Sex Discrimination

[noodlesk16]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and would like advice and / or to hear from anyone else who has gone through similar to myself, or even legal help/advice.

 

I have been suffering sex discrimination in the form of harassment for quite some time now, its been protracted but constant over the last 3 years since I became a part time worker in a team of all male colleagues. I work in male dominated environment of construction and as the only female , part time worker in the team I feel harassed and victimised.

 

Now, the harassment and discrimination does not come from my male counterparts but from a female Manager who has over the last year outcast me and been generally hostile towards me.

She states in public and openly in team meetings 'my men' as in relation to the team and another quote of ''I have asked for more men" ( in terms of recruitment.

 

She has glared at me to the point of making me feel extremely uncomfortable in a team meeting when she single me out for 'talking' whilst another Manager staged a presentation. I was not the only one talking, it was just an overspill of chat basically when there was a discussion with Manager on stage , she singled me out, she even rang my Manager to rebuke me for this 'talking' offence, none of my other 'male ' colleagues were reprimanded.

 

I have been questioned for been 10 minutes late to a meeting when 3 other male colleagues have walked in after me and even later, again only I am reprimanded. I can not understand why I am singled out, again on this occasion my Manager stated she had requested that he pull me about this to the exclusion of all others. I also asked one of the male team members and confirmed , No, not a mention to him, he was even later than I was!

 

I am now at a stage where her vendetta instigated a 'fact find' with alleged misuse of company time as the offence. The slightest minute I am not accountable for on the tracker on my vehicle she is on the case.

My Manager told me he did not want to undertake this disciplinary but she was pressuring him to do it, he felt uncomfortable about it , he said , he was happy with my performance to date but his Manager was keen to pursue me and take this down the formal route.

 

Now, my male colleagues , if any issues are raised about their performance are dealt with casually and a general chat, when it is me , everything escalates to been a formal issue.

 

I went off on sick leave last October as the ongoing pressure of the fact find re-ignited depression and anxiety (I suffered post natal depression with both children), I have never been off sick regards this issue , the pressure and interrogation pushed me back into a depressive state, suffering panic attacks and insomnia from worry.

 

I am still employed by the company.

 

Just to add, I also had pregnancy discrimination against me in 2013 with my 2nd child for which I raised a grievance and it was upheld, this was against my former Manager who did not like the fact I got a flexible working arrangement after my first born, he did a risk assessment without me and said I was not fit to do my job as I was pregnant and my role was much too dangerous for a pregnant woman, despite in my previous pregnancy doing the same job right into my 3rd trimester.

 

I have raised a grievance now against the Senior Manager , bringing to the forefront the comments , the male terminology constantly used in team meetings, the exclusion of all others in rebuking me about been late, the intimidating look for 'talking' . I might add, I did confront this Manager last year and she did apologise for calling the whole team 'men' , although she has still continued with this type of language and had made me feel humiliated and alienated from my team.

 

I would welcome any input, do I have a good case here?

I genuinely feel very aggrieved.

 

They have just asked me if I will consider a settlement whilst I am still waiting for a result from the grievance meeting I attended last week.

I sense they want to make this go away...and not make a decision on the grievance ?

 

I'm very stressed and concerned, after all, I am losing my job here so I want to be compensated correctly. The amount mentioned was not even a years pay , thats not enough for the ordeal I have suffered, and with all the other associated heads of liability, loss of earnings, frozen pension, stigma of not been re-employable , personal injury etc.. I don't want to undersell myself and regret it later if I do not take this to a tribunal.

 

Any help / thoughts etc.. are really appreciated , Thanks

Edited February 22, 2016 by noodlesk16

[ericsbrother]

It would be useful to know what employemnt sector you work in, retail, field sale, technical etc. this will give people with experience of that area to chip in

[noodlesk16]

I work in the private sector, utilities industry. Thanks

[ericsbrother]

how long have you worked for Co and are the skills you have transferrable to other sectors? If so then ask about what they mean by settlement as they may be amenable to something considerable if they thought that it would be expensive to fight off a discrimination claim. However, it is difficult to prove discrimination so not a shoo in by any means..

It is a matter of record that relationships between women bosses and female underlings are worse than between women bosses and male underlings, the academics can offer reasoning for this but none of that helps to deal with it.