I have worked for my company for 3 years and have been on maternity leave for 5 months. I have just been told that I am being made redundant and that my remaining maternity leave will be paid to me along with my redundancy pay and months notice. The company have said that as that gross amount comes to just over £6,000 I will be subject to the higher tax band. Is this correct as you don't pay tax on redundancy pay which for me is 3 weeks pay at £1,200? They have said this will work itself out, but am assuming that wouldn't be until the next tax year.
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In December 2010 my wife and I had our first baby and due to that we both needed for me to work a regular shift pattern that would enable me to have my son on a couple of days during the week while my wife works. While I work [as a bus driver], my wife looks after our son. I was offered 39 hours a week but with the hours compressed into four days rather than five. This facility is something that the company provides throughout the whole of the UK for those who have family responsibilities. It is meant to be reviewed on a basis of around six months. My manager has since changed and the new manager has given me two months to find other childcare arrangements. In the presence of a union official, the manager made it clear that the only option the company was now giving me was to use childcare, which means that I would have to work an extra day or two to cover the cost of childcare. Other colleagues are allowed to continue working flexibly because their circumstances are "different". I feel that I am being treated like this as I have reported a lot of problems with bus safety recently. I have submitted a formal application for flexible working for the hours that I am currently doing under the facility provided which is something that I really need as in September my wife and I are expecting our second child. I don't see them accepting my request for flexible working, even though I meet every criteria and that it won't affect the current running of the business in any way because what I am asking for is already in effect. Once I get the reply I am anticipating, which is the refusal, I will appeal. What grounds do you think I have for taking this further to enable me to have a work life and be a parent?
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I am looking to return to my work in a construction company after the additional maternity leave. Before I went on maternity leave I was moved to work in the office rather than on location. Now they are looking to place me on a project, but are unable to tell me the location at present. How far in advance of my return to work date would they have to tell me the location?  If it is too far away from home I would look to resign or argue it is unsuitable. My contract states that with regards to location "you will initially be located at A470, but your employment is such that you will be required to transfer from one project/site location to another as may be required by the Company from time to time". It does not stipulate any time period that they must notify you by. I raised a greivance for my return to work last time regarding timeframes missed about holding meetings, notifying me of acceptance of my flexible working request, and various other issues. However, their argument for this was "due to structure changes within the business" which I am sure they will use again.
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I work full time for a Local Authority who set up my homeworking seven years ago. We were 'taken over' by another company three years ago but kept all our terms and conditions etc.  The company have been upgrading all the computers and updating programmes such as Windows and Office.  But my system being different because I work remotely needs to be updated differently. The IT department have just said they are not prepared to support this homeworking any longer.  There have been no discussions with me, no negotiation, I just got a visit from my boss totally out of the blue on Thursday and he has just said, sorry, but your job is still open working from the office.  They have offered me to work whatever hours I want and over how many days, but I have commitments and can't work full time from the office, although I have financial commitments that mean I now need to work full time.
I really need to know if they can just withdraw it like this as I have been doing it for so long and also, if they can, should I not have at least been given some notice like 90 days or something.