Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

[Aj1986]

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Hello Everyone,


i was wondering if anyone can offer and advice, support or experience on my current situation.
i have been with a company for 3 yrs now. In Nov 2012 I managed to get a better job in the sales team. This was maternity cover contract but she ensured me she wasn't coming back - and she hasn't.


The issue is, someone within the 132 employees and my office has been leaving random, racist, hateful letters and notes around the building telling me to quit, or the will kill me. This has since transpired into an arson attack on my car that in turn wrote of three cars and a 4 block garage. My life is in that much danger that I am not allowed in the office anymore and work are no longer allowed to know my car or where I live. I have been signed off by the doctor and that ended last week.


work have said I can wfh but given the fact that I have a grievance, I am waiting to see the results before I get back into working... And decide whether or not I go back at all.


The police and CID are heavily involved but if anyone has any advice on what I should do, it will be appreciated.


Many thanks

[teaboy2]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Since you have a grievance pending, then the best advice you can follow at the moment, is to take up the offer of working from home, whilst awaiting the results of your grievance. Then let us know the result of the grievance to get further advice. Though prior to agreeing to work from home, speak to your doctor to get his/her advice on whether they believe it would be ok for you to do so, given your current levels of stress, whilst also informing your employer that you will speak to your doctor about the possibility of working from home in regards to your current stress issues, brought on by the situation at work.

[Aj1986]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Thank you Teaboy2,

i have a Doctors appointment today at 4:40pm so will take your advice and discuss working from home.
i will be sure to post the grievance results once I have them.

Cheers,

[teaboy2]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Good to hear.

Just so your aware, the reason i advised you to take up the offer to work from home, was purely to show that you have acted reasonable at all times in case we have to take further steps against your employer in future (Though it appears they are wanting to get to the bottom of this also and are willing to help you). Though clearly your health and state of mind is more important. But working from home does mean that you should not receive anymore threats and notes etc. Which have, understandably, been the cause of your stress.

Have you had any problems/disagreements with anyone in particular at work, that you can recall, or offended anyone, even if you didn't intend too offend them? Has anyone actually made any comments to you that were out of line, even if you though nothing off it at the time? Reason is ask is because the smallest of things that you may think nothing off, can be enough to cause someone to act in such disgusting ways and lead to the notes, threats and the arson attack on your car. Basically the smallest of things can make someone begrudge you - Or they may well just be racist bigots acting against you without any reason whatsoever, apart from their own racist views!

[Aj1986]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Understood completely.

This is a question I am constantly asked and I naively thought/assumed I got along with most people. The only reason why I didn't consider someone a friend there was purely because we hasn't crossed paths to know each-other. I have no idea who it is. I don't know if its a man or woman, high up the chain or at the bottom, one person or several... Etc. that in itself is distressing.

Work haven't been pro active at all and they haven't been consistent when it comes to supporting me at all. They have contradicted themselves various times and this has only made me feel like I am just a problem to the company.

[teaboy2]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Work haven't been pro active at all and they haven't been consistent when it comes to supporting me at all. They have contradicted themselves various times and this has only made me feel like I am just a problem to the company.

Hi AJ

Can you provide a bit more background details in regards to the statement i have quoted above? As the employer under a contract of employment does have what is known as a Duty of Care to their employees. This means they have a legal obligation to proactively protect employees from racism, harassment, bullying and any form of discrimination by other employees or management.

Depending on your response, you may have grounds to take legal action against the employer under the equality act 2010 or possibly even for constructive dismissal (Though that would be the last resort and can be difficult to prove in most cases).

[Aj1986]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

When it all kicked off.. Work were really supportive, they offered me payed time off for as long as the investigation took place, a hired car as my tyres were slashed twice and they also offered me accommodation because the person/people available knew where I lived as I received a death threat letter at home. However, when the arson took place and I needed hotel accommodation most (because I wasn't allowed to stay with anyone as it was deemed unsafe) work only paid for two weeks.. And then CID had to encourage them to pay for the third week.

