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sexual discrimination at work

hi im pregnant with my 2nd baby and am having a lot of problems at work and just wanted to know if anyone was in a similar position who i could chat to.
basically my manager gave me my pay slip on october's pay day and said she was reducing my pay from september by lowering my salary, which meant a drop of two pay scales as well as owing her money from september.
Obviously i was extremely unhappy about this and tried to sort out the problem with her. Since then she has been really discriminating against me, threatening to take away my deputy position because im part-time.
I really dont need the stress while im pregnant and dont want this to go to an employment tribrunal but she's not compromising at all.
Has anyone got any suggestions, or just wants to chat? x

Replies

  • im sorry that youre going through this jojo. Did she just start this when you found out you were pregnant?

    I would speak to someone regarding docking your wages, I would also sit her down (possibly with a witness/mediator) and ask her straight out if you, personally, have done something wrong to warrant your position being taken away from you and askher to justify your pay drop

    I mean, if you say to her 'did I do something wrong or do you think im not coping' infront of someone and she cant give you a reason, then you have the evidence you need to stand up for yourself.

    And I know that this might sound slightly harsh babes but managers that discriminate rely on people who dont want the stress of complaining!!

    I was told once by a manager of mine that I couldnt leave to catch my bus, meaning that I had to wait an hour for the next one. When I explained this to him, he told me to find somewhere decent to live! I burst into tears and stayed because I didnt know what to do (this was the last thing in a long line btw) but the next day, I called my union and they were apppauled. They called my work about it and liternally, within half a day, he was 'dealt' with (it just so happened his performance review was that afternoon - he never came back)

    Please babes DONT feel like you cant take the stress - the fact you have came on here and wrote this post shows youre clearly upset

    hope that helps xx
  • Hi, I'm totally gatecrashing, hope you don't mind.

    I'm flabbergasted at your boss! And I think she has acted illegally. I'm no lawyer but surely you can't have your pay cut, just like that, and retrospectively as well?!! I'd have thought the company you work for would have had to inform you of what they were doing, and why, well in advance.

    As for taking away your deputy position - again, doubt very very much she can do that. Either a) you were appointed while you were part time or b) you went from full time to part time during your time as deputy. Either way they were happy for you to be part time. They can't just change their minds like that.

    I would go and see Citizen's Advice, or consult if you are in a union consult with them. I agree with Princess87 that if you have an sort of discussions with her about it, to make sure you take someone with you (preferably your union rep).

    On a personal note, I was bullied by my boss at work and it was horrid, so I know how you feel. You just want to put your head down and hope it all goes away. But it doesn't and the best way to sort it out is to tackle it head on.

    Hope it goes ok for you.

    xx
  • hi i was bullied and treated appalingly when i was on maternity leave and you're right it is the last thing you need when pregnant!
    Going to a tribunal is always an absolute last resort and you should be able to deal with this without having to do that.
    Can you recall all the things she has said to you? writing down what was said and when may help when seeking advice.
    I'm not sure that it is sexual discrimination but discriminating against you because you are part time is also illegal.
    did she give you a reason for cutting your pay? was it only you?
    do you have an HR department that can sort this out for you? If not phone ACAS they are excelent and will advise you. writing a letter to your boss may be your first course of action so you can ask why she has done what she has and so she is aware that you are upset and are not going to take it lying down - and she will then have to respond in writing. acas will even tell you how to word it if this is the best course of action. if it does not get resolved and you are advised to go to tribunal then you fill in a form and it can go through mediation. this is what happened to me. someone phones me up and got my side of the story, then they phoned up the boss and got his and it all got sorted out really quickly after months of me saying i was right and they were wrong i got all my maternity pay and holiday pay that i was owed. i did leave to start another job but tbh i was better off!
    I hope this is all geting sorted out for you - how is it going - let us know whats happened?
  • Hi everyone,
    Thank you so much for all your replies and much needed advice. Everything (well nearly) has been sorted out now. Acas were brilliant help, and showed me that i was completely in the right and what my boss was doing was completely illegal. They gave me step by step advice on each course of action. My boss didnt back down at all, and actually threatened to take me to court about it, saying that if i didn't agree to her new terms then she would rather argue with me in court about it then compromise. She wouldn't admit that she was wrong at all.
    I had many meetings with her, which eventually lead to me sending a letter of grievance to the trustees of our company. Thankfully this actually started the ball rolling, and i was appointed an investigator. During this time i also spoke to solicitors, just incase it had to go further, and although they said i had a case, they also put me off going to a tribrunal unless i absolutely had to.
    The investigator took my side of the situation, then my managers, and then wrote a report to the chair trustee who was to make any decisions.
    Luckily i received a very long letter from the chair pretty soon after, politely going through each issue and stating that my manager was in the wrong to do what she did, and suggested more appropriate actions she could have taken. All my pay has been put back to what it was, and all the money she's already taken has been paid back
    However, my doctor advised me to stop working about 5 weeks ago because the stress was affecting my pregnancy. So, since then i have been on ssp, which isn't brilliant. I have asked to have full sick pay due to the fact that my manager has caused my sickness, but they are not agrreeing to this. Unfortunately this is still outstanding.
    I have now started my maternity leave so i can relax and not worry about going back.
    Thank you so much for everyone's advice. It was really good to know i had some support and to know that i wasn't alone.
  • so pleased to hear you got this sorted but still disgusted that you have had to go through this - people should get their facts right before they bully preganant women.
    sorry you've had to give up work early. it is really shameful that although you have won your money back you have in effect been bullied out of your job. Were you planning to go back after your maternity finishes? i hope you have other plans! you deserve better than that. many best wishes for your future and enjoy your maternity leave! xxx
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