Suspension help

Sherbet

My boyfriend has been suspended pending an investigation into gross misconduct. There are 4 supervisors and they all have been suspended.

He was contacted by telephone on monday to inform him that he has been suspended but has yet to recieve anything else. How long should it be until he hears anything?

I suspect I may be needing a lot of advise in the next few weeks as I think he may have a case for unfair dismissal, I work in the same place as him, (he works for a company that is contracted by my company and its is obvious they are planning on sacking them).

Thanks

Mudd14

Did they not say why? Does your bf have any idea why?

Not sure how there can be a case for unfair dimissal when there has not been any investigation, any discplinary procedure yet so I would hold fire.

Once they have investigated he should be called in for an investigatory meeting/discplinary meeting which must follow the statutory procedures set out in the ACAS code of conduct (April 2009).

How long has he worked there out of interest?

Do not worry to much they must jump through many hoops to just sack someone. Unless it is clear gross misconduct!

dickydonkin

He surely must have been given a reason for his suspension - even verbally.

Sure, you cite gross misconduct, but there needs to be specifics.

Sherbet

Basically he is a security supervisor at a ferry company that I work for, there was an incident on 21st January involving a drunk foot passenger, which led to an investigation. The supervisor on duty and one of the other guards were sacked because they had falsified the paperwork claiming they had searched the passengers when they hadn't. This resulted in my company calling for the last month's worth of footage be reviewed to find any other evidence of paperwork being falsified.

The contract service manager has been demoted to a supervisor and all the supervisors have been suspended.

When he recieved the call they manager said that there was evidence to suggest that foot passenger searches had not been carried out properly on shifts but he has to countersign the paperwork that his guards have done even though due to operational requirements he is not always present when foot passengers are processed. One thing that might go in his favour is that they have been asked to sign the sheets before the check in begins.
From what has been said I think that it might not actually be him that has done wrong but his staff. Is this gross misconduct?

They may well have concrete evidence of him falsifying paperwork in which case he is screwed but he is quite sure that he always carries out his job correctly.
Thanks in advance, sorry it's a long post.

Sherbet

Also I should mention he is still waiting to hear if he will be paid for his suspension period. Apparently because it's gross misconduct they don't usually pay, but it doesn't really say that in the handbook.

Anihilator

Sorry but what you describe is unacceptable and gross misconduct. Even if he didnt know they werent happening signing paperwork saying searches had occurred before they did is gross misconduct.

Supervisors have a responsibility to ensure there staff are doing what they should, the fact the company wanted the CCTV reviewed suggests there was more to the suspicions.

He should be paid for suspension up until a decision is made.

Overall here I think he will be very lucky not to be sacked.

Sherbet

I'm sure if what I originally wrote makes sense. He hasn't asked the sheets to be signed prior to the check in, his management have.

Anihilator

Sherbet wrote: »

I'm sure if what I originally wrote makes sense. He hasn't asked the sheets to be signed prior to the check in, his management have.

So management have asked him to sign sheets prior to when they should have. This wasnt clear to me. From your post it sounded like the OH was signing them as he was too busy to ensure it was being done.

This would slightly complicate the issue but isnt full mitigation. He would then need to show that he was acting in the belief that this practice was correct. Very hard to do I would suggest as signing to say stuff had been done when it hadnt is clearly wrong.

If he passes the buck to his manager enough he might just get a warning but it sounds to me they are going to be hammered and probably demoted as well for what sounds like sloppy laziness throughout which the clients are clearly not happy with.

Sherbet

Thanks for your reply, sorry about the misunderstanding, because he is included as a member of the search team it is impossible for him to know what his guards are doing, he could be manning a gate, driving the bus or checking cars whilst other guards are doing foot passengers.

You are absolutely right about the client not being happy. I think my partner's company are just trying to pin the blame on the supervisors so the client is satisfied when in actual fact they are the ones who have in covering the managers bottom for the last 3 years.
I have a feeling this won't be the only post I need to write over this matter because his company are complete cowboys.

Anihilator

The only get out I can see is if he has to sign stuff he is impossible to support.

What is he signing to say?

Sherbet

I'm not really sure, the sheet has a box for the male guard, female guard and the supervisor that was on during that check in. It doesn't actually say what they are signing for I imagine that it is to indicate that they were part of the search team on that check in.