My jurisdiction is: UK
Hi,
(As briefly as I can): I'm an agency worker for a local council, performing manual duties. With recent money problems, there has been a cutback on agency staff, for the time being I'm one of the lucky ones as the job I do only has one other person to cover it (aside from the regular worker, my work partner).
It's this other person who I believe is harassing me. I'll refer to him as KB.
He works on another section within the same yard. The recent money cutbacks have meant that a lot of the overtime work has been cut. Most agency workers were cut out completely, but I was one of the lucky ones. KB found out that I was to be kept on as overtime work on some weekends. He took it into his own hands to tell the Union Representative from County Hall (not his immediate council Union Representative) about the situation and had me immediately removed from the overtime roster. This happened on Friday 28th August (before the Bank Holiday Weekend).
I was unhappy, but understood that the overtime wasn't something I should expect as a right. So I carried on with my normal work week (which is forever on shaky ground as I'm an agency worker).
On the following Friday, my partner on the job receives a phone call from KB asking if my partner is working overtime on the weekend. KB also asks if I'm working overtime on the weekend. On returning to the yard after having finished the working day, I also discover that KB has approached my Supervisor to find out if I'm working overtime on the weekend.
As it works out, after having me removed from the overtime weekend rota, KB has approached my supervisor and requested that he should have the overtime that I will now no longer be performing.
What this would eventually mean is that KB's overtime will not be cut at all, because he will want the overtime on my section as well as his own. Even though there are other members on my section who should be, and have been, included before KB.
This week there have been two further incidents. On Thursday 10th September, KB approached a driver on my section (who I'll refer to as PH), and asked if PH was working overtime this weekend. PH replied that he didn't know and wouldn't find out until the following day. PH then asked KB if he was working overtime, KB replied that he didn't know either. Then KB asked PH if I was working overtime this weekend. Again, PH replied that he didn't know. KB's parting words were "Keep your ear to the ground and let me know what you hear".
That's three separate occasions (that I know of), where he's inquired about my work commitments, which I believe he has no right to know about.
In another incident, which I believe happened on Wednesday 9th September, KB was stood at the window in one of the offices when he saw me arrive in the yard at the end of the working day. There were a number of people in the office at the time, and he asked, not to an individual but out loud to anyone who could here, a health and safety question about me. He didn't ask our health and safety representative, but to anyone within earshot.
I have not made inquiries, all of the instances above have been presented to me, of their own free will, by co-workers. If I were to ask a number of people, I believe a lot more evidence would come to light.
From my understanding, this would constitute a case for of harassment in the work place. But, I'm not fully sure if it has any legal standing.
KB has not only affected me financially, but now I feel that I have to watch my every move, even though I'm a good worker.
I'd be grateful for any advice you could offer.
Many thanks for your time,
R
Hi,
(As briefly as I can): I'm an agency worker for a local council, performing manual duties. With recent money problems, there has been a cutback on agency staff, for the time being I'm one of the lucky ones as the job I do only has one other person to cover it (aside from the regular worker, my work partner).
It's this other person who I believe is harassing me. I'll refer to him as KB.
He works on another section within the same yard. The recent money cutbacks have meant that a lot of the overtime work has been cut. Most agency workers were cut out completely, but I was one of the lucky ones. KB found out that I was to be kept on as overtime work on some weekends. He took it into his own hands to tell the Union Representative from County Hall (not his immediate council Union Representative) about the situation and had me immediately removed from the overtime roster. This happened on Friday 28th August (before the Bank Holiday Weekend).
I was unhappy, but understood that the overtime wasn't something I should expect as a right. So I carried on with my normal work week (which is forever on shaky ground as I'm an agency worker).
On the following Friday, my partner on the job receives a phone call from KB asking if my partner is working overtime on the weekend. KB also asks if I'm working overtime on the weekend. On returning to the yard after having finished the working day, I also discover that KB has approached my Supervisor to find out if I'm working overtime on the weekend.
As it works out, after having me removed from the overtime weekend rota, KB has approached my supervisor and requested that he should have the overtime that I will now no longer be performing.
What this would eventually mean is that KB's overtime will not be cut at all, because he will want the overtime on my section as well as his own. Even though there are other members on my section who should be, and have been, included before KB.
This week there have been two further incidents. On Thursday 10th September, KB approached a driver on my section (who I'll refer to as PH), and asked if PH was working overtime this weekend. PH replied that he didn't know and wouldn't find out until the following day. PH then asked KB if he was working overtime, KB replied that he didn't know either. Then KB asked PH if I was working overtime this weekend. Again, PH replied that he didn't know. KB's parting words were "Keep your ear to the ground and let me know what you hear".
That's three separate occasions (that I know of), where he's inquired about my work commitments, which I believe he has no right to know about.
In another incident, which I believe happened on Wednesday 9th September, KB was stood at the window in one of the offices when he saw me arrive in the yard at the end of the working day. There were a number of people in the office at the time, and he asked, not to an individual but out loud to anyone who could here, a health and safety question about me. He didn't ask our health and safety representative, but to anyone within earshot.
I have not made inquiries, all of the instances above have been presented to me, of their own free will, by co-workers. If I were to ask a number of people, I believe a lot more evidence would come to light.
From my understanding, this would constitute a case for of harassment in the work place. But, I'm not fully sure if it has any legal standing.
KB has not only affected me financially, but now I feel that I have to watch my every move, even though I'm a good worker.
I'd be grateful for any advice you could offer.
Many thanks for your time,
R
