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Hi, I commenced employment as a social worker in february 2016, intially I accepted a 2 month contract but was contacted prior to commencing to advise this had been increased to oct 2016.
In July 2016, it was further extended until feb 2017 and in Feb 2017 it was extended for 2 years until Feb 2019.
All well so far.
In April.2018 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had surgery in May 2018 and had 4 weeks off. Prior to my return to work, I submitted a fit note which gp had stated he did not need to see me before I returned to work. The week prior, I text my line manager with my actual date for return and saw him in the car park on the friday before also to advise.
On my return to work, I went into thr office, opened my laptop and my manager came over asking me what I was doing there. I advised I had informed him of my return date and he asked me if I had a fit note. At the time I was clueless as that was the first fit note id had since 2006 so referred to it as a sick note. I said my sick note had expired and id told him I was coming back. He then quite agressively told me I must leave and do not come back without a fit note. He was saying I must leave now, its the law. This was in front of colleagues who had no idea why id been off 4 weeks as i had only told people on a need to know about my breast cancer.
I packed up my laptop and as I got near the door, a colleague who'd had several months off sick was coming through. I paused to ask her whether she had been required to produce a fit note, before she could answer he flew back over to me and again aggressively demanded I leave NOW. Bear in mind, I had a lumpectomy not a mastectomy or serious surgery.
I burst into tears in the car and drove to.my GP surgery who looked baffled and informed me it was my choice to return to work, my fit note was no longer relevant and to speak to HR as my manager was wrong.
I had no idea who to speak to so contacted the section manager who said she'd look into it and would I like her to speak to HR, given the state I was in I agreed.
She rang back and confirmed I could return and offered me an alternative location to work from which I accepted and stayed there until the end of July. My.manager also rang me that afternoon and continued with his onslaught saying he could not let me back without a fit note. I told him GP had said that was incorrect and it was not required and at one point I stopped his abuse and asked Do you have a problem with me? He denied this.
During this period Mid June to end July on 3 occasions I raised with section manager the incident with my manager and how much it had upset me and got responses such as oh he must have been worried about you. At no point has my manager asked me how I am nor dropped an email to express any concern.
I went off again end of july as oncologist had recommended chemo. I worked until the day before.as I had done so with surgery.
In end of august, I was contacted by section manager to advise that the reviewing officer was leaving and they were upgrading that position to social worker. They would also be taking on agency in interim. I enquired whether this role would be given to me as I had been employed there as a social wotker for over 2 years. SM said as it was a "new" post I would have to apply which I did in the middle of chemo.
I returned to.work in my original office start of Oct, just 2 weeks after last chemo, bald and vulnerable. I had 4 weeks phased return and used this to complete 4 weeks of daily radiotherapy. I was interviewed for the "new" job end of Oct but did not get it, the entire team predicted who would and sure enough he did, the agency worker.
On 8th Jan I had a meeting with SM who informed me that her manager wanted to make my post into.... a reviewing officer/occupational therapy assistant post, basically what they had just replaced with the new social work post. She said there was no guarantee it would be approved so sit tight and theyd put me on the redeployment register. She also advised of a redundancy figure if my job were to end, 3x 1.5 which was about 3k
Couple of days after, I received a letter from HR to inform me my contract was ending 31st march, access to redeployment and redundancy figure. The SW who got the "new" job didnt formally start until 16th Jan.
I have shown this to the union who informed me that regardless of whether the reviewing officer/ota post is approved, im gone.
To date, only one suitable post has come up, not entirely in my skillset and I went to pieces, it was a disaster.
The union are questioning how I was selected for redundancy. The redundancies extend to me and me alone.
I have appealed it and raised a grievance with head of service, I was not told I had a right to appeal by HR or SM.
The post they claim is new is exactly the same job spec, duties, salary, title, location as the one I am doing.
I have queried why due consideration was not given to making my post permanent previously.
Is there anything else I could add?
Union rep works in transport or something and was difficult to explain the roles. In a nutshell, they had an ARO who carried out some OTA tasks. She left, they upgraded her post to SW post whilst I was battling breast cancer, they tell me im redundant prior to the exactly the same post commencing employment.
I have not added the incident regarding managers behaviour to the grievance but it will come out at some stage.
