Written Warning- disciplinary procedure

beautifuldachshund

I am doing this on behalf of my partner.
He was promoted around 7-8months ago into a completely new role with his employer.
Two weeks ago, he was off on a Monday to attend his grandma's funeral. On returning to work the day after (Tuesday) his immediate supervisor informed him he had not put an order in that was required, and as a result, some machinery had stopped. He agreed he had not done it and would order it that day.
However, come Wednesday, the same supervisor informed him he had still not put the order in and it had to be done straight away. He apologised and ordered the necessary and the product arrived only a few hours after it would have arrived had he ordered it on the Tuesday.
Later that day, his manager (who is the next stage up from his immediate supervisor) came roaring at him about this mistake and said he would need to have a meeting with him to discuss what needs to be done and said he would probably get a verbal warning. By the end of the day, he had a letter from his manager inviting him to a disciplinary hearing the following day.
He attended the hearing and very much voiced his opinion over it all. He apologised over not placing the order originally but also advised that the circumstances around it all (that he had been at his grandma's funeral the day before) did not help matters as his head was all over the place. He also voiced his concerns that ever since he had been moved into the role he felt he had been hard done by and constantly picked on by his manager (the interviewer) and had been told on more than one occasion by others that he hated him; other colleagues were always asking a million and ones jobs of him and that he was basically treated like dog muck by shift foreman and the like. His manager said he was did not have a problem with him and did not know he had been treated as he had and would sort the problem out with colleagues/foremen. However, he disregarded the whole situation regarding the funeral and said that dispite this, he should have had the foresight to get the order in place prior to him being off. again, my partner argued this case as he explained he had only been doing the role for 7-8months, with minimal training/shadowing, as the guy who did the role before (and would need to train him etc) had also been promoted and was very busy in his new job. His manager said he would need to think about everything carefully and could report back to him with an outcome in the next few days.
The day after, he had a letter waiting for him when he got into work from his manager stating he had been given a written warning due to 'negligence' and that it would stay on his file for 12 months. He was also given notice in this letter that he need to have a 'general inprovement in his overall work performance' in the next 6 weeks, or it could develop into a final written warning. His manager then told him he had the right to contest the outcome (within 7 days), but said it would then go to the next manager up, who didn't know anything of the situation and he advised him it would probably just make it worse!!
What I questioning is whether this appears to have
A) Been a harsh outcome given the circumstances behind it all (i.e. new to the role/ little to no training/ family member's funeral) and
if this would even stand up in a proper tribunal?
The reason I am questioning the validity of it all is due to there being no 3rd person in the disciplinary hearing to take notes on the meeting; so basically what has been said is his word against his manager's. Also, he has not been given (at any time) anything to sign to say he has had the initial disciplinary hearing and received/accepted the outcome/warning. He has even asked his manager for a list of specific areas he would like to see improvement in in the 6 weeks timescale, and he has yet to provide this to him (dispite the hearing being 2 wks ago and the cut-off date for contesting it all was the end of last week!).
I feel that, although the mistake was a large one and I can understand the manager's need to 'be seen to be doing something about it', I think the written warning is harsh and the whole 'improvement in general work' thing is unfair, as his work standard has never actually been questioned prior to all this.
I'm trying to understand if his manager is trying to 'make a point' of trying to push my partner to be more conscientious with his work etc., whilst trying to figure out if what he has done deserves the outcome he got, or if his manager just rushed it all and doesn't really have a leg to stand on!
Any advise is grately appreciated in this. Many thanks xNx

Googlewhacker

it sounds about right if the item he was meant to order was important and he forgot to do it twice.

It is worse than a verbal warning but not as bad as a final written warning IMO (See how others see it)
In the letter was he given the option of having another employee or a union member to sit in?

PS can you split it into paragraphs please

dseventy

Again, sounds about right.

If I understand rightly the OP was asked twice to do something yet it didn't happen.

He clearly knew how to do it (ie wasn't a training issue) as he did on his own after being reminded twice.

If there was lack of training or other evidence about being "picked on", has this been raised in the past? A grievance? Concerns noted before this warning?

If not, why is it only suddenly a issue when he gets a warning?

D70

lucylucky

What I questioning is whether this appears to have
A) Been a harsh outcome given the circumstances behind it all (i.e. new to the role/ little to no training/ family member's funeral) and
if this would even stand up in a proper tribunal?

Doesn't sound harsh.
If the company have followed all procedures then it would stand up but it is not worth going to a tribunal for, it is "only" a written warning. It gives him an opportunity to improve and shine now.

jonjamie1970

Agree with the other posters really, 7 months is a decent time on what sounds like a basic task, he should have ordered the items prior to going to the funeral or asked another member to order etc.

