Dilemma

lili2008

I haven't anything really useful to add, but just, there are SO many examples of this sort of work-place bullying going on. Good grief, what's going on?

NB yes your bro should contact the company direct to see if it was a sample. If it was, he may want to think about bringing a constructive dismissal case against this boss. The more people fight these bullies within the law, the better conditions will be for all of us.

cariadtrist

Thanks for all replies so far. The problem is, having been certain when he picked the thing up that it was free, having been accused to theft, he's worried it wasn't free. The manager is a fairly nice bloke who's not very good at managing. There's been lots of little things over the four years my bro's been there, inc changing annual leave, days off and things without disussion. I'm not sure if this is event is more deliberate. But all this happened two months ago and still the tension remains. Where does he go from here?
1.What if he phones the company and it wasn't free?
2. How should the manager have dealt with the situation? I very much doubt there's policies in the company.
3. How does he find a new job without the fear of a bad reference?

lili2008

Even if it wasn't free, if there was lots of other free stuff around surely he can argue it was an easy mistake to make?

cariadtrist

That's exactly what he told them. But I think the manager and his wife had built themselves into such a tizz at this stage, having discussed it among themselves for two days, that they wouldn't listen.

lynzpower

What bothers me is that how does the manager know whether this was a free sample or not? I have been to oads of these sorts of trade shows and most of the stuff they lay out IS free, its impossible to know what is and whats not unless someone STOPS YOU at the time and says so.

cariadtrist

He asked them why they didn't stop him (they were next to him at the time) and they said they were too flustered by what they thought they saw. :S

mountainofdebt

I would be tempted to ring the company's whose stall it was anonymously saying that you had taken a tool, thinking it was a free sample but was worried that, in hindsight, it wasn't......and see what their reaction is.

lili2008

cariadtrist wrote: »

He asked them why they didn't stop him (they were next to him at the time) and they said they were too flustered by what they thought they saw. :S

Sorry, this all sounds suspicious to me. Too flustered by what they thought they saw? Not sure of whether the thing was free or not but decided to accuse him of it anyway? Jury by 'discussing it with the wife'? I think it's time he saw a lawyer. This sounds just like plain bullying to me.

cariadtrist

The manager is convinced it wasn't free. My brother is in work at the moment, so I guess we'll sort all of this out monday. Would car insurance legal cover touch this do you think?
They don't seem like bullies. They're nice enough to my brother day to day. They're just pants at being owner/managers. :S

Justicia

cariadtrist,

Any updates to this?