I like to think that in the years since I started blogging, you lovely lot have got to know me a little. You’ll know how hard it is for me to talk openly and publicly about Bad Things – I keep all the whinging for my supersecret livejournal where the great wide world can’t intrude. When I opened up about suffering from PostNatal depression way back in September, that was a major deal for me. So hopefully having read this disclaimer of sorts you’ll understand that what I’m about to say means that the Bad Things I’m telling you about are pretty serious.
So as you all know I’m on maternity leave from my job. Friday should have been payday, except I didn’t get paid. After a lot of phonecalls from me to payroll and my boss where I was told an emergency same-day bank transfer was being made, I was finally told on Monday at teatime that in actual fact my work had made an error and I wasn’t entitled to contractual maternity pay so they had simply stopped paying me. This was now two days since I should have been paid. Somebody closed down my file on Thursday knowing that the outcome would be no pay for me but didn’t think that it would be considerate to let me know. In addition to the issues around not being paid (like, not being able to pay my mortgage and bills or buy food for the family!) I have been told that my employer expect me to repay what they see as an overpayment but I am too late to claim Maternity Allowance from the State because it has taken six months for this error to come to light. In other words, not only am I in a shedload of debt because of someone else’s mistake but I now cannot claim that to which I am entitled due to the length of time it took to discover it.
Legally, I’m not sure where I stand on this but rest assured I have it in hand and I have the Union helping me to fight this. Of course being us, this couldn’t be the only thing going wrong. Today, Bob was offered redundancy from the place he’s worked for ten years. Redundancy realistically isn’t the end of the world for him because the place has made him miserable and treated him terribly for the last 2-3 years but as with everything it’s timing that is key.
I just feel utterly useless. I’m finding that my depression is threatening to swallow me again and the prospect of possibly having to go back to work a month early to an employer who has treated me and my family with such disdain is horrifying me. If I wasn’t such a plum and had got my finger out last year, I could have been running my own business and not be threatened with this situation.
So. In short, I’m still here and still around and still crafting. I’m just also trying to sew my family’s seams back together.
Posted under Uncategorized
This post was written by Vonnie on November 5, 2009
Oh Vonnie
I hope the Union help you get this sorted quickly.
How awful. I hope you manage to get it all sorted soon and I hope it isn’t too long before you are able to survive off running your own business
*huge hugs* I hope things get sorted out soon x
Big hugs to you, love. I know it’ll all get sorted out!! xx
Aw. So sorry to hear aboutyour situation, Vonnie. Big hug.
Thats simply not nice. I do hope you get it sorted. In the meantime, *hugs*
This is horrible news. I hope the Union do their job and find a solution. Awful. xxx
Oh no, what a horrible situation. I hope it gets sorted out soon for you xxx
Oh Vonnie – words fail me. You must feel that the whole world is against you, but it’s not – look at all the lovely messages of support you’ve already had!! Love, Anne
Oh no!! How awful!! I’m so so sorry to hear about your situation. I hope you get it all sorted out. In the meantime we’re all here for you!! xx
Holy crap Vonnie, I hope the union opens a can of whoopass
how unbelievably crap Vonnie – hope it’s sorted out fast xxx
I already knew the first bit, but crapdamnsh*t! on the redundancy. Unless … if he gets a payout, could the redundancy have a silver lining if he manages to get another job quickly? Sending your family good luck vibes from across the oceans.
That’s really crappy – I hope the union can sort it out, it just sounds really dodgy that they make the mistake and leave you in the lurch. If indeed it is a mistake – I don’t suppose you’re especially inclined to trust them just now! And bad luck re the redundancy – that happened to us when I was pregnant with my first Horror, but it worked to our advabtage in the end as DH got another job quickly and still got the redundancy payment – fingers crossed the same will happen for Bob.
With regards to the redundancy the idea was I went back to University but the payout doesn’t cover my salary until the start of the next academic year.
I’ll need to get work somehow until then.
Talk about it all coming at once. I am not sure what it is yet but every cloud has a silver lining.
Heres hoping it turns up soon for you x
Oh God, what a shock. Thank god you’re with a union, I seriously hope they can help you out.
(And I completely understand after being royally effed by Student Finance England this year and having to somehow live for two months on half a paycheck)
Vonnie I am so sorry to read this. I really hoping you can get some redress from your workplace, because you have been treated so horrifically badly. Thinking of you. xxx
Sorry to here this
I really hope the union can help you sort it out and it sounds like the company you work for are totally in the wrong xx
Vonnie I am so, so sorry, this really is unbelieveably crap. Surely it can’t be legal – thank god for unions, I am crossing EVERYTHING xx
Vonnie, how terrible. You have basic rights which you should not have to fight under these circumstances. I hope that you get decent support from your union rep.
I can’t imagine how you must be feeling – you know if you need anything just give me a holler!
I know that feeling – not the PND (because I’m at the trying for a baby and having no luck stage) – but the whole timing of everything. Debt has such a way of tainting everything. Sure ‘money isn’t everything’ but most people who believe that actually have some. Perhaps there is a silver lining? I dunno. My husband was made redundant in Feb (just before our wedding and uber expensive honeymoon and buying a house which was/is falling to bits). After 6+ months of benefits he was cut off as apparently we could live on my income alone so he bit the bullet and is now trying to set up his own business (which scares me greatly) and I’m grtitting my teeth in the job I hate and *finally* pulling my finger out crafting things to sell. We all do what we can and aim for better days. Here’s to a brighter future for us both.
Sorry, I too usually keep the personal stuff for LJ, but wanted to write something.