My start date was the end of October last year. It is just under 12 months. I never was given a copy of my contract, and my brain is so muddled at the moment I'm having difficulty remembering whether I had one or not, I don't think Idid as Lynn was saying the other day how she doesn't have one..
There were never any official meetings regarding performance. Charlotte told Lynn over the phone she was worried about my sales once, when I first started, which Lynn told me and then on saturday charlotte came into the shop for a suprise inspection and spoke to me about the tidiness of the shop - which she admits is nothing to do with my losing the job.
They didnt' give you any kind of indication beforehand? They didn't give any warnings, any mentions of where you might be failing etc etc? I'm pretty sure than unless you were listed under a temporary contract, they cannot just fire you totally out of the blue for something minor.
They talked to both myself and Lynn about the tidiness of the shop on Saturday but Charlotte said that this has nothing to do with that. The only time i was told that head office were worried about my sales was when I first started over a year ago and my sales improved and heard nothing further about it until this.
I can't help but get the feeling that because the shop's sales over the past 6months have not been as good as they had been the 2 years before and because I haven't been there as long as lynn that I am being blamed, rather than lack of customers or company policies (or lack thereof) or something along those lines.
Hrm. Sounds like you got the short straw then :-( They want someone who is amazing at sales to boost the place and you as the relative newbie is the one they pull (rather unfairly and totally 'get-a-tribual-on-their-asses' manner)...
That truly sucks, i remember the feeling in my stomach, and the helpless feeling of failure, when i was 'asked to resign' from Games Workshop (to save me the unpleasentness of being fired, though it ammounted to the same thing). Talk to the Citizens Advice Bureau - sounds like you have a case for unfair dismissal - i would have done if i'd been fired, and i'd actually (kinda) done something wrong.
Yeah, it sucks lots, it doesn't help that I was feeling slightly ill and like I was developing a bit of a cold before all this, I feel very ill now.
I'm feeling so rotten at the moment I am quite tempted that if I can't claim for unfair dismissal to blow the whistle on a couple of their violations on health and safety and other such things.
Charlotte says she'll give me a good reference, not sure if she will or not though so i'm likely to put Lynn down as my reference as i worked with her and she's the manager of the shop.. Plus she's my friend and I know where she lives so I can hunt her down and kick her if she doesn't give/gives me a bad reference!
Figured it would be something like that... last in, first out and all that, their problems, not your performance. Especially since it was just under 12 months.. think you get extra shiney employee rights after a year. Better from their point of view to acquire another 'disposable' person.
If you were appointed at the end of October, and if you have any remaining leave, then your effective dismissal date may be a year past your start date (what date exactly? If you add your week's notice plus any holiday entitlement, does it take you past one year? Check the notice requirements in your contract, too).
With no official warning about poor performance or similar, do everything you can do to check your employment rights.
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Do they have an employee's handbook?
sorry, work hat firmly on head. It will depend on how long you've been employed etc. but that strikes me as distinctly unfair.
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No. That requires some level of organisation by the company.
I've always known they're a poor company but wasn't expecting this..
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If that makes 12 months then you could be able to look at unfair dismissal.
Arm yourself with:
Your contract - either the copy of the one they had to by law give you. If you didn't, write down what you believed your job role to be.
Records of any meetings you have had regarding performance.
Go to the CAB and seek advice regarding unfair dismissal.
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There were never any official meetings regarding performance. Charlotte told Lynn over the phone she was worried about my sales once, when I first started, which Lynn told me and then on saturday charlotte came into the shop for a suprise inspection and spoke to me about the tidiness of the shop - which she admits is nothing to do with my losing the job.
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I can't help but get the feeling that because the shop's sales over the past 6months have not been as good as they had been the 2 years before and because I haven't been there as long as lynn that I am being blamed, rather than lack of customers or company policies (or lack thereof) or something along those lines.
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I'm feeling so rotten at the moment I am quite tempted that if I can't claim for unfair dismissal to blow the whistle on a couple of their violations on health and safety and other such things.
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That's exactly the impression I got.
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P.S.
*HUUUGS*
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If you were appointed at the end of October, and if you have any remaining leave, then your effective dismissal date may be a year past your start date (what date exactly? If you add your week's notice plus any holiday entitlement, does it take you past one year? Check the notice requirements in your contract, too).
With no official warning about poor performance or similar, do everything you can do to check your employment rights.
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