Hi I am wondering if anyone can tell me whether I have a case or not. During my 3 month probabation at a GP surgery, where I did a very good job according to my colleagues. I was dismissed at the end of it due to lack of committment due to personal issues, when I asked what these were they made reference to the fact I have a child with MS symptoms but as yet with no formal diagnosis, during that 3 months she unfortunately suffered a relapse so it had to be hospitalised, even wih her in hospital I arranged care for her and worked as much as I could, for example how can they say I had no commitment when I was (during that 3 months) contracted to work 329 hrs and I completed 353 hrs! I think I am right in saying this is a contravention of my Human Rights and is sexual discrimination, I believe I have a right to dependent leave regardless of service and should be protected against dismissal on these grounds. They tried to chuck work performance into the mix, but there was no issue with my work performance, this was just a smoke screen. The first listed issue was level of commitment due to personal issues. I had a witness at the meeting who can verify what they considered to be the personal issues whereby my daughter was mentioned. Have I got a good case? Considering I worked for a caring profession is a joke! Loopsy

Firstly sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place. My situation is I took on the role of receptionist in a busy GP surgery, a similar role I has for 10 years in the NHS, on the day before my role commenced my daughter 12 years old, was hopsitalised due to a neurological disorder which we thought she had fully recovered from. (it's akin to MS, but we thought she it was a post viral thing and therefore recovered). I explained all this when I started work and unfortuatley during that first week I had a few days off to look after my child. However I have always done my best to juggle work and my daughter and although through my 3 month probabation my contracted hours were 329 and I completed 353. I was dismissed on the grounds of level of commitment due to personal issues and work performance. This they only brought up with me at 2 weeks before I was dismissed. They stated at this interview (of which I took a witness) that it was indeed down to my daughter's ill health, the work performance issues were just a smoke screen, which I feel I can prove. I feel I have a fairly strong case on the sexual discrimination front and equal rights, and as I believe that even though I was on a probabation time, they have discriminated against me. Other issues were that I felt the Practice Manager just didn't like me and she made a comment about my chest when I was out of work visiting the Drs for a personal appointment whilst she herself was in work. In addition to this I received notice of my dismissal through the post when I was on approved leave, (when they thought I was away) and said it was with immediate effect. Does this mean they will have to pay me my holiday and a further weeks notice? In addition I still have the keys to the premises, surely they are breaking their own security policies here? And they left me working alone in a rural surgery, if they truely had issues with my work performance why wasn't training given and why was I allowed to do overtime and lone working. Iam gutted as this is so unfair, I loved my job and the staff, felt I was doing really well and was in fact told so, up until I said I had to take my daughter to a hospital appointment. Whereupon I received a letter that day. Sorry this is longwinded but any advice would be welcome. Loopsy Loo