Failing a 1-2-1

[slainte caragh]

A nice little problem for [MENTION=51026]Ula[/MENTION] and [MENTION=26290]mariefab[/MENTION] to sink their teeth in to.

My elder sister works for my previous employer, she has got severe mental health issues that her immediate bosses all know about.

From experience, I know that every month you have what is known as a 1-2-1 meeting with your team manager, it is for any greivences/suggestions/career path ideas etc that you have to be raised, and to see how you are progressing with your KPIS (stats etc),

My sister doesn't take calls, she is on a webchat, so cannot be marked on her calls (as I was) so has been told she will now be scored on how her 1-2-1 goes. I don't understand how?

She has had a 1-2-1, I told her to go in with the internal union but for some reason she didn't, and has been told she got 3/10 so has "failed" her 1-2-1.
She is told is due to not contributing to the team when they are aware she tries but more outspoken members of the team have told her to "shut up!" and are calling her "Stupid". She has also been told this is due to her telling other members of the team to "f*** off!" all the time.... one problem - my sister doesn't swear at work.

She is also having problems with holidays.

She is 50 this year and has asked to have the w/end of her birthday (28th December) off for a year, she has been told catergorically no because there isn't enough time to ask for it, but someone else (no kids or mitigating circumstances) has been given this time because she is friendly with the Team Manager.

She has asked for the 1st week in January off, this has been refused as she cannot be spared because the same person has been given from the 24 Dec to 3rd Jan off, and my sister is getting guilt trips for asking for a week so she can see family in London.

She has asked for time in March and May and and is being told she hasn't given enough time to book it, and the best is yet to come.

She got a final written warning to my knowledge 3 years ago for sickness as her previous unit refused to take her mental illness in to consideration or make any allowances, like a fool she signed it! Now they won't tell her if she has met the duration of the warning, despite asking all the time.

She has members of staff calling her a junkie and telling her to go back to counselling and get better pills! And the TM knows about it!

She has handed in a grievence but has heard nothing, what can she do?

[Kati]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

Poor lass

[PAWS]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

Disgraceful – I am sure some of the expert beagles will have some sound advice.
Pxx

[slainte caragh]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

thanks [MENTION=31453]PAWS[/MENTION] and [MENTION=49370]Kati[/MENTION].

I just hate her being so down, she has worked bloody hard to get so far in her improvement (trust me there have been times I have wanted to string her up!) and I am so proud of her!

Her risk assesment shows she cannot take calls due to it causing her stress, but she is constantly being stressed by her team mates. One is constantly calling her stupid and fat (she is 6 foot tall and if she weighs 12 stone I will eat my shoe!) One even told her, on the unit and at top volume, that she needed to lose 3 stone!

[PAWS]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

What a bunch of baskets! What sad downtrodden lives they must live. At least your sister can console herself that she is not one of them.
I really do not know much about employment law (or much about any law really!) but when someone’s place of work becomes unbearable is it not seen as constructive dismissal?
Is this a standalone operation or is there a ‘head office’ or is it owned by another entity?

[slainte caragh]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

that's what I thought.

It's definately got a HQ, it's a call centre with a few different call centres throughout the country!

[PAWS]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

If things are so bad she feels she has to leave anyway then there is nothing to lose by writing to HQ and spilling the beans on this den of bitches and bullies. It will be interesting to see what the others have to say but I am boiling mad! I just hate this sort of school yard c**p and it is more common than people realise. I know of one case where the girl being bullied was addicted to codeine -she had to take it to get her through her days at work where a bunch of cows bullied her.

[slainte caragh]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

yeh the scary thing is, we used to work on the same unit and if I was on the unit they would never have tried it!

There is a rumor they are trying to do away with her team so methinks they are trying to push her out! I am sure that a final written warning only lasts for 2 years but they refuse to tell her if she has reached the end of it, and she is literally working through anxiety attacks and has worked through throwing up in the toilets for for fear of losing her job!

I wish she would let me find her a new job but she says she isn't mentally equipt to deal with change atm.

[PAWS]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

I can’t imagine the upheaval of change could have a more detrimental affect than staying in that coven. I know the powers that be are fairly hot on workplace bullying and on non-discrimination /equality. Let’s hope @Ula and @mariefab get a chance to take a look as I think there are some interesting factors here.
Px

[ULA]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

Sorry not to catch up on this one earlier.

