Grievance at work...

mantaskmita

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Wow.

So because management glared at you or told other people not to speak to you - it's ended in this?

When you say you want it resolved; I am not totally convinced that this is will stand up in a tribunal as bullying and harassment.

It just proves I get singled out a lot for trivial things whereas others can do what they like...I know how it sounds but it's only a small part of my complaint and it's caused me a lot of stress lately.

marybelle01

Not being funny here, but at least two of the managers are bullying you and the General Manager doesn't like you; managers keep pulling you up for things you have done wrong (because if there are things that could have been resolved informally in your opinion, that kind of suggests that there actually are things to resolve); you have gathered up the minutes of every disciplinary you have had over the last three years, which sort of suggests that there are quite a few... Are you quite sure that the problem is with them and not with your performace? It isn't bullying and harassment for managers to be dissatisfied with an employee.

kingfisherblue

How many disciplinaries have you had?

What were they for?

What were the outcomes?

Would yourt witnesses really be willing to support you, bearing in mind they would have to continue working there afterwards?

Sambucus_Nigra

josephchrist wrote: »

It just proves I get singled out a lot for trivial things whereas others can do what they like...I know how it sounds but it's only a small part of my complaint and it's caused me a lot of stress lately.

Perhaps they feel they have to resolve them formally because they know you will take out a grievance against them if they don't 'follow the procedure'?

CFC

josephchrist wrote: »

Most recent incident was when another employee purposely pushed a steel pallet towards one I was holding, almost resulting in an accident. This was also caught on CCTV. I decided to make an informal complaint to my line manager who asked me what action I would like to take. I just asked him to have a word and make sure it doesn't happen again. A week later I was called into a investigation meeting over the incident. I wasn't happy that this incident was being investigated but gave my side of the story. Again, the investigating manager asked what I wanted the outcome to be and I just said a sit down face to face with the guy and an apology would be fine. The manager agreed that this would be the most ideal outcome and said he would make the arrangements to make this happen.

Now, this is where it gets stupid...I receive a letter in the post asking me to attend a disciplinary hearing over the incident. Claiming I was the one who was unsafe in the incident, saying I didn't follow the marked walkways in the area (which weren't marked) and that i was entirely at fault for the incident. I was given a Second Stage Warning for conduct for the incident for where I wasn't at fault. The hearing was a complete farce as it was clear that the decision was made way before I entered that room. I decided to appeal this warning, which was even worse. The manager taking the meeting was rude, dismissive, shouted at my Union rep, and was also a good friend of the other person involved in the incident. She even admitted that the entire management team had discussed the incident and make the decision together to give me the warning. Which is against site rules, all investigation and disciplinary hearing information must be kept confidential, if not, it is classed as gross misconduct. This is only the most recent incident.


After the appeal meeting I attended I became so stressed that I had to take some time off work.


.

And how did the appeal meeting go?
By the way there is nothing wrong with managers discussing disciplinary issues to ensure that there is consistency in approach, even if in an ideal world it wouldn't happen. That doesn't count as a breach of confidentiality.

If you think they want to sack you but don't have enough grounds, and you want to leave, there is nothing to stop you approaching a manager and saying you would leave with a compromise agreement.

mantaskmita

marybelle01 wrote: »

Not being funny here, but at least two of the managers are bullying you and the General Manager doesn't like you; managers keep pulling you up for things you have done wrong (because if there are things that could have been resolved informally in your opinion, that kind of suggests that there actually are things to resolve); you have gathered up the minutes of every disciplinary you have had over the last three years, which sort of suggests that there are quite a few... Are you quite sure that the problem is with them and not with your performace? It isn't bullying and harassment for managers to be dissatisfied with an employee.

Well it is true they are dissatisfied with me but my performance is almost perfect. There have never been any qualms with that, it just seems like I get pulled up for most things that are not even worth being pulled up for...things that other people don't get pulled up for. Hence the feeling I'm getting victimised. It's quite strange that there seems to be a bit of an obsession, which makes it kind of personal, and a very hostile work environment.

mantaskmita

kingfisherblue wrote: »

How many disciplinaries have you had?

