Just heard from my letting agent who completely played the situation down and said that the Estate Agent were to blame. Apparently the LL had told them under no circumstances should they enter without contacting me first.This seems odd considering the EA told me that the LL said to enter, as she has no contact details for us to arrange a visit.

Thank you for clearing that up Snorkerz I have now started to leave my key in the front door, so that people are unable to open it. I simply leave through the back door and padlock the gate so that nobody can enter even with keys. I'll see how easily the barrel in the lock can be changed. Hopefully the LL wants to sell ASAP and will allow us to leave.

Oh and I have just seen that the property is advertised as "available for immediate occupation"....

Thanks again for the responses - appreciate the advice. One thing I can't get my head round though- The LL has clearly broken the tenancy agreement by allowing these people into my home without notifying me. Surely this means that the agreement is no longer binding? If we as tenants had broken the agreement we would be evicted? So why is the LL allowed to break the agreement without any consequence? Thanks =)

Hi thanks for the response I know that neighbours are not grounds for termination, but thought that the unauthorized entries might be. I guess that's not the case It might still leave us in a good bargaining position though, if the LL wants to sell and we want to leave - is this something that you guys have heard of in the past, and is there a risk for consequences down the line?

Thanks Steve, appreciate the response. How would you approach the situation? Would you try to contact the letting agent to discuss wanting to leave, or would you go direct to the landlord (I don't have the LL contact details as we have never dealt with them). My worry is that the letting agent is playing this situation down, as he obviously wants to keep us happy. However I am really annoyed about this and want to leave as soon as possible, not only due to this but due to the neighbours as well.

Good morning everybody. First I would like to give my thanks in advance, as I know how much of a help this forum has been to me in the past. Background information to my situation: Myself and my partner moved into a rented house in August, our tenancy agreement is for a period of 6 months. The house was on the market to be rented through our letting agent, and also to be sold via a separate estate agent. When we moved in and paid our deposit etc. we were informed that it was the intention of the landlord to take the property off the market. We're not happy with the neighbours, and me and my partner have already discussed that we will probably move at the end of the agreement. The situation: We were speaking to an elderly neighbour and he asked if we were moving out. When we asked why he thought this, he told us that there had been viewers at our house. He said that there had been people looking in the windows, and on at least one occasion someone had entered the house with keys. Now this was news to us, there had been no notification or prior warning of any kind. I believe that by law, under the Tenancy Act 1977 (?) that we have to be given 24 hours prior notice to any visit that is not an emergency. I contacted the estate agent direct to verify this, and they have in fact been entering the property without our consent. They said that the landlord had given permission to do so. I've also spoken to our letting agent who has confirmed that this is a breach of the tenancy agreement and that he would be contacting our landlord to discuss their intentions. The house has been kept in good condition, but I am slightly embarassed to know that the place was not 100% tidy when people have been entering. I am also annoyed at the fact our valuables were left out, and we could have even been in when they entered! I'm not sure how I would have reacted if I had just stepped out of bed and saw a bloke coming up the stairs, but I'm pretty sure I'd be facing an assault charge right now. My question: As the landlord has obviously upset us and breached the tenancy agreement (and broken the law??) does this give us any ground to end the tenancy agreement early? The landlord is obviously looking to sell the property anyway, and does not seem to care about our privacy or rights. We're looking to move at the end of the 6 months anyway, so could this be leverage for us to move sooner and not face any consequences? Thank you for any responses, sorry for the wall of text- i'm trying to keep it all short and not get too annoyed whilst thinking about it

Hi guys, As many of you who have helped me out will know I am currently going through a disciplinary at work which has been badly handled in my and other peoples opinions. As a result of the disciplinary I am off work sick, however I was also suspended last week and my disciplinary upgraded to the highest level. A link to my old thread is here so you can see the background of the case if you need to: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?275164-Urgent-employment-problem-please-help.&p=3121419&highlight=#post3121419 Okay, so here's where my new question(s) are and I need some advice. Im off work, suspended- the disciplinary is scheduled for this Thursday and will go ahead without me being there (as advised by my GP) as I do not feel I can attend, or that my presence will make any difference to the outcome. I am expecting to be dismissed. So- the contract I am employed under is due to run out at the end of September. The way the company operates with many members of staff is to keep them on rolling 3 month contracts - it saves on redundancies I presume. As my contract is due to end in less than 2 weeks, I was sure that they had to tell me if it was being renewed or not NOW? Everybody else in the office was told approx. 2 weeks ago that their contracts have been extended...but I have had no news telling me it will or it wont. Due to the disciplinary, and the likelihood of me being dismissed this week- would that have any bearing? Even if it meant I could "leave" without being "fired" that would be a big help...being dismissed will seriously damper my chances of finding another job any time soon...the other members of staff that were dismissed are struggling to get interviews as they were fired for gross misconduct. Please help! Thank you -N

