Hi all, my first post here so hoping I am in the right place Its a bit long winded but I will try to be concise as possible. I work in local authority in care centre. The same group has a number of similar centres throughout the County. We have recently been subject to management restructuring and additional responsibilities have been added to my role and other staff who do the same role as me in the other locations. We also have regular review meetings where we get together and share ideas to standardise our policies and operating procedures throughout all the centres, so we all work the same way. However, at these meetings I have discussed working hours with other staff doing this role, and find that whilst my contracted hours are 18, most of the others are on 25hrs/week. I raised this with management several months ago, both verbally and in writing, requesting that my contract be reviewed to align me with my peers. This was verbally acknowledge with a "we will look into this" but I have heard nothing more since. I have also recently discovered that when I was recruited, I was put on a higher pay grade than my peers, through employer error, which I had no idea. I suspect that they are holding off increasing my hours as they are already paying me more than everyone else for the same role, but that does not give me more time to complete my work so is not a valid reason. I am struggling to keep up with my daily tasks and finding it very stressful that I have to rush and make mistakes/forget things due to time limitations. I am looking for alternative employment as I feel I cannot continue doing this job successfully on the hours given, but feel I shouldn't have to go through this upheaval if they just agreed to increased hours. I also suspect that should I leave, my post will be re-advertised at correct pay and 25hr contract to sort this anomaly. What are my rights here? It is their mistake that I am higher paid for the same job, but that doesn't enable me to complete the work in less time, so feel I am being discriminated against. I feel its verging on constructive dismissal, but I know the terms needed to apply this are very specific. Any advice appreciated, thank you

Hi, i have been told by my employer that due to a few internal changes i will lose all of the supervisory/managerial elements of my job. My team will now report directly to a colleague, as will i. My job title will change also. I have not seen a new job description and will work at the same level as the staff i previously managed. This appears to others as a demotion. I do not intend to accept this change which is to be fairly immediate. I have been in current role as a team leader for over 5 years. What action should I take? Thanks

Hi, thought I'd see if I could find any useful advice here. I'm very anxious so any good pointers much appreciated! I'll keep it as brief as I can: I'm a one-man IT dept for a medium size organisation - permanent position that has risen in seniority over 12 years. My line manager is proposing a reorganisation that will end my current role and replace it with an extremely similar role on a 2-year fixed term contract. Redundancy is an option, and I am unsure as yet if 'they' are keen for me to take it, or take the new role. I want to stay on, and I believe the new role is precisely my current role just with a new job title and an improved job description. My current job description is pretty vague, but the new role describes precisely the work I have been doing for years. The only real difference is that some more junior responsibilities will be removed and given to a new, junior role (which is great). If I take the new role on 2yr FTC, I presume I will not get redundancy at the end of that contract if they choose to let me go. I cannot afford to lose my job security like that! I have a 1st consultation coming up, and I will argue that the new role represents what I do currently. So my questions are... Can they do this? If I can prove that the new role describes precisely what I currently do, can they still make my post redundant and leave me with the choice of changing to FTC? If I took the FTC, might I nevertheless be considered to have been continuously employed for my 12 years+, and would that render the 'fixed term' irrelevant as I would be considered permanent in law? I don't know, but this is a possibility I have gathered might be the case from googling around. If 'they' would rather I left, can they even make me redundant when they are replacing my role with such a materially similar one, albeit FTC? I have absolutely no history of failing to perform or being told of any problems with my work, so there are no grounds for dismissal. As I said I'm going to argue that the new role is my current role, I want it, and I don't want to be FTC. I think I have a good case, but I'd love to be able to reference actual laws that back up this position! Thanks again if anyone has any guidance.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37126747 So the UN has admitted it caused the Outbreak which is still devastating that country to date but use there privilege get out clause and claim Diplomatic Immunity to stop paying out compensation. Shame on you United Nations

