suspended from work today

bigdek

basically been accused of stealing and fraud

called in today for a facts investigation meeting and suspended at the end of it

i work as part of a two man team installing central heating

its paye price work

basically we reused some old pipework in a property instead of renewing it all

we have done this numerous times under the instruction of our managers who deny this

we have been accused today of stealing the unused copper pipe and fraud on our timesheets as we claim the full job

we leave the pipe in the van and it gets used on other jobs if we are short of pipe and we get paid the same for a days work regadless as we are job and finish sometimes finish early sometimes late get paid the same every day there is no lower breakdown for doing less work

we are suspended with pay pending investigation but i think they are going to sack us with zero evidence


another team was pulled before christmas for the same thing and it was swept under the floor

i have no previous dicsiplinarys with my company but i do have a strong opion on some work issues and voice them i think they are trying to use this to get rid of me


i am assuming i will be able to go to tribunal if the worst happens

WhiteHorse

You will need specialist advice on this. In the meantime, a thought from the dirty tricks department.

Do the owners of the properties where you reused old pipe know this? Did they pay for new? What would their reaction be if they found out?

bigdek

cutomer pays nothing it all grant funded

doesnt happen every job only on ones where the pipework is suitable

SarEl

You may be able to go to a tribunal if the worst happens - but I wouldn't bet a whole load on you winning one. They know that you used old pipework instead of renewing it all. They have timesheets that do not tally with the hours that you have actually worked. I wouldn't exactly call that zero-evidence. You, on the other hand, claim a management instruction you cannot prove, and a working practice you cannot prove. That is what is called zero evidence. You'll need to do better than this to stand a cat in hell's chance of winning a tribunal.

bigdek

we dont work any standard hrs its job and finish my working day can be anwhere in between five and twelve hrs a day i get paid the same price for my shift

SarEl

bigdek wrote: »

we dont work any standard hrs its job and finish my working day can be anwhere in between five and twelve hrs a day i get paid the same price for my shift

Then what is the fraud on your timesheet? Your timesheet must say something that you put on it that isn't true. That's evidence.

bigdek

nothing that my point

my time sheet for that days has the customers address and then a box for how much i get paid for that day that never changes

thats it nothing else

patman99

What a pity you didn't get the managers telling you to re-use old pipe on tape.

Nine_Lives

You say you get paid the same. That's fine. Does your timesheet not state when you started/finished on each day though?

I see too much of this at my own place anyway. The employer giving the instruction that "when it comes down to it" can land the employee in trouble.

Then "when it comes down to it" the employee has nothing but a verbal instruction, and the employer has done their homework & although guilty of dirty tricks, has covered their backside - so in a tribunal they'll be the ones who look good & not the employee.

Wrong, but it happens.

Then the employee comes on MSE & asks for help & can be made to feel like THEY are the 100% guilty party. When just because the employer has been crafty, it doesn't mean they're clean.

EDIT: That last sentence doesn't happen all the time i should point out.

ohreally

Its a big jump from you not using materials on some jobs to being a thief - is this accusation simply an assumption on the employers part or are they claiming some form of evidence.

The times on you job lines are pretty much irrelevant in terms of fraudulent activity given you get price work anyway - why are they getting precious over this when there is no apparent mileage in it?

You say "we have done this numerous times under the instruction of our managers who deny this". Is this standard working practice carried out by all the fitters or only you? If everyone does this and its common knowledge, it may be possible to contest this allegation.

s_b

make sure you have never had a weigh in of company property as certainly at my local non ferrous place photos and registrations are noted even if you dont take the receipt
you will need to be squeaky clean or they might use the opportunity to report you to the police for theft of their property
i know this because someone i know was doing it a few years ago and this is what they did

me?
i would see a solicitor first thing in the morning and talk straight to him

good luck
and all the best