Suspended from work

Zazen999

So presumably; if it wasn't there when you arrived and wasn't there when the person who opened up arrived; only someone with keys could have taken it. Or it has been put away somewhere 'safe' and nobody knows where.

Could it be a set up - to get rid of people; and then it is 'found' a few days later?

rupee99

DMWG81 wrote: »

The laptop was a personal one and was delivered by Business Post, my colleague signed for it at 13:37pm on the 7th January along with another parcel (Which was opened because it was addressed to the office, it was a toner). The laptop was then left all afternoon on a spare desk until the Warehouse manager and my colleague locked up at 5PM. Both my colleague and the Warehouse manager said the laptop was on the desk when they locked up.

There isn't really any secure places to keep important things apart from a safe in the other building, but the owner of the company wasn't in on the 7th January and he is the one who normally deals with situations like this.

We don't have cleaners.

All of the senior members of the company are related to the owner and he has practically dismissed all of them even though many of them have keys.

The laptop was placed on a spare desk alongside mine and my colleagues.

Your employer has no duty of care to a person who chooses to have personal property delivered to the business premises, in fact, arguably, it has a greater duty of care to you to ensure that such property is not put on your desk.

Unless they have clear evidence that you are responsible for the theft of the item they cannot suspend you. It would be a different matter if you had stolen items from another employee that are habitually kept on the premises to enable them to perform their duties (eg personal work tools), but the delivery of a valuable piece of merchandise to the premises would be at the owners own risk. If your employer wanted to accept responsibility for the item they had a duty to ensure it was stored in a secure environment rather than an open office..

It seems to me they are seeking scapegoats in you and your colleague for their own negligence.

DMWG81

Zazen999 wrote: »

So presumably; if it wasn't there when you arrived and wasn't there when the person who opened up arrived; only someone with keys could have taken it. Or it has been put away somewhere 'safe' and nobody knows where.

Could it be a set up - to get rid of people; and then it is 'found' a few days later?

They trust the warehouse manager because he has been with the company 18 years and never done anything wrong. I think ths is why he hasn't even been talked to about it. He is the person that opens up early in the morning.

I hope it isnt a set up! tht can't be legal, right?

pitkin2020

Zazen999 wrote: »

So presumably; if it wasn't there when you arrived and wasn't there when the person who opened up arrived; only someone with keys could have taken it. Or it has been put away somewhere 'safe' and nobody knows where.

Could it be a set up - to get rid of people; and then it is 'found' a few days later?

Sound like it, you haven't been with the company very long less than 12 months could be a cheap way of cutting a few staff without the expense of a couple weeks pay.

Zazen999

DMWG81 wrote: »

They trust the warehouse manager because he has been with the company 18 years and never done anything wrong. I think ths is why he hasn't even been talked to about it. He is the person that opens up early in the morning.

I hope it isnt a set up! tht can't be legal, right?

Well, who knows? Any manager who has had something valuable delivered to work and doesn't lock it away somewhere needs their head seeing it. He should have either called the employee to say 'your laptop's here, come and get it' or put it somewhere safe.

Do you know that the person whose laptop it is didn't come and get it?

RobertoMoir

NovaBlack100 wrote: »

..what.... ?

:rotfl:hahahaha...:rotfl:sorry, but thats the daftest thing i've ever heard.

Really? You should read more of Anihilator's posts then ;-). I understand being blunt about things (God knows I am at times) and I understand playing Devil's Advocate (and anihilator's posts along those lines do raise interesting points) but they can always be relied upon to go too far.

Wonderful100

pitkin2020 wrote: »

Sound like it, you haven't been with the company very long less than 12 months could be a cheap way of cutting a few staff without the expense of a couple weeks pay.

It certainly sounds like it.

To the OP you don't need to have a contract to have rights and a contract can and is formed if you are deemed to have accepted to or are doing something over a certain period of time anyway.

The problem here is sadly the employer really can do what they like if you have been employed for less than 12 months unless in cases of certain types of discrimination ie sexual discrimination or pregnancy related issues and ACAS will confirm this. You do need to seek advice from them as a matter of urgency though as with regards to any criminal investigations.

I am so sorry that you're in this position and I am also sorry that I can't give a more positive response.

DMWG81

Thank you for all the advice. I have a meeting at the CAB this morning and then a call from ACAS in the afternoon. I'll let you know whats happening,

:cool:

DMWG81

I was called in to work this afternoon and given a letter, it said:

Dear Daniel,

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Due to the financial climate and the stores decline in sales, it is with regret, that we have made the decision to make your position at the Internet store redundant.[/FONT]




[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As you have been employed for less than 1 year we therefore give you the required notice period of 1 week, terminating your employment on 18th January 2010. You do not qualify to receive a redundancy payment, as this is only due if you have 2 years continuous service.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Your final salary will be paid into your bank account on Wednesday 27th January, [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Your payslip and P45 will be posted in due course.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Yours sincerely,



This is obviously not why they 'Laid me off'....
[/FONT]

justcat

That sucks man, I feel really bad for you.

Are you still suspended or do you have to go back into work?