Can they do this????

Re: Can they do this????

richard leworthy — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:07:06 GMT

The best thing to do is just leave and get a new job , they obviously dont care about anything even if yourve been there 10 yrs , the grass is greener on the other side!! Good luck

Re: Can they do this????

Claire1234 — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:08:07 GMT

[quote user="funkyfish"]Last month I was off sick for 1.5 days and had £60 docked off my wages- I questioned this and my boss said that they were no longer paying sick pay. I have been there for ten years and this is the first time they have not paid it. No prior warning or anything! I know that it's in our contract that it's at their discression, but ten years of paying it is an implied contrat of they do. They have also recently majorly changed the way we work- hours and now no day off in the week each week without prior written worning. I AM prepared toeave over this Or any of the other crap they have done over the last few years. I tried to phone and ema he BVNA helpline over the rota thing but dispute writing and phoning three times they didn't get back to me. We had a member of staff use openly drugs on he premisis one evening (I found vials and needles/syringes and lots of blood in the toilet). Practice manager said just leave it and he sacked him the nxt day. We were made to feel bad about being a bit traumertised by it and were banned from reporting the person to the rcvs (only so they could get help and support). I'm getting really hacked off with their attitude to everything, they are not just annoying but illegal and wrong! Their attitude is if you don't like it leave- this was screened at me with a raised fist by my boss.. I tried to talk to sort it but was told this person is the boss they can do exactly what they like. Any ideas???

[/quote]

Dear Funky Fish,

I am so sorry to hear about the problems you are having at work, and also disappointed to read that you were unable to make contact with the BVNA helpline - please accept my apologies for this. I will look into this for you, but if you can send me an email, with your BVNA membership information - as I will need this to find out why you did not receive a call back. My contact email is: president@bvna.co.uk

In the meantime, you can also try the BVA's VetLife helpsite (www.vetlife.org.uk).

Kind Regards,

Claire

Claire Fraser RVN, MBVNA

President

British Veterinary Nursing Association

Representing Veterinary Nursing

Re: Can they do this????

Emma Barty — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:23:11 GMT

Have you tried going to your local Citizens Advice if you're having difficulty getting through to the BVNA? They should be able to go through the legal requirements of stuff like sick leave, docking pay and implicit contracts etc with you so you know where you stand. Regardless of that, it sounds a bit like where you work is brewing up a disaster of fairly epic proportions...time to leave while the going's good, maybe?

Re: Can they do this????

Sal the 1st — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:42:30 GMT

[quote user="funkyfish"]

The PM told a 15 year old male work experience student he was our tea bitch and sex slave for the week! ( he had never met him before).

[/quote]

whether said in jest or not, I hope the work experience doesn't report that back to the school and if they do I hope it stops other work experiences going there - doesn't exactly show veterinary practices in the best light does it?

Re: Can they do this????

funkyfish — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:28:05 GMT

It's not banter. I know what you mean about things being said but having to be there to see the reaction. The rest of us have that and I enjoy working like that. But no one laughs along with him- it's said in a fun way but he means it if you know what I mean? I just raise my eyebrow and continue with my conversation when he says stuff now. But as they say if I don't like it I can leave, so I guess that's what I will do. Just like our locum who is meant to be here for 3 months, she lasted a week after he told her it's her problem she can't work a weekend she is down to work and she needs to cancel her plans and work it- he changed the agreed rota the day she arrived.

Re: Can they do this????

funkyfish — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:28:59 GMT

He does my nut! He refuses to join in in any practice stuff ( ok it's his choice), when asked to pick out his secret Santa he ate the paper and said it was a load of bollocks! A polite no thanks would have done! He is marries to the boss so any complaints go on deaf ears. Hav actually tried to formally make a complain about him but nothing was done. He has never been in practice, and never spends any time out of his office so has no idea what our work is like or what we do. He slept badly the other night so left a midday. I had no sleep due to being on call and had to work all the nxt day- when I asked if I could leave early as couldn't go on any more ( sometimes we can leave early if had a rough night), was told no. Yes I am moaning on a public forum, but I have spoken to him about everything I have mentioned on here. Best get a new job lined up then. Anyone need a very experienced nurse??

Re: Can they do this????

Louise B — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:26:01 GMT

[quote user="SmegSlayer"]

[quote user="funkyfish"] The PM told a 15 year old male work experience student he was our tea bitch and sex slave for the week! ( he had never met him before). He is always making comments like , u nurses shouldn't eat more doughnuts your all fat enough as it is. He made a comment last time I was off sick that it was because I was shagging too much! I have tried to talk to him but he just laughs it off. I tried to talk to the boss who said he must have been joking.

[/quote]

your PM sounds like he needs a very hefty kick where it hurts!