I've been called in to a hearing next Friday 17th. This is to be held at level 3 (highest in company procedure) and can lead in dismissal. Looks like I will be fired next Friday...

bump

Evening everybody Bit of an update and some advice if you would please Last Friday was my last post. Work e-mailed me to tell me I had to attend an investigatory meeting. They e-mailed me twice stating two different dates. I e-mailed back to say my GP had advised me to not attend and asked them to hold it in my absence, whenever it was. Saturday morning I receive a special delivery letter confirming the meeting was to be held today (6/9/10). Before my next point, I'd like to add something: The company I work for is a large insurance company. They are very particular as you'll understand about Data Protection. We were not allowed to e-mail customer information outside of the company as this is not a secure method of contact. Today I received an e-mail from the manager who held the meeting. I have been suspended from work on full pay pending further investigation. The email had attached a copy of the minutes from the meeting detailing what was said and showing the evidence. There is no mention of the level 2 disciplinary being changed to a level 3. It also stated that a copy of the letter would be posted to me. Now my questions are: 1.) The email says I am suspended on full pay. Previous e-mails before I was suepended told me that my pay would reduce to 50% after being off sick for 3 weeks and then stop fully after 6. I have been off work for 4 weeks now, so should I be on 50% pay or full pay? 2.) Is e-mail classed as a secure method for them to be sending me these things? It has my personal information, details of the disciplinary and the evidence in there. Bare in mind I specifically asked my line manager not to give out my personal e-mail. Thanks a lot N

Okay, this is just confusing me now. After receiving the first e-mail I've since received a second from a member of HR. The second meeting invites me to the investagatory meeting, but on a totally different date/time (13th sept at 3.30pm). I contacted work and spoke on the phone to the employee representative who has been very nice and helpful to me through the procedure. He spoke to HR on my behalf and they said that they would resolve it with a third e-mail to clarify. I have received nothing since and work is now closed. On another note I saw my GP this afternoon and she has advised that I do not attend the meeting on whichever date it is due to health. I'll email work back to tell them to hold the meeting in my absence. However the way they are I very much doubt they'll send any minutes or new evidence to me in writing. Thanks N

Okay just received e-mail from work. I'm not sure if it's reccomended to post such things here, but this is the e-mail with names etc removed: Just left you a message on your mobile, also tried to ring your home number we have on record, but it doesn't accept withheld numbers. We would like you to attend an investigatory meeting on Monday 6th September at 3pm. You need to wait in reception and a representative from HR will collect you from there. The purpose of the investigatory meeting will be to discuss the additional information that has been collected following the formal disciplinary hearing on 22 July 2010 where you made reference to sending these sort of emails for a period of approximately 18 months. You are entitled to bring a representative to the meeting and that should you wish to do so you can contact ******** on, tel. *******. Whilst we appreciate that you are currently not in work due to sickness we are Disciplinary policy, "We reserve the right to continue our investigations and formal action during your absence, depending on the circumstances." This meeting will take place regardless of whether you attend or not, as we wish to progress this matter. Please can you confirm as soon as possible if you are able to attend. The worrying part of the email is where they say I will have to wait in reception for a member of HR to collect me. This is how the other staff were treated when they were suspended - I've not been suspended and as far as I am aware my security pass still allows me to access the building. This indicates to me that they are treating me now as if I am suspended? thanks

Hi guys sorry for late response, didn't see my e-mail notifying me of the replies. Thanks for all of the advice so far it is much appreciated. After declining to attend 2 OH meetings, my manager has this morning left a voice mail for me. The message thanks me for making them aware I cannot attend the OH meetings. It goes on to say that a meeting has been arranged for me on Monday to attend the next meeting regarding the disciplinary. My gut feeling is that if I attend on Monday they will notify me that the disciplinary has been upgraded to level 3 and that I am being dismissed for gross misconduct. If I do not attend, will they hold the meeting without my presence and dismiss me? Do they need to write to me before I attend any further disciplinary meeting? Bare in mind I've barely had anything in writing throughout the whole process. Thanks N EDIT: I am seeing my GP at 4:50 today which is the earliest I could get. Unfortunately work will be closed when I'm out and the appointment is on Monday

lol thanks guys by the way- whenever I tell work I cannot attend the OH meeting they keep replying to me with meetings at a later date...can I tell them that I will not be attending full stop ? I am seeing my GP today. cheers N

Not actively, but I think that I will have to soon as I can't afford to not be earning a wage. If I received IB of course it would be a big help but ideally I need to get better so I can go to work -N

