Struggling

24

Comments

  • pinklady25
    pinklady25 Community member Posts: 118 Contributor
    Thanks @janer1967 there is no out right owner its realy complicated I will keep looking for another job whilst I am still working for them and just keep my head down for now apart from the union I don't know who else to turn to 

    The ones working on student visa all work 40 hrs or more and all over 30 and have to renew every 2 years but can only stay 4 years  but they get paid cash in hand and they never appear on the rota and one of the others had to do something on the works computer and it was left open on staff who are suposed to work at our petrol station there were 22 employees on there and we only have 8 so its way above my head what's going on here 

    As soon as I can get out I will  but until I get another job I can't afford to 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    @pinklady25 I have checked and it is 20 hours per week maximum work on student visa and it can't be carried over from one week to another or averaged out 

    As for the age of them you yourself are a mature student so it isn't unheard of 

    However that is how they get into our system and then find employers like yours who pay cash in hand to hide their working 

    Both parties are acting against the legality of their visa 

    I would even go as far to say they are probably not even studying and have false documents showing they are registered with a higher level education establishment 

    You could report.your concerns to home office for investigation 

    I would stay put get your head down collect any relevant evidence without putting yoyeself at risk then if you get another job then report 
  • pinklady25
    pinklady25 Community member Posts: 118 Contributor
    @janer1967 I know they have false documents the one who I worked with  had only been in the country a few hours when he started working and told me he started in university the next day in Swansea in business and management and the other 12 are all on the same course I knew that wasn't the truth because the business and management stopped in Swansea two years ago and is now in Cardiff and doesn't start untill October then he said he was allowed to work full time which I already knew wasn't the truth 



    To be fair it's to far over my head my boss said to me that he couldn't have two staff  on Fridays and Saturdays  yet there are two people working tonight my friend went in and asked where I was and the new one said he got the job today so she said oh I havent seen you before and he told her he  came here today on  a plane and now he is working he said he felt lucky to have everything very quick  the one I worked with stepped in then and said I had been changed to Sunday and Monday 


    As you said @janer1967 I am going to keep my head down my union rep went to my petrol station today and he had his union rep top on and he got petrol and was looking round the shop he said my boss came out and asked him to leave  he said that he had put petrol in and asked what he done he said that he hadn't done anything wrong and that the petrol was on the house 

    My union rep wants me to stay and hold onto my job as long as I can but as soon as I get another job I will leave 

    My union rep said he doesn't think my boss will sack me because he doesn't know how much I know and how much the one I worked with has told me that could be the reason he has split us I will see now if he puts the new person with me on Sunday  if he does I will just act stupid and say I thought I was working on my own and just get on with my job and say nothing he could be trying to trip me up 

    Thanks for your help and advice @janer1967 to be fair I am a bit shocked that this happens still  I will just do my job now 

    The only reason I said about them being older was because a friend of mine who lives in Canada wanted to come and study in wales and they said she was to old for a student visa but could apply for a working visa that allowed her to work 20 hrs and she could study but had to renew every 12months and had to still be working and not just studying  my friend was 33 at the time she had to go back because of covid 

    I know a couple of weeks ago there were no flights in or out of the country where they come from  because of what is happening there our boss is from the same country and has been here two years 

    Again @janer1967 thank you so much for all your help 


  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Your welcome 

    Seems like a people traffic business to me your boss is involved in 
  • pinklady25
    pinklady25 Community member Posts: 118 Contributor
    @janer1967 something isn't right and has only started since we changed to a morrisons daily I think he is looking for an excuse to sack me but has to be a good reason I won't know until Sunday if someone is working with me but I will ask why on Monday 

    I dont think things are looking good for me though 

    See what happens 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Keep me updated and good luck 
  • SueHeath
    SueHeath Community member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    Think the police should be informed on this to investigate ??? 
  • Sue_Alumni
    Sue_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 484 Empowering
    Good morning @pinklady25 and I'm sorry that things are tough for you at the moment.  You have so much on your plate and I can appreciate that looking after a loved one with dementia is draining both physically and emotionally. 

