This school sacked me from my DOS position for gross misconduct. So what had I done? Deleted my personal emails. Yes, honestly, that was it. Apparently, that is 'destruction of company property' and therefore qualifies as 'gross misconduct'. Incidentally, it happened just as my salary was supposed to increase (as negotiated when I started there). And legally, could I do anything? Of course not - I had been employed (in London) for less than a year, which meant I had fewer rights than a goldfish.
Thanks very much! Please keep these comments coming...
Sandy
UPDATE!!
Thanks for your support, Sandy. I did contact a solicitor, but as I had been employed under a year, I had no rights at all! I threatened to take the school to an industrial tribunal and frightened them a bit, but that was all I could do.
Things were not much better for the teachers there. They were paid no holiday pay, which should be illegal now, but the boss got round that by saying that it was already included in their measly £10 per hour. The teachers had to buy their own tea and coffee, and I had to constantly monitor the counter on the photocopier to check they weren't doing too many photocopies.
Students had to pay for anything they asked the office for, i.e letters of attendance (£15 and was due to go up to £25) and bank letters (£15), and the boss even tried to introduce a charge for giving students the transport for london oyster card application forms!! He would also come up with any excuse he could think of for not refunding fees in cases where students had their visas refused.
The boss was just soooo mean. When I first arrived, I suggested that we add a 79p box of biros to the stationary order I was doing- he refused, saying that we 'acquired' pens. What he probably meant was, everytime he went to the bank he could pinch a load! I am so glad I don't work there anymore!
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