I raised a grievance and now management seem out to get me

[silverbird_9t9]

I started with my employers as a temp in November 2006 and was made permanent in February 2007.

 

My first office was an office inside the production area but unfortunately it made me too available. This meant that it was almost impossible to concentrate on figures and reports due to the constant (every few minutes) interruptions. Following many conversations with the factory manager and after him witnessing the problem personally, I was moved to a small office on the other side of the site and I found that I had no problem working my way through the backlog and getting on top of things.

 

After about a month I was informed that I would be moved to a desk inside the engineering office. The office I had to leave was racked out and used as an archive room. The new 'office' which I shared with the Engineering manager (he was seldom at his desk) was actually a box sectioned off in the workshop with no ventilation and no air con. This was mid Summer last year and the heat was unbearable. In addition there was often the noise from welding, grinding and other workshop activites.

 

I have suffered from eczema all my life but as I have grown older it has all but disappeared with no major flare ups for about 20 years. I complained again and again about the heat and the noise and pointed out that it was aggravating my eczema to be sitting in a pool of sweat. I was told on numerous occassions by engineers and managers (often with a smirk on their faces) that they were too busy to fit the air con unit which sat on the floor outside the office.

 

After about 3 weeks of this my right eye was swollen shut and large areas of my body were red raw and weeping. I subsequently learned that the skin had become infected and the bacteria had colonised.

 

Things came to a head when the HR officer asked how I was and I burst into tears (something I had been doing at home for a long while). After explaining my problems to her she spoke with the General Manager and promised that he would deal with it and get back to me. Nothing! So I began an official grievance.

 

It took about a month to actually get a hearing and I was promised that I would have a suitable working environment, defined duties and one person to report to.

 

I was moved to a more suitable office but it has taken since last Summer to get my eczema under control. I do still have eczema of my eye (never had that in my life before) and blurry vision. Next week I will be visiting an optician because I have discovered that vision can be permanently affected.

 

In the meantime the factory manager has been reinstated (he was stepped down temporarily for unrelated, operational reasons) and a senior manager has confidentially told me that I may be moved back to the workshop office and also that I need to 'watch my back' and not to trust anybody as they seem to be out to get me. He has advised me to go sick with work-related stress and see a solictor. I do genuinely feel stressed seldom sleeping more than 3 or 4 hours a night and suffering frequent migraines.

 

Sorry this post has gone on and on but I would welcome any comments and suggestions as in the current climate any job seems better than none at all.

Edited January 28, 2009 by silverbird_9t9

[rory32]

He has advised me to go sick with work-related stress and see a solictor.

I think that's probably good advice.

[Sali]

Sounds pretty awful.

 

A senior manager has actually said that you may move back to the workshop office and that you should 'watch your back?' Was is intending to do about this? He cannot ignore it.

 

It's not only environmental conditions that cause eczema, but often stress will make it worse and you are already showing symptoms of this. Do go back to your doctor.

 

Quite frankly, if the lily-livered senior manager does nothing, I would write to HR, tell them what the senior manager has said to you (guess you didn't have any witnesses). You cannot live with the constant anxiety that you will be moving to an unsuitable work area and checking over your should ever five minutes. It's not healthy.

 

Keep a diary incase of future grievance proceedings.

[silverbird_9t9]

Unfortunately, I can't quote him. What he said was as a friend and in confidence. If the company knew that he had said anything about what has been discussed in management meetings his job could be at risk.

[Sali]

Well, I'm sorry, management have a responsibility to staff. Your friend the senior manager has just exacerbated your distress by giving you this information, but seems to be completely unwilling to address or make any attempt to resolve the situation. So you go off sick? Is that what you really want? If things do not change, will you ever be able to return? I despair. Friend or not, you need to get these issues resolved and if that is not possible, you need to look for alternate employment.

[Gogivit]

At first I disagreed with the comment by Sali, however it got me wondering if your friend really is a close friend or he portrays to be?

 

Sometimes your so called friends prove not to be in times of difficulty.

 

Sali is also right to suggest that as your friend is a senior manager, he should really be behaving in a professional manner and in turn addressing your concerns with his superiors.

 

The fact he advises you to watch your back etc is either due to him being unprofessional or he may be one of those involved in this sad scenario.

 

Your best bet is to update your HR department of any developments.

 

I myself do not and will not tolerate bad treatment of staff within the workplace!

 

So far I am responsible for the following staff removals from the various companies I have worked for:

 

1) Team Leader (original)

2) Team Leader ( took over from the original)

3) Very senior Manager (earning 50k+ pa)

4) Area Manager (reported this one to company CEO)

 

I am known to have a high working ethos and as such I consider your treatment unacceptable. Please make a diary of all your daily events so that you can refer to them in the future-should the need arise.

 

Good luck

[silverbird_9t9]

Thanks for all the advice and support. Tomorrow I will be visiting the doctor again. I will keep you posted.

[389shell]

Just remember that if you do go off sick and then decide that you want to work elsewhere, your sickness will be taken into account and so they will spoil your chances elsewhere.

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

 

I have suffered from eczema all my life but as I have grown older it has all but disappeared with no major flare ups for about 20 years.

 

Hi silverbird

 

Are you sure it is eczema and not something else? Only I think eczema is on a more frequent cycle than to have no flare ups in 20 years-I get it on a 7 year cycle.

 

And I don't think there is any legislation for employees working in heat but there is if it is cold.

 

Good luck.

[silverbird_9t9]

Hi Gilbert

 

Yes I am sure that it is eczema. For the past 20 odd years I have only had problems with the skin on my right hand cracking in the winter months and odd dry patches here and there. This is cleared within a few days with the use of eumovate. However, this time my skin became infected (particulary around my eye) and the bacteria colonised. This is something I have never experienced before.

 

As for the working environment, I was moved from a small, well ventilated office which was subsequently fitted with shelves and used as an archive room. The workshop office I was moved into was not only hot but had no ventilation at all. Colleagues would enter the office to speak to me and leave after a few minutes saying that the heat and humidity was unbearable. It was separated from the workshop by a single-glazed partition and no doubt there was a fair ammount of swarf in the air from the grinding and welding going on in the workshop. The office was also pretty grubby, littered with tools and spare parts.

 

The Health and Safety manager has been very supportive and emailed HR to insist that they dealt with the matter asap. It was only then, after a month of repeated requests that a date was set for my grievance hearing. He told me that the company are required to provide a suitable environment for the work being undertaken and that he did not consider the workshop office to be a suitable environment.

 

Hii 389shell

 

The doctor signed me off for two weeks and, although it may well affect my chances elsewhere, I don't feel I have much choice.

[Sali]

Silverbird

I'm sorry to hear you have gone off sick. Hopefully, less stress and environmental issues should mean your eczema improves.

I hope your issues get sorted soon.

[Otto12]

Silverbird, keep an acurate (and discreet) written record of events. Log everything, coments, incidents, times, dates, names, the lot. You may or may not need it in the future but if you do end up in court/tribunal it will be invaluable.

[389shell]

Hi Silverbird, how are you feeling?