Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "reinstated"
25th January 2014
Monday was a very topsy-turvy day. As I expected I was sacked for not agreeing to the overtime. By the end of the day I had it back again. I would like to have said that it cost me nothing but I had to go to a lawyer which isn't cheap. Still it did get my job back though I had to agree to do overtime three times this week. It was either that or unemployment and a long costly fight for unfair dismissal. I chose work.
At first I tried the Citizens Advice Bureau to get help. Sadly they seemed to know less about my rights than I did. They did phone ACAS for advice and gave me the number, which I already had. In the end I felt I was at a loss. They didn't offer any practical advice on what my options were. Magz was equally stumped on a way forward.
It was for that reason I decided that our only move left was to seek proper legal advice. That was the best thing I could have done. He was able to lay out my options and give advice to the best course to take. By the time I got home after speaking with him he was calling me at home to say he had got my job back. Yes I hade to agree to do the overtime for the remainder of the week but I did prove that they could just sack me for not wanting to do it.
Still I did feel as if I had lost at the time. As the week has progressed though I don't think I have. Yes I had to compromise yet I am still working. I proved to the rest of the workforce that overtime can't be forced upon us. Yes if it is in your contract they can demand you do. Sadly I have never signed any contracts with my employer. This my lawyer told me was a breach of the employment statutes in this country. That played in my favour. Though it could be argued that having done so in the past that I have agreed to it. Nothing is ever straight forward is it, especially when it comes to legal issues.
Still the main thing is I still have a job.
At first I tried the Citizens Advice Bureau to get help. Sadly they seemed to know less about my rights than I did. They did phone ACAS for advice and gave me the number, which I already had. In the end I felt I was at a loss. They didn't offer any practical advice on what my options were. Magz was equally stumped on a way forward.
It was for that reason I decided that our only move left was to seek proper legal advice. That was the best thing I could have done. He was able to lay out my options and give advice to the best course to take. By the time I got home after speaking with him he was calling me at home to say he had got my job back. Yes I hade to agree to do the overtime for the remainder of the week but I did prove that they could just sack me for not wanting to do it.
Still I did feel as if I had lost at the time. As the week has progressed though I don't think I have. Yes I had to compromise yet I am still working. I proved to the rest of the workforce that overtime can't be forced upon us. Yes if it is in your contract they can demand you do. Sadly I have never signed any contracts with my employer. This my lawyer told me was a breach of the employment statutes in this country. That played in my favour. Though it could be argued that having done so in the past that I have agreed to it. Nothing is ever straight forward is it, especially when it comes to legal issues.
Still the main thing is I still have a job.
