bullying in workplace

Clanno

Dear Fellow Members,

I would very much appreciate your valuable opinion.

I am currently in an accounting training contract, it expired in May 2010 nothing was said.
So I sat there - there attitude changed dramatically, to intimadation, criticising the smallest detail in any work I do.
While everyone else gets away scott fee.
In order to retain my job, I was in first in the morning, out last in the evening, something even bring work home in order to get the job done on budget.
I was attacked verbally with F words, I have documented everything, attended a free legal sols however they suggested that I cant do anything.

My family were suggesting that I stand my ground, however recently I did, and one member of staff reported me to my boss.
He dismissed my opinion - the issue was that an audit senior who I trained with was bossing me about, overwriting the work I did and then asking me to do the again.

I find its underminding me, recently last week the manager left - and it was suggested by my boss to ask me to stay.
The staff are being as nice as pie.
Something is going down - have a meeting with the boss on friday - think it could be the bullet - any advice people?

Pineapple stu

Hit them with unfair dismissal if you do get let go. It sounds like they are trying to get you to walk.

Newaglish

Pineapple stu wrote: »

Hit them with unfair dismissal if you do get let go. It sounds like they are trying to get you to walk.

Accounting contracts are a funny thing though - it will need to be clarified by someone more in the know but I'm not certain if unfair dismissal will apply in this case (in the same way that it doesn't apply during the 3.5 year contract). It's quite possible that the OP will only be covered by unfair dismissal legislation from May 2011 onwards as the would only be a permanent employee (i.e. not a temporary contractor) from May 2010.

Pineapple stu

Temporary or permanent its the same for both. From the Op it sounds like bullying in the work place no matter if the offenders mean it to be.
Stand your ground and give them no excuse to let you go is what i'd say to the OP.

Newaglish

Pineapple stu wrote: »

Temporary or permanent its the same for both.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment_and_redundancy/dismissal/unfair_dismissal.html

Excluded categories
The Acts do not apply to the following:
(a) an employee who is under 16, or who has reached normal retiring age or who is not covered by the Redundancy Payments Acts because of age
(b) a person working for a close relative in a private house or farm, provided both also live in the same house or farm;
(c) a member of the Defence Forces
(d) a member of the Garda Síochána (since 4 July 2006, the Acts apply to most State employees)
(e) a person undergoing full-time training or apprenticeship in FÁS
(f) an officer of vocational education committees, a county or city manager and the chief executive of the Health Service Executive
(g) an employee who is employed under a fixed-term/specified-purpose contract and where the contract is in writing, is signed by both parties and contains a clause that the Acts shall not apply in relation to a dismissal consisting only of the expiration of the fixed term contract or the completion of the specified purpose. You can find out detailed information about fixed-term/specified-purpose contracts and dismissal in 'Further information' below.

It certainly doesn't apply for the 3.5 year period as (g) will normally be the case; I don't think this is retroactively included in period of service once the contract is finished so the OP will not have the 12 months' continuous service required to make a claim under the unfair dismissals legislation. This may or may not be correct but should certainly be considered.