Postal Letter

Can Bosses treat us like this????

Hi, i have just returned back to my place of work 2day as a postal worker from a week off with a work related stress issue. The matter was resolved with myself and my union rep from a higher up level than my line manager and i was happy with the answer and as a result went back to work 2day. Then my line manager who would be know to hold things against people got at me about not wearing issue trousers off uniform in front of my collegues, i felt like a school kid! I said to him that im sure he is aware that i havnt wore the trousers they issue us with in a very long time and why is he get at me now?? I went out and done my job very angry and cross and it didnt go away, so when i got back i went into him and told him i was upset by his comment and i thought he is just picking on me . To top it all off he turned round and said that he did not belive i was off on a work related stress!! what gives him the right? Is this a form of harrasment? Thank u for reading..

Public Comments

1. sounds a nice man!!! if ever i need to talk to anyone i always do so in private, if its a condition of employment that you wear the standard issue trousers then u cant complain about the request to do so, however i would certainly query his method of approach and log the complaint formally to protect yourself if he is a bullying type of manager
2. i feel for you, my duty manager is the same however i study business management currently at 6th form and work in a supermarket and after wtaching a traning video about respect, your line manager should respect you by not shouting at you in front of other employees and should take you into his/her office, as for not believing you were off work that is totally out of order and i suggest you go write to HR or go higher then your line manager and put in a formal complaint, im sorry its not harrasement but you can say that he has no right in saying what he has been . good luck
3. Yes, its definitely harassment as you have told him you're not comfortable with his comments. Keep a diary of his comments and use this as evidence. also approach the higher level manager and advise him that you are still being picked on by your line manager. Remind him that he has a duty of care under both employment law, the protection from harassment act 1997 and also under health and safety at work act. The first part of the h& s act states that it is a responsible employers duty to provide a safe and healthy working environment. Failure to do so can leave him open to a civil prosecution. Good luck.
4. Your manager can pick you up on not wearing regulation uniform HOWEVER they should not do it in front of staff, it is unprofessional They have no right to question the reason for your absense, if it has been accepted already. If you need more time off, make sure it's longer a week, so you get a Doctors certificate, so you have proof to back you. Bring the matter to the attention of your more senior manager , or failing that, your Union rep, and take their advice. It could be a case of harrassment, but without knowing the FULL details (ie more than can be realistically typed here ;) it's difficult.. But good luck in sorting ths out...
5. It certainly sounds like he is picking on you. The fool - he should be treading carefully if you have already got the Union involved! That is a diabolical thing for him to accuse you of, and he should be reprimanded for it. Whether you decide to take action at this point or not, you need to be keeping a diary and keep a note of any witnesses.
6. hi...if he is acting like he is, and presumably he will continue to do so...then you need to put in a 'grievance' notice/letter straight away to your union rep...in this way if he continues then you have a legal backup to fall back on. don't argue with him, don't do anything untoward, and try and have someone there as a witness when he barks, and 'always' keep notes of incidents and times when he acts up...get that 'grievance' letter in and 'then' you can bark back 'louder'
7. Hiya - sounds like a charming boss! The best thing to do would be to check whether anyone else at work doesn't wear the issued trousers either. If they don't and nothing has been said to them, then plainly you have been unfairly selected for criticism. If on the other hand they all wear the issued trousers and you are the only one who doesn't, then they have a right to talk to you about that. However, given your stress levels, they should have considered doing this very tactfully and in private too. You do not have to accept your boss effectively calling you a liar related to your stress related time off. Write to him immediately and copy in his boss too, demanding a retraction of his incorrect statement and a written apology. If they fail to do this, best to speak to your Union Rep again for some support - thats what you pay your subs for......... Best of luck with the letter and also best wishes for a speedy recovery.
8. No he can't treat you like that. At the very least should speak to you alone and it not form him to comment on why you have been off. But had you suffered from stress then you would be off long that a week. It sounds like you just had the week off to avoid confrontation. But if the trouser are standard issue where them. As a manger myself constantly not obey requests - eg have the right issue trouser repeatly ignore can be a disciplinary matter - leading to dismissal. But speak to this person with some one with you, maybe their manager.
9. no they can't. this manager sounds like a complete t*sser. keep a record of the comments he makes, who else heard it and how you felt. if it does not stop ask the manager nicely not to do it again. if it still does not stop speak to your trade union about using the company grievance procedure. this manger is leaving the company wide open to a claim of work related stress due to harrasment. for more info try the following site
10. Hi: If you are female, and the comments seem to be sex related harassment - like you feel like he may be picking on you for that reason, you may have a sex harassment case. Be sure to document as much as you can, and particularly have one or two witnesses to any possible incidents. To report possible sexual harassment, you'll need to report it within 6 months and have as much documentation as you possibly can. If it were me, and I could go back in time, I would see about investing in a hidden camera and microphone - probably one of those little button cams, just to make sure I got as much evidence as I could. Since you have union representation, try to speak to your contacts there about what possible action you might take. Also, try to relax a little bit too, because bad bosses are really everywhere, and some are really, truly evil. Hope this helps.
11. He's jealous. You moved ahead financially, of course it's harassment! Welcome to real life. Yucky isn't' it? However, because he got what he wanted, which was knowing what buttons to push to get you upset, you fell for it. You worked your job angry and felt small. He succeeded. You lost. If I were you, I'd get private counselling on developing a rhinoceros hide so that you can keep your professionalism and joy instead of stressing all over again. Which is what he wants you to do.