I am after advice on what I should expect from my employer and what they should expect from me. I do not wish to name my employer or the occupational health provider as anyone at my employers who may come across this forum would easily be able to identify who I am and I wish to avoid aggravating the situation by bringing the name of my employer into disrepute. The basics of the issue are that approximately three months ago I was the victim of a road rage attack that left me with damage to my sight in one eye. Part of the damage is permanent but is unlikely to cause serious long term issues with work and the remaining damage should in theory settle although it is currently not responding to treatment and is preventing me working. I was off work initially for a few weeks and then decided I did not like being off and wanted to return so I could establish a sense of normality after the attack. Before returning I voluntarily went into work and met with my manager to request a few simple adjustments were made to enable me to return. These were simply things such as adjustment to light level at my desk and extra breaks from screen use. It should be noted we are a paper less office so screen work makes up 100% of my work for 7-8 hours a day. It was agreed that these adjustments were reasonable and would be put in place. During this meeting I was told that my portfolio of work had been kept up to date in my absence. I returned the following week at the agreed time to find the adjustments had not been made and my work had been very badly managed in my absence resulting in me having to spend two days just sorting out the mess that had been made of my work. I was mostly ignored by my manager for the first 24 hours then he approached me to advise that they were still in discussion with HR about making the adjustments. A few days later I was informed they would only make adjustments if instructed to do so by my gp in writing. At the same time they pushed my work back up to the full level I had been doing before the attack making it impossible to keep up with my work whilst working at a reduced capacity caused by my injury. The next day I contact my GP and booked the next available appointment, which was a week away. Working without the required adjustments had by this time caused my vision to deteriorate to a point where I could not use a screen for more than an hour. I again approached the management to request the adjustments be made now with the GP letter to follow. At this point I was told that as the attack happened outside of work what did I expect work to do for me. I was also told that it was a high-pressure job and if I could not cope I should go home. I again stated I did not wish to take time off and that with reasonable adjustments I could try and continue working. The management again refused to make adjustments and ordered me to self certificate sick leave until my doctors appointment. After leaving the office I contacted the HR department directly and explained the situation and requested that they speak with the local management to establish what could be done in assisting me back to work. They subsequently involved an outside occupational health company who contacted me for consent forms to obtain my medical records. I returned these forms a month ago but I have heard nothing further from HR or occupational health and when I tried to contact Occupational Health directly they refused to speak to me. When I attended my GP I was signed off and referred back to the eye hospital for further treatment. Now two months later there is no change as the eye hospital are trying to establish the full extent of the damage to my eye and how best to treat it and I am still unable to work several months on. I have had no contact from my employers to check on my progress or to offer any support which has left me feeling very let down and isolated. I have made a point of calling in every couple of weeks to update them and remind them that I want to work with them to find a solution to enable me to return to work as quickly as possible. Whilst I am currently being paid in full under the terms of my contract this will end soon at which point I will not have sufficient funds to live on with a family to support and a mortgage to pay which is causing a great deal of worry. The employer is a large company employing in excess of 10k people globally with the majority being in the UK. I have been employed by them for over a decade. In the last 6 years I had only taken 2 days off sick prior to the attack. I have never been disciplined for anything and my performance is always graded as above expected level.

Hi Folks, Not posted a lot since joining but have been an avid reader, and now I am looking for some opinions/advice. I am a school caretaker and recently our local council have put us onto term-time contracts, this means that I finish work when the school breaks up for holidays (summer, October, Christmas and Easter etc.) Now 9 times out of 10 this is when workmen are wanting into the school to do maintenance work etc. They (the council) have asked me if I could open up school for the tradesmen. I asked what I would be getting paid and they said it would be 1hr straight time for opening up and 1hr for locking up when workmen were finished. I queried about the rate, as it is outwith my contracted hours I thought I should be getting time and a half but was told it was council policy to only pay straight time, unless you have worked 37hrs in one week. Can I ask what your opinions are on this and would it be worth my while to raise it again with my line manager/union? Many thanks for reading.

