Desperate - please read

bigboyrocky

bigboyrocky

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Long sotry short - mums boss has fired her illegally, and also won't pay her a months wage either. Hes been a tempramental ba*tard recently, the reason he fired her? BECAUSE SHE WAS ILL! He cannot cope running his own business - mum does it for him. She had last week off as a holiday (only time off shes had this year) and during that became ill with flu. The business has already started to fall apart, and hes taking it out on her, because shes not there to sort out his mess. He said to her this morning, i want you in today no matter what (mum still ill) mum said no. He said okay tomorow without fail, or you will be fired. Anyway mum called up the GP today to ask for a doctors note, doctor said, you dont need a doctors note for upto 7days of being ill. She explained the situation to him, and he said, ok well here we go, wrote one out for today and tomorow. Mum called boss to tell him, and he said dont even bother coming back. Im not paying you a months wage either, ive had enough of you.???? she said thats illegal, he said dont even try that with me, you cant afford to take me to court etc, ive got a good solicitor so you have no chance! horrible man! anyway, shes trying to get all this sorted...

mum now has £10 to last for the forseeable future, a horse (i highly doubt we'll be able to keep him :( :( :( :( :( :( :( if anyone has any ideas as to how we can keep him i would be eternally greatful) herself, my brother and me to feed. She explained this and said could i atleast have half my wage so that i can feed the kids.. NO! Not my problem...!!

I have come to you lovely people to ask if anyone knows of any work in Somerset/ Dorset? One job mon-fri for mum, and also any little weekend jobs for me. We are now doing nothing but job searching, and if you lot could help, me and mum would be so greatful... Work could be doing pretty much anything within about 10m of Bruton.

Thankyou everybody, and sorry for the depressing post :(

(will check my PMs if you prefer) xxxxxxx
 
get on to the citizens advice bureau, get some legal advice and at least get the **** done for it!

as for work, can your mum Iron, do washing/cleaning for people, it won't be the greatest wage but it would keep things ticking over!
 
Guessing your Mum does not belong to a union.

First step has to be Citizens Advise Bureau.

I know absolutely nothing about employment law, but suspect some solicitors do these cases on a no win no fee basis. Really depends on the state of the business. if its going under then there is little point fighting for compensation.

Good luck
 
Ditto the CAB.

And, get making little cards to stick in shop windows, etc. offering: ironing; cleaning (private and business); meals cooking; collection; delivery; dog walking; house sitting (single day and weekends, etc.); horse sitting/groom; and anything else you can think of. You'll need some insurance, but that can be paid monthly.

Everything crossed that this works out okay for all.
 
I would take out a claim against him.
Maybe you could get a job to pay for the horse to ensure his future with you?
And sorry but £10 for the 'unforeseeable future' .. How did this happen? If money is that tight maybe you should sell your horse or loan him out, TBH he can't be looked after that well with a budget like that..Sorry.
I'm sorry you are in this horrible situation!
 
Shes on the phone to citezens advice right at this moment. i doubt the business will survive now tbh.

yep she would iron/clean etc.. anything, she is just going to try and find something more full time, as very few cleaning jobs have long hours. If she cant then that will cirtainly be her next move. thankyou
 
Sorry to hear about your terrible situation:(

These guys are very good for info...
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1461

Could you put your mum's horse to grass for the forseeable future, either at the yard it's at or rent a field from a local farmer. Try and keep things to a minimum, such as very little feed (it is supposedly summer after all :rolleyes:) and maybe take his shoes off etc.
You could put him out on loan but that's not a very immediate solutions as it might take ages to find a suitable loaner. Maybe ask at your mum's yard if anyone would take him on for a bit??

All the best
Chickenbum x
 
Ditto the ads in windows, baby sitting, dog walking, acceptance of deliveries etc.

Sell everything you can that will go quickly to put food on the table and get to the benefits office for an emergency loan.
 
Firstly, get your mum onto the CAB pronto. This is clearly wrongful dismissal, and she can prove it very easily. I am no expert but speak to them and get advice.

With regards the horse - can you pop him on short term loan? He's a gorgeous horse so sure he will be snapped up and would save you having to sell him for the time being.

Also your mum should register for JSA - thats what it is there for - plus hopefully they can help her find work.
 
