Son Getting Bullied At Work???

[puddicat]

My son works for a builders merchant, been there just over a year now,he is getting haraasment from his foreman,thats a laugh theres only him and my son,anyway the foreman isnt pulling his weight,being abusive and threatening,and i think the manager is just there for a easy life and isnt rectifying my lads issues,my son reckons he is going to smack him one soon he is so frustrated,so i asked him to find his handbook so that i could see the company policy on bullying,then i will draught a letter to the company,and get my lad to sign I know my lad should do this himself but he suffers from word blindness,and also would not know how to construct the letter,anyone else had issues and how did they deal with it,he is not in a union,any help gladly taken!!!

[Lil O'lady]

Number one for your son, join a union, and get some proper support in the situation he faces.
You don't say whether the company is large with many branches or just a single small firm. The size of a com-pany may have a bearing on how a situation like this can be resolved. For example, in a small firm if you can get a sympathetic hearing with the owner, you can get resolution quickly, but it isn't always that easy.
Large firms usually have written policies and whole HR departments to resolve grievances, but again that does not always mean that fairness prevails.

Anyone who comes in to support your son will want to know exactly what has happened, when, and whether anyone else witnessed it.

You and your son need to make a retrospective diary of what has happened so far, and keep it updated. Do not keep this document in the workplace or tell anyone else about it other than your union or legal rep.

This diary will form the starting point of any advice, support and actions towards resolution.

Bullying takes a myriad of forms and can range from obvious threats to cold-shouldering.
Try this link:
http://www.workplacebullying.co.uk/ - it was created by a vloke who was badly bullied at work, but turned his experiences to towards helping others. Sadly he passed away, no doubt as a result of the stress he was subjected to.

Here's another link:

http://www.bullying.co.uk/adults/index.aspx?_k k=work%20place%20bullying&_kt=9a1af211-47c1-41 41-964a-6009c2efc6ae&gclid=CITP_OXqoZgCFYoH3go dyWtRnA

Don't suffer alone; if your son has got to the point of feeling violent get him to the doc's

[Lil O'lady]

...and get him sigend off with a proper sick note. The very fact of telling the doc about this stress and its cause is vital in the evidence trail that will help your legal supporter help you.

Good luck, and let us know how he gets on.

PS admitting to being bullied is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of beginning to take control.

[Ethel]

All good advice but think very carefully about him going off sick with stress.

It does not look good on a cv or reference and rings very big alarm bells with prospective employers.

[Lil O'lady]

But is infinitely better than thumping the foreman.

[puddicat]

Morning,thanks for the advice,he has found his company handbook,and there is a section on bullying,briefly he should try to resolve issues with his manager if he doesnt resolve the situation,he has to get in touch with the personnel dept and its a uk wide company,so tomorrow we will go through what he has gone through and then present this to his manager,and if not happy will contact the personnel dept!!!

[Lil O'lady]

I would still advise you to get union support to help resolve this.