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[bardoul]

I will tell you my job:

I live in near a mansion as a servant to a mentally unstable owner. I mostly work in the gardens where I mow the lawn and tend to the flowers. The owner has a vast garden and land so I work with four other gardeners. The job is good because in the winter I am free and allowed to go to my real house which is in the city. My boss has immense social and financial power so reporting him is not an option because he is well-connected and has much money thus leading to first class lawyers. Perhaps those who know British politicians very well you will know who he is if I say his name but I will not say because I know Yahoo! Answers likes to moderate the questions. I will just say he is not really a politician. Lately, he has had problems with me. I have been working for three years but I was never punished. He shouted at me two or three times but that was pretty much it. Most of the time I was ignored which was good considering his anger issues. However, last week, I was working to trim the hedges and he was not satisfied with the shape. I told him that the other gardener told me this is what you want. He brought the other gardener over and asked him about this but he lied and denied. The owner shouted at both of us and I told him I quit because I can find a job in the city and I don't this this vile behavior from you anymore. He then sent the other gardener away laughed and told me you can't quit. If you do, I will make sure you get a criminal record so no person hires you and are brought down to begging for money. He also told me that he paid me three times as much as he should and that work in the city will give me a worse pay. I was furious so just to make a point cut a bit of his hedge and told him that if I work here, I will not work well so it is better that he fires me. He said I was stuck in a corner. I had to either quit and be ruined by him or work for him and if I did not work well I would suffer punishment. He boxed me over the ear for cutting a bit of his hedge. He then told me to get to work and if I make another mistake again, I will be punished more. Is there any way I could quit without suffering his claims of ruining me. I don't know the law in the U.K (specifically England) very well so can he really do that? I just don't understand why he just does not fire me (sack me) and get a new worker. I will tell you why I am posting on Yahoo! Answers:

I do not have a family who I can talk to about this and I will not tell my friends about this because I do not want to look weak. You must understand. The other workers are all rats so I cannot talk to them either. I think this is the best way to safely ask advice.

[varik]

Standing up to bullies is generally a good thing in principle, but sometimes it's not the smart thing. Clearly he has dominance issues and you've challenged him, now he's setting an example, putting you in your place so to speak. I've been in your shoes.

By UK Iaw, none of his claims should be possible if you haven't done anything wrong. BUT, corruption is common place these days, and power and money can make anything possible. Though the question is would he bother, only if you really pi##s him off. I get how reporting won't work, ideally it should, but this is the real world and things rarely work the way they should, especially with the rich and influential. Bullies with power and influence are best handled carefully.

Your best bet, if you wish to continue living in the city where you are, is to take your lumps for the time being and just say Yes Sir! No Sir! May I have another Sir! Until things have settled down and he stops noticing you. Don't argue. Don't talk back. Just take the insults. If he sees that nothing he does is having any effect, he'll get bored and his focus will shift elsewhere. The important thing is, DO NOT DO ANYTHING THAT EVEN REMOTELY CHALLENGES HIM. Assume he has the mentality of a spoilt 5 year old that is holding the detonator to a nearby nuclear warhead. Tell him what he wants to hear even if it does go against your better judgment.

Alternatively you can set someone else up to be his new victim of attention. I know it sounds low, but survival of the fittest.

OR, you can see if you can find a replacement for yourself, preferably someone with glowing credentials. Granted you are just putting someone in your shoes, but who knows maybe he'll like the next guy better.

Clearly you've crossed your employer in some way that he has seen it as a personal attack. So your choices that remain are:
a) Cut & run (just leave, no notice nothing. Sell your house and move far away)
b) Adapt (take it like a good whipping boy) until he won't notice if you leave
c) Substitution 1 (find some to do your job)
d) Substitution 2 (Set some else up to be disliked more than you)
e) Going to the authorities (unlikely to work)

[wynn]

How's he going to ruin you, you will already be on minimum wage so what do you have to lose?

[marlan43]

If what you are saying is the truth phone the Sun newspaper newsdesk. If you are worried about cost or confidentiality do it from a phonebox and ask them to call back. They will certainly run a story about modern slavery and abuse of power. And they will protect you and, if you ask, probably give you a modest amount of money

Depending on where you are the Sun newsdesk is on:

London - 020 7782 4100
Manchester - 0161 228 0210
Glasgow - 0141 420 5200
Dublin - +353 (01) 479 2579

[muireach]

Start saving. Once you have some money together, start looking for jobs a long way away. If you want you can change your name when you go, but that can just complicate things. Start going to church, or something where you can get someone who would give you a reference for your new job so you don't need to ask your old employer.

Accommodation is expensive, so if you can find a new job with accommodation, that would be ideal. Although this man has threatened you, and he probably would make your life difficult if you left, I doubt he would put too much time into trying to track you down. It is getting a job without a reference that is going to be difficult. If you can overcome that hurdle, then just disappear. When you go for job interviews, don't let anyone find out. Ask for time off for a holiday or to visit a sick relative. If the job is in the north of Scotland, say you are going to the south of England, anything to put them off track. Don't leave any clues. Prepare as well as you can.

[ned]

If you have not committed any crime, he cannot get you a criminal record. Quitting a job because of abuse is not a crime. Heck, quitting a job is not a crime. Unless he really does have something on you, he's just attempting to scare you. Plus, servant or not, he has no right to assault you. Unfortunately it sounds like you had no witnesses when he hit you, but it is assault.

I'd say just quit and tell him he can guess which orifice he can stick his job in. This type of behaviour is unacceptable and though he may pay well, you don't have to stand for it. High-class lawyers or not, if he has nothing on you, you cannot get a criminal record. Simple as that.

[crom]

Difficult situation. Just off my mind, perhaps you could start looking for a job right now, while you are still employed and then tell him you found a job that pays well, so you quit? I'm not sure about UK legislation, you may want to check, but there must be some provision saying that if you submit your resignation, e.g. two weeks before you leave, then the employer can't make you stay for longer. But with such powerful person, I don't know...

Perhaps you could continue working until he forgets the incident and try to leave later? Does he have a wife? Is it possible to talk to her asking to let you resign? You could tell her you just want to change career and do something else to sound even more credible? Just my two pennies. Good luck!