I have been out of work for three years and before that I worked in a food shop. I really want to get back to work into something new, but don't know how I'm going to work and learn something new without getting a wage that will pay childcare and bills. My partner works full time and I'm a stay-at-home mum. What advice do you have for me and what would I have to pay if I had to go to college? I have two boys aged three and nearly one. I feel I would (just about) cope putting them into full-time nursery to benefit our family as a whole.
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I've have been working for a hotel company for four years, doing a morning shift ie 7-3 or evening shift ie 3-11 or 5-11. Last year when I became pregnant, the HR manager was made redundant. My manager had no experience on pregnant employee issues so my risk assessment wasn't done and my hours were cut down. From a 39-hour contract, I was given 15-22 hours. Due to heavy lifting or moving of furniture, I injured my back so I took early maternity leave. During my leave, I found out about the procedures which were not followed while I was pregnant. I filed a case before an employment tribunal, but was rejected as it was not in the three-month claim period.
When I was due back at work, I put a flexible working request to work a particular shift ie morning only & weekend off so that we can work out childcare arrangements between my husband and myself. This was refused due to business needs. I can either to full or reduced part time hours. I do not believe there is a good business reason. My manager gives me all the difficult shifts, for instance evenings one day and early mornings the next. When I have objected, my manager says he has heard how much I like going to the employment tribunal and making a fool of myself so I should do that. Online I read that employees should have an 11-hour break between each shift, but my manager says that the hotel policy does not acknowledge this. I've found out that employees in different departments have been given flexiblity as they have young babies. Also, in my department, they have one part-time morning supervisor. Recently my husband has changed his job and he gets weekends off so I asked my manager not to give me weekends off as my husband can look after my baby, but he won't listen and keeps giving me the weekend off. Can I ask only for evening shifts? Also the hotel has just been bought by a different company so can I make another flexible working request?
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I am looking for evening work at the minute and have got an interview for a role working 5pm-9pm. I am worried that they are going to ask me to work days 9am - 5pm to complete their training programme, but I have no childcare provision at such short notice. Do I have the right to ask for the training to be done in the hours in which I have applied to work or do they have the right to base my employment on whether I can do this or not?
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Our office is closing down and we are all being transferred to a building seven miles away. Most staff can manage the move, but I cannot. I work 9-3 daily and drop my kids at school for 8.45am and get to the office for 9am. I leave the office at 3pm and arrive at school to collect them at 3.10pm. I have worked these hours for six years, having been at the company now for 23 years. If I transfer to the new site, I will have to get childcare for both kids every morning and after school. This is a course of action I do not want to take. I would rather be made redundant, but the business are telling me that I either transfer and/or resign. Surely they can't do this.
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I am due to return from maternity leave in March after taking a full year off. I contacted my manager in January to come into the office. During our meeting I was told there was no job for me. As an IT worker, I would be put onto the 'bench' where I would need to search for another suitable job in another location. The company has been making lots of redundancy during the past 2 years. I have asked why I have been put onto the bench. They say it's to do with demand from the client being reduced. I've been told I need to look for another job when I come back to work and they can't guarantee it will be in the local area. I have asked about flexible working and been told that when a job does arrive I need to have a chat during my interview to see if the job offers that. In the meantime I must come into the office. I feel like I am being put into a corner here. If the job does not offer flexible working and is further away from home which will causes childcare issues then they believe that's my responsibility to sort. In the meantime a voluntary redundancy notice has been issued. I have requested a quote. Are they breaking the law here. Would I still have a case if I took voluntary redundancy?
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