Desperately unhappy, being bullied at work

This sounds dreadful! I work 2 days a week and if anyone suggested I attend meetings or wanted to know what I was up to on my days off I would tell them where to go! If your employers were happy with your part time hours originally before you unfortunately came under the supervision of this awful person what has changed? As other Gransnetters have suggested your union, ACAS or a good solicitor who specialises in employment law to give advice.

I really feel for you GOD.
I had a nervous breakdown and had a while off work. When I was ready to return I was asked what I was going to do to prevent it happening again!!!
Stress at work had been a part of the problem and they were aware of that. I had asked for additional training to deal with the stressful situations at work & that request was denied.
I didn't stay long after that..
You really should have a case for workplace bullying and maybe constructive dismissal.
I hope your rep gives you the right support and advice moving forward ⚘

Make sure a union rep is with you in all meetings. Ensure they are scheduled for when they are available. At the very least have a colleague with you. Phone ACAS and take notes so you are well armed. At the end of the day she is a very silly woman who needs you to stand up to her. Don't let her get to you. Make notes, dates/times etc. of her actions. Her behaviour is totally unreasonable - if you presence is needed a the meeting then inform her you can attend if they reschedule to a working day. After all they have enough time. Keep calm. Will drive her mad. But at the end of the day they must act reasonably or you will have an constructive dismissal claim. But stick it out for as long as you can, even if only to be a thorn in her side. You have lots of support here!

Go for grievance complaint or constructive dismissal if you have to leave. Your HR should be available to you to speak to and help sort this. I had to go to greivance over a line manager about bullying in the workplace and they were "moved" then eventually " let go" as others decided to follow my lead. It wasn't easy or pleasant but it made me feel so much happier especially as others were having same problems. If you can get your Dr to write that your absence was due to work related stress that will help your case. I'm sorry you are going through this it is so demoralising and made me doubt my ability for such a long time after leaving although very happy p/t worker these days.

What she is doing is called constructive dismissal. If you are in a union tell them. If not join Unite and get them on to it. Otherwise ask to see HER manager and let them know what’s happening. Employers have a duty of care and if someone is making you ill they need to know. You could always ask for a transfer away from her. Xxx

You pay union fees for them to represent you and it should be only you they are representing
Is it legal for then to have not amended your contract when you changed hours shouldn’t it have an signed amendment or am I wrong
If your union repository helping you ask for another

Just checked back and read all the advice, thank you all for all the different perpectives .

To answer some of the points raised:

I've worked for them for nearly 43 years, and in my prime was very well thought of by higher management (unfortunately who have moved on due to the restructure, when half of the organisation was taken into the civil service, the other half being privatised).

I have a very good union rep, and indeed was a H&S rep myself, until line manager and HR told me (illegally) that I was not entitled to paid facility time for union duties and would have to do those in my own time. The union Regional Officer was very disinterested in this breach of TU legislation and did not rise to this challenge, and when I said it looked as though I had best resign, merely thanked me for my time! I had more regret expressed by organisation's H&S officer! I am now considering taking up that role again if only to irk my line manager.

Regarding my changed hours, when I took semi retirement, I was told I was a 're-employed pensioner ' but never had a new contract issued. I had a verbal agreement with my previous manager (and I know from doing Law at college aeons ago that a verbal contract is equally binding), my previous manager and I agreed that if it was ok with me I would occasionally change my working days but only if it suited me. Indeed he is also semi retired and has exactly the same agreement. He's always been a bit wooly over putting things in writing but I've no doubt he would back me up over what we agreed so I'm going to ask him to do that.

What was the tipping point for me was my current nightmare manager giving me 8 dates for meetings for the coming year, I've said I can do 6 of them (which included changing some of my non-working days, but she won't accept I can't do the remaining 2 because I already have family events on those days. She is refusing to accept these 2 dates aren't do-able for me. One of them is during a weeks holiday right before Xmas, planned last December and notified to her in January. She is saying she won't grant my leave now, to make sure I attend the meeting. The perishing agenda hasn't even been set, so how does she know I would need to be there?!

Im answer to the questions about the other part-timer, she works 2 days a week at the other end of the week to me, at another office about 30 miles away. We sort of cover for each other remotely but don't actually amount to a full-time post between us. She doesn't mind changing her days or doing extra days (doesn't have a family or all the stuff I'm involved in). So although I'm prepared to accommodate some but not all requests to change my days it seems I'm viewed as a problem and all the bullying has stemmed directly from this. It feels as though my manager is having some sort of tantrum because she can't have her own way over everything. Thankfully she's away on holiday for the next couple of weeks so I'll get a brief breather from her.

I'm meeting with my union rep on Tues to discuss the details of the grievance I'm taking against the manager.

Thanks again for all your advice, I'll be looking at the various links some of you super grans have posted?

It does sound horrendous.