At this time of year, you always get debates on the various Religions and their role in the world Personally, although i attended Church of England schools with prayers at assemblies and the school choir at a local church, i am not a practicing Christian. I attend Funerals, Weddings and am interested in religion, but i don't attend a church on a regular basis. I find that in other countries they take religion far more seriously. In Spanish Towns when the church bells ring, the town closes down almost, with people heading to the church. They do this during weekly prayers, religious festivals and funerals. In Australia, i have seen traffic jams, as people make their way to church. Australia takes their Christian faith much more seriously than the UK. I think it is the same in America. Is Religion important to you ? Do you attend church on a regular basis ? Does your local church play an important role in the local community ? Is the UK really still a Christian country ?

Hi There, I recently accepted a role for a large travel company working abroad (in Turkey). Staff are put on temporary short-term contracts with wages to a UK bank account. My main concern is the contract and the right to annual leave. As far as I am aware, UK employment law still applies as it is a temporary contract based overseas. In the contract, it says employees work 6 days a week and all employees must take half a days annual leave each week. As a result, all employees essentially work 5 and a half days a week. My question was whether or not this was legal, and if so, why don't all companies do this if they don't fancy paying staff annual leave? It all seems a bit underhand and I am wondering if it is worth challenging either before or after I finish work with the company. I am also concerned about the contract including an opt-out for the 48 hour a week, considering the wage is a few hundred short of £1000 a month. However, accommodation is included. With this in mind, I assume minimum wage obligations are being met by the company? I work it out as £3.50 an hour (exc. free accommodation). Here is a selection of text that I am concerned about. Any advice is much appreciated. No Overtime "Your salary will be paid by equal monthly instalments in arrears less any deductions required by law or agreed between you and the Company. No overtime payments will be made for additional hours worked." Training Costs "You are obliged to pay a fixed amount of £300 or consent to allowing the Company to offset this amount against your final salary, as a contribution towards trainings costs incurred if: "The Company dismisses you for poor performance or unacceptable behaviour within your first assignment period. Should your final salary not cover the full amount of the training costs incurred by the Company, the Company will endeavour to recover the outstanding amount from you." Taking Annual Leave You will generally be required to take 1⁄2 day annual leave per week during your period of employment. Prior to booking any additional annual leave, you should discuss and agree the dates with your Manager. If you do not use your holiday entitlement in the relevant holiday year, the entitlement will be forfeited except in exceptional circumstances where the Company agrees in advance to the carrying over of holiday. Payment in lieu of any annual leave will only be made when you leave the Company. (For the avoidance of doubt, you will not be entitled to any payment in lieu of the entitlement in any other circumstances). Any thoughts or legal opinions shall be much appreciated. AnonLurker

Hi All, So I bit the bullet... Got two defaults... 1 x Lowell's was Orange 1 year left before disappears into the ether, two figure value - probably was a final charge after termination of contract - notice given to terminate on month 23 to end on month 24 (end of). They stated could only terminate from month 24 - I said err no - its a two year contract - I don't wish to continue etc - PAN given (retained old number on new contract - also with EE) Other is RBS - 4 figure with a 1 and 5 at front. OD was limited to 500. About 18 months left to run before disappear. I changed banks to my current due to circumstances - NOA ignored - bad times for me back then (health / work / woman). Charges on Charges on Charges probably make up the bulk. Don't want to wake the hornets. Will do so if they decide to chase with SAR and then will reclaim. Anyway score is trashed 1/5 - what difference will adding the ER information gain me ? Rest of it is healthy, credit cards balances (I pay in full every month and use card every month for spending - just had another increase this year - the third) Water is reported now (WTF!) Bank accounts are shown as zero o/s on monthly updates. Just wanted to know if getting the ER info from the LA will make a difference - been on it for 5 years at current - not recorded. Cheers N

Hi, I recently had costs awarded against me at a PHR. I had not been expecting this. I am picking up the pieces now after the shock of it all. A good friend referred me to this forum and to some recent posts about costs, in particular the fact that the employer is not allowed to charge more than £33 ph for preparing for the hearing. Mine charged £110 ph - this was not challenged by the judge. They also included external solicitor's costs on top. If I apply the £33 limit it works out that I will be paying more in costs than the employer was allowed to claim for. I am incensed by this! What can I do?

