Hi, We are having a really bad experience with a lettings agent at the moment. We are relocating to a new county and have found the perfect place to rent. We travelled to view the property 2 weeks ago, but an hour before the viewing (when we had arrived in the county), we were called by the agent to inform us they had to cancel the appointment as they didn't have the set of keys in the office and the MD had disappeared with them. We were naturally furious - my other half had taken the afternoon off work to view the property and we are in a hurry to move. There are no other properties in the area we want to live that are suitable/available. Finally, a week later we were shown around the property and we filled in the Homelet applications and provided the £120 cheque for the fee. We then made an offer in writing to the agent. There are some sticking issues with the overgrown garden, rubbish to remove, and a bathroom that really needs updating, we are happy to sort the garden etc. and put up with the bathroom but asked for a discount on the rent. It has taken a week (after several calls and emails to the agent) to get any response from the landlord. The property has been on the market for 6 months so we can't understand why they are so slow in getting back to us! Today, I upped the offer to nearer to the asking price and chased up the agent again. I was informed over the phone by the agent that she had discussed our credit application with the landlord and they were unhappy that there were some very old defaults that we honestly placed on the application. 1) Is the agent allowed to discuss our application with the landlord before it is processed? I know that the landlord lives very local to the property and as it is a small village, I don't want my personal finances being known, especially when the offer hasn't been accepted or not and the application hasn't taken place. 2) Is this poor service common? I cannot believe how we are being treated. I have offered to pay 6 months rent upfront to cover any credit worries and now having to wait yet again for a response. I know that we should walk away from the property and find something else but I am concerned that from a data protection point of view, our financial records have been shared with a complete stranger, who I believe currently has no right to that information? Am I right? Many thanks

Thank you - Could you tell me what the average pay out is for a compromise agreement in this area? The employer has informed me that they are going to hire external consultants to investigate the grievance because it involves several members of senior staff and I have plenty of email evidence of what has happened - lewd jokes, complaints of lewd remarks etc. but a lot of these are out of time but I have since been removed from my role working for this person because I complained to him of the lewd remarks/jokes and also when I spoke to HR about it, they advised me not to take things further and essentially broke their own policies and procedures they have in place. I know it is difficult to advise but I really feel at risk if I want to start negotiating the amount. I definitely do not want to return to the employer but want to make sure I get the outcome I deserve having had depression and stress several times since I have been with the employer. The HR manager is preparing my comp agmt as the legal team there are having to be kept out of the situation due to the investigation and their involvement in whats happened in the past so it is so difficult to ascertain the HR Manager's ability to handle this situation following advice from another director I worked for who had no idea of what had happened.

My company has offered me a compromise agreement following a grievance I have raised. The solicitor I have been liaising with for general free advice up to now has now stated that the fees the employer will pay will not cover negotiations and will just be advise on the agreement itself. I'm unsure if the offer I have been given by my employer is enough. Anyone have any advice as to whether I should just accept the employers offer and inform the solicitor to go ahead or whether I should pay for solicitors' negotiations myself? The grievance was against a very senior manager and involves sex discrimination. Offer is around 5 months pay plus notice. Thanks!

Hi, Please can someone advise me if I should put down every detail of harassment and victimisation that I have incurred on my first letter of grievance? I have gone down the informal route too many times and been advised by line managers and HR not to raise a grievance which goes against their policies. Should I detail everything that has happened in my first grievance letter? Thanks

I am now going to raise a formal grievance (finally). As I have complained in writing to HR and line manager before, and it states in the harassment procedures that they should have advised me to take out a grievance at that stage rather than advise me not to take things any further, I am raising a grievance that the have broken their own policy as well as sexual harassment and victimisation since my informal complaints. I wondered if I need to send email evidence backing up my claim at this stage or should I hold off and let the company investigate? Any advice much appreciated. Also, the emails are quite old - a year ago plus others from the start of my employment, will that be a positive thing for the company?

Hi again, Thanks for the kind words and clarification that they are in the wrong! Sometimes I start to believe them that I am being too sensitive! My beliefs though remain and I know this doesn't happen elsewhere as company policies do not allow it. The HR department seem to just ignore anything that goes on in my department - until they have to that is. They've now written me a letter to say they want to meet up with me along with my line manager. Of course they are pretending to care but I have gone down this route time and time again before so unless the head of legal is going to somehow change overnight and become a wonderful human being with mutual respect in the workplace then I can't see how things are going to change as he is essentially by being this way, allowing others to act the same and its all one big joke. When it comes to staff's feelings of course, they don't care. I have read through the company's harassment policy which goes along with what I say of course, the problem is, is that a "senior manager" will need to help carry out the investigation (a person more senior than the head of legal) is essentially the FD or Chief Exec. I cannot foresee that someone less senior could be appointed in these circumstances. I have had no problems at all working for the FD/CEO. They are in fact really nice and I feel awful and time wasting to report all of these issues to them. I think this is why my other line manager and HR have told me not to take things further (i.e. follow the grievance procedures), they are essentially scared of what to do. I think it may have been brought to their attention by my line manager who works very closely with them and I am sure they would be unhappy to hear of what has been happening. If they had to choose however, I know they would stand by the head of legal - how would it look on them! The FD hired him and has worked with him at other companies. This is why this feels so complicated and overwhelming for me. I am going to have to stand up to highly influential and successful people. I am just a humble secretary with a bit of PA experience under my belt but I have worked really hard for the company. The job I have been asked to do now also means that I have to be extremely positive about the company, and I cannot complain about career progression whilst I have been there. I will not say what the new role is as I need to remain anonymous but is it a very unique role and I have to deal with and build relationships with highly influential people to ensure the company comes across well to the market. With all of this hanging over me, I feel I cannot carry out that role. I will try to find the whistleblowing policy and see whether that sheds any light. The policies apply more to the main area of the working business and due to my department's leaders' "arrogance", they feel they are above that. I wonder what HR think to all of this.