She was due to be paid tomorow hence the £10 - last friday of every month...

mrsmozart - trust me i would if i could but i am still at school, and have to be legally until next year :( i am on the look out for weekend/evening work though.

thanks
 
Did he fire her or make her redundant?

There is a big difference and depending on how long your mother has been with the company and her contract depends on how much she woudl be entitled to. She will also be entitled to the wages she has already earnt so far this month.

If the situation is exactly as you say then your mother can actually go for what is known as "constructive dismissal". Once you are employed to do a job your employer has to either a. go down the correct disiplinary route should your performance not be to standard or b. make you redundant in which case a payout is normally given dependant on th elength of service to the company.

Contact CAB, contact your local Job Centre and make sure you are registered as unemployed straight away. Carry on looking for jobs. Ask the CAB to recommend a no win no fee lawyer and go from there. (If they win they will take a percentage of the payout but you will not have to put money up front.)
 
thank you for that. she gets paid for the month in advance, so its just the one months notice that he wont pay her for.

and she has been with him for about 3yrs now, and the last 6 months he has cirtainly changed - he used to be a fabulous boss, whats made him change, neither of us know :confused:

i will show her this thread - thank you for all the advice everyone.
 
What a vile employer, in the long run I suspect your mum is well out of it, but in the short term what a nightmare for you both!

I'm glad she's calling the Citizens Advice.

Also sign on now for Job Seekers allowance and check if your mum is entitled to other benefits. Even if your mum can only find part time work she may be eligible for tax credits (as long as you do a minimum number of hours the govt tops up your money) so its worth looking at any job at all

Sorry I'm not local to you so havent a clue on the job front but good luck and dont panic, maybe it will all be for the best in the long run!
 
bigboyrocky said:
Shes on the phone to citezens advice right at this moment. i doubt the business will survive now tbh.

yep she would iron/clean etc.. anything, she is just going to try and find something more full time, as very few cleaning jobs have long hours. If she cant then that will cirtainly be her next move. thankyou
Click to expand...

This is meant for your Mum as well, not just you (sorry, didn't know your age).

When faced by something like this it is very easy to get very scared very quickly. The big figures leap up and they frighten even the most stalwart of people.

Lots of smaller revenue streams - effectively lots of part-time jobs - they will all add up.

Hugs hun.
 
oh yes definatley best in the long run... and once she finds a new job im sure things will get much better.. just a bit hard to swallow at the mo! Shes going to see someone tuesday about benefits, so will sort that out then.. and i think its 16hrs/week you have to be working for tax credits.. ?

thanks :)
 
Tell her to contact ACAS and take him to tribunal this is the only way she will get anywhere and the Tribunal will act in her favour. The only problem she will have is if the company really has got financial issues and they close down - go into administration.

However hard it is, your mum needs to go and see her boss and insist that he gives her notice in writing and reason for it. If not he could say that she walked out and that he never had the conversation telling her not to come back. She needs to do this urgently!

In the meantime as others have said, see if she can maybe get some work down the yard, get a share for the horse and look out for work. Some agencies will have temp work for her which wont help straight away with cash flow but it should within a few weeks.

Try and be supportive and hugs to your mum and you for being so caring xxx
 
bigboyrocky said:
thank you for that. she gets paid for the month in advance, so its just the one months notice that he wont pay her for.

and she has been with him for about 3yrs now, and the last 6 months he has cirtainly changed - he used to be a fabulous boss, whats made him change, neither of us know :confused:

i will show her this thread - thank you for all the advice everyone.
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But he hasn't given her 1 months notice he has only given her 1 week at most. Also if she checks her contract usually its 3 months notice before you can make a person redundant. Workers have lots of rights which makes employing people a real pain! Trust me I know and make sure I do everything by the book!

Get your Mum to sit down and read her contract and see what it says. I know it is deeply upsetting at the moment but if it doesn't last too long and your mum finds work soon all will probably be ok. I managed to keep 3 while I was out of work for 4 months, it was a struggle and it was stressful but my horses did not suffer in any way.

I am a pro at doing things on the cheap with out compromising on care! You just have to get tough and strict and decide what is vital, what is important and what can wait until you have a little more cash spare.

