Suspended from work..advice needed

hatesworks

hi.

not giving to much info away but i have been suspended from work.. gross misconduct i think they said..

what it was for is.. using promotional discount codes myself on my own account... i did this two times only... once back in december and another in feb,

im assuming there classing it as theft as were not entitled to them,
the customers get sent them when there eliable for them so i could argue that i did it all at home not in work and it all went through ok so i must of been entitled?

and another case of unauthorised access... i went onto my own account in work.. didnt use it to order but to check up on a previous order, so i didnt do anything wrong in my eyes, there classing it as fraud. but if its my account how can it be?

i am currently awaiting my letter stating the full reasons and then my hearing for it,

and i found out today that the police got called into work today about it,

quite a few people got suspended, and mine was the least serious as i didnt overide anything inplace to stop it happenning.

is there anything i could do?

-BA-

Well I would certainly get your hands on the company policies manual and ensure that you are aware of the rules. If the rules state that what you have done is prohibited then I would suggest that you are in breach of your contract. If however the rules do not state the circumstances or could very easily be misinterpreted then you might have grounds for defence.

This paragraph gave me cause for concern:

im assuming there classing it as theft as were not entitled to them,
the customers get sent them when there eliable for them so i could argue that i did it all at home not in work and it all went through ok so i must of been entitled?

It suggests that you know you are not entitled to discount codes/vouchers and your suggestion that you "could" say you did it at home indicates to me that you know you have done wrong. Just because the transaction went through is irrelevant. It was probably one of thousands and has now only come to light perhaps in an audit or an investigation into more serious malpractices.

Using a home account is irrelevant, you have inside knowledge on discounts, your discount should come through a staff discount scheme. Vouchers and competitions nearly always carry the statement, "This offer or promotion is not available to employees or family of employees" or something similar for this very reason.

ChrisCobra

Sounds like you knew you were doing something possibly dodgy.
Next time ask your bosses if you can do this i reckon.

hatesworks

-BA- wrote: »

Well I would certainly get your hands on the company policies manual and ensure that you are aware of the rules. If the rules state that what you have done is prohibited then I would suggest that you are in breach of your contract. If however the rules do not state the circumstances or could very easily be misinterpreted then you might have grounds for defence.

This paragraph gave me cause for concern:

im assuming there classing it as theft as were not entitled to them,
the customers get sent them when there eliable for them so i could argue that i did it all at home not in work and it all went through ok so i must of been entitled?

It suggests that you know you are not entitled to discount codes/vouchers and your suggestion that you "could" say you did it at home indicates to me that you know you have done wrong. Just because the transaction went through is irrelevant. It was probably one of thousands and has now only come to light perhaps in an audit or an investigation into more serious malpractices.

Using a home account is irrelevant, you have inside knowledge on discounts, your discount should come through a staff discount scheme. Vouchers and competitions nearly always carry the statement, "This offer or promotion is not available to employees or family of employees" or something similar for this very reason.

in my meeting when i got suspended, they asked did we get told we cant use the codes or go onto own account, we didnt but i said yes as its implied. i didnt think about what i was saying as it was unexpected,

i know i wasnt meant to use them looking back on it, but i cant exactly undo it now.

mine was the least serious, as people had gone and overiden safety measures that stop codes being used on their acounts in work, where mine was not done by over riding or even in work,

in this current climate i need this job so any advice how to keep it would greatfull

-BA-

Without doubt humbleness and honesty. Explain exactly what you just did in your second post. Say that although you had not had official instruction on it, the reason you said yes was because you perhaps felt it was wrong and you should have known better. Offer your profound apologies and perhaps even offer to repay any wrongfully received discount. Perhaps use your very infrequent use of this scheme as partial defence in thinking it might be wrong but not really being sure but because it worked the first time, you assumed it to be ok and proceeded to use it a second time.

I am afraid this is the only advice I can offer as any other advice would seem to only compound the error and implied deceipt that has already taken place.

HO87

Without going into the legal definition but almost certainly what you did does amount to fraud. Its not a case of "being classed as fraud" because that is what it is and if safeguards were overridden it sounds as though someone is in deep doo-doo as this would tend to show considerable guilty knowledge.

If a number of others at your work have been up to the same thing - but on a more serious basis - then you may well be looked at as being on the periphery. As -BA- suggests considerable humility and a very open and apologetic manner may pay dividends but if the company are set on a clear-out you may find yourself scooped up. The same may well apply if the police have now been involved. Disciplinary proceedings will not be delayed (or at least shouldn't be) whilst police enquiries are underway although they will always ask that they are.
It is also the possibility that the company are already aware of how you used the voucher codes and so attempting to suggest you did it at home may make matters worse.
Honesty is the best policy - I would suggest but make sure that you are acoompanied to all meetings and ensure that you ask then and there for copies of any notes made/minutes taken and insist on signing them at the time. Do not allow your self to be "fobbed" by being promised copies at some later date. If you are in the union take your arok place rep/area officer/covener

1984ReturnsForReal_2

did you know all the other cases of "more serious" fraud was going on?

On a scale of 1 to 10 of fraud what score would you give yourself & what would you give the most serious case that you know of at work?

hatesworks

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

did you know all the other cases of "more serious" fraud was going on?

On a scale of 1 to 10 of fraud what score would you give yourself & what would you give the most serious case that you know of at work?

i would rate mind about 3or4/10 as it wasnt alot of money saved using it,

and the more other cases like 8/9 as they overided safe guards using more than 1code at a time to get £100's of

1984ReturnsForReal_2

hatesworks wrote: »

i would rate mind about 3or4/10 as it wasnt alot of money saved using it,

and the more other cases like 8/9 as they overided safe guards using more than 1code at a time to get £100's of

Did you know about the others whilst they were doing it?

& did they know other people were doing it also?

Zazen999

So

It looks like they have had a blitz on the whole situation, and anyone found having done this is suspended pending investigation, which could lead to dismissal.

You might find that, even if you grade this as a 3/4 in the greater scheme of things; you are guilty by association and they will have to be seen to be dealing with it in one fell swoop, with no get outs for unfairness. In other words, if they let you off with a 3/4 then those with a 5/6 could plead that letting you off set a precedent.

I'd hope that they give you a chance to grovel and apologise....but it sounds pretty clear cut that they are taking heavy action across the board.