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Bullying at Work and Employer breaking the Law

Muckworm

Hi Friends (I think!)

 

I haven't posted for a while and this is why - can anyone make suggestions as to how I cope with my situation at work?

I work full time and have held this job for 6 years now but I made a decision not to disclose to my employer that I had a diagnosis of Autism because I believe I lost my last 2 jobs because of that. And I want to work.

I like the content of my job very much, it suits me - it is methodical and predictable. But recently we have had some staff changes, mainly staff leaving and not being replaced due to financial pressures on the business. One of the staff who left was good to me and we had similar interests and I miss him.

Since he left I have been bullied by another member of staff who he protected me from. I have told my boss and he says 'he is dealing with it' but he can't be because nothing has changed. This person leaves me out - makes drinks for others and not me, brings sweets in for everyone but says I'm not allowed them, swears at me, spreads gossip about me and has started making a mess in the toilet which I am made to clean up.

In addition to this my working hours are now in excess of 48 hours a week. I told my boss this is against EU Working Directive and I think the law as I have not agreed to it and he said, 'if you don't want to work the door's over there'. I am also denied breaks in my day and the other day did 13 hours without a break and was shouted at for going to the toilet.

I don't want to lose this job because I am better off than I have ever been finincially and I like it but I am struggling to cope day to day.

Any suggestions of how to get through this difficult period? I am hoping it is going to be short lived but I don't know.

Thanks for helping out - you have always been so helpful in the past. I have had a good year up till all this happening - I have managed to make some progress in my life socially by joining a group but all that is at risk because I have lost my confidence and I tend to be mute when I am stressed.

Parents

  • The Department of Health is shortly to bring out a paper on how they intend to support people with autism, including in the work place. But will that be about people with marked autism who can only work in specially structured environments, or will it address abler adults and the lives they endure in the workplace?

    There is an event in London on 3rd March, an invitation only discussion on current and future employment support for people with autism.

    There will be an opening address by Mark Lever, and a statement from DWP. Then there will be an address from someone who employs disabled people including people with autism, and an un-named individual is going to talk about the experience of the job centre (not said whether this is someone with autism or just any disability).

    Then, joy of joys, the meeting will divide into small groups to discuss for half an hour the experiences of being in employment and what employers can do to help. Then 25 minutes small group discussions on what is working well at job centre plus. Then 30 minutes will be spent discussing the Government's work programmes, before a summing up session. Mike Penning will come along to close the meeting.

    It rather depends who are these participants? People with autism?  And what is the NAS contribution, apart from the Director's Cut at the start?

    This could be a crucial opportunity to get real improvements in how people on the spectrum are supported in the workplace.

    But if NAS still doesn't recognise the serious issue of fitting in at work, and the way this is overlooked by employers - we aren't going anywhere very fast.

    Remember, NAS, this shabby Government is forcing what they denounce as workshy layabouts off benefits into the workplace, which includes many people on the spectrum whose efforts to get into sustained work is prevented by the imposition of social rules.

    If NAS isn't going to address this, then NAS is no better than the Government.

    If people have a difficulty in their social interactions, that prevents them fitting in to the social structures of workplaces, that should be taken into account as part of their disability.

    It shouldn't be possible for employers to dismiss social interaction difficulties as over-sensitivity to office banter.  But until NAS presents this side of things to Government as a real issue, we will see no change, and only a great deal more misery as more people are forced into situations where they cannot cope.

Reply

  • The Department of Health is shortly to bring out a paper on how they intend to support people with autism, including in the work place. But will that be about people with marked autism who can only work in specially structured environments, or will it address abler adults and the lives they endure in the workplace?

    There is an event in London on 3rd March, an invitation only discussion on current and future employment support for people with autism.

    There will be an opening address by Mark Lever, and a statement from DWP. Then there will be an address from someone who employs disabled people including people with autism, and an un-named individual is going to talk about the experience of the job centre (not said whether this is someone with autism or just any disability).

    Then, joy of joys, the meeting will divide into small groups to discuss for half an hour the experiences of being in employment and what employers can do to help. Then 25 minutes small group discussions on what is working well at job centre plus. Then 30 minutes will be spent discussing the Government's work programmes, before a summing up session. Mike Penning will come along to close the meeting.

    It rather depends who are these participants? People with autism?  And what is the NAS contribution, apart from the Director's Cut at the start?

    This could be a crucial opportunity to get real improvements in how people on the spectrum are supported in the workplace.

    But if NAS still doesn't recognise the serious issue of fitting in at work, and the way this is overlooked by employers - we aren't going anywhere very fast.

    Remember, NAS, this shabby Government is forcing what they denounce as workshy layabouts off benefits into the workplace, which includes many people on the spectrum whose efforts to get into sustained work is prevented by the imposition of social rules.

    If NAS isn't going to address this, then NAS is no better than the Government.

    If people have a difficulty in their social interactions, that prevents them fitting in to the social structures of workplaces, that should be taken into account as part of their disability.

    It shouldn't be possible for employers to dismiss social interaction difficulties as over-sensitivity to office banter.  But until NAS presents this side of things to Government as a real issue, we will see no change, and only a great deal more misery as more people are forced into situations where they cannot cope.

Children
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