It can be done, its not easy but it can be done.
 
your mum will get tax credits regardless your age working tax credits is on a wage under 18gs years (just been through it)

not 100% but i can ask hubby when he comes home as hes a manager by law you have to have verbal warning the written on then fired unless you have stolen money you can be suspended with out pay for serious reasons so what hes done is illegal as for him having a solicitor its a scare tactic to make you mum not wont to seek legal advice as hes in the wrong.

ways to help

there is all ways carer jobs going, contact you local NHS hospital for a domestic cleaner (no experience needed) wage normally start 7pph

can you not get a sharer? is horse able to live out?
 
This sounds like unfair dismissal (both for the reason for dismissal, which has to fall into a list of fair reasons, and the manner of the dismissal, which has to follow a fair process).

Having been there over the 1 year required period, your mum has rights in relation to this dismissal, and if nothing else should write a letter to her employer regarding receiving money in relation to her notice. Personally it seems so clear cut unfair dismissal to me based on the facts as you have given them (I am not an expert in this area), that it would be worth pursuing. Such a claim would need to be brought within 3 months of dismissal date. It would be up to the employer to show that the dismissal was fair.

If your mother was successful, likely result would be financial payment (as opposed to getting her job back). Worth doing some further research and perhaps talking to a solicitor with employment law specialism. There are also lots of free advice centres run by eg universities/law centres (these are students supervised by qualified lawyers) that might be able to help you for free.

Good luck. Check on moneysavingexpert.com Old Style board for great ways to cut down expenditure in the meantime.

ETA: A quick bit of googling - http://www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk/gateway/employment.jsp?rid=5491
Hopefully has lots of good information to get you familiar with your rights.
 
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I've just been thinking a bit more, that maybe selling your boy would be a sensible, if difficult option.

If your mum really only has £10 to her name at the moment then she was obviously living paycheck to paycheck before losing her job, which leaves no contingency if anything goes wrong - and the money from selling an expensive competition horse, as well as not having to pay his running costs each month, would surely massively take the pressure off.

I know it would be a really heart-breaking thing to do, but maybe in this position it is the best option?

ETS - I am sure you've already thought of all this anyway, and there may well be more to the situation than I know in any case.
 
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xspiralx said:
I've just been thinking a bit more, that maybe selling your boy would be a sensible, if difficult option.

If your mum really only has £10 to her name at the moment then she was obviously living paycheck to paycheck before losing her job, which leaves no contingency if anything goes wrong - and the money from selling an expensive competition horse, as well as not having to pay his running costs each month, would surely massively take the pressure off.

I know it would be a really heart-breaking thing to do, but maybe in this position it is the best option?

ETS - I am sure you've already thought of all this anyway, and there may well be more to the situation than I know in any case.
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I totally agree - This was the point I was making in my post.
You have to know when to give them up :(
 
Ok.......two penneth coming.......brace yourselves ;)

I have just looked at your website (I am jobless and incapacitated at the mo....but interested anyway :))

You look like a great prospect for the future with a little bit less luck than the others.

Hang in there kid, I wish I was a great rider like you. I am a 36 year old woman who has had her first horse in her life for 18 months (I admit a great little horse from money I made in the Middle East and a very experienced OH)

Your horse looks brilliant, I think there are probably loads of riders who would be more than happy to take him on without buying.

If he can compete at a good level, someone will be happy to take him. You go to Uni, take a monthly payment maybe? Just check it all out and do not put a downer on what I see is a great achievement for you and your horse.

Hell, if he's a 2*, get him over here and we'll look after him ;)
 
this is very unlikely to happen - i have so many great friends who i know would lend a favour. even if it was just grass livery in return for some weekend work or simular. niagaraduval - i felt in your 1st post you seemed to be putting down how well looked after my horse is, and i found that really quite upsetting. i put so much effort and work into getting that horse and keeping him, and will work so damned hard to make sure i get to keep my baby. yes we do live 'off the breadline' but you will never meet a happier horse in your life. this has really upset me.
 
A telephone call to ACAS should be the first port of call, they are really helpful and will be able to mediate on your mum's behalf and put her in touch with suitable legal advice.

She should check to see whether she has any legal expenses cover too as this can get her free legal representation. It is typically included on home insurance policies, with union memberships, with memberships of various organisations (AA, BHS, Union etc).

She really needs to make a claim ASAP and get the money she is entitled to. Nevermind showing this nasty little man that he simply cannot behave in this disgraceful fashion.

