ChatterBank2 mins ago
Employee rights-advice needed
Case 1:My nephew has a tattoo on his neck of a Chinese symbol which he got 5 years ago. Us oldies in the family aren't keen on it, but if that's the worst he ever does hey ho.
Four years ago he got a part time job at a jewellers. After a while they took him on full time and now he has been promoted twice and is now a supervisor. They have sent him on loads of training courses and he loves his job. He tends to get called upon to do the crappy jobs and extra early/late starts by the other two female supervisors who have families.
Last month his supervisor called him in and told him he has to cover his tattoo. No biggy, but when he puts a plaster over it lots of customers comment whereas when he leaves it on show no-one does.
He offered to have it removed by laser but they told him that would leave a scar that they would also expect him to cover. He's a sensitive lad and they have gone on about it so much the Dr has signed him off with stress. Je is worried they are looking for a way to sack him-any advice please?
Four years ago he got a part time job at a jewellers. After a while they took him on full time and now he has been promoted twice and is now a supervisor. They have sent him on loads of training courses and he loves his job. He tends to get called upon to do the crappy jobs and extra early/late starts by the other two female supervisors who have families.
Last month his supervisor called him in and told him he has to cover his tattoo. No biggy, but when he puts a plaster over it lots of customers comment whereas when he leaves it on show no-one does.
He offered to have it removed by laser but they told him that would leave a scar that they would also expect him to cover. He's a sensitive lad and they have gone on about it so much the Dr has signed him off with stress. Je is worried they are looking for a way to sack him-any advice please?
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Theres no indication at all they they are trying to sack him and i think he should man up and get back to work. If he's off sick for a while that could be sufficient reason for them to start to consider getting rid of him. As he has been with the company for over 2 years he has protection from a unfair dismissal, but no protection if they have a genuine reason to doubt his capability due to illness. They would of course have to follow a process but thats no real big deal.
After 4 years he has also clearly proved himself a valuable member of the team and as he has had the tattoo for all this time I have to wonder what else has changed Why all of a sudden is he bing asked to cover the tattoo, has his job changed, is this a new supervisor. If he was previously working with customers without having to cover up he should discuss this with the supervisor or the senior manager. If its a change of policy then it could also constitute a change of contract and in theory this could be objected to. He needs to go and discuss this with the management rather than be off sick.
After 4 years he has also clearly proved himself a valuable member of the team and as he has had the tattoo for all this time I have to wonder what else has changed Why all of a sudden is he bing asked to cover the tattoo, has his job changed, is this a new supervisor. If he was previously working with customers without having to cover up he should discuss this with the supervisor or the senior manager. If its a change of policy then it could also constitute a change of contract and in theory this could be objected to. He needs to go and discuss this with the management rather than be off sick.
they can ask him to cover it in an informal way, but if he has worked there and been promoted whilst it has been visible and whilst he completed the four years there they cannot now make it any kind of disciplinary issue if it was not included in his works employment handbook . has there been a change of manager maybe? do any of the women have any tatoos that are visible? you could tell him to take out a grievance against his line manager.
stop telling people who are stressed, depressed or sick for some reason to 'man up'. it is a really offensive thing to say - mental health problems have no bearing on one's abilities or qualities as a man (or woman, for that matter) and are not a matter of choice. this issue is obviously causing him stress and if the management are starting to pick at him, then this will cause him distress. dotty's advice is sound.....if it was there before and wasn't an issue, then it can't be one now. he should take this up with the supervisor's manager....as it could be grounds for constructive dismissal if it comes to it x
He should just say to the customers that ask, that its a tattoo, and he has to cover it work. How big is it? can he use mineral makeup to cover it, or camaflouge makeup only for work. I really don't understand why its an issue now, they put all that money and effort into training him up, and now trying to drive him out. He should'nt have to have it removed, if he did at whos cost? It could be that a customer complained, but its just a jewellery shop, why the big issue. He should have a chat with his manager, not supervisor, and try and come up with a solution.
I generally agree with you, lcg76, but having worked in management, technical and teaching roles I have also seen quite a number of people who use stress as a weapon or tactic- e.g. tactical absences for stress when they disagree with something or threatening to put in a stress claim if managers try to change their duties or work environment. When this happens it was not surprising that those who genuinely had stress didn't always get the help they needed
There is more to this than has been posted.
I very strongly suspect that the company is , like most now, losing money. This is a way of the 2 female supervisors trying to get rid of your son rather than one or both of them getting the chop. He has obviously been very good in the job and they see him as a threat.
He MUST challenge this by going above the 2 supervisors and making a formal complaint.
As has been said if the tattoo was a problem it should have been brought up when he first started . They can not bring it up now if it has not been mentioned before.
I very strongly suspect that the company is , like most now, losing money. This is a way of the 2 female supervisors trying to get rid of your son rather than one or both of them getting the chop. He has obviously been very good in the job and they see him as a threat.