Hi Now the government has introduced fines for all those who take their children out of school in term time it has left families having to pay massive differences in holiday costs and also leaving some families not been able to take their children on holiday at all. There are also the many families who have set times of the year they can take their holidays. It used to be you were allowed 10 days holiday during term time which their was nothing wrong with that system at all now the only winners out of this are the holiday companies and government. Please sign the petition below it doesn't have long left. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/49640

All set to claim redress for PPI on an old store card and am now flummoxed by an odd interest term in the recon agreement. 'We will charge interest on the account at 1.5% per month' The APR is as follows... (blank, none given?) 'Interest will accrue on the account on a daily basis from the date of transaction until payment in full is credited to the account. Each month interest will be added to the balance on which interest is charged' As its a store card there was an option for interest free purchases, ergo the term above (on which interest is charged) Having managed to get the last 10 years of transaction history out of it (account is 12 years old) it appears from my calcs that interest was compounded yet the term is clear in that interest will only be added to the balance of the transaction. I'm pretty sure I'll claim at current advertised APR but its now left me wondering if my agreement was for simple interest only at inception. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on how to broach the subject with the creditor?

Hi I have been on sick leave from work for 6 months. Initially I had a sort of stress induced breakdown which was a dreadful time- I then had an exploratory operation and have since been diagnosed with 2 problems - one which can possibly be fixed with another operation and the other is a long term chronic disorder which makes me tired and more likely to injure myself doing the job I do which is physically demanding at times. Occupatioanl health have advised I am not fit for work at present while I try out some medication. I am having meeting with my linemanager and HR rep next week. The thing is I am not sure I can ever go back after the episode of depression I had - There is some one at work who I really not get on with and though she is good at her job in many ways and is probably also under a great deal of stress her behaviour is very unpleasant- it is mainly one of blanking me if she sees me, being unsupportive / unhelpful if I ask for guidance / advice about issues that affect my work yet she is in position where she should provide such support. I don't know how much I should mention this next week as I have not made any formal complaints about this person though my line manager knows informally.If anyone has any advice about my circumstances I would be grateful . My emplyer is large health organisation and I have been working for them for 7 years.

I have lost my job and my husband is only working part time and we are unable to pay all our bills at the moment. We have taken advice from step change and have offered Npower £5 per month for Gas and £5 per month for the lecky. We sent a copy of our household budget Last week they phoned and wanted meter readings for both which we supplied. Today we got a letter wanting to set up a payment plan and they are going to TELL US how much we will be paying but we need to set up a payment plan with them. They have asked us to phone with meter readings (which they already have ) but will require an initial payment when we call before setting up a payment plan otherwise they will follow their collections procedures and we could get charges put on. Are they able to do this?

Hi all, I wonder if someone could clarify something that is bugging me.... We recently indicated to our letting agent that we were thinking of terminating our Short Term Assured Tenancy Lease. She came straight back to say that as we had started the lease on the 4th of the month we must start our one months notice from the 4th of the month also, otherwise we would run into the next month and could end up having to serve almost two months notice.. Is that correct or could our one months notice start from any point in the month?

I finally recieved my ESA85 medical report last week and while I was told over the phone I had been placed in the support group for 12 months the report does not actually give a definate time frame but rather suggests I should be reviewed in the medium term. I find this a bit vague, I know that the review on the ESA85 is not set in stone and that you may be reassessed at anytime but having a suggested time frame on the form is some back up should you wish to ask for a reconsideration if they where to send my another ESA50 in the next few months. Does "medium term" have an offical length of time attached to it regarding ESA Support Group?

Hi all, if Ive been on a 6 month fixed term contract and it has been rolled four times since I started! Should I have received a new written contract everytime my employer rolled it! As my end date was 30th June 2012 and since that date I have not been given anything at all in writing its now been a year I've worked past my last written contracts end date.

im just wondering has anyone applied for one of these yet? i know they offer food voucher for living expenses but what about furniture cookers fridges ect ect? especially if there replacing community care grants

Hi, I have joined up to this forum in the hope that someone can give me some advice. My problem stems from my employer and the fact that I am on Long Term Sick Leave. I took ill initially in December 2011 with heart problems, however I was in the process of returning to work about 6 months later when I was diagnosed with cancer. Since then, I have had a couple of major surgeries and have been receiving treatment as I try to beat this horrible disease. I have quite a few of my insides removed and currently am not able to return to work, I am also still receiving treatment, scans and other hospital appointments. My current sick note will cover me until September 2013, however, it is unlikely that I will be well enough to go back to work even then. I worked at a call centre, so I never received anything other than Statutory Sick Pay for the first 6 months from them.I amnow receiving state benefits. My employer however still insists that I keep them informed, by attending monthly meetings to discuss my illness and to ask how I am coping. They even ask questions about who is helping me through all this, i.e my Partner and other family members. Are they entitled to do this, given that they are no longer paying any salary to me. The chances are that I will never be able to return to work, as this illness is taking a lot out of me, and I really do not need all the extra stress that they are putting on me. I just want to know what my rights are, and whether I can refuse to attend these meetings. If I do, what are my options and would I be better off resigning? Sorry for the long post, but any help would be appreciated. Pete....