I really feel there is collusion going on, proving it another matter.
In July 2016, it was further extended until feb 2017 and in Feb 2017 it was extended for 2 years until Feb 2019.
All well so far.
In April.2018 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had surgery in May 2018 and had 4 weeks off. Prior to my return to work, I submitted a fit note which gp had stated he did not need to see me before I returned to work. The week prior, I text my line manager with my actual date for return and saw him in the car park on the friday before also to advise.
On my return to work, I went into thr office, opened my laptop and my manager came over asking me what I was doing there. I advised I had informed him of my return date and he asked me if I had a fit note. At the time I was clueless as that was the first fit note id had since 2006 so referred to it as a sick note. I said my sick note had expired and id told him I was coming back. He then quite agressively told me I must leave and do not come back without a fit note. He was saying I must leave now, its the law. This was in front of colleagues who had no idea why id been off 4 weeks as i had only told people on a need to know about my breast cancer.
I packed up my laptop and as I got near the door, a colleague who'd had several months off sick was coming through. I paused to ask her whether she had been required to produce a fit note, before she could answer he flew back over to me and again aggressively demanded I leave NOW. Bear in mind, I had a lumpectomy not a mastectomy or serious surgery.
I burst into tears in the car and drove to.my GP surgery who looked baffled and informed me it was my choice to return to work, my fit note was no longer relevant and to speak to HR as my manager was wrong.
I had no idea who to speak to so contacted the section manager who said she'd look into it and would I like her to speak to HR, given the state I was in I agreed.
She rang back and confirmed I could return and offered me an alternative location to work from which I accepted and stayed there until the end of July. My.manager also rang me that afternoon and continued with his onslaught saying he could not let me back without a fit note. I told him GP had said that was incorrect and it was not required and at one point I stopped his abuse and asked Do you have a problem with me? He denied this.
During this period Mid June to end July on 3 occasions I raised with section manager the incident with my manager and how much it had upset me and got responses such as oh he must have been worried about you. At no point has my manager asked me how I am nor dropped an email to express any concern.
I went off again end of july as oncologist had recommended chemo. I worked until the day before.as I had done so with surgery.
In end of august, I was contacted by section manager to advise that the reviewing officer was leaving and they were upgrading that position to social worker. They would also be taking on agency in interim. I enquired whether this role would be given to me as I had been employed there as a social wotker for over 2 years. SM said as it was a "new" post I would have to apply which I did in the middle of chemo.
I returned to.work in my original office start of Oct, just 2 weeks after last chemo, bald and vulnerable. I had 4 weeks phased return and used this to complete 4 weeks of daily radiotherapy. I was interviewed for the "new" job end of Oct but did not get it, the entire team predicted who would and sure enough he did, the agency worker.
On 8th Jan I had a meeting with SM who informed me that her manager wanted to make my post into.... a reviewing officer/occupational therapy assistant post, basically what they had just replaced with the new social work post. She said there was no guarantee it would be approved so sit tight and theyd put me on the redeployment register. She also advised of a redundancy figure if my job were to end, 3x 1.5 which was about 3k
Couple of days after, I received a letter from HR to inform me my contract was ending 31st march, access to redeployment and redundancy figure. The SW who got the "new" job didnt formally start until 16th Jan.
I have shown this to the union who informed me that regardless of whether the reviewing officer/ota post is approved, im gone.
To date, only one suitable post has come up, not entirely in my skillset and I went to pieces, it was a disaster.
The union are questioning how I was selected for redundancy. The redundancies extend to me and me alone.
I have appealed it and raised a grievance with head of service, I was not told I had a right to appeal by HR or SM.
The post they claim is new is exactly the same job spec, duties, salary, title, location as the one I am doing.
I have queried why due consideration was not given to making my post permanent previously.
Is there anything else I could add?
Union rep works in transport or something and was difficult to explain the roles. In a nutshell, they had an ARO who carried out some OTA tasks. She left, they upgraded her post to SW post whilst I was battling breast cancer, they tell me im redundant prior to the exactly the same post commencing employment.
I have not added the incident regarding managers behaviour to the grievance but it will come out at some stage.
I really feel there is collusion going on, proving it another matter.
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