Lost my job today!

Everyday living
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Beware, this is kind of lengthy! The first paragraph has been copied from an earlier post i’d written.

New job problems!
I started my new job as a area co coordinator for a kitchen equipment repair company on 19th January. At my interview I told them I had MS as my progression its still invisible to those who don’t know me. Obviously, I’ve only been there 6 weeks. I am still learning and have been trained and now working on my own and was told to ask if I had any questions. As far as I was concerned I was doing a good job, under very busy circumstances on my own. I ask lots of questions as I sometimes struggle to remember things, but I think with a new job repetition is the key - it helps me to take things in eventually! Yesterday, my supervisor suggested changing things as she didn’t think I was coping. My supervisor was in my interview so knows my situation. Yes, the service line is busy and hectic at times, but I really enjoy it. When I started I was told there was a 6 month review to see how I was getting on. She said she wanted to make it less stressful for me, so I would be doing more paperwork and less of what I enjoy. It was left that I wanted to carry on with my job as it is and I’d try to ask less questions (try to pull the answers from my memory somehow). It wasn’t an official meeting in an office but at her desk for everyone to hear and see me get upset. The manager who employed me has moved positions within the company and responsibility given to my supervisor and area manager, who I have met twice since I started as he is based in London. He’s coming to the office on Monday (not to see me) but I’m not sure how I should play this out. My supervisor and him work closely together over the phone so I’m sure they have discussed it. A week after I started there was another new starter - she is self proclaimed ‘a bit ditsy’ and has, on occasions, people telling her she has made mistakes & going through them with her. Nobody has done this to me yet. And when I mentioned this my supervisor said she has corrected my mistakes. We were also told not to worry about the overflow of work as she would cover us while we were still learning. Any ideas on how to play it from here would be welcome. Thanks for reading, I know it’s long, but I had to fill you in. Sharon x
Since that unofficial meeting I did have a 3 month meeting to see how I was getting on and it was decided that they would change my roles slightly to help. I knuckled down to my new role, always intending to move back to my original role. However, I have just had my 6 month probationary meeting and have been told they are not keeping me on…
I was enjoying my new role and thought that everything was ok. I was given my letter about the meeting just over 2 weeks ago, just before I went on holiday and came back to my meeting where I was told how good I was at lots of things but my lack of memory was causing problems and they have had lots of complaints (of which I have never been told about or shown what I did wrong to be able to rectify it). Another work colleague started at the same time as me and it was obvious she was making lots of mistakes and was shown how to correct them and now she has a health issue and they have changed roles for her, which she has said is much easier and she is able to cope better with - I was not offered anything else, in fact when I asked if there was another position within the company I was told there was nothing suitable for me.
Ive called the CAB who have advised me to attend a drop in centre tomorrow morning and also to write a letter to appeal the decision - I do not want to go back, but I do feel I have been discriminated against. Any advise?
Thanks in advance, Sharon :cry:

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If you are not wanting to go back there doesn’t seem much point in challenging their decision even though it looks as if you’ve been discriminated against.

If you are going to fight their decision you need to see an employment solicitor - I would ask him/her to write a letter to your employer asking for clarification as to why you have not been given a permanent job and was the fact you have m.s. anything to do with their decision.

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Hi Sharon,

Contacting the CAB was the right thing to do. If necessary they have access to solicitors who know employment law.

Good luck, and don’t leave anything out. What might seem trivial to you could be important from a legal standpoint.

Anthony

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Thanks for your replies. The CAB advised me to contact ACAS whether or not I will be continuing with a discrimination complaint but also to write a letter to my ex employers to get written confirmation as to their reasons for letting me go, giving them 1 week to reply. They also suggested I contact my house insurance providers in case I have legal cover for employment issues - and I do so now Im waiting for a call back.

To be honest I wasn’t enjoying my job and I don’t want to go back, but I know it will be difficult finding another role when I’ll have to explain why I lost my last job and having the MS thing hanging over me. Grrrr!!!

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To be honest I wasn’t enjoying my job and I don’t want to go back

I’m sorry, but I’m wondering if you may have conveyed this feeling to your employers at any stage, either by words or actions?

It is going to be difficult finding another role at any rate, with, as you said yourself, your lack of memory causing problems. If you got down tribunal routes you may have to declare this in some employment applications/job offer acceptance. You also mentioned you just had your six month probationary meeting where they said they weren’t keeping you on. Sad as this is, I think that is the whole point of a Probationary period. They may just say that they found you unsuitable for the job, while being highly unlikely to make any reference to your ms. They will not be so careless as to be accused of discrimination. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and don’t stress over it anyway. We all know ms and stress don’t mix.

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Hey Sallom,

Sorry to hear about your job loss. It seems like they were looking to get rid of you… Same thing happened to me. My previous employers made my life difficult about a year after I told them. The truth was, they never had a problem with me for the first eight years I worked for them, even though I had MS and didn’t tell them. Co-incidence? I think not…

I can’t help having m.s. What is their excuse for being arseholes ?

Hang in there, I reckon you’re so much better than the job you hated…

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Hi not everything is about discrimination. I think if they wanted to get rid of you because of your MS, they would have with the first meeting, but they allowed you to improve over the six months. That shows perseverance on the employers side.

You said in your message you WERE enjoying your job, just working out how to cope with your memory. Was it the new job you were not enjoying as much? Perhaps this came over with your work without you realising it.

