimes!! I wonder how the whole process will go!! Its really playing on my mind!!

 

[Sarahkka]

Kerry darling -
Our great-grandmas were made to feel like complete shit for daring to ask for the right to vote.
Our grandmas and mums were told they were bad mothers for wanting careers outside the home and equal rights in the workplace.
We are really the first generation to grow up with these rights established and old habits die hard. It's not easy to change generations of exploiting women, but every little battle helps to win the war.
Making you feel like a troublemaker is one of the oldest tricks in the book. It keeps honest, hardworking people like you in line - because you just want to do your job and get on with it and nice people with good manners aren't supposed to kick up a fuss.
But you wouldn't be getting the reaction you did from all of us here if it wasn't an unfair, discriminatory situation.
Go with your gut. You know they are wrong and someone needs to stand up to them.
Let's hope our daughters grow up never knowing what it's like to be treated unfairly because they dared to reproduce.
You drag those pricks kicking and screaming into the 21st century for all of us!

 

[leedsforever]

Heres my points I raised in my email....

Ill be brief with my issues but I do have pay slips, dates and everything to proove everything

Loss of pay for ante-natel care! More often than not I arranged my days off around my ante-natel care. However my midwife appointments always fell on a monday lunchtime. I have for about a year now had a set shift of 8.30-3 on a monday. However on my days where I had midwife appointments. I was forced to finish at either 11am or 12am!! No opportunity to make up those hours either... so on those weeks losing 3 or 4 hours! (I do have dates and circumstances listed for each midwife appointment where I lost hours)

I have also had an issue with my hours being cut which has caused me upset and stress about money! The week beginning 4th feb I was given minimal hours after the rota came back and I was expected to do B (8.30-11 at one restaurant) then E (5-close) at another restaurant! No one else in the company was ever asked to do such shifts and I am adamant they did it because they knew a) I had no other choice but to work for them and b) I heard many managers say "i was getting too tired" to do full shifts! There also has been numerous times in the past when part-timers were given either more hours than me or very close to it!! Every week I tried to make a point of saying "I AM FULL TIME" ... some weeks getting less that 30 hours a week!

I also was never given a risk assessment! I felt they could have done alot more to accomodate me in my pregnancy! considering we are on our feet constantly it wouldnt have been a problem if I could have had an extra break or so! but I got nothing (yet smokers still get there hourly smoke break)!! For weeks I was suffering excruitiating back pain on 9th June I was signed off sick from work by my doc! Comments were coming back to me about how inconvienient it was for the restaurant! And when i took my sick note I had the manager ask me if I had ASKED to be signed off!

When I took my sick note in I also handed in my matb1 form... to which previously NO ONE had mentioned it.. or asked me for it! Very odd as any other company would be very adament on me getting that document in! I also took it upon myself to ring the office given them a notified leave date!! They didnt ask me!!

I was struggling at work with my back and constant toilet trips but I really felt like I was becoming a burden on the manager!! She also said to me "that she remembers previous pregnant employees just getting on with it and not moaning and working right to the end"!! This really got to me as it made me feel like I wasnt doing a good job! She was very anti-pregnancy anyway and kept going on about how she wanted to be sterilised and how she didnt like babies! Thats her choice but I just got the feeling she was fed up with me.

All this negative attitude and lack of help on their part with my back etc forced me to leave earlier than I originally planned! My last day being 6th July! It then got to that pay day that I was expecting my first SSP and to my frustration... I was paid £20.30!! This I later find out was a tax rebate and they hadnt even started my maternity pay!! I mean how unprofessional can you get. They knew my leave date they had everything they needed to pay me correctly... yet they failed!! I did however get 2 weeks pay the following week!! Which was completely different to the subsequent weeks!!

The whole situation has made me sure I dont want to go back there! I know this isnt a law issue but I didnt even get a good luck card or well wishes from managers etc! Its only a small company and I would have thought they could have done that for me! It just completely shows how much they think of me! Just a burden to there company being pregnant and not as mobile as the others!