He MUST challenge this by going above the 2 supervisors and making a formal complaint.
As has been said if the tattoo was a problem it should have been brought up when he first started . They can not bring it up now if it has not been mentioned before.
In answer to everyones replies (which I am grateful for by the way):
Yes there is a new supervisor
He tried mineral make up but it makes a terrible mess of his shirts
No-one has ever commented about his tattoo and the management have not indicated that anyone has complained
They are saying it was always a part of their policy but he had the tattoo when he was interviewed and got the job and no-one mentioned it or drew his attention to this policy until now.
His issue is not about covering it up, he's happy to but from what he has told us they are making him very uncomfortable whenever he is working by going on about his tattoo
His dad offered to pay for the removal by laser and that's when they said that will leave a scar and they would expect him to cover that as well. Which makes me wonder what they would do if someone had a scar from an accident or some such thing?
I think it's this last thing about expecting him to cover any scar if he had it removed that is making him feel picked on and as if whatever he does they are going to find fault
With regard to the negative comments about stress, please don't be so flippant about such things (to those that were). None of us are in a position to judge what is likely to cause stress to another person. If you had been doing a job for 4 years, getting promoted and getting on with everyone and felt you had found your niche and suddenly found yourself the highlight of negativity in work, you might feel stressed too.
I'm a strong person, but I have had two bouts of clinical depression in the last 20 years, and people who know me are amazed when I tell them, so nobody can really judge.
Yes there is a new supervisor
He tried mineral make up but it makes a terrible mess of his shirts
No-one has ever commented about his tattoo and the management have not indicated that anyone has complained
They are saying it was always a part of their policy but he had the tattoo when he was interviewed and got the job and no-one mentioned it or drew his attention to this policy until now.
His issue is not about covering it up, he's happy to but from what he has told us they are making him very uncomfortable whenever he is working by going on about his tattoo
His dad offered to pay for the removal by laser and that's when they said that will leave a scar and they would expect him to cover that as well. Which makes me wonder what they would do if someone had a scar from an accident or some such thing?
I think it's this last thing about expecting him to cover any scar if he had it removed that is making him feel picked on and as if whatever he does they are going to find fault
With regard to the negative comments about stress, please don't be so flippant about such things (to those that were). None of us are in a position to judge what is likely to cause stress to another person. If you had been doing a job for 4 years, getting promoted and getting on with everyone and felt you had found your niche and suddenly found yourself the highlight of negativity in work, you might feel stressed too.
I'm a strong person, but I have had two bouts of clinical depression in the last 20 years, and people who know me are amazed when I tell them, so nobody can really judge.
^^ Wow Nini! I hope that at anytime you are having a hard time that no-one breaks it down and tells you no problem...if there ever really was a problem!
If you had read my posts you would see that he has agreed to cover it but THEY are making a big thing of it every time he is in work.
But thanks for being so erm dismissive about things......
If you had read my posts you would see that he has agreed to cover it but THEY are making a big thing of it every time he is in work.
But thanks for being so erm dismissive about things......
i find it hard to believe that most customers that come in comment on the plaster on his neck!
why would they?
would you comment?
does anyone here ask strangers about their plasters and bandages?
and whats to ask anyway?
and even if they do comment what are they saying that is so bad?
"what have you done to your neck?", "is that sore?" ... i mean what are they saying?
whilst i would never tell someone to 'man up' if theyre upset, it does seem a bit like hes taking all this a bit too seriously and personally.
just wear the plaster - problem solved...
he could try dermacolour camoflage cream - designed to cover tattoos and scars... with a fixative on it. it should stay put.
he could also wear collar barriers.
why would they?
would you comment?
does anyone here ask strangers about their plasters and bandages?
and whats to ask anyway?
and even if they do comment what are they saying that is so bad?
"what have you done to your neck?", "is that sore?" ... i mean what are they saying?
whilst i would never tell someone to 'man up' if theyre upset, it does seem a bit like hes taking all this a bit too seriously and personally.
just wear the plaster - problem solved...
he could try dermacolour camoflage cream - designed to cover tattoos and scars... with a fixative on it. it should stay put.
he could also wear collar barriers.
Am struggling with this one on so many levels. Four years and all of a sudden it's a problem? Then the problem is the new supervisor. Top salesman getting grief? Very unusual for a sales related business. Stress? Would hate to belittle him, and I know it comes in many forms, all of them real, but genuine stress is going into a job where you are in fear of your life every day.
Get the plaster on and get on with it. If the new supervisor is acting differently, and he really is a top salesman, then I would suggest that he has an excellent case to take to a senior manager. In that case, he/she should be worried, not your nephew.
Get the plaster on and get on with it. If the new supervisor is acting differently, and he really is a top salesman, then I would suggest that he has an excellent case to take to a senior manager. In that case, he/she should be worried, not your nephew.
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