She should also get on to the benefits people urgently and start receiving benefits.

I second the recommendation of money saving expert website. It is a brilliant way to find out all sorts of things, such as benefits entitlements, as well as how to live on less. Do make sure that you only get legal advice from a proper qualified solicitor or legal executive though. I see far too much bad legal advice handed out on forums.

In the meantime by all means get yourself whatever part time or casual work you can to help out, your brother too if he's old enough for a paper round or similar. Suggest to your mum that she registers with as many temp agencies as she can while she looks for a job too.

Finally perhaps now is the time to swallow your pride and ask your dad to help you with the cost of your horse on a temporary basis while your mum can't afford to. Otherwise you may have to face giving him up. Although I'd look at solutions like putting him out at grass and getting a sharer too to help with the cost and reduce the input you need from your dad.

All the best.
 
i will mention my dad to mum.. good thinking, although not sure how it will sit with her :rolleyes: brother is 10.. i dont think he is old enough although i will investigate. thank you for all the advice :)

ahh ...life would be so much easier if we won the lottery ;) :rolleyes: ;)
 
Saucisson said:
Ok.......two penneth coming.......brace yourselves ;)

I have just looked at your website (I am jobless and incapacitated at the mo....but interested anyway :))

You look like a great prospect for the future with a little bit less luck than the others.

Hang in there kid, I wish I was a great rider like you. I am a 36 year old woman who has had her first horse in her life for 18 months (I admit a great little horse from money I made in the Middle East and a very experienced OH)

Your horse looks brilliant, I think there are probably loads of riders who would be more than happy to take him on without buying.

If he can compete at a good level, someone will be happy to take him. You go to Uni, take a monthly payment maybe? Just check it all out and do not put a downer on what I see is a great achievement for you and your horse.

Hell, if he's a 2*, get him over here and we'll look after him ;)
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Unfortunatley im no where near uni yet - just going into yr11 at school. There is no way i could afford to go to uni :p Thank you.. that horse means the world to me, and the thought of selling him is just unbearable. He is my best friend aswell as my 'champion event horse' to be :rolleyes: ;)
 
Ahaa I don't really know much about employment rights, so i asked my mum, who's been in practically exactly the same situation as your mum a few years ago, and she said...

RE employment rights: 1) companies have to have policies in place for dismissal and grievances procedures against unfair dismissal: standard for dismissal are 2-3 verbal warnings, then written warning before an employee can be sacked. 2) re time off for ill health: this is a statutory right, and cannot be ignored by employers, therefore this is unfair dismissal on 2 counts. Best action - 1- check Union membership: Unions will have legal teams in place and will represent members without cost and can offer financial assistance through their hardship funds 2- check household insurance for legal protection cover and 3 - google local firms to find out if anyone will take it on as no-win no fee, pro bono, or with legal aid backing.

Meantime, consider setting up as self employed and claiming working tax credit and child tax credit 16 hours per week immediately, using the 16 hour per week to advertise services, contact people for project work, set up simple sole trader business structure - then any work that comes in can go through the books, which is better than benefit on-off problems of unemployment. Some admin work can be done from home and there are dedicated websites for particular kinds of admin that have weekly postings.


:) I agree with everything others have posted, C.A.B for advice, also if she needs money to take him to employment tribunal she could try legal aid? I know it's being cut at some point but I think you can still claim free legal advice and a solicitor :) In the mean time, BIG HUGS TO YOUUUU! It can make you feel really down when you're in such a desperate situation, feels like coming to the end of a dead end (Last week we had a similar situation, where we had about £7 to buy all food for the week, pay bills and rent etc! It's so depressing. And I don't even have a horse at the moment that I could risk losing :( ) With regards to the horse, I'm in Devon maybe you could loan him to meeee? Jokes I haven't got the money for a horse atm :( But he looks lovely, I'm sure you'd be able to find a short term loan really quickly, or if not, just see if you can turn him away (total shame but better than having to sell him) do you have any friends with land etc that might be able to take him? Or a friendly farmer?

Awww hun I really feel for you, sometimes life just throws the unexpected at you, and can be so unfair, but the boss is quite obviously wrong and so shouldn't be too difficult to prove :)

Also with the £10 go to tesco, we found their 'value' range really made our budget stretch :)

((((((((HUGS))))))))) ♥
 
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