Problems at Work

[smallwren]

My boss is a bully and she is really upsetting me, there are 2 of us that work here and the girl i work with is a total godess the bosses eyes where i am spawn of the devil. So far in 6 months i have been made to empty and sort through peoples rubbish, start working at 8.30am and then stay in the office until at least 6.30 - 7.00 every night and i am not allowed lunch breaks. Both bosses treat me with a barely disguised contempt and to be honest it is making me very very miserable - to the extent that i am actually crying at work.... i havent done that for years. I went for 3 days last week where one of my bosses didn't say one single word to me - when you bear in mind that only 4 of us work here thats a very long time!

According to the 45 minute verbal battering that i got the other day this all stems back to me having the total nerve to have 4 days sick (bronchitus and laragitus - nice) then come back for a week and then have 2 further days off to have to wisdom teeth out. I should point out that i arranged the hospital dates with them two months in advance - but because of the 4 days sick i am being made to take the time i spent in hospital as unpaid leave?? Apparently this has caused one of my bosses to stop trusting me and apparently i now have to prove myself in his eyes.... by empting bins???

I am just being punished every day and i have no idea why.

Now i have been looking at other work (again - this is a seperate problem but i have had lots and lots and lots of jobs in the past 4 years)and i have an interview on 30th August with a company  but i am just terrified that there is a problem with me.

As a person i generally take everything far too personally and i can't help but wonder if i am going about this all wrong. Should i give up and get another job or should i stick it out and see what happens?

[Faye00]

I am disgusted with what you were saying about how your boss treats you.  You should not only leave you should take them to court for bullying you out of your job! I dont see how taking sick time is a problem everyone is entitled to sick time and at the end of the day if you are sick you are sick and there is nothing people can do about it.  It seems to me that these peopel are being nasty and milicious just for the sake of it.  I am not sure if you are a man or a woman but if both your bosses are the opposite sex to you then this sort of thing can be classed as sexist! 

I feel sorry for you noone should have to work in a place like that and you should get out as soon as you can.  I bet you dread going into work everyday and you should not feel like that, this is the place you spend most of you life at and you could make yourself ill by getting too stressed or even depressed.  I suggest you get some legal advice from an Employment Solicitor or pop into your local Citizens Advice Bureau!  It is not fair its malicious nasty and immature and you should not blame yoursefl! Good luck!  Faye00

[Curiouscol]

This sounds like a case of constructive dismissal to me: where your bosses are so horrible to you they basically force you to leave. I think you should definately speak to Citizens Advice Bureau.

[Iron-Fan]

as soon as you leave, let us know the companys name then we will all make crank calls, false orders etc and put them out of business and ruin them.....bullys suck!

Hope you get a new job soon, keep your chin up!

Things can only get better in the words of D'ream!!!

[Sammy Snake]

Its also illegal to work all day with no break for lunch.

[smallwren]

Thanks so much for all of your responses - it means a lot to hear from someone elses point of view. To be honest i am not sure i have the balls to go all official with it but will def start looking for another job.

Thanks again

[dothawkes]

Curiouscol is right, this is called 'Performing' a person out, it is however accepted management practise.  The targets and working conditions are altered, increased or whatever, to stretch the person's ability to meet the targets, cause them difficulties in completing set tasks, making them work longer, unsociable shifts.  Then, when the management feel the employee has failed, they dismiss them for poor performance.  However, usually the employee would have left anyway.

Unless there is an agreed and signed contract of employment that changes the hours of work, this aspect can be negotiated I believe, however, not to be unkind, it does souns as though smallwren is being heavily pressured to give the job up, so it is a case of stick iy out or let the bosses know that you are not going to be Performed Out and let them think you are on to them.

[tricia66]

I was off sick for 3 weeks with depression, caused by working long hours, no lunchbreaks, office politics, etc. When I went to go back I was told I was being sacked, but given no reason at all. I went to a solicitor and ended up getting compensation but I really wish I had pursued it and taken it to court, rather than pushing it under the carpet. As long as you have been employed for over a year - I think!! - you are entitled to pursue a constructive dismissal claim if you feel you have to leave.

I have been temping for over a year now and it has taken a while to build my confidence back up. Don't think it is you, it isn't, go for the other job and move on. Staying will only make you feel worse and undermine your confidence.

Health and Safety states you must have a lunch break. They are breaking the law.

[BoaterKeith]

I am confident that Citizens Advice would point you to an employment law specialist who would say this behaviour by employers just is not allowed these days. Keep a diary of everything - what is said, hours worked, thoughts, witnesses, etc. Keep it up for a short while (a couple of weeks) and then go and see them being as factual as possible. The odds are in your favour and this could prove very worthwhile both for you and anyone who succeeds you when you decide to leave. You will do nobody a favour by just quitting.