The company's disciplinary policy should provide details of generally how long a final written warning is effective for, however this can vary dependent on the nature of the offence and the employee's previous disciplinary/performance history so the time should have been detailed in the letter given to your sister confirming the outcome of the disciplinary hearing. If she has not retained a copy of the letter she can ask for a copy of it. My view is that 3 years is a long time and normally it is 12 months although for some more serious offences I have known of 24 months.

Do you know whether the company has a policy on booking holiday? Even if they have I cannot imagine that they would expect more notice than your sister is giving by requesting holiday now for time in March and May of 2018.

In regard to the grievance how long ago did she submit it and do you know what she has detailed in that letter.

[Guest]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

Sorry not to catch up on this one earlier.

The company's disciplinary policy should provide details of generally how long a final written warning is effective for, however this can vary dependent on the nature of the offence and the employee's previous disciplinary/performance history so the time should have been detailed in the letter given to your sister confirming the outcome of the disciplinary hearing. If she has not retained a copy of the letter she can ask for a copy of it. My view is that 3 years is a long time and normally it is 12 months although for some more serious offences I have known of 24 months.

Do you know whether the company has a policy on booking holiday? Even if they have I cannot imagine that they would expect more notice than your sister is giving by requesting holiday now for time in March and May of 2018.

In regard to the grievance how long ago did she submit it and do you know what she has detailed in that letter.

Two points come to mind!
1. grievance, it really depends on the company's policy, she should get a copy perhaps put it up here for advice.
2. holiday booking, most organisations have a published policy, generally it is based on a first come, first served basis with a maximum number allowed off at any one time.

Hopefully these will help.

[slainte caragh]

Re: Failing a 1-2-1

Hi guys

sorry had an early night last night, pain levels were soaring!

Sorry not to catch up on this one earlier.

The company's disciplinary policy should provide details of generally how long a final written warning is effective for, however this can vary dependent on the nature of the offence and the employee's previous disciplinary/performance history so the time should have been detailed in the letter given to your sister confirming the outcome of the disciplinary hearing. If she has not retained a copy of the letter she can ask for a copy of it. My view is that 3 years is a long time and normally it is 12 months although for some more serious offences I have known of 24 months.

Do you know whether the company has a policy on booking holiday? Even if they have I cannot imagine that they would expect more notice than your sister is giving by requesting holiday now for time in March and May of 2018.

In regard to the grievance how long ago did she submit it and do you know what she has detailed in that letter.

The sickness was due to the onset of severe clinical depression.

Please believe me when I say, the last five years have been a very dark time for me, but now I am starting to get my beloved big sister back. The business I used to work in had multiple "units" each with a different campaign. When my sister first started she was placed on a campaign for a well known retailer and the Ops manager was a swine (and known to be.. if I knew she was going to have him I would have personally told him what for, he don't scare me.. never has!). He would sit and watch her like a hawk, questioning toilet breaks, lunch breaks etc and complaining if she took 29 mins on a 30 min break (he told her to be back within 15- crap like that).

Crunch point came when he very loudly (so myself and some workmates downstairs heard) suggested my sister (who as I say only needs to turn sideways and stick out her tongue to look like a zip) needed a risk assesment "In case she breaks the f****** chair with her fat a**e!"

A massive grievance was put in, she was off for 6 weeks with depression, anxiety etc and this ... well I won't put what I think of him here put her in to disciplinary with a final written warning for absence. She was then put on to the busiest unit we have (well known mobile provider) and would make herself sick every day out of sheer stress.

Now she is in this little team and loves the work, but not the place.

The grievance was put in about 3 weeks ago and the rough outline was
#1 Name calling and bullying- being called a junkie, fat, stupid, useless etc
#2 favouritism - there are certain members of her team that have yet to work a full week without sickness or holiday, she is told when she can take hers.
#3 her job involves the provision of new services and disconnections of them, she is only being given disconnections and is being ridiculed with "She's too thick to do the live orders!" and tormented if she does get one and is unsure of how to process it "Look, so dumb she has to ask for help with it!"
#4 Members of staff openly (and loudly) commenting on her mental health issues and shouting that it is "all in her head". One woman even told her straight, "If you were to f****ing smile once in a while your face would crack!".

The holiday situation is first come first served, but she is asking for time over a year in advance and being told no. Someone is coming up to the manager later in the year and saying Oh i need x date off, and getting it! Last year the manager booked her holiday for her and told her what dates she could have! Personally I would have told them to eff off, cancelled the lot and rebooked what I wanted but my sister isn't that strong!

she cannot have her birthday off (that she asked for 28/12/16) because someone else in her team booked 24/12/17-04/01/18 in August this year.