My wife asked her employer recently if she could go term-term only, so we don't have to pay out expensive childcare costs when it is school holidays. Her employer agreed to this, but are querying her claim that she is still entitled to accrue holiday pay (either as time off during the term-time, or as extra pay equivalent to what she would have earned). Am I right in thinking that term-time members of staff are still entitled to accrue holiday pay?

Hi, I have just recently (about 1 month ago) got and accepted a new permanent role with a fairly large company. I am due to start work with this company on the 17th June- however yesterday I was advised by them the office was potentially going to move down south (about 250 miles away) within the next 6 months. I wasn't made aware of this until yesterday and they are saying they have only just found out themselves. They have give me the option of relocating (which im not going to do) retracing the offer acceptance or working with the company until they move and then be left with no job. I would like some advise as to were I stand with this as I have handed my notice in with my current employer (my role has been filled so no chance of my job back). Any advise is much appreciated. Thank you

Hello I recently started a new role with a well known insurance company in what was described as an inbound contact centre. I took this job as I've worked in sales before and wanted to avoid the problems of cold calling. I was told all the calls would be incoming calls for people who need quotes. One week into the role and I have found this to not be the case. The company is paying people to cold call people then transfer them through to the inbound contact centre. Although I am not dialling myself the calls are to all intends and purposes cold calls and I am getting the same abusive customers I got when I did cold calling. As I turned down other opportunities to take this role I feel I have been misled and wonder what my options are. Can anyone help?

I want to tell everyone of my experience with this e-company THE UK ELECTORAL ROLL, and warn of their unsatisfactory customer care / service they give, or don't give, and advise you NOT to subscribe to this companies service unless you want to waste your money. It wasn't a lot of money but the principal is that you do not get what you are paying for. I registered with this company for a one month period to search the names and addresses of relatives for my family history. This company (THE UK ELECTORAL ROLL) is offering up to date information from the electoral role, I did one search (the 1st) for a relative and the address that was sent to me was one that I know to be years out of date, so I did as they say in their ad and asked for assistance, they came up with the correct address, and said that they would do a system test and advise further. OK I tried another name and again it came back with out of date information, I e-mailed yet again, NO REPLY, it seems that they didn't want to help anymore, and I didn't get a reply to further e-mails sent, it said in their ad "no quibble refund" so I asked for one, but they have got around giving refunds in their T&Cs. I tried yet again with my own name, you guessed, not recognised If they cannot recognise my name and address (192.com another electoral register came up with my name straight away), surely they are selling a service that is not fit for purpose acording to the sale of goods act 1979, here is a quote fit for the purpose, that is as well as being fit for the purpose for which they are generally sold, goods should also be fit for any specific or particular purpose made known at the time of the agreement. For example, if a consumer asks for a food mixer that beats, whisks, and kneads dough then the one the seller gives them should do all of those things, as described, that is the goods should correspond with any description applied to them whether this be verbally, through words and pictures on a sign, on packaging, or on an advertisement. Now this company has not responded to my e-mails to them and I do not expect them to now, so I have lost my money with THE UK ELECTORAL ROLL, and will have to put this down to experience and spend out yet again with another company to get the information that I need. So anyone looking for information from the electoral role DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. If anyone can tell me where to go from here it would be appreciated, I do not want companies like THE UK ELECTORAL ROLL ripping off other unsuspecting customers like me. regards Anne

Dunno if this has been asked before, or even if i'm asking in the right place, but can anyone point me at where the role of a Tribunal Judge is defined? TIA