    In changing your shifts do you feel that your employer was discriminating against you for some reason. Even if your contract of employment allows your employer to make changes to your contract of employment  it can some tines be unfair for him to make those changes. You seem to be worried that he wants to dismiss you.  Have you tried speaking to him.  There are steps an employer has to take before they can sack someone as shown on this link

    You mention a deduction from your UC of £60 pm. You should contact the DWP's debt management contact centre 0800 916 0647 to explain that you are struggling to pay essential living cists and cant afford repayments. 





  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 1,606 Championing
    You can report immigration and illegal workers  online, there is a government web page. 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,874 Championing
    I did my new Sunday night shift and I had another person with me until 2am who is also studying on a student visa  then I had a phone call from my boss saying a lady was comeing this morning for training and she is on a student visa  but I found out my boss is the owner of the petrol station and also owns 12 shops and another petrol station he has been here for four years the one who worked with me until 2am works in one of the bosses shops aswel  and when he left at 2am he had worked 16hrs straight off but he said my boss is a kind and generous man and he cares about the people who work for him .

    He said that my boss likes me  and that he is helping me its just strange they are all on student visas none of them talk proper English and none of them have got money and thats why they work long hours he said my boss is a hard worker 

    I will just have to go  with  the flow and see if he is true to his word and pays me holiday pay Friday and go from there .

    Also sorry I was logged out of my other account and can't get back on it 
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    Thanks for updating us @Lisatho11987777, I hope your holiday pay come through on Friday, and no need to apologise about your account :)
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,874 Championing
    @Alex_Scope something else has happend  apart from my job that has overwhelmed  me and made me feel guilty and bad so dealing with alot at the moment 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Lisa 

    Think the whole situation with your boss is likely to be too complex for one individual to deal with 

    As mentioned in this thread you can report concerns to immigration not much more as needs to be dealt with by the correct authority.

    But you might not want to do this while employed.

    Obviously if you individually have any employment issues then try and make your case 

    Sorry you have so much to deal with.
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    I am sorry to hear about how you're feeling lately @Lisatho11987777, I'll be sending an email a little later on today from community@scope.org.uk to see if we can help support you further.

    Remember if you are struggling with how you're feeling, there are a number of organisations you can reach out to, including Samaritans on 116 123, or by texting "SHOUT" to 85258 for support at anytime. 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,874 Championing
    @Alex_Scope I don't know what's happening with my scope but I have stopped getting notifications  and I can't find the email you sent me 
  • Biblioklept
    Biblioklept Community member Posts: 5,343 Championing
    How you doing @Lisatho11987777? <3 
  • SueHeath
    SueHeath Community member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    Hi @Lisatho11987777 @pinklady25 hope your okay a lot of us have lost our notifications x
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    As others have mentioned @Lisatho11987777 the issue with notifications has been reported, we're hoping it will be fixed as soon as possible. 

    I think you have replied to my email, and the team has emailed back since, but there's no pressure to reply if you don't want to :)
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,874 Championing
    I have asked for my contract of employment as my union rep wanted to see it I have now told him I can no longer work Sunday and Monday  night as the carers for my mum said they can't  work those days as they  hsve clients before and after mum and its to much for them 

    I have to be in work for ten  and not getting there until 11pm due to carers haveing to come from another house  and they leave at 6am to get to their next call at 7 am 

    I have explained this to him I now have a meeting on Wednesday morning  if he terminates my employment  is this classed as unfair dismissal or will he say he changed my shifts so I still  had a job and it hasn't worked out
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    It all depends on what your contract says 

    He can't dismiss as such but usually they can give you notice your hours are changing (due to a business need ) which I don't know he has one for example change in opening hours or delivery schedules etc 

    If you dont agree to change he can issue new contract and end old one if you don't take new contract so in essence your contract and employment will end 

    There maybe part of your contract stating they can change your hours so until you see that you don't have much to go by 

    Ask your union rep to request a copy of your contract and attend the meeting with you 

    Your boss should also have asked anyone else working the same hours as you to have changed if it only needed 1 person to change eg making it fair 

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