Being replaced at work

HI, as background work in school started Sept I'm fixes term contract till July however I've been told that they are not renewing my contract and Will hire another person to take over my role. They have renewed other people's contract. I was told when i approached the head to speak about something else.
I gave autism and suffer from high anxiety. There has been a few family stuff as well that has gone on which had resulted in me pretty much being absent for a whole half month, which they've classed as "3 different periods of absence- pre booked holiday (which was not a holiday we went to home country to see ill relatives and bury ashes, chest infection 7 days and one day generally ill mentally not with it due to bereavement.
The past month has also been incredibly stressful so i made work aware of which at the time the head seemed understanding however attendance has not been affected during this time and I'm still fulfilling all my duties
Now that they're said they are 'technically replacing me ' i feel Kind of rejected, i thought work places were supposed to support you too stay in your job etc.. Is it right what they have done? I'm going to be honest i don't even want to see why i shook carry on going in to work till July? I'm battling with my autism and anxiety day I'm day out to try and go to work do my best for me and them and then you get this.
Mentally this hasn't left me in a good place either because I'm scared fearful of looking for starting somewhere else, i genuinely thought after I'd opened up to them about my current mental health and high anxiety levels they were going to support me bit no.
Any advice please?

Reply 1

Dnsnnssn

17

How many days have you taken off altogether. If I'm honest it sounds like a lot, even if you had good reasons.

Reply 2

unknownforever

OP

9

Original post by Dnsnnssn

How many days have you taken off altogether. If I'm honest it sounds like a lot, even if you had good reasons.

The 'hol " which was pre approved was 20 days.
Plus 1 day.
Plus 7 for chest infection.
That was all in ahoy 6 weeks so yeah that was quite a bit but unfortunately not one i had control over!
Then 2 days weatger in March and 2 days due to vomiting in Nov. But one also worked unpaid hours to cover the weather absence.
I guess it sound a lot but i had no control over

Reply 3

Dnsnnssn

17

Original post by unknownforever

The 'hol " which was pre approved was 20 days.
Plus 1 day.
Plus 7 for chest infection.
That was all in ahoy 6 weeks so yeah that was quite a bit but unfortunately not one i had control over!
Then 2 days weatger in March and 2 days due to vomiting in Nov. But one also worked unpaid hours to cover the weather absence.
I guess it sound a lot but i had no control over

That is way too many absences, whatever the reason, I'm sorry. They didn't have much of a choice, tbh
Employers don't care about the reasons, if you are unreliable they will have to get someone else who is. Harsh but fair.

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 4

unknownforever

OP

9

Original post by Dnsnnssn

That is way too many absences, whatever the reason, I'm sorry. They didn't have much of a choice, tbh
Employers don't care about the reasons, if you are unreliable they will have to get someone else who is. Harsh but fair.

I guess i can get where it comes across as unreliable especially as its been itsy bits rather than one long absence. But at the same time they were genuine reasons and not one in my control. A shame when they used a standard calculation and don't consider reason

Reply 5

toxicgamage56

Universities Forum Helper

19

Original post by Dnsnnssn

That is way too many absences, whatever the reason, I'm sorry. They didn't have much of a choice, tbh
Employers don't care about the reasons, if you are unreliable they will have to get someone else who is. Harsh but fair.

Wha? So even if someone's undergoing cancer treatment or something, they get laid off for absences?

Reply 6

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by unknownforever

I guess i can get where it comes across as unreliable especially as its been itsy bits rather than one long absence. But at the same time they were genuine reasons and not one in my control. A shame when they used a standard calculation and don't consider reason

I mean they do need to consider how they are going to manage if they have someone who often isn't there - and so others have to pick up the slack for that.

You said the holiday was pre-approved, but at the same time that it was an absence - which was it? Did you actually book your annual leave for it or just tell them you weren't coming in for that period without booking annual leave, or having your manager/HR make arrangements for you to be on compassionate leave for a bereavement?

