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In Oct 2009 I had a neck injury (2 slipped discs!) and required some physio. My physio recommended I asked my manager for an ergonomic assessment to see if my work station was suitable, as she felt it was perhaps too high. I had the assessment in Jan 10.
The report was recommending some simple changes such as anti fatigue matting, a special stool and that I mustn't be at one task for more than a given time, to limit my repetitive strain symptoms and to keep my neck mobilised. Nothing to hectic.
Nothing was done. I asked for some help and when they were going to impliment the requirements. I was told that they couldn't carry out the requirements in my branch and would I consider a move. I said I would think about it and asked if I could go and work a day in the branch they were suggesting. I hated it, it was so quiet. I was bored to tears. I explained this to my manager and she offered me another branch. In a town which I consider to be very unsafe, there is a very high crime rate etc. So I said no. Then I was offered a place out of my area, I said no. The travelling would have been to much. The manager then told me that things would have to get formal. I didn't quite understand why.
I received a letter from head office saying there would be a formal meeting due to the ergonomic assessment findings, with a notetaker and I should have a witness present. I organised my witness, we prepped as much as possible. I had no idea why a formal meeting was necessary.
On the day of the meeting the two managers arrived (my area manager and her manager). They spent two hours together, obviously discussing the meeting. Ten minutes before the meeting was due to commence the area manager came and asked me if I was ok coming into the meeting alone. I explained I was bringing a witness in, as advised by HO in the letter. She went off and came back 20 mins later with a new letter and said I had been given the wrong letter and it was an informal meeting so I wouldn't be able to have a witness. An informal meeting with a notetaker? I went into the meeting, confused and nervous.
The meeting was formal. It was a long meeting. The upshot is that HO were using a mobility clause in a contract and they were transferring me to the branch in the high crime area. I stated that I don't have a contract, I have never seen one nor signed one. Therefore the clause doesn't exsist and as such I wouldn't be accepting the move. I was told there was no right of appeal, I had been transferred and from a weeks time I worked in the other branch. They told me the only thing I could do was to write a formal letter of grievance.
I wrote the letter on 25th March and went off sick due to stress & anxiety. I am still off sick.
I had a letter on 30th March, acknowledging my letter and that it would be handed to the manager and a meeting would be arranged as soon as possible.
On the 14th April I received another letter (dated 9th April) saying that because I am off sick the meeting wont take place until I am back to work. It was a very strange letter because one paragraph said that I must contact HR by letter to clarify my intentions (if I wanted the meeting before I returned to work) and the paragraph below said I should ring before 16th April to clarify my intentions.
I decided to write a letter and email it because my printer is broken. I sent the email on the 16th and it was delivered.
I rang HR on Monday and was told someone would ring me back that afternoon, I have heard nothing.
I have an assumption of the whole situation. I really don't think my transfer was anything to do with the assessment. They were just using this as a reason. I think this because there has been some shifts in the management team. A new manager was being brought in as the old one has moved to a branch closer to his home, he has 3 young children etc. The new manager is the area manager, she will be bringing a supervisor so there is always someone in authority in the premises. This change will take the store 20 hours over their alloted staffing budget and there will be a 20 hour hole in the store where the supervisor had been. This store is the store they have transferred me to........
I work in a large pharmacy.
Can anyone help me? ACAS have been fairly useful but they haven't really helped me greatly.
Thanks for reading, I hope someone is still awake and able to help me.
The report was recommending some simple changes such as anti fatigue matting, a special stool and that I mustn't be at one task for more than a given time, to limit my repetitive strain symptoms and to keep my neck mobilised. Nothing to hectic.
Nothing was done. I asked for some help and when they were going to impliment the requirements. I was told that they couldn't carry out the requirements in my branch and would I consider a move. I said I would think about it and asked if I could go and work a day in the branch they were suggesting. I hated it, it was so quiet. I was bored to tears. I explained this to my manager and she offered me another branch. In a town which I consider to be very unsafe, there is a very high crime rate etc. So I said no. Then I was offered a place out of my area, I said no. The travelling would have been to much. The manager then told me that things would have to get formal. I didn't quite understand why.
I received a letter from head office saying there would be a formal meeting due to the ergonomic assessment findings, with a notetaker and I should have a witness present. I organised my witness, we prepped as much as possible. I had no idea why a formal meeting was necessary.
On the day of the meeting the two managers arrived (my area manager and her manager). They spent two hours together, obviously discussing the meeting. Ten minutes before the meeting was due to commence the area manager came and asked me if I was ok coming into the meeting alone. I explained I was bringing a witness in, as advised by HO in the letter. She went off and came back 20 mins later with a new letter and said I had been given the wrong letter and it was an informal meeting so I wouldn't be able to have a witness. An informal meeting with a notetaker? I went into the meeting, confused and nervous.
The meeting was formal. It was a long meeting. The upshot is that HO were using a mobility clause in a contract and they were transferring me to the branch in the high crime area. I stated that I don't have a contract, I have never seen one nor signed one. Therefore the clause doesn't exsist and as such I wouldn't be accepting the move. I was told there was no right of appeal, I had been transferred and from a weeks time I worked in the other branch. They told me the only thing I could do was to write a formal letter of grievance.
I wrote the letter on 25th March and went off sick due to stress & anxiety. I am still off sick.
I had a letter on 30th March, acknowledging my letter and that it would be handed to the manager and a meeting would be arranged as soon as possible.
On the 14th April I received another letter (dated 9th April) saying that because I am off sick the meeting wont take place until I am back to work. It was a very strange letter because one paragraph said that I must contact HR by letter to clarify my intentions (if I wanted the meeting before I returned to work) and the paragraph below said I should ring before 16th April to clarify my intentions.
I decided to write a letter and email it because my printer is broken. I sent the email on the 16th and it was delivered.
I rang HR on Monday and was told someone would ring me back that afternoon, I have heard nothing.
I have an assumption of the whole situation. I really don't think my transfer was anything to do with the assessment. They were just using this as a reason. I think this because there has been some shifts in the management team. A new manager was being brought in as the old one has moved to a branch closer to his home, he has 3 young children etc. The new manager is the area manager, she will be bringing a supervisor so there is always someone in authority in the premises. This change will take the store 20 hours over their alloted staffing budget and there will be a 20 hour hole in the store where the supervisor had been. This store is the store they have transferred me to........
I work in a large pharmacy.
Can anyone help me? ACAS have been fairly useful but they haven't really helped me greatly.
Thanks for reading, I hope someone is still awake and able to help me.
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