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boss trouble!!!

Hi just wondering if any of you think i have a case to go off work early or at least make a complaint against my manager?
I work in a very busy restaurant and tonight was left to serve 40 tables of customers with just one other girl who is pretty new! My manager who is a total waste of space sat at the end of the bar talking to his mates. I was so stressed out, i could feel my heart beating out of my chest, but this isnt the first time they have done this to me since findoing out i am pregnant (usually we have 4 staff in the restaurant) I rang my oh who told me to speak to my boss, tell him i wasnt prepared to carry on working if he wasnt going to help out and if things didnt change to just leave, as running around a packed restaurant for 6 hours with no break and carrying plates ect ....wasnt good for either me or the baby! anyway things didnt change but i stayed anyway because i didnt feel it was fair on the other girl.
I am 24+5 weeks pregnant so havent got long to go til i can go on maternity leave but i feel so stressed out every time i know i am going to be on with him. Do you think if i made a formal complaint to head office they will let me start my maternity leave early?

Replies

  • Joanne

    Thanks hun. Im going to go to my other manager who is also a good friend of mine and ask that i drop the shifts that he is on(even if it does mean losing money) My oh absolutely hates him and i've been pretty lucky so far that he hasnt been in and said something, so i think its for the best if i just change shifts! Everyone knows what he is like but nothing is ever done, for the simple reason that he's a live in manager and doesn't have any friends so is always on the premises, meaning my main manager who also lives in the flats up stairs, is able to come and go as he pleases! I mean they have even caught him doing drugs in the toilets! and this isnt a small back street restaurant/hotel its one of the biggest chains in the uk.

    God i sound like a right moaning cow lol oh well only 4 more weeks to go then i can go on maternity leave although i was planning on staying on for quite a while longer i think i will have killed him by then lol
  • Hun that sounds awful!

    Don't pick up the extra work load tho... if 4 people are ment to be on and are not don't do 4 peoples work load! when customers start to complain explain you are pregnant and you are 3 members of staff down and then redirect them to your manager whom is responciable.

    I know working sometimes there is a hiden pressure or expectations of what you should be doing... if you need to sit down though even if its really hard to, i just would.

    have you challanged your boss about the work loads?

    id also write everything down like in diary format just encase anything comes of it ie him being really difficult then you'll have evidence!

    take care of your self honey - there is only one of you! x
  • You have rights in the workplace no matter that you are PG hun. The Equality and Human Rights Commission clearly states - When you are pregnant but have not yet started your maternity leave, you have the right not to be treated less favourably because of your pregnancy. Although this means you have the right to not lose out on training or hours etc it also means you are not to be treated as a skivvy nor should you be expected to put up with excessive work loads when others are around to help etc. I think you should make a complaint to head office - if no-one has pointed out his recent behaviour etc then they will be non the wiser and nothing will be done. I also think you are well within your rights to request that your shifts do not coincide with this particular manager. Regardless of whether he lives on site or not, I am quite surprised he is still employed anyway if he has been caught dabbling with drugs.

    Your are not a 'right moany old cow' hun - no one deserves to be treated that way PG or not!!!
  • If you feel your manager is deliberately making you work harder, as you stated normally there are 4 members of staff but since finding out you were pregnant you get less help, then this could be classed as an unlawful discrimination contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act because it is subjecting you to a 'detriment' because of your pregnancy. In other words, do you think he is deliberately doing this to either dismiss you or for you to constructively dismiss yourself i.e. it's so bad you have had to resign? Alternatively simply because you are pregnant he is deliberately making you work harder?

    Dismissal (or any other detrimental treatment) of a woman who is unable to work because of her pregnancy is unlawful sex discrimination.

    All employers should carry out a risk assessment for women of childbearing age regardless of whether or not they are pregnant. It might be useful to request a copy of this risk assessment and see what safeguards are in place. If a woman cannot work in her current post then they need to offer her alternative employment i.e. say as cashier where you can sit down. If alternative employment is not available then they have to suspend you on full pay.

    My advice would be to request a copy of the risk assessment and put in a written complaint. If you do not feel inclined to put in a written complaint at this stage then you could visit your gp who might write a supporting letter to say that for health and safety reasons you cannot work as a waitress but suggest they find alternative employment within the company for you until you take maternity leave. If you take maternity leave now then you will have less time with your baby and it seems such a shame because your boss is an idiot.
  • I totally agree with discodevil! A risk assessment has to be done and I would request head office organise it. Then you will have a legal list of what you can and cannot do.

