Slander

kylestucon

Hi,
Advice needed. I am a club Stewardess at a very small private social club with me employed full time and 3 part time staff. I have a problem with one of my staff and am unsure of how to approach it legally. He has been tell customers and a few committee members that I have been stealing from club which is totally untrue. We run a bonus ball ( numbers 1to 59 £1 a number with prize paid out weekly) he is saying that I have been fiddling it by waiting until it has been drawn on the Saturday night and claiming it in my husbands name on the Sunday morning by saying that I have put my husbands name in a number that is spare. That is not the case as the treasurer had been using an old sheet which had hubbys name missing which I had filled in the treasurer has the master copy so knows this to be true so just says to ignore him but I want to take it further. My husband also ran a goalbuster competition which this staff member won he is now saying we both fiddled that as he was paid £100 short but that is not true. He has probably told half the club and I am worried that they will believe him. My union said he should be sent a letter to be up in front of committee and that it is slander and he could be sacked straight away for gross misconduct. I want to pull him about it first with a witness present but don't know if I could. I am mortified as half the club might think there is some truth in it.

Dox

You've had advice from your union and have decided to ignore it. Why would you follow 'advice' anyone gives here?

If you're that bothered (and I can see exactly why you would be), have a word with a solicitor, so that you can get advice based on all the facts.

comeandgo

Hi am surprised you or your family are even allowed to enter any competitions or draws you run just to stop this sort of thing. There will always be suspicion if winner is linked to event.

getmore4less

He has been tell customers and a few committee members that I have been stealing from club

How do you know?

What are the committee doing about it.


Reality is there is little you can do about what people think even getting the person sacked won't be changing it.

Most will be falling into one of two camps, just gossip or I always though there was something dodgy about that pair.

kylestucon

I don't run the bonus ball competition the committee run it for the club. My husband runs the goalbuster competition but doesn't enter it. I was only asking peoples opinion didn't say I was going to ignore what the union said was just asking for people's thoughts and any extra info they could provide!

kylestucon

I know because several people have told me. The staff member who accuses me has 7 numbers on this bonus ball competition which he pays himself ( doesn't give his money to other staff members or committee to mark off ) and I don't go around accusing him. No one is around to actually see if he is even paying his own money in.

sangie595

Put in a grievance. Or do it your own way, escalate things, and see if that can make it worse.

I would agree with the comment that I am surprised your and your family are allowed to enter into competitions - this is bound to give rise to speculation. There seems to be a fair amount of slipshod practice. If prize money was signed for when handed over, then there couldn't be allegations of it being short.

kylestucon

Thanks Dox,
That is what I was considering doing, consulting a solicitor maybe just to send him a letter. I was just wondering should I be verbal and go around telling people it's not true and to go and see committee to confirm it, r should I not say anything. It is getting very hard for me to not say anything.

warby68

Have you actually spoken to the person concerned?

You mention going 'legal' but surely a sharp word in the ear about not spreading lies about you is the first step. Same for your husband. Troublemakers often back down when called out.

And clean up and formalize any syndicates etc for avoidance of doubt -use 2 signatures etc. Surely its obvious if someone hasn't paid in (or out) what they should from the records and cash held?

You also say that this person is one of your staff. Do you have the power of hire of fire? I wouldn't tolerate someone working for me and spreading rumours about me.

kylestucon

Me, my family, bar staff and all committee are allowed to enter competitions. The prize money wasn't short it was correct I don't run any of the lotteries or competitions.

Undervalued

kylestucon wrote: »

Thanks Dox,
That is what I was considering doing, consulting a solicitor maybe just to send him a letter. I was just wondering should I be verbal and go around telling people it's not true and to go and see committee to confirm it, r should I not say anything. It is getting very hard for me to not say anything.

That can sometimes be effective.

The problem is if it isn't it has cost you a couple of hundred pounds and will cost a small fortune to proceed further. So unless you have significant resources think very carefully.

To some extent it depends on the personality and motivation of the person concerned. You will have some idea of that, we will have none.