suspension

loopy136

If this is about you whereabouts at a certain time or day, CCTV will clear your name and that can only be a good thing. Sometimes having big brother watching is positive! Don't worry too much about about the suspension, as others have posted this will be normal procedure while facts and any statements are gathered.
Hope it's sorted soon!

wrightk

i have got a discliplinary hearing coming up. i would like to take someone with me but it says in the letter i am not able to take anyone with me involved in the investigation. my colleagues are all involved in the investigation too and some have been suspended. as it happens they are the only ones that i can ask for a statement to my whereabouts that day but i have been told i am allowed no contact with them even for a statement..is this right?

dandelionclock30

I can think of 3 seperate instances when people have worked in this sector and have been sacked following allegations where its just been the service users word against the workers.
So it does happen.
O.P are you in a union? if so can you get the rep to help you?

Notmyrealname

Personally I'd be thinking about lawyering up, especially if I were not being paid, and suing the complainant.

That'll make the cantancarous pratt think twice.

Uncertain

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

I can think of 3 seperate instances when people have worked in this sector and have been sacked following allegations where its just been the service users word against the workers.
So it does happen.

And it will.

In law, an employer only needs a "reasonable belief" to dismiss fairly. This is way short of having proof and dismissals have been held to be fair even when it is later proved that the employee was totally innocent.

Uncertain

Notmyrealname wrote: »

Personally I'd be thinking about lawyering up, especially if I were not being paid, and suing the complainant.

For what exactly?

Unless the OP has some proof that the complaint is malicious (as opposed to simply mistaken) then that is a total non-starter.

Everything else is down to the employer. There is a strong argument that any suspension should be on full pay but, apart from that, so far they haven't done anything wrong either.

elsien

wrightk wrote: »

i have got a discliplinary hearing coming up. i would like to take someone with me but it says in the letter i am not able to take anyone with me involved in the investigation. my colleagues are all involved in the investigation too and some have been suspended. as it happens they are the only ones that i can ask for a statement to my whereabouts that day but i have been told i am allowed no contact with them even for a statement..is this right?

I'd suggest getting some proper employment advice on this one if I were you - try ACAS again, CAB or a solicitor.
It's not my field, but firstly if you have a union rep they can accompany you. When you say all your colleagues are involved in the investigation is that as witnesses? If there really isn't anyone, you can ask to take a family member or CAB worker, but the employer can say no - worth a try though.
Not contacting colleagues directly is standard policy to ensure you don't collude in your statements, but I'd have thought in a disciplinary you get copies of all the statements against you beforehand so would that not cover it? Or are you worried that the right questions haven't been asked?
Go back to your named contact person and ask them the questions you have, see what response you get then take it from there.

wrightk

i am suspended on full pay.

i was thinking about taking a prepared statement to my disciplinary hearing to outline things from my point of view?i have contacted my union however because i only recently joined there is a 4 week rule regarding membership so they are not able to represent me.i have phoned acas and they are worse than useless every time i ask for advice they read me a script presumably from the computer about the rules of suspension and the disciplinary procedure. when i ask for any specific advice they say they are not allowed to give advice.
i have called my local cab office for a week solid but cannot get through to anyone and as i live about 20 miles from the nearest one its difficult to just drop in.

my biggest issue is that firstly my line manager and mines relationship took a turn for the worst before this alleged offence therefore without going into it i believe he has motive to get rid of me. and secondly because the service users communication is so poor i do not believe that what he is alleged to have said is true at all and from the statements that i have seen the questions which he was asked by the investigators are all leading questions. the timing on all of the statements are precisely the same to the minute and everything just stinks!

marybelle01

Obvious question - and it may be answered somewhere and I missed it. How long have you worked there?

wrightk

nearly 2 years now