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Hi, I'm at my wits end and not sure what to do next.
It's a long story but I will try to condense it as best I can.
I have been working for a so called 'registered charity for over 5 years, it provides supported housing for the homeless.
I work night shifts [lone working] from the hours of 9.30pm to 8.30am, from the hours of midnight to 7.30 am I am permitted to sleep IF no one needs my assistance but if im woken I must deal with any issue i.e police knocking the door looking for someone to residents ringing the doorbell drunk etc [there is a curfew between hours of 12-7am] but ppl under the influence do not respect these curfews.
I do three shifts per week = 33hrs, I am viewed by the company as a 'part time worker'
I receive 12 days holiday per year? If I am sick they deduct one days holiday or I don't get paid [daytime workers get paid]
they say sleeping facilities are provided but the room has been full of ex residents belongings for the last two years at least, I have photographic evidence of this. I attempt to sleep on a threadbare mattress on the floor in the office, which is the only room in the building with monitors to view the cctv system. the room they 'provided' has no monitors, no sink to wash and stinks of stale cigarette smoke. [I don't smoke] it also has a residents room adjoining above/below/left and right, the residents tend to watch tv till 3-4am so as far as im concerned with no monitors, noise levels etc this room is inadequate even if it were cleared of ex residents belongings.
From day one I have been made lots of empty promises by the 'manager' for a full time position. I worked as a senior support worker for 5 years prior to this position and have several qualifications to make me a prime candidate for this kind of work.
for 5 years I have been paid less than the minimum wage, 3 years ago I contacted acas who told me to speak to the manager regarding my concerns which I did.
regarding the minimum wage he told me I only get paid for the hours of 9.30pm to midnight, then again from 7.30am to 8.30am my response was ok I will go home at midnight and return at 7.30am to finish the shift. His response was 'it doesn't work like that' as for the holiday entitlement He said leave it with me, and came back to me and said the board had given me 1 more day holiday [from 11 days to 12 days]
Approx 6 months ago I wrote to the company stating my statutory right? to access to all my payroll records and personel records. I requested a meeting with the finance person to explain to me the ins and outs of the way i'm paid etc. the response I got was a rough breakdown of starting wage up to the date of request, basically it told me nothing that I didn't know. I was not offered the meeting I had requested. So I wrote again requesting the same, this time the 'Chairman' arrived at my house with an envelope [I did not know at this time who He was, he did not introduce Himself] put an envelope in my hand and walked away. it contained all my payslips. again this is not what I requested.
I had not spoken with my wife about any of this as I did not want to worry her, next thing the manager phoned my house asking my wife 'what is Martin's problem' she did not know, it left her worried and pressing me for the cause of His phone call. I wrote to the manager asking Him to write to my wife to apologise for stress and worry caused,...no response. the manager has since denied any meeting taking place with me regarding the issues above 3 years prior when I told Him I had spoken with acas. when He denied this meeting I told Him that along with His false promises of, we wanted someone younger, we wanted a woman, I thought you were doing something else etc etc etc and denial of the meeting I would not discuss my issues with Him further.
I wrote to the chairman, outlining all of the above....no response to my registered letter. then on 4th of nov one of the day staff turned up on my shift out of the blue and said I am now your line manager and I have been asked to come and talk with you about your issues. so I said ok take notes please, I outlined the above and told her I had no confidence in the manager and did not wish to discuss anything with Him, ...guess what? no response, so on the 28th of Dec I brought it up with her and asked her to take the notes from our meeting and make an official grievance on my behalf out of them, she agreed. one week later I asked her if she had done what I had asked because I want to check it over, she said she had done it and its been submitted and the board have had a meeting and that I am not to have a copy of the grievance. I asked her to put that in writing and to sign it, which she did. next time I saw her she informed me she was no longer my line manager.
now, I have never had a paper contract with this company but on the night my new ex line manager visited me at work, she gave me a contract cutting an hour off my working time but giving me the NMW also stating I was on a probationary period, after 5 years?? I refused to sign it and said I would continue to arrive and leave as I always have, last night when I went to work two letters were there one stating my new contract would take effect from 2/2/12 and one from the manager asking me to meet with Him over my grievances...also asking me to state what they are?? this guy has lied to me blatantly in the past I have no confidence and do not want to go round in circles again, also I already wrote to the chairman stating I would not deal with the manager for the above reasons.
I contacted a lawyer who says I have a very strong case NMW/holiday pay etc but His fee is £250 ph, he said my case is strong enough to take on a no win no fee basis on the condition I claim constructive dismissal. as we all know there are no jobs out there I need to provide as best I can for my family.
I need advice on how to respond to the mangers request for a meeting and to the change in my contract, they have basically taken an hour off me to pay me the same? getting the late shift day staff to cover the extra hour, and coming to work an hour earlier, do I write to them to say I continue to work under protest?
please help i'm not sure where to go now, btw they say they will not back date my pay to fall in line with the NMW.
This is a supposed Christian based registered charity, I am not a professing Christian, im beginning to think that this may be the problem.
I do know though that the 'bible' says if you have a problem, go to the person tell them, if you do not get satisfaction bring in a third party, if you still don't find a resolution take them to court.
I have done two out of the three above and I'm being ignored.
sorry its so long winded, but even then its just a small part of the story.