Though I was offered as much time off as I needed (fully paid) a few days after the arson attack, the company went back on their word, again, and decided that the would put me on statorary pay. I was told this two days before pay day and at that point i had no where to live and potentially no money coming in. Let alone the fact that I was without a car as my car got written off. I ended up going into work and fighting my case.. With energy I didn't have.. And it resulted in me being paid correctly.

Stuff would contacted happen at work and CCTV cameras were put above my desk... And nothing was ever caught. In fact, even some CCTV footage got corrupted apparently when the company hired a third party engineer to put the footage on a DVD for the police.

i also wish to add the point that there is no equality training and it was 8months after it all kicked off when the company decided to redirect employees to the new and updated (from 2005) harassment and discrimination policy.

[teaboy2]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Ok first off all the company is not liable for paying accommodation expenses or hired car costs. Liability there would lie with your cars insurers and the police would be responsible for providing a safe house - So your employers have actually done more than what they are obliged to do.

It does sound suspicious that nothing has been caught on CCTV and that bits were corrupted when copied to DVD, it's rare for that to happen to be honest with today's technology. Though interference both natural environment interference or deliberate is a possibility.

As for pay, again they are not obliged to pay you full pay unless they put you on leave themselves, whilst your on sick your only entitled to statutory sick pay or company sick pay scheme if they have one.

So to be honest it sounds like they have actually gone a step above and beyond what they are actually obliged to do. So there isn't really a case the employer has to answer here. So best to accept their offer of working from home, if your doctor believes it would be ok for you to do so. That way you get full pay and get to work again.

You should speak to the investigating police officer regarding your safety concerns and if you wish to have different safe accommodation and see what they come up with.

[Sunayani Mukherjee]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Hi,

Though your company had started off on a supportive note, your words seem to reflect that they had clearly a bit dicey about wage payments. I completely understand the supportive stance taken by them just after the arson attack on you. But don't you think that intimating you two days before your pay day about you being put on statutory pay, is a gross breach of contract from their end? Can that be accepted from humanitarian grounds? Even if it has been opined that they had actually done more than what they should have (to which I partly agree), but they should have intimated you well before your pay day (not 2 days before), so that you could plan your expenses properly. The last day I was just going through the Employment law section of XXXXX and found out about widespread discrimination against employees on grounds of wage, racism, old age etc.Its nice though that you were paid correctly at the end..

[teaboy2]

Re: Racism, harassment, discrimination at work - anonymously

Hi,

Though your company had started off on a supportive note, your words seem to reflect that they had clearly a bit dicey about wage payments. I completely understand the supportive stance taken by them just after the arson attack on you. But don't you think that intimating you two days before your pay day about you being put on statutory pay, is a gross breach of contract from their end? Can that be accepted from humanitarian grounds? Even if it has been opined that they had actually done more than what they should have (to which I partly agree), but they should have intimated you well before your pay day (not 2 days before), so that you could plan your expenses properly. The last day I was just going through the Employment law section of XXXXXX and found out about widespread discrimination against employees on grounds of wage, racism, old age etc.Its nice though that you were paid correctly at the end..

When they referred to Statutory Pay they were referring to Statutory Sick Pay. The OP is on Sick Leave and therefore is only legally entitled to satutory sick pay or company sick pay if the company has there own company sick pay scheme. So NO they are not in breach of contract at all - The fact the OP was Paid normal wage prior to them decided to pay him Statutory Sick Pay was purely a discretionary payment made by the company, and NOT actually wages that the OP was entitled too.

As for humanitarian grounds - Sorry but the law allows a minimum amount to live off per week. The monies paid by sick pay is way more than this minimum amount on a week per week basis. So no its not a humanitarian issue.

Also the website for lawyers that you linked to in your post is for a firm based in California, USA, not here in the UK - So either this was a good attempt of a SPAM post by you. Or you didn't realise this website forum is UK based and deals with Issues around UK Laws, not USA laws.