Wednesday 30 March 2011

Unfair dismissal

A few weeks ago my husband was called Into work at 06.00am. This isn't an issue as he usually leaves home at or before that time. This time however was slight different as he was fired. His contract terminated. No notice. No prior verbal warnings. No prior written warning and no prior final warnings. 

He fired him because he could. It's his company he can do as he pleases surely. I don't think so. My husband has worked for him for about 8 years and any issues have never been raised with him. For years he has told me he feels the boss has a personal thing against him. Now we know he has. 

We won't be laying down about this, but I don't want to write to much about procedures as I wouldn't want to preducide anything. I can however say how I feel and that is shocked. We didn't see this coming. 6.00 am in a morning he was back telling me before I left for work. 

I'm angry. It's wrong. People shouldn't be able to do this to other people. Our life now has to change. And quite drastically. He can't get any support from the social. Its a full loss of a wage in the house. I'm livid. 

This is going to be a pretty tough process. 

13 comments:

  1. :-( just spotted this post.
    I fought my own unfair dismissal case in 2001. I was lucky to have the support of the NUJ then.
    Wishing you much strength and a speedy and positive resolution.

    Thinking of you.

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  2. That must be really tough to deal with. It's hard enough to get along on two pay checks and to now be forced to make do with one. I hope there's some redress for him.

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  3. I remember seeing your tweet about your husband coming home because he had been fired. I was shocked so I can't imagine the effect it must have had on you all. Good luck with the (good) fight.

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  4. it is how the industry world works nowadays. we are living an inhuman era.
    good luck

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  5. Rachel, thank you. It's not easy isn't. We are feeling very uncertain about things at the moment.

    J.L, Thank you. It is difficult getting our heads around how things will have to change, but hopefully we will manage it. It's not easy out there in the job market.

    Denyse, Thank you. It's very up and down for us. I'm not sure how it will go. I'm going to speak to ACAS about it today and hopefully get some clarification.

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  6. Anonymous, it does seem to be that way, especially when you're stuck in the middle of it. Thank you for the good wishes.

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  7. What terrible news - I'm so sorry to hear it, Rebecca. Sending you both big hugs and hoping that this turns into an opportunity eventually.
    x

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  8. I'm so sorry to hear this. Back when I was living in Oklahoma about 12 years ago, my then-husband was fired for no reason. According to the law there, OK is an 'at will' state, meaning companies can legally fire someone for no reason (and legally, they're better off not giving one). It was a horrible time for us, so I can really understand what you're going through. I just hope you don't live somewhere that has such backwards employment laws.

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  9. I think personal matters between the boss and an employer are leading to this much more often than lack of skills etc. does. I had made this experience myself once - my boss liked my work (and he kept saying so), but he didn't like me, so he fired me (and to justify it he suddenly invented all kinds of wrongdoings which he accused me of). I hope your husband will find a new work place soon!

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  10. As someone who's experienced the exact same thing, I'm really sorry to hear this, Rebecca. My husband was also very unfairly dismissed a couple of years ago (and right at this time of year, too). I won't rant about the details, but suffice it to say that he had been working there for years and that the dismissal also came without any warning (therefore violating company policy) and was the extremely unfair. The company then proceeded to lie about the entire affair in order to prevent my husband from drawing unemployment pay. It was really hard for us, especially since I was 6 months pregnant at the time, and we lost our income and health insurance. And it was right in the middle of the recession, and despite the fact that we both tried really hard to find work, it often felt useless. Eventually my husband did find another job, and it's much better than his old one. I hope that your husband is as lucky.

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  11. Rachel - Thanks Rachel, it's a tough time at the minute.

    India - Thank you. We live in the UK and research seems to say that he can't just get away with this by the employment laws, but the problem is he doesn't seem to have an issue with lying about what's happened. We have to see a solicitor to see if it's worth fighting him. I'm sorry you've been through it. It's a stressful thing to go through.

    Thank you Barbara - your experience sounds very similar to my husbands. Employer didn't like him so got rid of him. Not good.

    Thank you Ranae. It's awful how many people can identify with this situation. People can be really unfair and not care about the impact of these things. My husbands former employer is also making up lies to protect himself from an unfair dismissal claim. We have to decide whether to fight it or not. I'm glad to hear your husband got a better job, it's kind of a kick in the teeth to the ex-employer isn't it :)

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  12. Oh, yes Rebecca, that's the beauty of it! The supervisor who unfairly fired my husband then proceeded to do the same thing to a string of other employees. Eventually, the company got rid of him, and he had the gall to start asking the guys he fired to help him get a job at their new companies! Needless to say, no one helped him!

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  13. It sounds like what goes around comes around. It's just a shame that it has to go around first.

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