Hi, Sorry guys this is a long one.
I have worked for a company for almost 8 years, for the first four years there were various indications that my management team were racist and regularly used methods of bullying when they wanted certain members of staff to carry out tasks. Myself being one of these members.
On a personal score I was always ignored when I entered the office and got no response when I greeted them. In addition other people were given training opportunities even though I was proactive in self study, my appraisals were almost non existent.
At certain points racist comments were made about my religion and appearance. On two occasions I was called in the office by my team leader to query a discrepancy of around 12 and 28 pence in my expenses claim. I enjoyed my job and because on the whole I worked away from the office, I along with a few others put up with this behaviour.
Things changed when in the fourth year of my employment I was called into the office and marched into a meeting by two team leaders and was accused of fraudulently claiming for hours I had not worked, this was an informal hearing, but they began to take notes and also denied me the right to have a witness present.
During this meeting I felt that rather than trying to gather facts they were accusing me of wrong doing. The issue eventually reached HR and a disciplinary began. To my surprise when HR sent me what was meant to be evidence to be used in the disciplinary, part of it were the notes that they had made in the initial meeting which had been doctored.
At this point I had no choice but to submit a grievance against my management detailing their actions towards me and that this was just an extension of that behaviour in an attempt to sack me. I was cleared of all of the accusations against me, and put back under the same management.
During this period I had suffered a great deal of stress and depression, and on my return I overheard the same management make derogatory remarks about me behind my back, which made me feel even worse and for the first time during my employment I began to take time of work with depression and stress.
Eventually HR sent me to their occupational health who suggested that the issues I raised could have a long-term effect on my health and although I didn’t want to move to another team for the sake of my health I agreed. Things were going well with my new management until I realised that my old management still had control of work bookings an area that they abused by putting people who they didn’t like into poor positions.
I raised this with HR and to my surprise they began the process off moving me back to my old management team, again I began to feel stressed and these issue were affecting both my personal life and work life. Upon my return to my old team I was advised by my team leader that “its probably best if found alternative employment” This was the last straw, although I had been advised by HR to put in personal grievance against my return back to my old region I had had enough felt let down by the whole process and felt that they were using my symptoms against me to make me leave and so I resigned. After accepting my resignation they waived my notice period. I was again invited to put in a personal grievance and have until the end of this week to do so.
Whenever I was off sick due to stress, which as far as I was concerned was related to my managers and what they had put me through, I was always paid the lower rate of pay.
Any advise is it worth submitting a grievance ? Do I have a fair case for discrimination ?
mark treasure