Gross Misconduct

psychopathbabble

I'm probably going to regret posting this as I have a feeling I know the answer but....

I pulled a sicky, and got caught. I had a meeting when I got back to work and when they questioned it, I just came clean straightaway as I felt very guilty and am a terrible liar.

To keep the story brief I did it to attend a leaving party for a friend who is leaving the country, we had a big fall out a while ago and this was the first chance I had to talk to her and I wanted to make the effort to say goodbye properly. I wasn't down to work that day but it changed last minute. I don't want to go into to much detail in case people look at this!

I had filled in a self-cert form, before I confessed. Now I have to have a dicplinary meeting for gross misconduct.

Now, I accept what I did, I was stupid and made a mistake. I have only had about 5 sick days in the time I have been there (well over 2 years) and only 2 of those were in the last year. I have never had a disciplinary or warning before.

I hope to just get a verbal or written warning. Do you think this will be the case? I've explained my reasons to them, and I've got other stuff going on too which I will cite as a cause for stress (hence needing to sort things out with friend).

hothothot_3

How long have you been employed there?

psychopathbabble

since May 2007

Anihilator

I think most employers would dismiss you for not only the sickie but the fraudulent self certifying and the attempts at justifying it.

hothothot_3

You have over 1 years employment so will have alot more safety from dismissal. However, gross misconduct is grounds for instant dismissal. Make sure that you take a witness to your disciplinary meeting. It might not be in your best interests to incriminate yourself on a gross misconduct charge - if it wasnt GM youd have a better chance of just a warning - GM acts put more power in the hands of the employer to get rid of you (if they wish) than other types of breach of company rules.

This page will probably help answer a few questions in the meantime. phone number too if you wish to contact them for free impartial advice.
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1774

psychopathbabble

It's not an attempt to justify it. I said I know I did wrong and I explained my reason for doing so, I have never done it before and I wouldn't have done it if it wasnt for one of my closest friends leaving the country for good.
I know it was fraud but I wasn't thinking properly at the time, Ijust wanted to see my friend before she left!

psychopathbabble

Thanks for the link Hot... what do you mean when you say incriminate myself? I have already asked someone to come in with me.

Debt_Free_Chick

Gross misconduct usually results in instant dismissal, without notice, pay or anything else. You are sacked on the spot.

The Company could possibly be lenient, but I very much doubt it, because they may end up having to "downgrade" the "offence" and others in the future would have to be "let off" too.

Sorry, but I think you should prepare yourself for the worst.

Savvy_Sue

psychopathbabble wrote: »

I wasn't down to work that day but it changed last minute.

I'm just a bit confused by this bit: if it changed last minute, why did you not say "Sorry, I have already made arrangements and I am not free to work then?"

dmg24

I agree with Debt_Free_Chick and Anihilator. You have in effect committed two disciplinary offences - unauthorised absence and falsifying an official document. One or the other may be a final written warning, but both could quite possibly lead to dismissal.

BexInLondon

What about writing a very sincere letter of apology and asking whether that day can be taken as a day of annual leave? You could perhaps offer, in the interests of re-building trust, to have even short absences certified by a doctor for the next year. If you're very contrite, and if you're otherwise a good worker, they might agree to keep you on. I know I would if someone seemed genuinely sorry for what they'd done. People make mistakes.