I also went to eat there with my family a few weeks back and didnt get my staff discount which I know your still entitled to in ML! It just seems that they have never had to deal with a pregnant woman before and they are completely untrained in the area!

 

[leedsforever]

Kerry darling -
Our great-grandmas were made to feel like complete shit for daring to ask for the right to vote.
Our grandmas and mums were told they were bad mothers for wanting careers outside the home and equal rights in the workplace.
We are really the first generation to grow up with these rights established and old habits die hard. It's not easy to change generations of exploiting women, but every little battle helps to win the war.
Making you feel like a troublemaker is one of the oldest tricks in the book. It keeps honest, hardworking people like you in line - because you just want to do your job and get on with it and nice people with good manners aren't supposed to kick up a fuss.
But you wouldn't be getting the reaction you did from all of us here if it wasn't an unfair, discriminatory situation.
Go with your gut. You know they are wrong and someone needs to stand up to them.
Let's hope our daughters grow up never knowing what it's like to be treated unfairly because they dared to reproduce.
You drag those pricks kicking and screaming into the 21st century for all of us!

I know I have to do it and Ive always been someone to stick up for myself!! But Im wondering maybe I should have spoke to higher management before going down this route!! But then I didnt feel comfortable doing that...!!

They get away with so so much not just pregnancy related!!
The week I left they put up a sign talking of written warnings etc etc..... it just made me laugh... they cannot do any type of written warnings or sackings without a proper procedure!! With no contracts the law is on the employees side!!

The owner himself has always been really pleasant to me.... and maybe thats why I feel so bad... cos if I do get any sort of payout in effect its going to come out of his pocket!! I would def be happy though with the 20 or so hours I have lost through ante-natel care!! However if they get done under sex-discrimination it will be way more than that!!

 

[Sarahkka]

The owner himself has always been really pleasant to me.... and maybe thats why I feel so bad... cos if I do get any sort of payout in effect its going to come out of his pocket!! I would def be happy though with the 20 or so hours I have lost through ante-natel care!! However if they get done under sex-discrimination it will be way more than that!!

The owner is ultimately responsible for the way his managers are treating you. I'm sure he is nice, but he's allowing the labour code to be broken repeatedly. Part of the responsibility of owning a business is making sure that the people you are employing are toeing the line, managers included.
In my experience, management generally reflect the attitudes of the employer. Whether it's happening because he's being negligent and not checking in on this stuff, or because he too thinks pregnancy should be a fireable offense, it's still his responsibility.
Senior management should be checking on that stuff, too. It's part of their job. And as you said, the work climate was not one that encouraged you to approach them to share your concerns. Unfortunately, they will now pay the price for establishing that climate.
They are ignoring your human rights. That's kind of a really huge big deal. You aren't overreacting.

 

[maybebaby]

I agree, you should take a stand. It is not fair for you or any others to be treated like that.

 

[leedsforever]

The owner is ultimately responsible for the way his managers are treating you. I'm sure he is nice, but he's allowing the labour code to be broken repeatedly. Part of the responsibility of owning a business is making sure that the people you are employing are toeing the line, managers included.
In my experience, management generally reflect the attitudes of the employer. Whether it's happening because he's being negligent and not checking in on this stuff, or because he too thinks pregnancy should be a fireable offense, it's still his responsibility.

I really didnt think of it like that.... but you are so right!! He should have made sure I was treated correctly etc...!!

Thanks hun... that has made me feel better

I call these people "managers" but really they are only head waitresses... they dont undergo any type of training etc!! Any other company managers would be trained all about the sex discrimination act!! The "managers" we have at my particular restaurant were both female... but one was 21 (i know age isnt anything to go by but she acted very immature) and is very anti kids.... and the other one is a lesbian.. who although wants children she never wants to carry them!! Personal preferences really shone through!!

