Worried Sick, OH suspended on full pay :-(

Cherryjack

Hello,

Just wanted to get as much advice as possible. Baby is due next week, and OH has been suspended from work on full pay while his company investigate into Possible Gross Misconduct.
We are absolutely worried sick.. he works for a company.. and was on site on at an important job and regs are that he is not allowed to leave until a lorry has arrived. The lorry arrived and his manager asked him to bring some items to that area.. which he did. He left then as it was near home time. Now the board have put a complaint in that he left the job and just went home. His manager spoke to him on the phone, and OH offered to go back.. and did.. and was called just before he got back to the job and told it was ok and to go home. 11 days after, they now gave him a letter and we are in this situation.. another man on the job has been suspended aswell.
OH has no union rep and they want a meeting next week.. hes been told to take someone with him if he wants.. I go into hospital monday for 2 days to start med preperation for baby.

Just dont know where to turn.. didnt want to list to much info.. but hope you get the idea.. would really appreciate any advice. We believe hes done nothing wrong.

elsien

What does the letter say - is the meeting next week a formal disciplinary one or part of the investigation?
Firstly he needs to get hold of a copy of the company's disciplinary procedure if he doesn't already have it which should set out for him every stage of the proceedings, timescales, rights of appeal etc so he knows what to expect and what his rights are.

Emmzi

This may be just an investigatory interview and nothing may come of it. However to help people give a view...

How "close to home time"?

One off incident, or habitual?

Is the other bloke worse than OH and he's really the one they are after?

Did he/ has he ever asked permission to knock off early and what happened at that time?

Cherryjack

Thanks so much , just to see some replys is helping because we dont know what to do.
The letters says investigation into possible gross misconduct. That they are investigating an incident that took place. The allegations are of a serious nature and they may take the view that this constitutes gross misconduct. We are suspending you, with immediate effect on full pay, whilst our investigaton is completed. Should we consider that misconduct has occured you will be required to attend a meeting where you will be given the opportunity of explaining your version of events. You are entitled to be accompanied at that meeting by either a work colleague or trade union official.

Basically OH finished at 5.20pm it was the last job on him for that day and he was 40 mins away from home.. so its normal to leave a job then.. he had not had his break that day either and had been stuck on the job sorting it from 2.30pm. He ordered the lorry as he would do.. traced things.. got the apparatus needed that his boss asked for. Left them in a coned area.. was not told to put them out. It was dark and unsafe to go near the unstable unlit area. The boss called and asked why he wasnt there for some reason.. this is not a norm?the lorry would deal with this, but he didnt argue and went back (was almost there and told its ok not to bother)... the other colleague left after him.. and they are aware of this. Its not his company its the contract (big company) that have complained to his company..my OH really saved the day because the call centre of the big company had sent him to this emergency and given the wrong address in the 1st place. It would have been sorted hours before this.. before it got dark. The big company..decided not to use the apperatus and probably thought it was too dangerous and used a special lorry to sort it.

We dont know what was the gross misconduct is really for... he did his job as he normally does it.

Good advice about getting the disciplinary procedure.. does he ring the manager or h.r for this? hes has had his company mobile and van taken off him.

They wont clarify if next week is a disciplinary but advised he brings someone.. and the boss of his company will be attending as well as the managers.

elsien

It sounds like at the moment then they're still looking at what's happened and whether or not they are going to go down the disciplinary route.
If they decide that disciplinary action is needed that's when he'll get the meeting date, right of accompaniment etc. I think he should also be entitled to see all the evidence/statements against him prior to the meeting so he knows what specifically he's being accused of (although don't hold me to that). I'd get onto HR rather than the manager for the procedure.

Cherryjack

elsien wrote: »

It sounds like at the moment then they're still looking at what's happened and whether or not they are going to go down the disciplinary route.
If they decide that disciplinary action is needed that's when he'll get the meeting date, right of accompaniment etc. I think he should also be entitled to see all the evidence/statements against him prior to the meeting so he knows what specifically he's being accused of (although don't hold me to that). I'd get onto HR rather than the manager for the procedure.

Thanks elsien, the manager called today and said about a meeting on monday.. but OH explained i am going into hospital.. and may have baby.. so asked if it could be on wednesday.. his boss said in the afternoon and he will confirm and get back to him. OH asked if it was a disciplinary, and he said its what ever was written in the letter.

meer53

Next week will probably be a fact finding meeting where he'll find out what they've suspended him for and for him to explain his side of the story.
Don't worry too much, you have enough on your plate and you can't do anything anyway until after this meeting. If he hasn't done anything wrong then what can they do ? It may be that it's the other bloke who has done something but your OH was there at the same time so they need to find out what actually happened. The big company have obviously made a complaint but you won't know until the meeting. Try to stay calm, i know it won't be easy but your baby is the most important thing for now. Good luck xx

Cherryjack

meer53 wrote: »

Next week will probably be a fact finding meeting where he'll find out what they've suspended him for and for him to explain his side of the story.
Don't worry too much, you have enough on your plate and you can't do anything anyway until after this meeting. If he hasn't done anything wrong then what can they do ? It may be that it's the other bloke who has done something but your OH was there at the same time so they need to find out what actually happened. The big company have obviously made a complaint but you won't know until the meeting. Try to stay calm, i know it won't be easy but your baby is the most important thing for now. Good luck xx

Thanks Meer xx i think cus its all up in the air and the baby is due.. we are just thinking the worst and that the meeting next week he will be told hes sacked or something and not given a real chance. OH is wilting away.. is so upsetting to see..i am booked in for a c-section a week monday aswell so its awful to have this hanging over us.. and we are not sure then what happens with his paternity leave x

Emmzi

it would be a very good idea for OH to write down the sequence of events so he doesn;t get flustered and confused at the meeting. eg 3pm recieved a call to location x, on arriving was no incident, checked with contact centre for correct location... or whatever

He should do it now while fresh in his mind and NOT share it with the other fella - who for all you know is making up an entirely different story! Telling the truth is the best way to go.

Cherryjack

Emmzi wrote: »

it would be a very good idea for OH to write down the sequence of events so he doesn;t get flustered and confused at the meeting. eg 3pm recieved a call to location x, on arriving was no incident, checked with contact centre for correct location... or whatever

He should do it now while fresh in his mind and NOT share it with the other fella - who for all you know is making up an entirely different story! Telling the truth is the best way to go.

Oh gosh we never thought of this.. his ''friend'' the other man.. called today.. to say hes spoken to someone and basically he will be ok.. because it wasnt his original job and he was just there to assist OH.. but that OH will probably get a final written warning. Not really nice for him to have said.. so yes does make you think, best to keep things to yrself as there were going to meet and look at each others statements..x

Emmzi

if they do the statements together they may end up very similar and regardless it will look like they are colluding with something to hide!

Unless the other bloke's friend has full details of the investigation and spoken to all witnesses he cannot possibley have that good an idea of the outcome already. put it down to "my mate Bob in the pub says.." and try not to worry.

It is entirely possible BigCo know they cocked up but need someone to hang it on; have shouted at LittleCo (your hubs employer) and LittleCo have promised to do an investigation even though they know it's pointless. Hubs may be fine, or there may be token wrist slapping. You just don't know enough at this stage, so there is no point worrying! They may in fact ask questions, conclude there is no case to answer, and it's all back to normal - that happens more often than you think cos no one ever talks about it.