Martin.
It's a long story but I will try to condense it as best I can.
I have been working for a so called 'registered charity for over 5 years, it provides supported housing for the homeless.
I work night shifts [lone working] from the hours of 9.30pm to 8.30am, from the hours of midnight to 7.30 am I am permitted to sleep IF no one needs my assistance but if im woken I must deal with any issue i.e police knocking the door looking for someone to residents ringing the doorbell drunk etc [there is a curfew between hours of 12-7am] but ppl under the influence do not respect these curfews.
I do three shifts per week = 33hrs, I am viewed by the company as a 'part time worker'
I receive 12 days holiday per year? If I am sick they deduct one days holiday or I don't get paid [daytime workers get paid]
they say sleeping facilities are provided but the room has been full of ex residents belongings for the last two years at least, I have photographic evidence of this. I attempt to sleep on a threadbare mattress on the floor in the office, which is the only room in the building with monitors to view the cctv system. the room they 'provided' has no monitors, no sink to wash and stinks of stale cigarette smoke. [I don't smoke] it also has a residents room adjoining above/below/left and right, the residents tend to watch tv till 3-4am so as far as im concerned with no monitors, noise levels etc this room is inadequate even if it were cleared of ex residents belongings.
From day one I have been made lots of empty promises by the 'manager' for a full time position. I worked as a senior support worker for 5 years prior to this position and have several qualifications to make me a prime candidate for this kind of work.
for 5 years I have been paid less than the minimum wage, 3 years ago I contacted acas who told me to speak to the manager regarding my concerns which I did.
regarding the minimum wage he told me I only get paid for the hours of 9.30pm to midnight, then again from 7.30am to 8.30am my response was ok I will go home at midnight and return at 7.30am to finish the shift. His response was 'it doesn't work like that' as for the holiday entitlement He said leave it with me, and came back to me and said the board had given me 1 more day holiday [from 11 days to 12 days]
Approx 6 months ago I wrote to the company stating my statutory right? to access to all my payroll records and personel records. I requested a meeting with the finance person to explain to me the ins and outs of the way i'm paid etc. the response I got was a rough breakdown of starting wage up to the date of request, basically it told me nothing that I didn't know. I was not offered the meeting I had requested. So I wrote again requesting the same, this time the 'Chairman' arrived at my house with an envelope [I did not know at this time who He was, he did not introduce Himself] put an envelope in my hand and walked away. it contained all my payslips. again this is not what I requested.
I had not spoken with my wife about any of this as I did not want to worry her, next thing the manager phoned my house asking my wife 'what is Martin's problem' she did not know, it left her worried and pressing me for the cause of His phone call. I wrote to the manager asking Him to write to my wife to apologise for stress and worry caused,...no response. the manager has since denied any meeting taking place with me regarding the issues above 3 years prior when I told Him I had spoken with acas. when He denied this meeting I told Him that along with His false promises of, we wanted someone younger, we wanted a woman, I thought you were doing something else etc etc etc and denial of the meeting I would not discuss my issues with Him further.
I wrote to the chairman, outlining all of the above....no response to my registered letter. then on 4th of nov one of the day staff turned up on my shift out of the blue and said I am now your line manager and I have been asked to come and talk with you about your issues. so I said ok take notes please, I outlined the above and told her I had no confidence in the manager and did not wish to discuss anything with Him, ...guess what? no response, so on the 28th of Dec I brought it up with her and asked her to take the notes from our meeting and make an official grievance on my behalf out of them, she agreed. one week later I asked her if she had done what I had asked because I want to check it over, she said she had done it and its been submitted and the board have had a meeting and that I am not to have a copy of the grievance. I asked her to put that in writing and to sign it, which she did. next time I saw her she informed me she was no longer my line manager.
now, I have never had a paper contract with this company but on the night my new ex line manager visited me at work, she gave me a contract cutting an hour off my working time but giving me the NMW also stating I was on a probationary period, after 5 years?? I refused to sign it and said I would continue to arrive and leave as I always have, last night when I went to work two letters were there one stating my new contract would take effect from 2/2/12 and one from the manager asking me to meet with Him over my grievances...also asking me to state what they are?? this guy has lied to me blatantly in the past I have no confidence and do not want to go round in circles again, also I already wrote to the chairman stating I would not deal with the manager for the above reasons.
I contacted a lawyer who says I have a very strong case NMW/holiday pay etc but His fee is £250 ph, he said my case is strong enough to take on a no win no fee basis on the condition I claim constructive dismissal. as we all know there are no jobs out there I need to provide as best I can for my family.
I need advice on how to respond to the mangers request for a meeting and to the change in my contract, they have basically taken an hour off me to pay me the same? getting the late shift day staff to cover the extra hour, and coming to work an hour earlier, do I write to them to say I continue to work under protest?
please help i'm not sure where to go now, btw they say they will not back date my pay to fall in line with the NMW.
This is a supposed Christian based registered charity, I am not a professing Christian, im beginning to think that this may be the problem.
I do know though that the 'bible' says if you have a problem, go to the person tell them, if you do not get satisfaction bring in a third party, if you still don't find a resolution take them to court.
I have done two out of the three above and I'm being ignored.
sorry its so long winded, but even then its just a small part of the story.
Martin.
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