Dismissed - Gross Misconduct - Unauthorised Absence

foxy-roxy

I really really can not understand why you want to go back, don't you think after all this time and what's happened your colleagues are going to be gossiping about you even more?
How will you handle it next time? You won't be able to just walk out again.

RobertoMoir

Orville wrote: »

To me it seems you did the rite thing by walking out. Obviousily the night shift managers have taken a disliking to you for whatever reason.

Employers might make allowances for someone who is in distress who removes themselves from that distressing situation, but I'd suggest that walking out without telling someone before or afterwards is never the "right" thing to do.

What fails me is that the manager who went blabbing your medical condition dosen't seem to have been disiplined at all, or have i missed it in one of your posts..?

Irrelevant to the OP's situation with their own disciplinary issue. They can (and should imho) complain about a manager they know is discussing confidential personal information with others and the employer should deal with that manager, but it isn't relevant.

. I would claim that the breach of confidentiality was why you walked out. State that as it had been broken, and the companys lack of support by not taking action against the manager you felt you had no choice but to remove yourself from the situation as you didn't know who to trust because no action had been taken against him.

Lack of support for not taking action - Did the OP complain? If you wish to complain about your manager, you complain to their manager or to HR. That's a pretty well known mechanism.

How do we know action wasn't taken? Just as the OP should expect confidentiality in their personal and disciplinary interactions with their employer, so should other employees be able to do so including the manager. If the "big boss" received a complaint and said "It's been dealt with" then that's arguably as much as can be said, seeing as confidentiality is important and all.

I would have thought that if you are a manager one of the most important aspects of your job would be staff confidentiality especially if it involves a medical condition.

Totally agree but don't see why that is relevant to the OP's own actions.

OFTBC

viktory wrote: »

No, the right thing to have done would have been for the OP to have spoken with a manager, to advise that he was not feeling well, felt he was being bullied and was therefore leaving the building.

In reference to your second point, proof is everything. It is not enough to say that is happened.

I cold not speak to any managers because I didn't trust any of them because all the managers are all very matey. There was no one I could talk to. The state I was in could have led to possible danger to myself and my fellow colleagues.

As for wanting my job back, Yes I do. The dust would have settled by now and I would be looking to move onto the day shift where it is different staff and different managers.

You seem to have the same view about depression as they do. I hope you don't ever have the misfortune to go through it all because it is not a very nice thing to go through.

RobertoMoir

OFTBC wrote: »

I cold not speak to any managers because I didn't trust any of them because all the managers are all very matey. There was no one I could talk to. The state I was in could have led to possible danger to myself and my fellow colleagues..

So you couldn't have contacted them once you got home?

viktory

OFTBC wrote: »

You seem to have the same view about depression as they do. I hope you don't ever have the misfortune to go through it all because it is not a very nice thing to go through.

I don't believe you were truly depressed, no. I think you used it as an excuse because you were unhappy at work.

I have been very close to someone who was depressed - I know what genuine depression is like - I simply don't think this is what you were suffering from and I don't believe the whole "There was no one for me to speak to" routine. Whether they believed you or not is irrelevant, you would have done what was necessary as a responsible adult - i.e, let someone in authority know you were leaving the building and why. I would then have followed that up with a letter once home. You ignored everything and everyone and are blaming it on being depressed.

Uncertain

viktory wrote: »

I don't believe you were truly depressed, no. I think you used it as an excuse because you were unhappy at work.

I have been very close to someone who was depressed - I know what genuine depression is like - I simply don't think this is what you were suffering from.

And your medical qualifications are?

bendix

RobertoMoir wrote: »

So you couldn't have contacted them once you got home?

But you're forgetting the moot point Roberto. People who claim they have depression can behave however they want and blame it on the elephant in the room that noone dare mention - their depression. It's the ultimate enable of irresponsibility.

Of course, said people can just walk home and let their colleagues and employers down without saying anything to them, but they can't be challenged, questioned or anything like that.

Similarly, they seem to rally remarkably well and decide they want their jobs back when their sickness pay stops and - lordy above what a recovery! - when they realise the money flow from the employer is replaced by SSP.

What a coincidence.

I wonder if the OP's desire to go back to work in a place which made them 'depressed' is related to that, by any chance?

viktory

Uncertain wrote: »

And your medical qualifications are?

I don't have any and I don't need any as I am not diagnosing the OP. I am giving my opinion - that is I do not believe the OP was genuinely depressed and it is interesting to note that the OP's GP (who I am assuming is fully qualified) also refused to give the OP more time off work. So he simply didn't go back at all.

sammyjo1979

During any period of your time off were you on any medication or receiving any counselling?

This obviously seems to be a touchy subject for some and I hold my hand up there too, I feel the depression diagnosis is just handed out on a plate, but that is because I have had 2 years of hell with OH and his depression.

Saying that though, depression does start somewhere and sometimes enabling people that little bit of time, can prevent them from say feeling very low to actually becoming depressed.

The only thing that I just cannot get my head around is the whole work situation. Why would you want to put yourself back into the scenario that has made your poorly to start with? I understand it's different shifts etc but does that mean it's going to be better?

RobertoMoir

bendix wrote: »

But you're forgetting the moot point Roberto. People who claim they have depression can behave however they want and blame it on the elephant in the room that noone dare mention - their depression. It's the ultimate enable of irresponsibility.

Of course, said people can just walk home and let their colleagues and employers down without saying anything to them, but they can't be challenged, questioned or anything like that.

Indeed. I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt, and there is no doubt that depression can be a serious debilitating illness, but I think there is more to this story than we have been told. Apologies to the OP but there it is.