work rant!!!

[BabyMamma93]

Im so fed up!!! 8 weeks to go, (about) 7 weeks of work left as im working as far to the end i can!!
Ive just turned 21, meaning in the UK my wage should go up as the nat min wage increases at age of 21..
So i mentioned to my boss on my pay day last week, im now 21 and my wage has increased, he brushed me off telling me he can only just afford to pay me what he does now and that if i want paying the rate i will have to lower my hours. I would have prefered more wage, as £40 can go a long way, especially with a baby, but if he cant afford to pay me, then simple, lower my hours, so i suggested i will take 1 day off a week, this will lower my hours meaning my wage stays the same but i am receiving the legal rate. he said he will need to talk to the owner of the office - who i might add doesnt even pay my wage even though they was going to split it (theres 2 businesses in this office, i kinda work for both) anyway the next day i asked if he had spoke to the other guy his reply was 'well no but i would like you to be here every day (because every day im left alone in the office while hes up stairs or at the gym and the owner is too busy at his other office - if im not at work this means my boss actually has to be the face of the office rather than me) so i said well yeah but you said you cant afford to pay me more, unless u ask him (the owner) to pay the rest of my wage, to which he then grumbled as he doesnt wanna ask him.. so i simply said i just dont want the same to happen as what happened at my previous job - i had done a apprenticeship, and even when my apprentice had finished i was still paid the apprentice wage which was about half of what it should have been. He then said 'but this is different, its not like that, i just dont see why we should make changes yet when really you could leave at any time for maternity' .. im sorry but i didnt realise my maternity leave had anything to do with NOW. if i go full term ive still got 7 weeks of work left, thats 7 £40's i could have, or 7 days off.
he then plays the guilt card saying he always pays me for time off i have, hes never docked my wage for when ive had mornings off or dentist appointments, etc. so that makes it alright that im not being paid the legal rate.
im just so annoyed how he blatenly doesnt give a shit about me or my financial situation, he has money in his pocket to keep a roof over his head, he has money to feed his wife and kid so it doesnt mater about anyone else, yeah i manage with money but £40 can go a long way, that could buy about 3-4 tubs of formula, or a few packs of nappies, it could even put my gas and electric on for the week, but he doesnt care about that.
The thing is im just too nice and look where it gets me, it leaves me ranting on a forum page to let the anger hes caused out.
I really just need to tell him i either lower my hours, or he pays me more, end of, no arguments about it, simple as. i know i could take it further but to be honnest its alot more hassle than its worth, it will cost me more on trying to get him to court or whatever so theres really no point..
anyway today i told him i will be having tomorrow off as i have to go to docs and then dentist, no point me coming in for a hour, he tutted rolled his eyes and walked off, so hes blatenly no intentions of allowing me to have a day off and as i say he cant afford to pay me the extra wage!!!


ohh im just so mad, and tbh dont even feel no better after ranting, so what a waste of time that was!!!

 

[Rachie004]

I'm presuming you're not in a union? I would recommend taking advice from ACAS (it's free) because what he is doing/proposing is wrong. He can't just not pay you the LEGAL minimum wage because you're pregnant.

I'm not surprised that you're so angry! xx

 

[the why bird]

Seconding talking to ACAS. The minimum wage is not optional, and refusing to pay it because you are pregnant is discrimination, he could be in BIG trouble. They have a helpline, call them on your day off.

 

[Wannabe Mommy]

He legally ga to pay you the minimum wage it isn't his choice. ACAS will give you advice or citizens advice can help you put together a letter detailing the next steps you'll take legally if he doesn't raise your wage.

 

[emalou90]

Er... Reality check (to your employers) you have to pay the legal minimum wage regardless.
So tough!

If they refuse to change your minimum wage for your next pay packet, I'd be taking action, HR maybe or someone higher in the company? If there isn't anyone then CAB may be able to help. Regardless of if you are on maternity or not, you have a months worth of more pay to have before you leave and you don't want the hassle of having to change it if/when you go back.

 

[carlandjane]

Id just remind him that if you leave itll cost him a whole lot more to find someone else to do the job, train them up and he would have to pay them the legal minimum. Stand your ground! Dont let people walk over you and take advantage - you have a little one to care for and you not only need the money but you EARN that money he is denying you... He can only get away with what you allow him to.

 

[BabyMamma93]

i dont know wheter he is as much descriminating me for being pregnant, to be honest he could well be, the thing is he worked in the office at my prev job, where they also under paid me, and he slagged them off to the moon and back at how disgusting it is to under pay someone. Now hes doing it :s
He says he cant afford to pay me extra, which i understand, hense why i asked to take a day off a week, that would keep my wage the same but as i say because im the one that sits in the office dealing with things all day while he hides up stairs and the other guy is wherever he wants to be, he doesnt want me to have a day off, hed much rather keep things the way they are!!
I really do need to stand my ground because i should get exactly what im entitled to, and thats what i intend to do. Had yesterday off but really that was only because i had appointments, not to keep my wage square, so ill see what he has to say today, either the other guy tops my wage up, or i get a day off. Simple, this is putting way too much stress on me & baby, stress i really dont need!!

