disciplinary help please - SUSPENDED!!!

dickydonkin

Horace wrote: »

A tip with regard to unions - normally they won't represent anybody until they have been a fully paid up member for 3 months, however, some branches can be flexible and will allow you to pay 3 months subs at once so that you are covered immediately and can seek representation.

To add to that, if someone is a lapsed member, some unions require all of the subscriptions backdated to the period when the last payment was received.

valos_mummy

benoit wrote: »

The other girl might not have told them about the text until now. That would explain the delay.

Or didn't want to bring it up until she knew the OP's girlfriend was coming back to work so she'd get suspended and have to leave again....dancing around the shop telling everyone she got her the sack indeed, what a nasty snake. Neither here nor there, but the workmates who were witness to this; I don't suppose they could mention this dancing/gloating behaviour to the boss? At the least it could bring her down to earth with a bump, at the most it could show the boss that this "bullying" isn't exactly one sided.

I do agree with the other posters though, all she can do is apologise and make clear the text was sent because of her state of mind (depression and stress), and that hearing someone was saying nasty things caused a bad reaction to the situation. And definitely join a union if you can.

Giggleswick

Go here

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2179

download the article and read if the procedure was followed properly.

Moving on - In order to say someone has been bullied there needs to be more than one occassion and these occassions have to be recorded at HR/line mangers etc.

Having been through the discipline route myself about a bully at work I can tell you one seperate incident will not count. So if the company want to say your gf is a bully for sending one text message it's not going to fly. I wish you and your gf all the bext.

benoit

So what happened with this then? Did she go to the discilinary hearing or not?

longwalks1

update people (sorry benoit)

She didnt attend her disciplinary in Central London yesterday as she is actually not up to travelling on the trains/tube on her own, or with a friend for that matter. She phoned her area manager (Who suspended her last Tuesday) first thing Monday but got answer phone, left message saying she's signed off for 2 weeks and to call her back, no call. Gf called area manager againm Tuesday, answer phone again, left another message and said she hadnt recieved ANY letter about it, neither confirming her hearing date/time, no copy of the notes, nothing. As of today (Friday) still no letter of any sort, what is the company/area manageress playing at?

Any ideas?

longwalks1

Thanks for the link giggleswick (cool name btw)
Have printed it off, all 87 pages i think, will make for bedtime reading this weekend

Only the 1 text was sent, and reported. Gf has suffered bullying herself before at this place (last summer) from a new !!!! sure manager out to make a name for himself, she raised it with her area manageress who did sod all, said it'd be dealt with, and promptly swept it under the carpet

Thanks for your kind words

longwalks1

valos_mummy wrote: »

I do agree with the other posters though, all she can do is apologise and make clear the text was sent because of her state of mind (depression and stress), and that hearing someone was saying nasty things caused a bad reaction to the situationQUOTE]

Your right Valos_mummy, its a low thing to do the toher gir ldancing round singing she's got my gf the sack, but its the kind of person she is, always has been.

Its got to the point now, where it seems so stupid and time consuming that my gf is thinking not to apologise (dont shoot me for this). Her view is why should she grovel for sending a single text, out of works time??

jdturk

britishboy wrote: »

Thanks for the link giggleswick (cool name btw)
Have printed it off, all 87 pages i think, will make for bedtime reading this weekend

Only the 1 text was sent, and reported. Gf has suffered bullying herself before at this place (last summer) from a new !!!! sure manager out to make a name for himself, she raised it with her area manageress who did sod all, said it'd be dealt with, and promptly swept it under the carpet

Thanks for your kind words

That's your GF's fault as much as the area manageress I'm afraid, she should have done a written request for it to be sorted but it is irrelivant for the current situation

I'm not sure what you can do at the moment, maybe phone ACAS and ask for advice on how to progress

longwalks1

Thanks jd, gf phoned acas in the week, and they just said they were as shocked as she was that it'd bee nblown up out of proportions, and from what gf said they werent overly helpful? I'm wondering should i phone them Monday with the details and maybe expalin better? gf isnt very pushy on the phone i dont think

jdturk

britishboy wrote: »

Thanks jd, gf phoned acas in the week, and they just said they were as shocked as she was that it'd bee nblown up out of proportions, and from what gf said they werent overly helpful? I'm wondering should i phone them Monday with the details and maybe expalin better? gf isnt very pushy on the phone i dont think

I think you really need to have a clear and conise questions of what you want answering with a brief description of what has happened but if you can get your gf to call them herself (maybe write it down for her what you want answering)