I am currently on a Fixed term contract which expires on 25/4/2013. I have had no indication as to if it is going to be extended or if I am to finish on this date. I have been working for the company since September 2012. As I understand it I am entitled to a weeks notice if they do not intend to renew. This is impossible as it is now 6 days away. What is my position with regards to this?

Im really needing some advice n this please! I have been on long term sick leave for almost a year. I have an outstanding amount of holiday accrued (5 weeks) I asked my HR department if i can use the holiday up, and they said they would check if my manager was agreeable to this. He refused, and the reason he gave was that i can take my hoildays once i return to work. ( i am aware that i have a legal right to carry them forward) On the gov.uk website is says that i can choose to use my holiday to cover sickness. Where do i stand legally please? Really just want to know my rights before i speak to my manager about it again tomorrow. I complained to HR, and theyve just sent me an email saying my manager with discuss it with me again tomorrow. Any advise would be really appreciated!

Kids are a bloody nightmare. As above, my Son and 3 mates have had a 12 month FT AST from 8/9/2011 to 7/9/2012. This is managed by Leaders. They recieved an invitation to extend the contract from 8/9/2012 to 7/9/2013 (intention to renewal or similar) and have continued to live at the house. My Son popped into Leaders last week to ask for the current Tenancy to see if there was a leaving early clause as they all finish in May this year and didn't want to pay rent for the 3 months they wouldn't be there. They were given a copy of the original Tenancy and have never signed for 2012/13. In addition, the original has been signed on all 15 sheets by all 4 boys but the Owners have not signed the agreement. I take it, that as no Tenancy has been signed for this year, that it has become a Statutory Periodic Tenancy now, or am I mistaken? Sorry for the long post for such a small question!

I have had anxiety problems since I was a child of 11 and suffered depression as well since I was 13 ive had a drink problem and ive never held down a full time job for more than 3 months because of my alcohol use ive been sacked more times than I can remember, I have social anxiety so working or mixing with others is a no go for me unless im drunk I dont socialise with anyone, im now 30 have less than a year experiance in any work and a criminal record to boot, atos very kindly lied on my medical and say im fit for work, where can I find a job that I would not have to talk or interact with anyone and be taken on with all the issues I have?

Hi, I (foolishly) agreed to be guarantor for my sister some time back so she could get into a rental property. I have copies of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement and the Deed I signed. The rent has fallen into arrears and I'm now being chased by a debt collection agency to the tune of £2500. However, the ASTA expired in February this year and there was no further agreement signed and no contact with me regarding signing a new one. She is currently renting on a month-by-month basis. They are threatening me with court action now. I thought I was only signing up for the fixed term and was happy to help at the time, but could someone please help clear this up? Here is a copy of the deed: Guarantor Deed I'd be forever indebted if someone could clarify as the worry of this is making me ill!

Was disappointed to be told (by txt) that Vodafone are putting prices up mid contract on both our phones - seems that they can though (not that I've ever seen a contract from them). This was after the earlier disappointments of deleting the itemisation on my bills (unless I paid more, then stopping sending me bills altogether (unless I paid more). They have also ducked and worn us down on trying to get the iPhone 3GS' (known) intermittent reception issue fixed. Last straw however is losing the Passport service (25Mb daily free data abroad) which I used regularly and was the deal clincher in agreeing to a 2yr contract. So its clear to me they have breached their part of the contract and I sent a 'substantial disadvantage' letter to them. They sent me a txt with both PAC codes and wanting £400 to terminate. I responded by webform refuting the charge and got an awfully amateurish response from India (stating that 'the price increase is not in our hands' but is 'to be decided by telecom companies'. I responded to this quoting my reasons again for 'substantial disadvantage' and hope for a more professional response (and not a txt m8!) and asking them for their reasons if they do not agree with me about a breach of contract/disadvantage. I believe I can take it to the Ombudsman within another month if they don't agree they acted unfairly etc and don't see why they should get the full profit of the contract by adding an early termination fee. I think I need to state the term 'deadlock'? I'd just be happy to have the contract back to the terms I agreed to in the first place - what is wrong with them!? If anyone has any help, tips or advice then I'd love to hear it. Thanks