It's appalling stuff to say and exceedingly unprofessional. If anyone bar my doctor and at a stretch my family says anthing about my weight they are looking to have something sharp inserted into the first available oriface. A client at one of my previous practices made an unfavourable comment about a nurses weight behind her back and was asked to find another practice by management

[/quote]

To be honest I couldn't comment without actually being in that working environment. Yes, it sounds unprofessional in black and white but banter between work colleagues can often sound incredibly offensive when the words are observed by an outside but if they were in the room watching the exchange the body language of the participants would suggest otherwise. I used to call two of my work colleagues 'evil vile troll' and the 'wicked baracuda' but I am very confident that neither of them found it offensive and it just part of the comfortable relationship that I had (do have) with both of them - but an employment tribunal might think differently!

I personally would prefer to work in an environment where there is this kind of banter - provided all participants are enjoying it.

Have you previously found the PM's banter fun, laughed along, etc? Is it possible that the comments are the same but how you are now perceiving them has changed based on the fact that you no longer like the workplace for other reasons?

Re: Can they do this????

SmegSlayer — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:16:44 GMT

[/quote]

your PM sounds like he needs a very hefty kick where it hurts!

Re: Can they do this????

funkyfish — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:47:00 GMT

Hi no one goes off sick ever- if we can get out of bed we do. We are a small and very close team, if someone is off then it doubles the work load for someone else and no one wants that! We work very well together and support each other. I spoke to he doctor as they would not let me come in. I have a high temp and major joint/pain as well as the usual bathroom ick. It is also rife in the local hotels in our town. So it's highly likely. I literally can't get out of bed with out falling over so work is a no go even if I wasn't contagious. It's the attitude of the management that bothers me. They just see us as workers and not people. During the 4 day bank holidays they want us to work 48 hours straight ( 2days and nights) . Now that is highly likely to be 2 days and nights with out sleep or meal breaks. I asked if we could stagger it a bit an share it out with the others. They said no. The PM told a 15 year old male work experience student he was our tea bitch and sex slave for the week! ( he had never met him before). He is always making comments like , u nurses shouldn't eat more doughnuts your all fat enough as it is. He made a comment last time I was off sick that it was because I was shagging too much! I have tried to talk to him but he just laughs it off. I tried to talk to the boss who said he must have been joking.

Re: Can they do this????

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:25:12 GMT

[quote user="funkyfish"]didn't think they can dock wages with out informing you either?[/quote]

Not sure what you mean by 'docked' wages. I assume you were not paid for hours you didn't work?

Does there seem to be an issue with staff abusing sick pay in the practice? Sometimes people can see '2 weeks sick pay' as '2 weeks extra holiday'.

Have you had norovirus confirmed? If so it seems reasonable that you keep your bugs to yourself...

Re: Can they do this????

Sal the 1st — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:34:01 GMT

This sounds like it has been brewing a little while! - it might be time for a change in environment? The thing is when you are unhappy in your job or over one aspect of your job it then becomes easy to find all the other things that pee you off about the job as well and this has a habit of growing and growing until it makes you very bitter. Have there been any explanations as to why the discretionary payments for illness have stopped? - as they were described as discretionary I dont feel there will be an awful lot you can do legally - as the practice is just exercising its discretion. ( but maybe the CAB will help you on this)

Re: Can they do this????

funkyfish — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:03:03 GMT

I agree re they can change stuff if they want, I'm upset that the first I heard it had stopped was when my pay was docked- didn't think they can dock wages with out informing you either? Am sick to the back teeth of them. Have made lots of money in behaviour consults over the years and set up many money making things and cut costs for them and they just don't care . PM posts where they are going on holiday and the latest sports results on The practice FB page. They also list all the animals names of who is due in that day, with out informing owners. Am thinking of locuming untill I find some where.... Bit scary!!! I'm home ill at the moment with norovirus ( no idea where I got it from as I wash my hands sooooo much!!) am not allowed back to to work till Thursday but can't afford to be off!! Nxt month will be really tough now.

Re: Can they do this????

FINNIGAN — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:53:20 GMT

we used to get sick pay but this was later stopped due to people abusing it, they are allowed to change this and dont have to pay u sick pay, but they do have to give warning, we were told a month in advance that this was to be changed, it is up to the practise disgression as to wether they pay it or not.

Re: Can they do this????

Fuzzyduck — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:46:58 GMT

I dont know how you stand legally, i thought any change in rota or hours had to be in writing if you have been working those set hours for more than a year but i dont know 100% however if their attitude is if you dont like it leave then how are you a valued member of staff??

If you were to fight any changes or the sick pay etc it sounds like a bad situation would become even worse, if i was in your shoes i would leave i think, i like to be valued as part of a team, not screamed at and threatened, there are plenty of nice practices out there which im sure would welcome you as an asset to their team and treat you far better. Time to move on.

Re: Can they do this????

funkyfish — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:42:45 GMT

Thanks!

Re: Can they do this????

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:33:23 GMT

Sick pay no idea but sounds grey area work has to be discussed and put in writing but sounds like even then you want out. Can contract ACAS they will help advise.