    No employer can refuse to do this (as far as I am aware) and if they do then you may have a case to take this matter further.

    As for your boss - what a w***** - well, you show him you hold all the cards - not him!

    Love Lee
    xxxxx
  • That sounds terrible - I had a risk assessment with my manager the other day (I'm 20 weeks) and the form mentioned on there things like standing for long periods of time and having access to rest facilities and providing more frequent breaks, and also the risk of mental and physical pressure. I've been told that this has to be done every 6 weeks and is the responsibility of the employee and the Manager - I'm assuming this is a legal requirement - you need to look into this as they have a legal obligation to you and they shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating you like that! Good luck xxx
  • I agree with most of the comments above. Simply continue to work at your own pace as you would if fully staffed. Let your manager know that is what you are going to do and that if he doesnt help then things will get behind and customers will not be happy. Put the onus on him to act or take the blame when things go pear shaped. I know that easier said than done but just be confident that you are doing what is required of you and the problems caused by being short staffed are not your responsibility. You could even let someone more senior or your head office know the situation so that if your unhelpful manager tries to get you in trouble they all ready know what is going on.
  • Just to confirm what Oldermum and Absmum said an employer must pay particular attention to the obligation to carry out a health and safety risk assessment in respect of ALL women of child bearing age and NOT just those women who are pregnant. All employers have this obligation.
  • Thanks everyone!

    I have been having health and safety assesments done every 2 weeks athough they dont really say much (just that i cant carry too many plates ect....)
    I wish that i could just do what my job role really entails, but having worked in this job for so long, i know that customers dont care who is responsible just who is there at the time to take the brunt of there anger when there night doesnt go to plan. So it would just make my life even harder if i didnt do that extra bit! As far as asking to change jobs, i would love to but i would lose so much money. I actually earn more money in tips than my actuallly wages and if it wasnt for them i probably wouldnt even work there.
    I'm im going to speak to my other manager tomorrow, i origianally started doing the shift im on now so i didnt have to work with this perticular guy, but then head office changed the managers rotas and i was stuck!
    Anyway i will keep you all informed, if worse comes to worse ill just reduce my shifts til i go on maternity leave.

    thanks again!
  • Hi Speckle i kinda know wat ur going through!! my boss isnt going 2 pay me maternity pay 4 sum reason. im 34weeks pregnant and still expected 2 clean rooms up and down stairs without any help carrying hoovers and cleaning equipment, i cant start maternity leave until i get payslips which theyv neglected 2 give me, 2 apply 4 pay through the government!! what in gunna do is take all my holiday 4 this year now so it'll be like maternity leave as they have 2 pay me holiday!! i dread goin 2 work cos iv got bad back pains and have had a bad pregnancy which they know but dont give a rats!!!!!!!!!!!
  • I understand that customers dont care etc and that does make it a little difficult. But how about this idea - could you restrict the number of tables you are responsible for at any one time? That way you will be looking after your customers well and the other tables simply wont get served unless your boss mucks in and you wont have to deal with their wrath. Would that be a possibility?
  • littlestar

    I am only suppost to do certain tables anyway but the way the restaurant is set out i have to wlk past all the rest constantly so dont really have an option but serve them (that or get lots of abuse) and lets face it, it will be me thats to blame when it all comes to a head! i've spoke to my other managers and dropped the shift i work with him, but it also means dropping about ??70 a week from my wages. (its either that or my oh gets done for murder lol) I just thinks he's got something against me, i've already got one formal compliant against him for spreading lies that i had social services on me about my son, but as usual nothing was done!. He does the wages aswell and im constantly getting paid wrong. i was off for 2 weeks so should have got sick pay but i got nothing this week, complained and all he said was he'll sort it (ya right!!!!)

    Katiewoolly

    have you checked if your entitled to maternity pay i.e you earned enough in your qualifying weeks? if you did then they have to pay you by law and the government wont pay you because of this! Some people are just born to be evil. try not to let it stress you out and if you feel like you cant do something then dont (says me who runs around like an idiot lol) i've had a really good pregnancy and without any complications adn wouldnt do anything if i thought it would harm my baby! just tell them you cant carry thing up and down stairs and they have to make arrangement for things to change. x
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