Helping my fiancé stand up for herself

Helping my fiancé stand up for herself

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kiethton

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

181 months

Wednesday 17th April 2019
quotequote all
Currently in the process of planning a week away in late spring/early summer. The issue is that my fiancé (a senior nursery school teacher) has been told that she only has 4 days of holiday allowance remaining (mainly owing to a 2 week honeymoon in the autumn) so she can’t have the full week.

Her nursery are the typical poor employers - a true one way street who want all, pay next to nothing and regularly understaff the site (many other maintenance related issues too). As such she gets the bare minimum holiday allowance with an enforced holiday period over Xmas/NY reducing this further and is to the best of her knowledge still on a 0 hour contract.

My stance is “your on a zero hour contract (after checking obviously) so say you’re not able to work on that day” but she’s one to suffer with anxiety so hates confrontation - she won’t do so....she also says that as she’s recently been promoted she is now expected to take on more and that there is nobody to cover her (not her problem IMO) - she has not been given a new contract - even minimum contracted hours. She has asked for a day unpaid and been denied...

My spider sense thinks the refusing the request for a day unpaid is on pretty dodgy ground - is there a legal precedent I can quote to put her mind at rest? (After requesting a copy of the contract to confirm the position that is...)

kiethton

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

181 months

Wednesday 17th April 2019
quotequote all
Thanks - exactly what I’ve been saying...she is, but isn’t....been there 6 years now! - “looking” for the last 4!!!

kiethton

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

181 months

Wednesday 17th April 2019
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
Check her contract stuff first, but yes, my approach would be to take more of a "these are the dates I'm on holiday" approach. Guess it depends what the risk is of them having a sulk and trying to make life difficult for her.
Indeed that’s her concern and stresses her out/makes her very anxious...she hates and actively avoids confrontation - to her own debt rumens. It’s a constant source of disagreement between us as I’m a little more direct/forceful....

kiethton

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

181 months

Thursday 18th April 2019
quotequote all
Yes is a risk but fairly minimal - she's now fairly senior there and the place is already chronically under-staffed....she's "looking" anyway and we could make do without the income for a few months.

Whats annoying is the place is extremely cliquey - some on the same contract and in the same level of seniority are able to do so as and when, mainly because they stand up for themselves....

kiethton

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

181 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
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janesmith1950 said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
It sounds like the employer is acting unfairly. The solution to this is to have a dialogue with the employer. The suggested potential gross misconduct and breach of trust is unlikely to be the best course of action.
She's slightly more annoyed as the employer is very cliquey - some are able to take extra days unpaid at their behest, others not.....the same manager was quoted as "think of it as a wedding gift that we let you have a 2 week holiday (taken from leave) for your wedding"....

My fiance doesn't do confrontation so has never stood up for herself...

Apparently the person responsible for HR was due back today - have asked her to request a copy of the contract siting an IFA meeting and see what comes of it....

kiethton

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

181 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
No job progression is confidence/anxiety thing - huge industry which she wants to exit anyway which helps