Its been my dad who has encouraged me to sort out how I have been treated... hes a manager for asda and he says as soon as someone gets pregnant... working for a company like asda... you are literally treated like royalty!! They have been BRILLIANT with my OH.... treated better than me... paid time off for my ante-natel care etc!!

I let everyone know how my conversation goes with the solicitor tomorrow!!

Thanks again

 

[PeanutBean]

Hey Leeds, I'm totally disgusted with your employers having read the list of things they have done (or failed to do). You MUST have a case! I want to tell you about my experiences so far so you can compare to a good employer. I work for a small charity with only about 30 or 40 staff altogether so we are not some super big company or anything but the HR is excellent.

I've had flexible and home working to accomodate my sickness (I told my manager at 6 weeks when the sickness started).
The HR officer herself has been off sick nearly a year with cancer but just got back recently and immediately took in hand all the necessary stuff. She said she'll need my matB1 when I get it and has arranged for my risk assessment to be done here (my office is at the other end of the country to the head office). She asked if I was taking any antenatal classes and I said the aquanatal (which I essentially get a morning off a week for since about 14 weeks pregnant), she then highly recommended I go for pregnancy yoga if it's available too, even if it during work time.
I haven't had to give any written proof of appointments of antenatal classes.
The HR officer sent me all the maternity policies and answered all my questions straight away.
I've got out of numerous trips to London and stays away for work that I really ought to have gone too but was too sick to manage.
I've had about 4 or 5 days off sick so far in my pregnancy from a seriously bad migraine and from a viral infection. No-one's said anything negative about it at all.
They are accomodating all my needs for taking my leave before mat leave.
In general they are being very positive!

I only wish they could offer more than stat pay. lol

 

[leedsforever]

aww thats really lovely peanutbean!! It just makes you feel so much better about everything!! Being pregnant is an emotional time anyway let alone not having your job on your side and just feeling like an inconvienence!!

I phoned the solicitor today and she said she was going to phone back... not heard anything yet but solicitors are like that.. so Ill call her on monday if I havent heard anything by the end of today! Its stupid I feel guilty and worrying about it!! Especially as they have not be bothered with me and my feelings!

Like I said before I would be happy with just my 20 or so hours paid to me that I lost.... and my holiday pay that Im owed as I dont want to go back!! Anything else will be a bonus!

 

[leedsforever]

well she rang me and it all seems very promising!!

She said you can get 6-7 grand for injury to feelings!! So I need to spend the weekend thinking of everything that has been said and done to me in the time I worked there!!

She also said its illegal to not have a written contract and your legally entitled to.. either 2 or 4 weeks pay for not being issued one!!

I need to dig out my contents insaurance for my flat... cos something about they use that to pay for the fees.... does that make sense to you guys???

 

[thelilbump]

i think you're doin the right thing. Sounds like we been workin for the same company n all!!

 

[leedsforever]

are you thinking of making a claim??

 

[thelilbump]

me? it never really occured to me tbh!

My work were shit. I've never signed a contract with them despite numerous requests (but everyone else there is in the same boat), they dropped my hours, they made me carry on in my normal role until June, they put me down to 1 day a week which happened to be a day no manager was in for me to complian to. Gosh i'd feel sick days before my shift was due. Was just like they shrugged me off coz i was only p/t. They've also conned me out of 2 weeks holiday each year i worked there by tellin me i was only entitled to 2 weeks when thats not the case its 4. Glad to be out the soddin place!

 

[leedsforever]

I really think you should email this woman!!! Its completely illegal to drop your hours... and Im not the same... no contract and no one else has a contract either!!!

Ill give you the email address if you wish.... its all legit... I got it from an advert that is in like EVERY preg magazine!!!

 

[thelilbump]

Please - i guess it's worth a try but then its a national company so little me against them might not be easy!!

 

[leedsforever]

Please - i guess it's worth a try but then its a national company so little me against them might not be easy!!

She said that most claims get sort out of court... and Im sure if its a national company they wont want any bad publicity!!

good luck!! let me know how you get on!!

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