Dispute between staff handled incorrectly by manager, help please

shimeld

Hi All.

I'm having difficulty with a situation that has arisen at work between myself and another member of staff.

I work for a charity as a bank van driver delivering used donated goods between shops. As drivers we are meant to take stock from shops and deliver stock however recently because of operating difficulties drivers have been advised not to overfill our vans or lift anything too heavy so we have the right to say that we will not take stock from shops if it means breaching that latest directive. This upsets some shops managers but we are not to compromise our licenses by over filling vans.

The trouble is that we have not been given training on correct loading of vans so have no real idea when the vans are full, at least I don't and can only go by hunch.

Last week I was dealing with shop X and the manager asked for stock to be taken and I refused explaining that the van was full which she was not happy with and she relayed this to a fellow van driver who rang my line manager to query this. There should have been no question about my decision since it was final.

My line manager informed me that my colleague who had reported me had also said he thought in his opinion that my van had space because he'd seen my van before we left the depot.

Later that day he stuck his nose in again stating the same scenario at another shop and reporting me again to my line manager. Actually he was mis-informed and I had taken some stock from the second shop.

Feeling victimized I revealed that another shop manager at shop Y felt frightened and threatened by the way my colleague speaks to her. (He does have an imposing attitude), and she was considering reporting him. When questioned by my manager the manager at shop Y denied she'd ever said it.

That evening my colleague texted me asking why I'd told our manager about the manager at shop Y since that had got him in trouble so I asked him why he had reported me and he replied "What would I have done". Obviously my manager had told him what I said even though I'd told her in confidence.

The next day I was summoned to a meeting with my manager and my colleague, (who stood up throughout the meeting to make himself look more domineering), to settle the matter and move on.

Instead of settling it she has created a situation between us that's not going to go away and make it difficult for me at work. He would like to take it further but he agreed not to.

Okay I was in the wrong and should have left manager Y to report it but I felt cornered. My manager and colleague have completely turned it around to make me out to blame.

Worst of all our manager handled it totally wrongly by getting us in her office and creating a bad situation between two members of staff that need not have arisen if she had dealt with it differently.

What can I do since I believe bank staff have the same employment rights as contracted staff when at work. Should I just talk again with just our manager, go to her manager who is head of our division or take it to HR with a grievance procedure?

Also for future reference should I ask for a specific document that completely outlines in detail my duties and responsibilities since none of us currently have one?

I can't get it out of my mind and it's driving me nuts and I'm so upset.

Thanks in anticipation.

Guest101

I don't see the issue? Manager tried to deal with it informally which is sensible.


Unless you have some official disciplinary procedure against you I don't see what the grievance is

shimeld

Thanks for your response.

The manager has created antagonism between staff which did not exist before.

Guest101

shimeld wrote: »

Thanks for your response.

The manager has created antagonism between staff which did not exist before.

But it did:


He reported and bad mouthed you
You reported him


Or am I missing something?

Ozzuk

As above, you pair created the situation, what do you expect the manager to do? Your complaint was obviously retaliatory, if the 'manager y' had felt that strongly they should have raised it themselves.

Your manager got you both together so there was no confusion as to what 'he said/she said'.

You could have simply said, my van was full. If your manager disagreed then you could have asked why, and raised the training issue. Is this based on load weight? Or if the van looks full?

bugslet

What would you have preferred the manager to do/ Interview you separately? I can tell you how that will go.

Meting 1 X says Y happened.

Meeting 2. Manager relays Y from X to Z. Z says no I didn't!

Meeting 3. Manager says to X that Z said Y didn't happen.

Grown ups get in an office together and sort it out.

Re the loading of the van, I'm guessing it's difficult to accurately weigh the van between all the shops and I'm guessing 'operational' issues means someone has been done for overloading. In the absence of any sensible method of weighing off a van, then it has to be a judgement call and if the charity have decided that, then I do agree that they have to stick with it. Personally I would have told the other driver that it was nothing to do with him.