 

[raisin]

You MUST call ACAS. I have worked in HR for over 10 years and I know for certain this is not right. He is breaking the law for a start but also remember that if you receive statutory maternity pay then this could affect the amount you get for the first 6 weeks. ACAS will be able to advice.

 

[emalou90]

Sort it out sooner rather than later Hun xx

 

[BabyMamma93]

so on Friday last week i asked what was going on with my hours/wage.. like i said it was either the other guy pays me the extra or i take less hours- prefably a day off so im not taking time out for midwife appointments etc. He insisted i come in every day so knocked a hour off every day, i now start work a hour later, its not what i wanted but least im being paid the legal rate.. the thing thats still annoying me is my boss mentioned to the other guy my hours have been dropped as my wage has gone up, unless he wanted to pay the extra i will be starting a hour later, the other guy looked blankly and just said well, its not about the money but NO quite blatenly NO!!
It annoys me because yes i work for a different company than the other guy (who owns the office) but whilst hes out galavanting here there and everywhere i take all his messages, collect his rents, deal with his tenants, bring him in more customers etc. when me and my boss are out, he sends our customers away. So i am technically working for them both, but he just wont pay any of my wage, in this case its not me that needs to put my foot down, its my boss, my boss is paying me for doing half work for someone else, but hes too pussy to say anything, thats not my problem. Yes the extra wage would come more than handy to us especially with baby on the way, but least im being paid the legal wage..
The thing that made me laugh is now i work 5 hours a day not 6, my boss said to me, 'you know you were moaning about being paid properly, well did you know if you work less than 6 hours a day your not technically entitled to a hour lunch like you get, your only entitled to a 20 minute break' i just looked at him and said 'ok?' it just made me laugh how he can basically take the piss then come out with something like that!
im seriously considering leaving before i go on mat leave, and maybe being a stay at home mum until i can get a job, my OH currently doesnt work, but is doing a work related programme to help him get into work. Ive worked sicne i was 14, i think i deserve to take some time off and spend time with my baby, even if that means ill have to be a 'benefit mummy' as people say!!
Thanks for letting me rant, i can go on and on sometimes x

 

[emalou90]

Bloody hell. It frustrates me so much reading that and it's not even my situation so can't imagine how frustrated you must be

I won't tell you to give up your job because as people say, in this day and age you're lucky to have one! BUT that's exactly what I'll be doing midway through maternity leave simply because I'm fed up of it. That's not the right attitude to have, no, but I'm a strong believer in "you should be happy in your job" and if you can't figure out a solution to become happy then why stay? Iykwim.
Plus for me, the money my OH gets will cover us anyway so I can bring up baby the way we want.

ANYWAY *rant rant*
What's the plan if you were returning to the job? What would be your hours then, say, if you had to put baby into childcare? It doesn't sound like they'd be flexible with your hours, if they won't then that's another massive issue.

xx

 

[BabyMamma93]

When talking to my auntie about it, she keeps trying to talk me out of leaving, she has good points 'its easier to find a job while you have one' then she also says 'you dont wana be on benefits, ull find it too easy and wont get another job'
Yes its hard to find a job i know that, ive done it before, and no i wont find it 'too easy' on benefits it will be the fact i have a child to keep me busy and entertained that will keep me sane, i hate not working and soon enough i will work again.
But my point is, id rather be on benefits, at home, enjoying time with my new baby, rather than coming to work, being taken for a mug, hating every minute, wishing i was at home with my baby!!
i know people will read this and be like 'ohh she wants to go leave her job and go on benefits, typical' but its not like that, like i said, i want to work, but i want to enjoy my work too!! before i fell on i was looking for a job i want to do.. i had a few interviews, then i found out i was pregnant, and even though it is illegal, i know people wont take on a pregnant woman, its easier not to..

if i do go back to work i was wanting a day off a week, but thats obviously not going to happen, so id probably have the same hours i do now, which isnt TOO bad. i come into work at 11, go home at 1 for a hour, back at 2 and leave at 4, so really its not that bad, but id still rather be at home with my baby!! plus until my OH gets a job, he would be at home with little one, so no childcare costs there.
we then decided when he gets a job, hopefully one that pays well enough, i will have a 'night job' working maybe 2-3 hours on a night meaning im in with baby/little one through the day, and he is on a night while im at work.. we will just have to see, but i need to work it out soon, as im leaving for maternity leave in 4-5 weeks and it comes quicker than u expect lol xx

 

[BigAl]

I would definitely look into the specfics of benefits before you quit. Only because I would hate you to lose any maternity pay because your boss is an arse.

 

[BabyMamma93]

My boss would actually make me redundant, so if i was to leave/made redundant before maternity leave i will just get benefits instead, which work out more than mat allowance, as im losing a fair bit of money on mat leave

 

[emalou90]

Whatever choice you make, aslong as you work out pros and cons, then go for it
Xx