Genuine question - is it not permissible to say directly to someone at work (even if they are your boss) "I feel that you are bullying me" or "It makes me feel bullied when you ...". Or "Please don't bully me". All this faff with Unions and HR and getting more and more people involved when perhaps just telling the person might make them back off? Is it not so that if you stand up to a bully they leave you alone?

Definitely join a union

Are you a union member? I dealt with cases like this quite often. Get the union to sort it out for you.

You mention the Civil Service, so if that is involved maybe contacting your MP could be an option.

In my experience even the threat of claiming constructive dismissal makes management sit up and take notice.

Whatever you do you must not resign first then claim constructive dismissal, that is very bad advice

If you resign you must state clearly why you are resigning, and that you are claiming constructive dismissal. It could also work against you in subsequent proceedings, or when trying to reach a settlement when you are having to explain a blank resignation letter.
It is far better to fully state why you consider you have been unfairly treated and why your employer has breached your contract. If you have lodged a grievance beforehand, the reasons why you are not happy will have been set out there, but they should still also be addressed at the point of resignation too.

Join your union... my daughter in a similar situation got wonderful professional help from Unite... the local rep was utterly professional... prepped my daughter and got a perfect result for her... in her case she took redundancy and the compensation was upped from £2000 to £9000 ...
Her colleagues where she worked are all union members now...

Make a note of everything and go to HR

I recommend this forum
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=141

There are some HR / Union / employer professionals who are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Good luck - it sounds like a horrendous work life

This must come down to your contract; you must have negotiated one when you stopped working full-time.
Are you a part-time employee on a permanent, or a temporary, contract?
Do you have specified hours with conditions ie to be available for work/meetings etc when required?
Do you work set days, and has this been agreed?
Get this clarified, in writing, then proceed to meetings with union representation.
No employer has jurisdiction over the hours you are not employed. The manager may not have the full information about your terms of employment, but you must get them established. She may genuinely need you there because your absence may impact on others. Or she may simply be bullying you.Get the facts.
Refusing to discuss issues won't solve anything.

As your organisation is now part of the Civil Service do you have a Welfare Officer you could speak to?

I think you should take advice from ACAS. This woman is going to dismiss you.

www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1461

You can wait a little longer and then leave and immediately complain that you have been constructively dismissed or you can arm yourself with information and hope to see it through until the time you were going to leave. You do not say how much longer you wished to work.

I am suprised as there are two part timers that you are not a job share. That would solve her problem as between you you would make sure that one of you attended these things and then briefed the other and that over the agreed number of weeks you both worked half the hours.

Check with ACAS what options there are for someone in your position. Good Luck.

PS Constructive dismissal is certainly an option, but more stress and strain!

You mentioned the Civil Service. Gosh, what a joke. I had a brief spell with them and was astounded by their work ethic. For example, two managers had a punch up in the office and were just reprimanded, staff looked like they came to work in their gardening clothes and other incidents. Actually, I thought it was impossible to be sacked by the Civil Service so hang on in there. Their Union is meant to be spot on so put some pressure on them. You can actually take out a grievance against her, you certainly seem to have enough evidence. Many of us have experienced bullying in the work place at some level or in some form. Be brave, I know you feel intimidated and just want it all to go away, but unless you do retaliate eventually you will resign. You do not need her permission for your personal activities. Another thought, why aren't meetings being arranged when you are scheduled to be in the office, surely that can't be so difficult. Go for it, what have you got to lose.

Sorry, should also have added....this sounds a bit like constructive dismissal to me. I think your boss is hoping to replace you with some else full time, as it makes life easier for them. Such a pity you are unable to do your own thing at the moment.

Constructive dismissal, as other posters have suggested, is definitely the way to go. Your situation happened to my friend who worked as a receptionist in a doctors' surgery and she won her case plus damages. Companies do not like action being brought against them and, if nothing else, it will show them how seriously you're taking the situation and are prepared to stand up for yourself. It's a horrible thing to have to endure but at least if you have some kind of official stance rather than going it alone it may give you confidence to tackle them. Good luck

I feel really sorry for you and your situation. My sister changed her job last year and found she was to attend work meetings even if they fell on her day off and also do a nightshift as necessary without prior warning to cover for anyone being off sick. Non of this was discussed at the interview. This made her ill and had time off sick. She had a lucky break however and managed to go back to her old company. I think you should have been given another contract to reflect your new hours and terms and conditions, as otherwise you are still under the original contract. Book an appt. with the CAB and find out were you stand legally.

Agree with ajanela, the important thing here is your contract and you should have one. ACAS look very unfavourably on employers who don’t provide proper contracts.

When I was working it was usual to have a ‘return to work’ meeting following a lengthy period of sickness, no matter what the sickness was, and this sometimes involved Occupational Health. Do you have an Occupational Health Department? They could be helpful to you.

The unions are only as good as the rep who you are dealing with. If they are not helping ask to speak to another rep.

As others have said, a call to ACAS should help you, they are really supportive and if it does come to a case of constructive dismissal, their help will be invaluable.

Good luck and stay strong.