forged documents

Hi,
Could you help by answering a question for me. The background is quite lengthy but i will try and give you the basics.
I was told in August that i was at risk of redundancy and would be redeployed. I was offered a temporary post covering maternity leave and was told that I would be made a redeployee again at the end of the term. I accepted the post on this premise.
I have been suffering with depression which has been exacerbated by stress at work. I had to take time off sick at my GP’s recommendation because of this and I do not feel I was supported by line management. I felt like I had to leave so made enquires into whether I could take the redundancy now. I was told at this point that not only was I not entitled to it then, but I would not be entitled at the end of the term either. They sought legal advice that confirmed this so I felt my only option was to hand in my notice, which I did on 28th January. I asked for their position to be sent in writing along with minutes from the meeting where I was offered the position, as I thought I had lost my copy. While I was waiting for this I found my original copy of the minutes. They then sent the minutes which had obviously been doctored as text had been added to the copy they sent which was not on the copy that I had signed. I raised this with the union who took it to HR. HR agreed that the document had been doctored and said that the individual would go through disciplinary procedure. They offered to pay my redundancy as it was obvious that I had been given the wrong information. I am loathed to take this as this is what I was entitled to anyway, before I was made out to be a liar. Could you tell me if I am in a position to ask for any more or if I have any other options, other than to take the redundancy. I would appreciate your advice in this matter, as I am taking a £10,000 pay cut in the job I am going into and can not afford a solicitor.

I'm afraid that no matter what happened with the document, you asked for redundancy and that is what you got. The alleged forgery is an internal matter for the employer to deal with. You did not have to resign - and you might have been in a stronger position had you not done so. And you did not have to atke a job at lower pay. So I am afraid that you made some very unwise choices, but having chosen to resign rather than submit a grievance or go to the union, and see if the employer could sort this out, you have demolished any small chance of a case that you may have had. I am afraid that your best option would be to put this behind you and move on.

Thank you very much for your advice. I chose to take it and informed my employers that i would like the redundancy calculation in writing so that i am able to formally accept it. I was told that i would recieve this on the friday, however on the stated day i only recieved an email stating that they were going to investigate my complaint of forged documents. After a lot of chasing i was told that the offer of redundancy was 'pending investigation'. I was given the result of the investigation which stated that they had found i had been told verbally that i would not be given redundancy (i was not) and that they would offer me redeployment at the end of the term of maternity cover- no redundancy. Can you offer any advice as to what i should do now? I do not want to continue working for this employer because of the level of dishonesty. I appreciate any advice you can offer as to where i go from here.

There is nowhere that you can go. You have no right to redudnancy and you cannot force an employer to make you redundant. If the job offer is a suitable alternative vacancy then you must accept it, or reject it and understand that the employer will be within their rights to refuse to pay redundancy. So is it a suitable alternative, and if not, why not?