Being pushed out of job?

barrymac20

Some advice please.

My girlfriend started her job in september 2007 and really enjoyed it for a while. There is only three people working there, including her, her boss and a storeman. She is employed as a receptionist/sales administrator but has also been doing accounts and is earning €379 per week.
In recent months she feels like her boss is picking on her, verging on bullying. He gives her unreasonable amounts of work to do and then shouts at her when its not done, which she finds intimidating and sometimes it gets personal. For example, one day he started slagging her off because she spelled a word wrong, and not in a nice way. This came to a head yesterday when he called her into the office and made her sign a contract that stated she is on two months probation, this is after working there for a year!! The boss says this is to do with potential cut backs but she feels he is using this to push her out.
Has she got any rights? Does anyone have any advice that i could pass on to her? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Nody

Documentat the bullying (note book with time, date and what was said) and she can't be put on a probation most likely after having passed it (a year is maximum for a standard probation as I recall) with out a hearing. Best advice beyond documentation though is to speak with a solicitor as no one here can give you legal advice.

AARRRGH

It does sound like her boss is being unreasonable, however, she should also look at herself, as it is quite possible she's useless at her job and/or a difficult employee - we all know these people exist, she could be one of them.

In general employers don't get on someone's back for no reason - they know the law is on the employee's side.

Eoin

Nody wrote: »

Documentat the bullying (note book with time, date and what was said) and she can't be put on a probation most likely after having passed it (a year is maximum for a standard probation as I recall) with out a hearing. Best advice beyond documentation though is to speak with a solicitor as no one here can give you legal advice.

Yep, a year is the maximum.

AARRRGH wrote: »

In general employers don't get on someone's back for no reason - they know the law is on the employee's side.

I don't agree - some are just ignorant of employment law, and some people are just arseholes who know that the employee will probably just take the abuse. Solicitors that work in employment law themselves can be the worst offenders, which a couple of friends and relatives can confirm.

barrymac20

AARRRGH wrote: »

It does sound like her boss is being unreasonable, however, she should also look at herself, as it is quite possible she's useless at her job and/or a difficult employee - we all know these people exist, she could be one of them.

In general employers don't get on someone's back for no reason - they know the law is on the employee's side.

I know she is definitely not a dificult employee cos its not in her nature but you're right, she might not be that good at her job. Does that give him the right to treat her like sh1t? I dont think so.

the_syco

barrymac20 wrote: »

There is only three people working there, including her, her boss and a storeman.

Yo, is this a mom & pop store?

damnyanks

barrymac20 wrote: »

I know she is definitely not a dificult employee cos its not in her nature but you're right, she might not be that good at her job. Does that give him the right to treat her like sh1t? I dont think so.

Doesnt give him the right but maybe she is constantly spelling things wrong and gives the company a bad name. It would become very frustrating.

Either way it sounds like she is being set up for a fall or he wants to make her nervous so she works harder.

dade

eoin_s wrote: »

. Solicitors that work in employment law themselves can be the worst offenders, which a couple of friends and relatives can confirm.

i couldn't agree more. last place i worked in the "employment law specialist" didn't know his ahole from his elbow, and he was a partner

Eoin

dade wrote: »

i couldn't agree more. last place i worked in the "employment law specialist" didn't know his ahole from his elbow, and he was a partner

I think some of them know full well what they're doing, but at the end of the day are relying on the employees to be scared to pursue it, or not know what their rights are.

seamus

How did he "make" her sign a contract? She's under no obligation to sign anything, so by virtue of her being intimidated into signing it, invalidates the contract straight away.

People who own their own small business have rarely taken any kind of management or team leader courses and by virtue of being the owner, know that they can do what they want.

Unfortunately, even people with poor social skills can start their own business. She'd be better off looking for a new job now and making the move to a better workplace.

speedy2007

damnyanks wrote: »

Doesnt give him the right but maybe she is constantly spelling things wrong and gives the company a bad name. It would become very frustrating.

Either way it sounds like she is being set up for a fall or he wants to make her nervous so she works harder.

if she spells things wrong, then ask her to run a spellcheck/check the dictionary. There's absolutely no excuse for acting the way he does. Making someone nervous isnt going to make them do their job any better. And if she was bad at her job, then that responsibility lies with the person who hired her in the first place (unless she is deliberately messing up, which doesnt seem the case here)


Some bosses imo, might know the law, but they also know that some quieter people can be easily intimidated and will just put up with it, or eventually quit.
Ive had problems in work that i could have have taken further, but i just didnt want the hassle and stress it would bring...stupid i know, but not everyone will take things further, and some bosses know this.