Advice on Secondment

[witchiepoo]

My original posting was set up by my son in law under NHS but as this has now become an employment issue I have re-posted in this site and have become a member in my own right.

My Mother in Law, needs some help on an employment issue. She has been harrassed at work by her line manager, resulting in her being signed off sick for two weeks with stress.

On her return to work she was presented with a letter, from this line manager who has been transfered to another site within the trust.

My mother in laws job has been reassigned to another member of staff and she has been given another job, for which she has no training.

Can anybody advise on the following points

1. If you are seconded into a post can this be taken away from you, without prior notification?

2. Is the content of the letter legal as it was written by a person who is no longer her line manager.

She has now been signed off sick for another week.

She has also brought this matter up with her union rep with a veiw to instigating proceedings for harrassment and she has also seen a personal harrassment advisor.

We would be gratefull of any comments or help.

My mother in law has joinned and is posting under the user name witchiepoo, please post any replys to her. Thanks

Since my son in law posted this things have moved on. Earlier today I spoke to my new line manager who like me hasn't got the faintest idea what is going on. It all started in September 06 when 9 members of staff were told that due to re-organisation we no longer had jobs. The only work avaialable was as receptionists and we were told to apply. i made it very clear through out the one to one interviews that I did not want to become a receptionist and asked if there were any admin jobs available. At the end of September I received a letter saying that I had been un successfull in obtaining a reception post but was offered an admin job on secondment until March 07. March came and went and nothing was said and I just carried on in post. As it states in my original posting I suffered bullying from my line manager and went sick, when I returned to work my original job was being done by someone else and I was re assigned to a job I new nothing about which is in actual fact work that is usually done by a receptionist. I am off sick again and when I telephoned my new line manager she told me that the previous manager had informed her that my job is ending in September. I have had no formal notification of this and no consultation period is this legal. At present my job is being done by someone else are they entitled to just remove me from post and put someone else in, and if I was turned down for a postion how can i then be given it. Sorry to go on but this is getting very complicated even more as my union rep has just gone sick. Anyone got any ideas
Witchiepoo
Last

[Bigbearuk]

1. You should of had an interview to inform you that your at risk again once your secondment is over in September.

2. This should also have been done in writing outlining why you are at risk.

3. Your HR adviser should have sent you the letters and been there at the meeting, also at that meeting they should of explained what options are open for once your secondment has finished in September.

They can ask another person to cover your sick leave but they cannot remove you because your off sick, if that is the case then the person doing your job must also finish in September

I think you need to chat with somebody at the citizen advice as you union rep has gone off sick or ask to speak to someone at regional level they will tell you where you stand from a legal point of view

[witchiepoo]

Thanks BB
My new line manager is trying to sort out what is going on she says she will contact me on either Monday or Tuesday. I will wait and see what she has to say and then contact HR.
Witchiepoo

[Bigbearuk]

Hi Witchiepoo,

Your welcome, really this should not be going on as your off sick with stress all of this should be done from when you return to work,

Once you return they should start the formal process regarding your secondment and what is going to happen in September,

What they should be doing is freezing any admin post so you can apply for them are you are at risk that is the correct way of doing it

Let me know how things are going and PM me if you want to ask anything

BB

[clavileno]

Originally Posted by Bigbearuk

Hi Witchiepoo,

Your welcome, really this should not be going on as your off sick with stress all of this should be done from when you return to work,

Once you return they should start the formal process regarding your secondment and what is going to happen in September,

What they should be doing is freezing any admin post so you can apply for them are you are at risk that is the correct way of doing it

Let me know how things are going and PM me if you want to ask anything

BB

This may or may not be the law, but how can any business function operating like that?

If somebody is off sick, the rest of the business doesn't stop working. Posts can't just be "frozen" (presumably unfilled), reorganisations can't just wait until everybody is well again. And how is it reasonable for employees to believe it should be like this?

[Bigbearuk]

Originally Posted by clavileno

This may or may not be the law, but how can any business function operating like that?

If somebody is off sick, the rest of the business doesn't stop working. Posts can't just be "frozen" (presumably unfilled), reorganisations can't just wait until everybody is well again. And how is it reasonable for employees to believe it should be like this?

It's the way the NHS has to operate if people in there trust are at risk, if you look at the NHS job website a lot of the jobs are advertised just for people at risk.

If people are on long term sick then yes people cover your post but not replace you on a permanent basis which is what happened to witchiepoo

[witchiepoo]

Sorry I think clavileno you are missisng the point. Anyone be it managers or staff at some point go sick are you saying then that employers have the right to give their jobs to someone else if so i hope you are very healthy
Regards
Witchiepoo

[medsec]

Originally Posted by clavileno

This may or may not be the law, but how can any business function operating like that?

If somebody is off sick, the rest of the business doesn't stop working. Posts can't just be "frozen" (presumably unfilled), reorganisations can't just wait until everybody is well again. And how is it reasonable for employees to believe it should be like this?

I'm not sure if you work in the NHS. The Trust I left last year had such financial problems that it "froze" recruitment. Lots of people left/are leaving because they can't stand it any more, but we are not being replaced, so the jobs just land on those who haven't caved in under the pressure yet! It's farcical.

[witchiepoo]

I have won. Came back from holiday on Monday to be greeted with a letter from my new manager asking me to attend a meeting with her and her manager. So with my union rep in tow and ready to do battle off we went. The managers informed me that when I retun to work on Monday it will be to my old job.
I would like to thank everybody for their help and an extra big thank you to Bigbearuk
Regards
Witchiepoo