All the news that's good to beat with a large stick until it dies horribly.

[denny]

Dunno where that title came from, my fingers started moving before my brain did. Anyway.

I went out to the shopping centre this afternoon to try and find a book someone recommended in my recent bookshelf meme post. Wasn't at any of the bookshops I tried, so I had to order it (10 pounds? 10 bloody pounds for a paperback? No wonder no-one reads any more). Of course, it's impossible to wander around several bookstores without getting mugged by things you had no intention of buying until you saw them, so I'm now 6 books up and £20 down, not counting the one on order.

Went in McDonalds to get a snack while I was in the shopping centre. My right crutch slipped on the wet floor and I had to use the broken leg to prevent myself falling over. I'm very glad to say that this episode scared me a lot more than it hurt me - the impact of landing on the bad leg was actually more like a very strong stab of pins and needles and less like it felt when I lent on it the weekend after my birthday (i.e. agonising). I guess it's getting better.

Today's extensive hopping around on crutches appears to have given me a blister in the palm of my hand. Hopefully the hilarity this will cause will be slightly tempered by the fact that it's my left hand. :)

Arriving back home, I've just opened my mail and found that I've been made redundant. The slimy bastards I used to work for have actually laid me off while I'm off sick. Charming. If anyone knows of any interesting jobs (even short term contracts etc) for a perl/linux hacker, please do let me know... stuff I can do from home would be particularly welcome over the next month or two.

Comments

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

I don't see anything to make a fuss about, legally speaking

Don't be so certain about that, I share a house with employment law specialist solicitor and hear about many cases like this. Obviously I'm not a solicitor and couldn't say (and even if I were I'd need all the details), but from what I've heard many companies try this frequently.

There are very specific procedures that must be followed and documented in order to force redundancy. If they have failed in any part (no matter how small) then you would be entitled to a healthy severance pay.

The circumstantial evidence certainly is in your favor, to the lay person (which is what a tribunal is made up of) it just sounds like they didn't want to give you sick pay.

Even if you don't have a particularly strong case, it often works out that a company will offer a settlement anyway as it would be cheaper than the legal fees of representation at a tribunal.

By the way, did you get a redundancy payment? If not, at the very least you will be entitled to some form of redundancy package.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Well, they've already paid me all my entitled company sick pay, I was only costing them statutory sick pay now which I believe they get back from the government anyway. They are offering me the usual redundancy package, i.e. four weeks notice and my holiday entitledment paid to me. I've only been there a year and a bit so I'm not entitled to anything other than that.

I didn't realise the tribunals were made up of 'real people'. That's interesting, thanks.