Hi, Thanks for your really quick response - it means a lot! With regard to home contents insurance, I don't currently have any so if I applied now (being signed off at the moment), would that mean it would make my chances of claiming slim in the near future? I do have savings set aside. Ideally I would prefer a clean break from these people. Preferably in terms of a compromise agreement. I have put together a chronology and have quite a few emails that back up my claims, I wondered whether it would be worth sending that to my employers saying I am going to a solicitors with this information for advice and that as my previous complaints in writing have been ignored and I have been advised not to take out a grievance that I have put together this information. I would prefer to leave with a reference as I have been really good in my jobs I have worked in and I know I have made a good impression with a lot of people there so I am worried all that hard work over 3 years will have been wasted if I didn't get a good reference from them in the future. I wonder if the evidence I have will be so incriminating that they will jump at a compromise agreement? Many thanks again in advance!

Hi all, Wondered if anyone can offer any advice. I have worked for my company for over 3 1/2 years. In that time I have been bullied, received lewd jokes and comments from lawyers and head of legal and when I have complained I have been told I am "too sensitive" "got the person all wrong" and "would work better with women". I was told "I obviously can't take a joke" and they want someone who can be relaxed and have a laugh with the team so its better that you're moving desks". I was also told by a new line manager when part of my position was replaced that again I am too senstive when I put a complaint in writing over email about what had happened previously and continues to happen. I was told again to complain directly to that person, I was told by the line manager that he would advise not taking this any further or telling anyone more senior than this person as it wouldn't do me any favours. When I spoke with HR about the bullying and lewd emails and comments, I said I wanted it on record this time as everytime I speak to the head of legal myself it makes things worse as he treats me differently each time and starts ignoring me. I told HR that this person should know better to send emails and make comments such as this in their position. They completely agreed with me and said they understood my line manager about not taking it further. I have been off work with depression before and although I was provided with very good support and I was stopped from working for a particularly bullying lawyer, the problems have continued and as I have been told not to take things any further I am scared what to do because of the power these people have and although I have had a history of depression from years ago, because of the problems I have experienced at work, it has made me feel worse. I do not want to speak to anyone now at work because I do not trust anyone. I have witnessed the head of legal and lawyers openly talk about staff that "they know what they can do if they don't like it" even though this person has had serious health issues and again is scared to complain about bullying but has been bullied by the same people I had experiences with. The assistant that worked for the head of legal was forced to leave on a compromise agreement, even though everyone liked her and she had worked there for over 3 years. My bosses assistant told me she was "rubbish" and I would be "brilliant". This assistant and the head of legal are often in his office whispering and laughing and there are huge cliques which make others feel uncomfortable. My boss told me this person was "fur coat no knickers and the relationship had deteriorated and she was rubbish at her work. I was asked to type the comp agmt for her whilst sat opposite her and she knew this. It was horrible and I had to keep it secret. So I know the underhand tactics these people use. I was told to replace her as well as take on another role as cover for someone else. He "didn't want to lose me from his team but there was also another role that people wanted me to do". I was put in a very tricky situation there and I felt that others perceived that I had something to do with her leaving as I jumped into that role. I did it though, in the current job climate, I felt that I had to do what they wanted of me. I was doing 3 roles. When the last lewd comment was made to me I was under severe pressure work-wise and suffering from IBS, and as I complained about the comment from the head of legal I was told by them a few days later that it was better I didn't work for him anymore. An obvious turnaround. He has since replaced me with another assistant who used to work for him and he now ignores me and as I have had to be involved with her, I kept things as professional as possible but I have copies of emails between her and the head of legal about other people and myself whoch are really harmful. "What a tw*t" for example and complaining about me "let's exclude her". I will not go into detail but it is clear that she is more what the head of legal wanted - someone who will call people and laugh at others' expense and flirt. I have seen her do this about me and others. One email made me really angry and upset. There was no call for it and I feel that because I don't take a lewd joke I have been left out and ignored since. My point is that these people really should know better. I have never experienced this before in my working life. As I worked as a legal secretary for the employment lawyer and whenever a tribunal case is dismissed or won, the head of legal makes a point of getting champagne and celebrating in front of everyone in the open plan office. I really disagree with the ethics and feel scared to take the matter further as it is against the exact people who would be fighting a tribunal case. Before xmas I started having panic attacks before going into work and I informed my line manager. I explained again to my line manager that the environment is bullying and I feel uncomfortable. He told me that "I needed to build bridges with these people" and "stop being so sensitive". He is friends with the head of legal so I guess he would say that. I was doing really well career-wise and have gone the extra mile for the employer on many occasions. HR now want to meet up with me according to a message I have received but I just don't know what to say. They have very little involvement with my department because it is so senior and they assume nothing like this happens and when you tell them it does, it seems they don't know what to do about it. I want to get better and be my old confident self. The time at this company has made me so low on confidence. It isn't just me who has felt this way. My line managers often say "I put myself down too much", "he only has good things to say about you so I can't understand where you are coming from". Of course the head of legal is completely wonderful around all the important people. I am so intimidated by the environment now and I don't want to go back. It will only go on but I don't think it is right that I have been so good to them through all of this and I don't want to leave without fighting my cause. Why should these people keep getting away with treating people who work hard like this. They always make me feel like its my fault. I am signed off with depression but I don't know what to do next. Can anyone advise? I'm really scared and frustrated about what to do. Thank you so much.