Reply 7

davros

16

Original post by artful_lounger

I mean they do need to consider how they are going to manage if they have someone who often isn't there - and so others have to pick up the slack for that.

You said the holiday was pre-approved, but at the same time that it was an absence - which was it? Did you actually book your annual leave for it or just tell them you weren't coming in for that period without booking annual leave, or having your manager/HR make arrangements for you to be on compassionate leave for a bereavement?

This.

20 days' "hol" is virtually an entire year's worth of annual leave (excluding bank holidays) for a permanent member of staff, never mind someone on a fixed-term contract, so the OP needs to be clear what it is that they "requested" and what was "agreed" in return. Personally I've done a few fixed-term contracts in my time and my opinion - possibly harsh, but realistic - is that the employer has been fairly tolerant given the levels of absence. At the end of the day, a fixed-term contract is just that - the employer is under no obligation to renew it, just as the employee doesn't have to agree to an extension if the employer wants to keep them on. These contracts can be very beneficial to both sides - a guarantee of work for a set period, but no obligation on either side to extend the period of employment afterwards.

Reply 8

unknownforever

OP

9

Hello thanks for reply .. The 'hol' was booked prior to me starting the job in fact prior to interview and they were made aware before me accepting the job offer for which they'd granted it. Leave for bereavement was taken within this tins i didn't then request extra time off. The time we were away there was a death the day we were due to fly back and due to work i didn't cancel the ticket or anything i just flee back and returned to work and did not take part or even offer final respects to that bereaved person. So in a way i put work first that decision has then since played on me mentally but it is what it is. I think the main issue was that i then went off again due to infection and then a further 1 day leave for bereavement. So it was very close together. We had a lot going on all at once.

Reply 9

unknownforever

OP

9

But then following late Feb when schools returned back I've been consistent and done unpaid hours as for before December at well..

Reply 10

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by unknownforever

But then following late Feb when schools returned back I've been consistent and done unpaid hours as for before December at well..

Original post by unknownforever

Hello thanks for reply .. The 'hol' was booked prior to me starting the job in fact prior to interview and they were made aware before me accepting the job offer for which they'd granted it. Leave for bereavement was taken within this tins i didn't then request extra time off. The time we were away there was a death the day we were due to fly back and due to work i didn't cancel the ticket or anything i just flee back and returned to work and did not take part or even offer final respects to that bereaved person. So in a way i put work first that decision has then since played on me mentally but it is what it is. I think the main issue was that i then went off again due to infection and then a further 1 day leave for bereavement. So it was very close together. We had a lot going on all at once.

I guess the first thing to note is, what is your aim now? Are you just looking for feedback in general to take onboard for future, or are you looking to see if you can make a potential legal claim? I think knowing this would help shape the responses better for you.

That aside, if it was pre-agreed leave when you were hired (whether it was paid or unpaid) that shouldn't be a factor in their decision - they already factored that in. So if they've said it is a factor that seems a little off to me.

Also you absolutely should never do unpaid work...did they ask you to do unpaid work? Or did you just offer and they didn't decline? Seems like a major red flag either way though to me, but particularly if they asked you to do unpaid work to cover periods of your sick/annual/unpaid agreed leave, that seems very questionable.

Did they actually say that your contract was not being renewed for these reasons and specifically that you are being "replaced"? As if so it sounds more like a dismissal rather than simply not renewing your FTC. That might change the picture legally, although if that's not something you're pursuing then is neither here nor there I suppose.

Reply 11

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

19

Original post by Dnsnnssn

That is way too many absences, whatever the reason, I'm sorry. They didn't have much of a choice, tbh
Employers don't care about the reasons, if you are unreliable they will have to get someone else who is. Harsh but fair.

I agree. This is a lot of absences. Whatever the reasons. The odd absence for a good reason, employers can cope with. This is a lot more than the off absence.
I can see why they arent keeping you on and are recruiting someone else who should hopefully be more reliable.
The other person who they are keeping on probably has had a lot less in the way of time off.