Think I might have to stop work.

[Caroline]

We have a new manager since Oct and she is causing nothing but trouble. I was put on crutches mid dec due to spd. I currently work upstairs and was told yesterday I may not be insured so will have to work downstairs. I am really p'ed off, as the room downstairs is tiny I won't be able to do my job properly as I will not be able to use all the equipment. The other problem is the toilets are upstairs. I have raised this point and be told they will give me the key to the disabled toilet, which is outside, in a dark alley where all the shoplifters/druggies go. I don't think this is safe, also they are forcing me to go out of work to a public toilet. I think this is unaccetalbe and feel if this is there so called solution that i should go off on full pay as they can not provide me with suitable employment. Sorry for rant just had a bad day. Comments appreciated, as I may be just being pig headed and hormonal. Also this has arisen since I refused to work beyond my contracted hours (unless I got overtime which i'm entitled to).

 

[weestar21]

sorry if this isnt right and ive got it wrong

sounds to me like they are trying to get you to quit, i would go see your nearest CAB see where you stand as no way should they be treating you like that especially maing you use an outside toilet

sorry if that doesnt help and ive got it wrong

 

[KX]

Yeah constructive dismissal I would phone CAB for advice like Weestar said

 

[Caroline]

Thanks guys for your replies. If you look at health and safety regs I think I have grounds to say you can't provide me with facilities etc that are safe for me and baby therefore I have to be suspended on full pay until I go on maternity. Have just submitted matb1 telling them i plan on going at 38 wks (wish I d put 40 wks now) I am going to ring health abnd safety exec for there opnion 2morrow, and poss the council I don't think they will appreciate my workplace using a public loo as staff toilet! I am now reall p'ed off and am gonna fight them. Knowing my luck they will say oh no its ok you are insured.

 

[weestar21]

even if you are insured they still shouldnt be putting you in a working enviroment that isnt suitable for your work commitments and the fact that they are using a public toilet aswell.

I would fight them all the way hun, if they get away with it once they will keep doing it

good luck hun for tomoz let us know how it goes
xxxxxxxxxx

 

[Amanda]

Do you get full sick pay? If you do, just get your doc to sign you on the sick hun.

I also ended up on crutches because of bloddy SPD, so I stopped work!

 

[Caroline]

Phoned landlord today as when I calmed down I thought as its at the end of the corridor near the service yard/staff car park it may belong to them. It is theres not public loo and is designed mainly for stores with disabled staff. He was really nice and said he would get maintenece to check it and make sure its clean etc and he will get me a key. I shall see how it goes but if I'm forced to work downstairs and find it difficult I will cut hours back or get them to suspend on full pay as they can't get me suitable alternative employment. Sick pay is a joke where I work. The optical assistants and managers get no sick pay unitl ssp kicks in. My sick pay is at hte directors discretion so I may not get paid for long term. I'm just going to see how things go, but they will not push me about.

 

[Hels]

Have they done a risk assessment hun??

 

[Caroline]

Not really no. I was told on Wednesday that now I'm pregnant er yeah i'm like 28 weeks they should do a risk assesment. They then said they don't know if I'm insured to work upstairs cos I'm on crutches (er yeah been on them since mid dec!) so they'll check and let me know. Still haven't told me yet outcome. When I left on Weds was told erm h/o say yes, britannia say no, then er not sure we'll get back to you. At the mo they have altered the downstairs testroom in case I have to work downstairs but I hope to god I don't. Its so small and dingy and unless you put plug in sink and block overflow pipe with tissue the room honks to high heaven. Daren't put air con on as that smells bad too. What really gets me is that last time I was pg they didn't do risk assessment and the girl whos just left on maternity didn't get one in fact I don't think they've ever done one b4. Sorry to rant I'm really p'ed off as since the new manager took over all shes done is cause chaos and upset over half the staff.

 

[Helen]

Time to raise a formal grievance about the way you are being treated. (deja vu - sure I typed this yesterday! )

You must be risk assessed during pregnancy and that risk assessment is what determines what happens about your work and working environment. They should have done one as soon as they knew you were PG and regularly during your pregnancy. You should be actively involved in this risk assessment too. How can they possibly know what the risks are without talking to you?

My advice as an HR Manager is to dig out your grievance policy (they are legally obliged to have one). Using that raise a formal grievance in writing. It'd also be worth chatting to your doctor, they may say with the SPD you shouldn't be doing stairs and might be prepared to write a letter to your employer on your behalf.

Good luck. Don't let them treat you badly just because you are PG. That's sex discrimination!

 

[Caroline]

Well I finaly got my risk assessmwnt this morning. The insurance company say i'm insured and to ensure that i'm happy using the stairs which i am, only go up in a morning to my room, down for lunch, up for the afternoon, then down for home. I have two flights of stairs which i'm coping with. They have assessed the stairs as medium risk and I ave now to be assessed every three weeks. If I can't cope with the stairs b4 that all I have to do is say and I can have the lovely! downstairs room. So my risk assesssment lasted 2 mins max, were i was shown the sheet the manager had filled in and that was it!. No point in raising grievence against manager as the director think sus shines out her bum. Our supervisior has just left 'cos of her. She put in her resignation letter why and that she was seeking legal advice, director then did grievence and asked her to reconsider. At meeting she felt they didn't listen to her. She is waiting for letter of outcome, but thinks she will leave and then go for constuctive dismissal. To make my situation more difficult i can't really put grievence in to h/o about director as I'm hoping to buy the practice from her soon if she stops messing about and agrees to our compromise!. Its all very complicated. Sorry its a long post!!