Can they do this?? - *warning - rant inside*

[JennyGiggle]

I had a very interesting talk with my boss today. I phoned up to see if there were any shifts going over the next week, I need all the money I can make this month. She simply said no and I accepted that and finished the call. I then got a text from my work friend complaining about how they phoned her up today (after my phone call to my boss) to inform her that she had been booked into obligatory over-time. Full time staff are very rarely asked to do this kinda overtime because they employ people like me to fill in when needed. So I phoned my boss again to say I could cover the shift. She explained to me that her manager had asked to keep my hours to a minimum. His reasoning had been that he didn't want residents families ( I work as a carer in a nursing home) to find out that their loverd ones are looked after by other "sick, disabled staff". He obviously has not looked at my employment record in which despite my illness have scored some of the highest employee ratings. I have done my best not to let me being ill affect my work - I take extra precautions and rest well before and after working. I am wondering with such a good record and only the excuse he provided whether he can take me off the banking rota? I am really annoyed as this job is one of my escapes from being ill ( a place where little people knew I was ill and place where I am the one doing the caring and not the one being cared for) and it is my means of supporting my university course financially.

 

Jenny

[Rerun]

If you could get that in writing you would be SET for life.  That is discrimination!

Don't let them get away with that.  How would he like it if the residences families knew how they treated their employees?

[monrein]

Would it be at all possible to set up a meeting with your boss and the manager?  The goal of such a meeting ,as I see it, would be to go over your employment record, have your boss speak to the fact that you are able to keep up with your duties, and perhaps emphasize the fact that now you've started D you actually have more energy and feel better than before you started.  (I hope this is in fact the case btw).  Of course it would be important also to point out that you're not contagious, that you are physically up to the demands and so on.  You could also add that your first hand experience with a chronic illness actually helps you to be a better carer since you really understand the importance of empathy and being treated as normally as humanly possible.   

I would ask them to just give you a chance to continue being on the banking rota and to show that you are up to the job.
You might like to ask a friend to help you go over how you'd like the meeting to go and practice what you're going to say.  Not a confrontation (yet, at any rate), more like an education session and a request to continue doing a job that you and others think you're suited for.

Now before I'd do any of this I'd find out about the workers rights laws in Scotland (I think that's where you are right?) so that if you're told no, then you have some legal recourse and your boss would have been present and therefore witness to what really is discrimination, as Rerun pointed out.  This step won't be necessary should the meeting go well.

Best of luck Jenny and let us know how it goes.

[okarol]

You might want to take a look here and see what your rights are:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland/your_rights/civil_rights_scotland/disability_discrimination.htm

"It is against the law to discriminate against disabled people in various areas of their lives.

For example, it is against the law to discriminate against disabled people at work (see under heading Discrimination at work)"

[RichardMEL]

That is, as we would say down here, fair dinkum unbelieveable!!!

What the !?!??!@??!@!!@

You're NOT disabled.

You do NOT have a disease that anyone can catch.

This is ridiculous and I agree is absolutely discrimination. The problem is proving it since you just have it as a verbal. I'd be insulted, hurt and humilated by such an action. How dare they?!?!!

Better hope those people don't know if any other of their staff have diabetes, or maybe epilepsy, or breast cancer or something.

outrage!!

 

[Des]

I am sorry to hear about your problem.  I have lots and lots and lots of negative things to say about employers........ 

But... all I am going to say for now is.... I really know how you feel and I hope you can sort him out.  

[JennyGiggle]

Thanks for the support and the advice everyone. Thanks for the link okarol. I sent this link to the manager in an email and said that I needed to set up a meeting with her, my team leader and the 2 bigwig bosses (one of them being the a***hole that started this whole thing). My manager and team-leader are both supporting my argument. I have a meeting set up for 3 weeks time (AGES AWAY GRRR) and until then I have been signed off without any sick pay (even though the reason I am not working is because I am "sick"). I thin the issue will get resolved, I'll just have to be skint for the next month. I'll have to be careful not to run my mouth off as not being able to earn the little I do working their has ruined my plans for my 21st (which was especially important after this terrible year). But oh well - what can you do huh. I'm just gonna pray that my lotto numbers come up lol.

Jenny