I dont think it will be difficult to find another job, lots of employers now just keep people for 6 months and move them on, its the new way of doing things, they dont have to bother about pensions, and holiday payments… me being cynical.

You have MS, it shouldnt stop your ability to work, loads of people work with MS, and sadly many other diseases, even worse then MS, (there are some you know), I worked with a lady with first stage MD.

As you have been officially let go, i would sign on with ESA, and see if you can find something else, but with less need for memory.

Thankfully you have insurance. Its a hard life out there, and can be soul destroying when you try you hardest to succeed, and it does not help your confidence. BUT you at least tried for six months, and i think you did enjoy it to start with it. Its a life experience. Maybe it may have shown you where you would like to work now. So many avenues. I am not sure this was MS related, more likely they are another biggish company who just get rid of workers the easy way, by giving them probation.

Hugs. Onwards and upwards… sounds to me you are better out of there they didnt sound a very sympathetic company to work for. x

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Hi, an update!

With the information that I have supplied the CAB with they believe I do have a case for discrimination in the work place, especially given how they have treated another employer - a friend, who started at the same time as me.

However they did advise I may want to bare in mind it could have an effect on my health, of which I am fully aware of and understand. So I shall be waiting for the dismissal letter, that I should receive in the post either tomorrow or Thursday, and re-evaluate the situation then. In the meantime I have updated my cover letter and cv and have started applying for jobs.

Watch this space…

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If you had complaints made against you, I would imagine you should have been advised about them at the time and had a chance to respond (complaints procedure?). I would not be at all happy personally.

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I know, at my meeting he told me that my line manager should have said something, but he didn’t! However, I was always aware that my colleague was making mistakes and she was told and helped to rectify her issues!. I’m going to wait for their response with the formal dismissal letter and see how they’ve worded it before I make any decisions.

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This week is my last week theoretically at work. I am now on long term sick. After 16 years working in a charity, a new boss came in who made me as welcome as the plague.

There are other things at play when you are ‘let go’. I could have gone to a discriminatory hearing with the support of Unison who were brilliant and CAB and even the DWP were helpful, but I decided I didn’t have the energy anymore. It was draining me. Also, the big realisation at some point that economic influences were at work and also a new way of working. I just didn’t fit anymore. Anyway, no-one actually said anything, there were no supportive chats or notifications which is a bit sad because I am a very ‘put it how it is’ person.

So, we are all different, but I have let it go. Good luck with whatever you decide, just make sure all this doesn’t make you feel poorly in the longterm.

Since I have been let go, four other members of staff have left even the younger ones who were part of the up and coming new face of the charity. Sometimes it is not about us.

Also, the ditzy new exec who still pretends to be ditzy, turned out to be very calculating, the ditziness was just a cover.

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ok, so I’ve got my formal dismissal letter…They have worded it very, very carefully! I have a written my appeal letter but wil go to my meeting at the CAB on Tuesday before I reply, which I too have worded very, very carefully. I already have a couple of interviews lined up and I’m feeling hopeful. If things turn out I’ll propably just stop the proceedings but I just want to make them suffer for a bit longer :wink:

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You went dismissed within a probationary period. Completely ligit, you’ve stated you didn’t like the job, and honestly, if you think the threat of an appeal for unfair dismissal is going to “make them suffer”, I think you’re very disillusioned. Personally I wouldn’t want the stresses of letters and appointments etc hanging over me. Move on and relax and bear it in mind for your next choice of work. Good luck wishes the upcoming interviews.

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Yes Poppy, you’re right. I was dismissed within my probationary period, however I have been discriminated against due to the way another colleague has been treated and I have not been given help/support to improve or satisfactory reasons for dismissal. It’s unfair. If the CAB, ACAS and my legal cover all believe it’s discrimination I will probably follow this up. Hopefully, I’ll be back in employment shortly. But the minute it starts affecting my health I’ll stop. Thanks for the good luck wishes

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Good News, I’ve been offered another job starting 8th August. It’s been a tough few weeks wrestling with myself over what to do. I did decide not to continue with a case of discrimination against my previous employer. Not because I didn’t think they had discrimanated against me, but because I wanted to move on with my life. My new role is much simpler (data imput), more local (10 min walk) and in a beautiful renovated mill. I know I’m going to love it as it’s also working in the camera,video,broadcasting business of which I’ve recently upgraded my own camera to a DSLR (Canon 750D) for a recent trip to Canada so I’m looking forward to hopefully working with a few experts who will be able to pass on some valuable knowledge and advice. Thanks for all your support. Sharon

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First of all, congratulations on your new job. I do think that you were discriminated against but I’m pleased you are not pursuing this. I unfortunately lost my job last year, but unlike you I never had any legal,protection and although the solicitor did say he thought I had a pretty robust case for discrimination the proposed costs put me off. The only thing I got from my ex employer was a measly sum of £2000 minus legal costs of around £800. I still get angry as I did not manage to get back to work. I am resigned to the fact that I can no longer work and basically just getting on with things. My attitude is onwards and upwards and don’t let ms take over the rest of my life.

I wish you all the best. I hope you enjoy your new job and can put this behind you employers such as them don’t deserve good workers. Good Luck

Izzy xx

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Thanks, i have sent you a private message x

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Good luck Sharon,

I know itz hard to let, what we may term as injustice,go unchecked,. but it iz better to move on, let go & try to improve your deal!! This world iz full of two faced back stabbers wearing a smile, i wont to say lots more, but,, i gotto go!!

hope all goes well, julien,x.

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