should i raise a grievance?

[misselle]

Hi all I'm looking for some impartial advice as I'm currently really emotional about the situation. I work in the public sector and I'm a union rep but I deal with union learning so not really familiar with personal cases and such.

 

I've worked in my current role for almost 3 years and for 18 months ot was fine, cue staff loses and increased workloads and I started making silly mistakes, at which point my new manager decided to make things difficult for me.

 

I ended up off sick for over 3 months with work related stress due to bullying, however my management have always maintained that it's been due to my union work. I can 100% say that it's my union work that kept me sane and gave me abreak from tthe pressure of the office.

 

Since I returned to work ive made no mistakes at all, however the new senior management has taken issue with my union duties. They have never taken into account my facility time when giving out work so I've always done the same amount as my colleagues despite the fact I'm out of the office at times or have other pieces of work to do do sometimes I have to play catch up.

 

They took issue with how my union time was being recorded and were asking me to use special leave and click out of flexi for any emails or phone calls I took that were union related. This was against the union agreement with hr. Hr became involved and an email set out exactly what I should be doing and specifically stated I should not use special leave.

 

I got a job in anothrr department and I'm due to move there in 4 weeks. However since I got the job things have gotten much worse. I've been forced to used special leave for attending our agm. They question any update I put into flexi for union time.

 

On Friday things came to a head when I had emailed giving advanced notice that I had union work to do and would be out of the office for two hours in the afternoon to get it done. This was agreed. On Friday morning my manager phoned the branch chair to find out what worl I had to do and stated she was going to ask that I do it another time as she had given other staff time to do things and would be short staffed if I went.

 

This was the final straw so I approached our full time rep and was extremely upset at this point an didn't tell anyone where's I was going. The rep told hr where I was and that as I was upset and uncomfortable with the situation I wouldn't be going back until it was sorted.

 

Later I went to pick up my bags, got taken into the office and had strips torn off me and reduced to tears for not telling anyone where I was by my senior management. I explained hr knew where I was but that made no difference. Senior management are obviously backing my manager as I expected.

 

I've now spent the whole weekend in tears and taking panic attacks when I think about having to go into work tomorrow.The rrelationship has broken down so much between management and myself that's it's not repairable and I genuinely think working with them over the next 4 weeks is going to be detrimental to my health.

 

I've thought about raising a grievance but is there any point when I'm due to move on in 4.weeks and if I do will they just make life hell for me until I go?

 

Any advice would be welcome

[Emmzzi]

Why is your union rep not intervening to negotiate release time?

[misselle]

They did and that's why hr became involved and an email was sent to me and ny management setting out what I'm entitled to and how it should be recorded.

 

However they are stil going against what was laid out in this email and when time is agreed they withdraw it last minute and say business needs and they can't spare me. When I do get time they scrutinize every single minute that I put through.

 

I don't use a lot of time, and do it only when it's necessary, I certainly haven't gone anywhere near the amount I'm entitled to. I'm the only rep on the branch who has any problems with recording and getting to use my time.

 

My management are funny enough very anti union

[Atlas01]

This is for your union to resolve not you. i looked after a few learning reps in my time and often they were not negotiators nor able to stand their ground with managers in HR issues as they got into it for different reasons.

 

Either your union gets their finger out or bin them, It ain't worth the hassle if they won't do what they are there to do

 

Facility time should be negotiated in advance and permission sought by you for time reasonable time off and they should then honour it unless there are legitimate reasons to postpone it

As an x-officer i would never have dreamed of leaving a rep in these circumstances, the reason i am x though is there are many in unions that would.

 

You should be more aggrieved with your union

[rebel11]

Hi misselle

 

I would raise a formal grievance, you've tried to resolve matters informally already. Send a copy to your immediate manager, Human Resources and Senior Management. It gives the company the opportunity to sort out the issues. Also if the senior management don't leave you alone, which I believe they will after your grievance, then you can show a future Employment Tribunal that you raised a grievance. Also there's a world shortage of Kleenex, so stop using it up. (Other tissue paper is available).

 

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/bullyingatwork.aspx

 

http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/d/l/Bullying-and-harassment-at-work-a-guide-for-employees.pdf

[madari]

Respectfully, I would not raise a grievance as that is a sure way to get fired....no company likes to carry troublemakers and raising a grievance is classed as `troublemaking`.

 

 

 

 

Hi misselle

 

I would raise a formal grievance, you've tried to resolve matters informally already. Send a copy to your immediate manager, Human Resources and Senior Management. It gives the company the opportunity to sort out the issues. Also if the senior management don't leave you alone, which I believe they will after your grievance, then you can show a future Employment Tribunal that you raised a grievance. Also there's a world shortage of Kleenex, so stop using it up. (Other tissue paper is available).

 

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth/Pages/bullyingatwork.aspx

 

http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/d/l/Bullying-and-harassment-at-work-a-guide-for-employees.pdf

[rebel11]

Nobody should endure 'bullying' let alone for their Union activities, it doesn't go away, it will persist, you need to put a stop to it.

 

Respectfully, I would not raise a grievance as that is a sure way to get fired....no company likes to carry troublemakers and raising a grievance is classed as `troublemaking`.

[Template0716]

You have 4 weeks until a job change, only you can decide whether you want to go through the grievance process or let it go until you move jobs.

 

 

If you decide to raise a grievance, you should sent it to the named people in the procedure, which will probably be either the senior manager, HR or both. I wouldn't send any grievance further than the procedural requirement.

[Grotesque]

Respectfully, I would not raise a grievance as that is a sure way to get fired....no company likes to carry troublemakers and raising a grievance is classed as `troublemaking`.

 

Respectfully, you do not know what you're talking about. The employer has a legal obligation under the TULRCA to provide reasonable time off for trade union duties to any accredited representative of a union recognised for collective bargaining purposes.

 

'Troublemaking,' indeed!

[rebel11]

An Employment Tribunal might deem the 'bullying' as 'victimization' due to misselle's Trade Union activities.

 

Respectfully, you do not know what you're talking about. The employer has a legal obligation under the TULRCA to provide reasonable time off for trade union duties to any accredited representative of a union recognised for collective bargaining purposes.

 

'Troublemaking,' indeed!

[rebel11]

The Employee Handbook should state who you can send your grievance to, in my experience you can raise grievance at director level. That's been stated in the 'Employee Handbooks' that I've seen.

 

You have 4 weeks until a job change, only you can decide whether you want to go through the grievance process or let it go until you move jobs.

 

 

If you decide to raise a grievance, you should sent it to the named people in the procedure, which will probably be either the senior manager, HR or both. I wouldn't send any grievance further than the procedural requirement.

[Emmzzi]

Bickering after the op is long gone may not achieve much

[rebel11]

Whose bickering, a good reference for new OP's.

 

Bickering after the op is long gone may not achieve much

[Grotesque]

Bickering after the op is long gone may not achieve much

 

The OP has been away two days; you have a curious definition of 'long gone.'