My husband and I currently have an interest-only mortgage with Future Mortgages which ends in September 2013. Both of us had good jobs but 2007 I had a bad fall at work and eventually lost my job as I was unable to sit at a computer all day. I am still on Incapacity Benefit and Industrial Accident benefit. In 2008 my husband was made redundant as was told by the Jobcentre that he was wasting his time looking for employment. As my husband had a small private pension he took this early to try to continue paying our bills. As a result of this we were told we did not qualify for any benefits as we had £10 a month too much coming in. Our endowment insurance turned out not to be worth the paper it was written on and due to our lack of finances we were unable to pay it. Our mortgage is now due to be settled with an outstanding amount of £250,000. We believed that we would be able to sell the house and repay the debt with no problem as it was valued at £300,000 two years ago. It is now worth less than the mortgage. We have considered handing the keys back to the mortgage company but do not know what the consequences would be, We could try to sell the house at below its value and still owe the outstanding balance. As we will both be on state pension next year I don't know how we will ever be able to repay this. Any advice would be most welcome.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19968609

I don't know what this government is about. They , especially Cameron and Osborne , seem determined to alienate the ordinary working people in this country with their never-ending onslaought on our rights and freedoms. Despite all the promises made before the last election , they have no decided to do away with a lot of the rules regarding planning , developing green field land , and radical reforms of the benefit system due to come in next April that will cause hardship to millions. They don't seem to care at all about the ordinary man in the street. The main problem is Miliband and Co does not seem to offer any hope as well !!!. I will certainly be voting for the only politician worth his salt , and that is Nigel Farage of UKIP. A pity they stand no chance of winning anything other that ousting the pathetic Lib Dems into fourth place at the next election:-)

Hi. This is probably discussed a lot so I will be brief. We informed our landlord (via agent who has handled all of this) that we wished to leave our (fixed term, no break clause) contract early on the 25th of May. We stated our wish to move out on the 2nd of August and this was agreed to by both parties on the condition a new tenant was found. In the meantime, assuming that 2+ months would be a long enough time to find a new tenant, I and other tenants have found new places to live and entered agreements. The 2nd of August is fast approaching (just over a week away), however, and the agent has failed to find a new tenant. We live in a 3 bed in Highgate, London which is a desirable area so it should really be easy for them to find new tenants - especially over a long period of time. I have seen the flat advertised at a ridiculous £50 more per week than the £400pw we currently pay for it which it is certainly NOT worth, though within the last week they have lowered the asking rent to £425 which is more reasonable but still high. We are also expected to pay a fee to the agent for this 'service' of finding a new tenant. I am interested to know if we can somehow claim that they have failed to effectively search for new tenants, and what my rights are in this situation. It is difficult to find more info on the web and my local CAB is hard to access at times, especially when working. I am really frustrated by this situation. My main bother is that we have given them so much notice and they have failed to find new tenants - it seems ridiculous to me. Thanks in advance for any help, tips, etc. Henry

Hi, I'm new to the forums here, I was wondering if I could request some advice. I will try to be as concise as possible. I'm a private fixed term tenant in Northern Ireland, the sole rent paying tenant 4 months into a 12 month agreement. For the last few weeks my younger bother has been staying at the apartment as I have a spare room. I noticed a few days ago a damp patch on a wall in the living room which backs onto a shower cubical. Upon inspection I noticed that the grouting was missing/cracked in places, and one tile had begun to crack. I reported this to the landlords agent who in turn reported to him. I then received multiple calls from the agents requesting access in my absence. I did not wish to grant access to the apartment unsupervised but the agents stated that the landlord was insisting. A short time later, I was contacted and told that I would be liable to pay for repairs of £70-80 + an unspecified amount to repaint. I took an evening to consider this, then contacted the agent, stating that I did not feel I was liable and to try to arrange a meeting with the landlord to discuss the issue. A few minutes later I received a somewhat aggressive call from the landlord demanding that I leave the property as I had "destroyed the apartment" and that he would not discuss the matter with me in person as we would "fall out". He is claiming that my questioning my liability and the fact that my brother has been staying in the apartment constitutes breach of contract and that I shall be evicted for it. I was given a verbal 1 month period to vacate the premises. I'm very uncertain as to how I may or can proceed from here. I would be very grateful for any advise. Thanks.