Tell him to take it on the chin, improve his concentration and the warning will expire anyway, they should however work with him to ensure it doesnt happen again and provide helpful answers as to why it happened, further training etc.

FBaby

The problem is that your partner argued rather than admitting he had done wrong and giving reassurance that it wouldn't happen again. Your partner did do wrong, and the fact that he had a death in the family does not change that. It is very likely that had he ordered the machinery as soon as he was reminded he had forgotten, nothing further would have happened, but he forgot again. There really is no denying that he was in the wrong and his arguing it probably just made the threat of a 'verbal' convert into a written. Your partner now needs to give all he can to do his job well and in 12 months time, all will be forgotten.

beautifuldachshund

Thanks for the replies so far :T

What I'm trying to get at more than anything is that as far as I'm aware, there is supposed to be an independant 3rd party in any disciplinary hearing, to note take on the whole affair, which the interviewer and interviewee have to sign afterwards to confirm what has been recorded down has actually been said. He was offered to take someone in with him but this was just as someone to fight his corner. He has received a verbal warning in the past (a good couple of years ago, so this is no longer on file) for being late, and although there wasn't a note-taker in the hearing, he did receive something from his manager to sign after the outcome had been given, that would go on file to prove he had had it and accepted it.

Also, my partner did go in and argue his case, but at the same time he completely held his hands up and agreed he had cocked up. The problem is the order he had to put it is something that is based alot on timing and extended knowledge of the role (i.e. knowing when is the best time to put the order in to ensure the machinery doesn't stop mid-job), which his supervisor (who was the guy who did the job beforehand, for 3 years) agrees.

Ever since he started the role, he has had very little training/shadowing/help, and he is in charge of the whole department on his own and there is no-one to really help him when he needs it. He has been offered bits of help in the past, but when I say help, this is him getting someone to lighten the load of the job (another person who again, hasn't had any training, accept the bits my partner has given him; and given there was 7 people doing the role a few years back, it is clear they are understaffed in the area), but at the same time if he is overloaded with work he doesn't like asking his manager (the interviewer) for such a helper, as he knows that the reaction will be 'you can't do the job then', as he has said this to his supervisor in the past. It just feels he isn't being given the chance to learn and grow. He never gets praised for anything he does (like the numerous hours of overtime he does but doesn't get paid for, to ensure the job is done to a high degree), just gets pulled up on the things he does wrong; which, given he is new to the role, is (to a degree) something to be expected (little mistakes here and there etc).

The fact that he hasn't had anything to sign etc on the back of this all is what I'm querying the most really, as it worries me that should something happen on the back of it, there will be nothing to substansiate anything he voiced to his manager (i.e. the bullying etc) and there is no proof he received or agreed to the hearing/outcome etc.

Is there not some standard rule regarding such hearings that state they must be fully noted on file, by a 3rd party (who isn't there to support the employee, just simply there to note-take and be witness) and that the employee must sign something to say they have received it and everything is above board?

eamon

You have my sympathy. Sounds like your OH reports to a right set of dicks that practice management by fire fighting. Sorry but there is no easy way out of this the damage is done. All you OH can do is turn things around and delegate all blame upwards. He needs to turn his attitude on its head and quickly learn how to act in a pushy & proactive manner. He needs to admit to himself that he is still learning the ropes and one way of demonstrating this to his superiors is to request help & guidance everytime if there is ever any doubt/question whatsoever about procedures, process, timing, authority etc. This can be a difficult exercise to do but if it makes management do their job & honour their commitments to your OH then so be it.

Sambucus_Nigra

No, there doesn't have to be a third party there, nor does the employee have to sign something to say they have received it and everything is above board.

And the person that your partner could have taken in, wasn't there to fight his corner, but to take note and discuss the situation with - he should have taken someone in with him if he had concerns.

It sounds as if he is out of his depth to be honest. 'Learn and grow' is what you do when you are in drama class pretending to 'be a tree'. He needs to knuckle down and get to grips with the role if he is going to last the distance.

jazzyman01

There are very clear rules regarding disciplinary processes. He must be given the opportunity to have someone attend with him - there is no indication (unless I missed it) that your OH had this.

Also, 12 months seems like an unbelievably long time. Has he got a copy of the Company disciplinary policy? I know he held his hand up that he had not ordered the goods, but there were very significant mitigating circumstances. He can lose nothing by appealing.

Emmzi

he was offered to take someone in with him, he declined this.

I think he needs to buckle down; he's been a bit daft.