The continued investigation is making me ill. However I don't want to get anything out of them, I just want to be able to work somewhere else and get better so I can do the things I need to do

thank you

Well I have a fair bit of debt that I am paying off, having no money is going to have a big impact on this and make my financial situation a lot worse. Currently I am back living with parents which is great, they cannot afford to support me financially but it means if I can't afford the basics they can cover it for me. My biggest concern is that myself and my girlfriend were supposed to be moving out at the end of September. Due to my current situation she's had to move away alone and that's having a big impact on my frame of mind along with all of the work issues. About the IB - when work fully stop my sick pay after 6 weeks, can I receive IB whilst I am employed? Can they completely stop paying me whilst I am employed?? Thanks again Papasmurf N

Thanks Regarding the comment not to resign- what should I do when my sick pay finishes? The letter they sent to me said it will run at 3 weeks full, 3 weeks half pay and then stop....when it stops am I still employed? can I receive incapacity whilst I am employed? I don't know what to do about that. Obviously I'd like for all of this to be over and for me to be able to get better and find a new job, without having a dismissal on my history N

Hi JackieandWayne Thanks again for the support it is appreciated It's funny hearing some of those things that you mentioned. I went to the doctors about something unrelated a couple of weeks back and was told that it was sciatic pain. I've also had a lot of sleepless nights over this and it's putting a lot of strain on my personal relationships and friendships. I do feel that going into that particular building is a big no no which I why I'm so hesitatant to attend the meeting. Papasmurf thanks also, I've got all of the meetings written down and what was said/done in them, all the times they cancelled meetings last minute and changed their mind about things. When I had a meeting with one of the employee reps there I asked why I was being treated differently. He basically said it was because the degree of the 'crime' varied- some had misused websites to find images, some had just misused emails, some had said worse things in e-mails etc. So I am not sure that them treating me differently will be a factor? Although it is because of this that I am now suffering- seeing the other staff dismissed over the weeks whilst I was working thinking I would be okay at the end of it all... Thanks N Edit: come to think of it a few things now come to mind, I've been getting what I can only describe as "mini adrenaline rushes" where I feel a flutter inside of me. I've had headaches, and numbness/pins and needles in the 2 small fingers on my left hand that I thought was down to bad circulation. I will try to speak to my GP today

I will try to get to see my GP tomorrow then and see what she says. Is anything from her going to be enough for me not to have to go through with the meetings? One thing I dont understand is that I am absent from work with stress/anxiety-as being there is causing this. So the OH team want to see me to find out what they can do to help my stress/anxiety- which would be to refrain from being in work?! It's madness, or am I missing something? Thanks a lot Will let you know what my GP says.

Hi JackieandWayne, thank you for your reply. Makes me feel better that I am doing the right thing by avoiding being there- I know for a fact it would affect my health more to go in. I lost a lot of sleep before I went on sick leave over this, especially seeing friends being dismissed whilst I was kept there under the illusion I would only be receiving a final warning. Do you guys know if I am within my rights to decline all OH meetings that they put forward to me? Will this affect anything? They have already told me that my sick pay may be limited to 3 weeks full pay, then 3 weeks half pay as the my sick leave started during disciplinary procedure...any advice? Basically I will have no income in another 2 -3 weeks? Will that mean that I've been dismissed since they wont be paying me? Thanks again, all help is genuinely appreciated

Hi again, sorry to reply to my own post. I e-mailed work to tell them I could not attend todays OH meeting and I've received a response. I'm pretty desperate for advice on my whole disciplinary and OH scenario as it is definitely making my health suffer. The email reads: " An appointment with Occupational Health has now been re-arranged for Thursday 2 September at 2pm. You'll be met from Reception by a HR representative and then after the HR representative will contact you to discuss the date for the further investigatory meeting, in light of what Dr ****** advises following his consultation with you. " As stated previously, I'm off work with Anxiety and Stress- I've had high blood pressure for some time and take daily medication for this also which is being affected by my situation. Having to attend such a meeting at work and be met by a member of HR, pass through Security and be surrounded by colleagues and other staff at work I feel that it would only make my health situation worse. Thanks N

Hi Honeybee thanks for your reply. I actually spoke to ACAS this morning and they confirmed I can ask for the meeting to be held at a later date. However he did not confirm if I can not attend on grounds of my illness (anxiety/stress) indefinitely. I think that the company are right to discipline us for the e-mail charge, however I don't feel that dismissal is a punishment that fits the crime. I think it's more so unfair that they have now told me that I might be dismissed, after me being assured this would not happen at level 2 of the disciplinary procedure. I also feel the length of time it has taken them to make any decision, and their failure to provide anything to me in writing since my original disciplinary is unfair. Thanks