What were they for?

What were the outcomes?

Would yourt witnesses really be willing to support you, bearing in mind they would have to continue working there afterwards?

I would say there have been around 5 or 6 discipline's over the last 3 years. One of them was the long winded incident in the OP, which I got a warning for, One was for supposedly reading a newspaper whilst supposed to be working when it was actually someone else, the person who was actually doing it said it was me to get himself out of disciplinary action.

One was for taking an unauthorised break when I came in feeling unwell and tired after personal problems at home, I went home literally minutes after but was taken through a long winded investigation and disciplinary hearing and received a warning.

Others that I never got a warning for were for things I was never involved in, such as making posts on Twitter (I don't even have a Twitter account) and an incident in the toilet which I never witnessed but was accused of being part of.

I know this all sounds really silly haha. And to answer your last question the witnesses are willing to support me.

mantaskmita

CFC wrote: »

And how did the appeal meeting go?
By the way there is nothing wrong with managers discussing disciplinary issues to ensure that there is consistency in approach, even if in an ideal world it wouldn't happen. That doesn't count as a breach of confidentiality.

If you think they want to sack you but don't have enough grounds, and you want to leave, there is nothing to stop you approaching a manager and saying you would leave with a compromise agreement.

The appeal went horribly, I mentioned this in the OP but to sum it up the manager was friends with the other party involved in the investigation, and was rude dismissive, wouldn't listen to anything I had to say and put me to blame for everything when someone had almost injured me.

Obviously I aim to be leaving in September, but only with another job lined up so I still support myself through college, but how would I go about approaching a manager with a compromise agreement? Are these kind of things common?

CFC

josephchrist wrote: »

The appeal went horribly, I mentioned this in the OP but to sum it up the manager was friends with the other party involved in the investigation, and was rude dismissive, wouldn't listen to anything I had to say and put me to blame for everything when someone had almost injured me.

Obviously I aim to be leaving in September, but only with another job lined up so I still support myself through college, but how would I go about approaching a manager with a compromise agreement? Are these kind of things common?

They aren't tremendously common in this kind of situation but they happen sometimes. Can you evidence any of the 'unfairness' that you are referring to? I think you may find it difficult to prove that the disciplinaries were unfair, judging from what you have said.

If you felt that the person who held your appeal was biased, why did you not submit a grievance procedure?


A Compromise agreement can be used in a variety of situations but they commonly fall into the following categories;

• Where there is, or is threatened to be, a legal dispute between the employer and the employee and the employer is prepared to pay some compensation to the employee to settle or prevent the claim being pursued in the Employment Tribunal.
• Where the employee is being made redundant and the employer is offering an additional or enhanced payment over and above statutory or contractual entitlements
• Where there is a difficult situation in the workplace or things are just ‘not working out’ and the employer and the employee are able to agree mutually acceptable severance terms to resolve the matter.

marybelle01

josephchrist wrote: »

Well it is true they are dissatisfied with me but my performance is almost perfect. There have never been any qualms with that, it just seems like I get pulled up for most things that are not even worth being pulled up for...things that other people don't get pulled up for. Hence the feeling I'm getting victimised. It's quite strange that there seems to be a bit of an obsession, which makes it kind of personal, and a very hostile work environment.

It appears that there is a mismatch between your understanding of "almost perfect performance " and your employers. You have had half a dozen disciplinaries, all for things your have not done or are not responsible for. And managers keep pulling you up over things that are not to their approval. In other words, a long way off almost perfect in their book. Sorry but I am skeptical. If they really were out to get you several disciplinaries in three years, plus a range of other issues that they could have taken formal rather than informal action over...well they could have had you by now. Do I detect an odour of "well I'm leaving anyway and wonder if I could make a claim for something because I don't see why I should leave with no money ". Because that is very much what it sounds like .