Employee rights - no contract

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fionahere

Registered User
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Hello,
I am looking for some advice regarding my sister. She currently works for a local chain of supermarkets and has done since leaving school 4 years ago. She has a low IQ but loves her job, enjoys her work and likes her colleagues. For this reason she does not want to leave. However I found out that this morning her boss had her outside sweeping the car park in the rain. My sister is the type of person who would not question what is asked of her. However I believe that they are mistreating somebody who works hard for them, is honest and would not question a request from her boss.
She has no contract with them although she works 40 hours every week. She was also never issued with terms and conditions of employment.
She told me a couple of weeks ago that they had been contacted by a union but that the company put a stop to any of the staff attending.
the only reason I found out about her sweeping a car park this morning is that when I called into the shop, the guy in the butcher department mentioned it to me. He thought we should know how they were treating her. When I asked her boss, she denied having asked my sister. However when i checked with her she told that she had been told by said boss. When i went back to the boss again, i was told to take it up with management. as she is the management... she was basically telling me to go away.
It is upsetting to me to see these people abuse my sister like this. The problem being that she does not have the ability to stand up for herself in these situations. And if she were to leave I am afraid that it would do her more harm.. she has found it difficult in the past to make friends and through this job she has...
I know this is a long post but I would be very grateful if anyone has any advice on where we could go from here. I'm afraid that if I cause to much fuss that they might fire her.. what are her legal rights?
Thanks for your help,
Fiona
 
It does sound like abuse bearing in mind your sister's situation. You need to find out if sweeping the carpark is a chore that is shared out between all the employees at her level. If so then it may be just a bad part of the job. If not then she is being picked on and some action should be taken. You would need to tread carefully though as if she was terminated with a bad reference you may be doing her more harm than good.

Also if you are being asked to work outside in the rain you should be supplied with suitable waterproof clothing.
 
I suggest you contact the head office of the supermarket chain and ask them about your sister's contract of employment and job description - go above this managers head - they can't fire her for asking for her job description. If her friend in work thought enough of it to mention it - there has probably been other small things that have happened that you don't know about.
 
Thank you both for replying. I have taken your advice and am trying to schedule a meeting with the area manager. I will ask for terms and conditions of her employment along with a contract.
Thanks again,
Fiona
 
Check out the above link, it may be of use to you.

Where a formal contract does not exist statute law imposses its own which gives all employees some protected rights.
 
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