I do, however, think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

ssparks2003

shimeld wrote: »

Hi All.

I'm having difficulty with a situation that has arisen at work between myself and another member of staff.

I work for a charity as a bank van driver delivering used donated goods between shops. As drivers we are meant to take stock from shops and deliver stock however recently because of operating difficulties drivers have been advised not to overfill our vans or lift anything too heavy so we have the right to say that we will not take stock from shops if it means breaching that latest directive. This upsets some shops managers but we are not to compromise our licenses by over filling vans.

The trouble is that we have not been given training on correct loading of vans so have no real idea when the vans are full, at least I don't and can only go by hunch.

Last week I was dealing with shop X and the manager asked for stock to be taken and I refused explaining that the van was full which she was not happy with and she relayed this to a fellow van driver who rang my line manager to query this. There should have been no question about my decision since it was final.

My line manager informed me that my colleague who had reported me had also said he thought in his opinion that my van had space because he'd seen my van before we left the depot.

Later that day he stuck his nose in again stating the same scenario at another shop and reporting me again to my line manager. Actually he was mis-informed and I had taken some stock from the second shop.

Feeling victimized I revealed that another shop manager at shop Y felt frightened and threatened by the way my colleague speaks to her. (He does have an imposing attitude), and she was considering reporting him. When questioned by my manager the manager at shop Y denied she'd ever said it.

That evening my colleague texted me asking why I'd told our manager about the manager at shop Y since that had got him in trouble so I asked him why he had reported me and he replied "What would I have done". Obviously my manager had told him what I said even though I'd told her in confidence.

The next day I was summoned to a meeting with my manager and my colleague, (who stood up throughout the meeting to make himself look more domineering), to settle the matter and move on.

Instead of settling it she has created a situation between us that's not going to go away and make it difficult for me at work. He would like to take it further but he agreed not to.

Okay I was in the wrong and should have left manager Y to report it but I felt cornered. My manager and colleague have completely turned it around to make me out to blame.

Worst of all our manager handled it totally wrongly by getting us in her office and creating a bad situation between two members of staff that need not have arisen if she had dealt with it differently.

What can I do since I believe bank staff have the same employment rights as contracted staff when at work. Should I just talk again with just our manager, go to her manager who is head of our division or take it to HR with a grievance procedure?

Also for future reference should I ask for a specific document that completely outlines in detail my duties and responsibilities since none of us currently have one?

I can't get it out of my mind and it's driving me nuts and I'm so upset.

Thanks in anticipation.

I don't see as the manager has done anything wrong other that perhaps expecting two adults to actually behave as such; but instead the pair of you seem more content to act like small children telling tales on each other to teacher. Then when things don't go your way think that you should run to the next one up the tree to give you the answer that you want to hear.

sangie595

The manager has not dealt with this incorrectly. They have dealt with as a manager. Your opinion on their handling of it is irrelevant. That is why you are not the manager. Regardless of what you think your position is as a bank van driver, your decision on anything is not final! Who created the bad situation? Well you did. The manager of a shop complained about you. The other driver did absolutely the right thing - they referred a dispute between you and the shop manager to your manager to resolve. Which in retaliation you claim to have passed on a complaint from another manager who denies the conversation took place - whether what you said was true or not, it was not your place to say anything.

And here it is you that is coming across as confrontational, arrogant and out of turn; and you that is unwilling to resolve the situation by accepting the meditation of the manager. So now you would like to escalate this to HR, their manager... In fact you'd just like to keep complaining until someone agrees that your are very important and nobody should tell you to act like a grown up.

And for future reference, when you make a complaint to a manager, there is no confidence about it. If you say it, it is official and that person had a right to know that a allegation has been made. So next time you want to rat out a colleague behind their back, don't do it by complaining to management.

Jeez, I feel sorry for the manager here....

ohreally

shimeld wrote: »

I can't get it out of my mind and it's driving me nuts and I'm so upset

Perhaps look for a role elsewhere.