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Worst work meeting ever

Magnolia1

I am totally devastated. I had a meeting planned today with my head teacher about how they could make reasonable adjustments for me at work. When I turned up it was the head and the deputy. I felt totally ganged up upon and it was as if they had planned before hand not to offer any help. They basically said that I am one of sixty staff all with their own needs and I am paid to be a teacher so I just need to get on with it. 

The head kept grilling me with questions even when I had gone silent and started to cry. 

I came out, drove home and had a complete meltdown. I eel awful and as if I am a great big inconvenience to the school. 

It was just the worst.

  • Contact EASS for advice. They don't offer representation, but can tell you if the law has been broken. 

    www.equalityadvisoryservice.com

  • Mine are like that, we are all but a small cog.......

    Employers need to wake up to the fact they don't get the best from their employees through bullying. 

    Don't go to any more meetings unescorted. I speak from experience....

  • I thought teachers were in high demand. Is moving school an option? To be honest I would not be surprised if my employer would do the same but then I am looking to leave them anyway.

  • in reply to Magnolia1

    Yes, sorry.  neekby gives a summary above of the relevant parts.  Enforcement can take the form of an employment tribunal, at which as I understand it your employer would need to prove why it would be unreasonable to make adjustments to accommodate you for your disability.  I would try contacting Acas first or going to Citizens Advice if you aren't in a union.  Acas is here http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1410

    I typed in a question on their question search tool and it came up with the following answer

    What options are available to a worker who believes they are being discriminated against at work?

    If a worker believes they are being discriminated against at work because of a particular protected characteristic that they possess, the first step is to raise the matter with their employer to see if the matter can be resolved informally. Acas has produced helpful guidance on Equality and Discrimination.
     
    If the issue cannot be resolved informally, as a next step the worker could raise a formal grievance. A grievance can be submitted even where employment has ended (e.g. the worker has resigned or has been dismissed) or where a job applicant was refused employment on the basis of a protected characteristic they possess. Acas has further good practice guidance on asking and responding to questions of discrimination in the workplace.
     
    If the issue remains unresolved once the grievance procedure has been exhausted, or if the worker feels unable to raise a grievance with the employer, it may be possible to pursue an Employment Tribunal claim against the employer. However, if an Employment Tribunal claim is submitted without having first completed an internal grievance process, even if the claim is successful, the Tribunal can reduce any financial award given by up to 25%.

    Employment Tribunal claims must be submitted within 3 months (less one day) of the discriminatory act that is being complained about.

    Individuals who intend to make a claim to the Employment Tribunal must notify Acas first. Acas has a statutory (legal) duty to offer Early Conciliation, to see if the dispute can be resolved without the need for tribunal proceedings. Contact the Acas Helpline to discuss options further and/or assistance that Acas can provide in helping the parties to resolve the issue.
     
    Guidance is also available to workers from the Equality Advisory Support Service.
  • in reply to Magnolia1

    Holy crap! For a document that aims to ensure equality for people with disabilities (among others) that is one mother-fxxing impenetrable document...!!!

    There's this: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/6 which sets out what is meant by a disability, specifically:

    Disability

    (1) A person (P) has a disability if—

    (a) P has a physical or mental impairment, and

    (b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on P's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

    Then this https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20 which covers the duty to make adjustment, specifically:

    20 Duty to make adjustments

    (1) Where this Act imposes a duty to make reasonable adjustments on a person, this section, sections 21 and 22 and the applicable Schedule apply; and for those purposes, a person on whom the duty is imposed is referred to as A.

    (2) The duty comprises the following three requirements.

    (3) The first requirement is a requirement, where a provision, criterion or practice of A's puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.

    (4) The second requirement is a requirement, where a physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.

    (5) The third requirement is a requirement, where a disabled person would, but for the provision of an auxiliary aid, be put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to provide the auxiliary aid.

    There's a whole schedule (13) dedicated to Education but it looks like that's aimed at students - I guess teachers would be covered by the 'Employment' regulations...

    TBH it's massive and complicated & I've just skimmed it looking for the obvious bits... you probably need to refer to someone with specific knowledge in this area...

    This page on NAS might be a good starting point to refer your employer to: https://www.autism.org.uk/professionals/employers/information-for-employers/managing.aspx

    Plus the info here: https://network.autism.org.uk/knowledge/insight-opinion/top-autism-tips-employment-reasonable-adjustments

  • in reply to Rocinante

    That's a big scary document. What bit should I be looking at ?

  • I'm very sorry to read this.  It very much sounds to me as if your employer is discriminating against you under the explicit terms of the Equality Act 2010.  If you had a phyisical disability they would accommodate you.  An educational establishment should really know better than this as they presumably have some similarly affected pupils. As has been said already, you should approach your union if you are in one.  Otherwise seek some form of legal help.  Go to Citizens Advice, or even contact ACAS.  Here is the Equality Act https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

  • I'm so sorry to hear about this. It does sound like it was totally pre-planned, they weren't remotely understanding to your needs or your disability. Do you belong to a union that you could involve?

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