The Beer House, previously named the Norloch Bar, is a franchise being run by the SSP Group. This means although they have the brand name like MacDonalds, M &S etc with in the train station, your actually employed by the SSP Group which run all the food outlets in airports and train stations.
Before starting you sit many health and safety online courses. On starting the job you find out that they follow none of them. I only worked there 9 days and tried to complain to improve conditions but they act like a gang at all management levels (and ive met them all being through a 3 step complaints procedure) and fired me for it, accusing me of being argumentative. I went through Expolink and Acas and you really have to ask what are these agencies for as they dont give legal advice and do practically nothing. SSP group offered me £300 compensation and wouldn't put there hands up to any liability. I had my benefits suspended for a bit because of their accusation but got them reinstated when I offered to provide evidence. I was one step from taking them to a court tribunal but as you only have 1 month to do so and it ran over Christmas, I missed the narrow window of opportunity. I evidence of all their wrong doings they adamantly deny and even the complaints proceedings; it would be terrifying to a customer if they saw how this company operates even at high management levels, and I intend to let them see it in good time. The blatant disregard for health and safety in these establishments has potentially led to food poisonings and even death. I never let on to the management or anyone else in there that I had evidence, and its plane as day from the evidence I have that they fired me to hide their own health and safety breaches and the head area manager even said on firing me that it was time to "reshuffle" his staff.
