Suspended – what to do?

iammumtoone

sangie595 wrote: »

You are the only person with the log in and who can do the work? So what happens when you go under that bus? You could be injured, sick, leave or dismissed. And there's no measures to deal with that?

Then the company contacts the supplier explains the situation and the supplier decides the course of action.

sangie595

iammumtoone wrote: »

Then the company contacts the supplier explains the situation and the supplier decides the course of action.

My point exactly. The relationship is between the two companies, not with the OP. That's why I said it was illogical.

Smodlet

De-lurks...

I don't suppose there is any point contacting the supplier and asking them if they have any vacancies as you are looking for new challenges...?

I think you have fallen into the trap of being a ping pong ball, all too easy to do. It is not your job to fight the supplier's battles for it. As said above by far wiser heads than mine, just keep referring the supplier to your employer. Don't be a ping pong ball; who needs all that battering?

Good luck, Elinore. I hope you will let us know how it turns out.

Fergie76

When you were suspended, did you have a disciplinary meeting and did you get it in writing why they were suspending you?

If you have a good working relationship with supplier, is there someone, you can have an "off the record" chat with?

If Union Rep is not on your side, can you contact Union asking for another Rep?

Do you get free legal cover either through the Union, home insurance or such like and seek independent legal employment advice from a Solicitor? Even if you don't, some Solicitor's will do initial half hour free or free phone consultation.

Either way good lucky, I hate workplace bullies.

Smodlet

Well said, Fergie! He sounds exactly like far too many so-called managers I have suffered in my time. I'm thinking specifically of the ones who could not stand the fact we knew more than they did; it scared them so they had to "retaliate" for want of a better word.

Paul_DNAP

Sounds similar to my situation, the first time I met the incoming VP for my product line he asked me why the product manager for Asia wasn't based in China. I never met him again, but the week after I had put in front of me an absolutely dire offer to move to China (not an international assignment, a one way move, pay "at market rates" - i.e. china wages) or be gone. I was gone a few weeks later.


However, no matter how abrasive he was as a person, and no matter how much I suspect it was childish payback for a minor disagreement we'd had previously when he wasn't in my chain of command, I can't really argue with his right to structure the business the way he wanted it when he took it over. In a similar fashion your incoming manager has an issue with the contract one of his predecessors signed that gave the client this 100% dedicated person inside your company, and as the person responsible he's allowed to end that if he can, so don't take the line that you're objecting to that.


What you are objecting to is the procedure he used to accomplish that, just telling you to break what you thought was a iron-clad contract without telling anybody else, particularly HR. And on top of that, it's his risk if he annoys the supplier by breaking the contract, not yours.


Good luck in the job hunting, even if you manage to stay I can't see any longevity in working for someone like that.


PS. Love your name, my mother is an Elinor - without the e.

Smodlet

The karmic solution to all this would be they lose the huge, lucrative contract as sooner or later the supplier will get wind of what has happened. Unfortunately more people than just you, Elinore, would then lose their jobs.

The more likely outcome will probably be that they just employ someone in your place, having sacked you for daring to have some integrity and not reveal your log-in details, and this newbie manager will carve up your former duties as he sees fit. I would like to think he won't get away with it but he probably will.

I also think he should be reported for the utterly tasteless "see you next Tuesday" remark. What a vile person he sounds.

Fergie76

Paul_DNAP wrote: »

Sounds similar to my situation, the first time I met the incoming VP for my product line he asked me why the product manager for Asia wasn't based in China. I never met him again, but the week after I had put in front of me an absolutely dire offer to move to China (not an international assignment, a one way move, pay "at market rates" - i.e. china wages) or be gone. I was gone a few weeks later.


However, no matter how abrasive he was as a person, and no matter how much I suspect it was childish payback for a minor disagreement we'd had previously when he wasn't in my chain of command, I can't really argue with his right to structure the business the way he wanted it when he took it over. In a similar fashion your incoming manager has an issue with the contract one of his predecessors signed that gave the client this 100% dedicated person inside your company, and as the person responsible he's allowed to end that if he can, so don't take the line that you're objecting to that.


What you are objecting to is the procedure he used to accomplish that, just telling you to break what you thought was a iron-clad contract without telling anybody else, particularly HR. And on top of that, it's his risk if he annoys the supplier by breaking the contract, not yours.


Good luck in the job hunting, even if you manage to stay I can't see any longevity in working for someone like that.


PS. Love your name, my mother is an Elinor - without the e.

Would the manager even have the authority to amend or renegotiate the current contract? If it is a multi-national company would they not have a contracts/procurement department who would look after this stuff and it would be the managers job, just to manage his/her section of the company in line with said contracts?

I can fully understand what the OP's issue is (taking what they have said at face value). As others have said if the manager doesn't like that, then he should take it up with his superiors rather than trying to bully the OP.

nicechap

Elinore wrote: »

Hi all,

I was called into the office on Friday. The union and HR ladies took down some details, advised me they had raised my grievance - then I was told to go home they would be in contact. It was very formal with absolutely no information imparted to me at all, it all flowed the other way.

The questions all seemed to center around my 'refusal' to comply with my direct managers request. I must admit I was rather surprised at the negative vibe I was getting off them both that i should have just done as as asked and handed over the login, abandoned my role and changed my hours THEN taken the matter up with them.

I clearly advised why I was not happy to do so (passing along a copy of my contract, my role requirements and the data form - attached to my grievance) They gave the very strong impression that they were of the opinion that making that determination was entirely above my pay grade.

I see a dismissal looming.

Further meeting scheduled next Tuesday - much to the amusement of my new manager who said 'see you next Tuesday' as I left and laughed with his coworker at the phrasing.

* I was due to have a meeting with the union lass beforehand to get and idea what was going on - but she arrived very late so we had to go directly into the meeting. Oddly though she sat on the same side of the table as HR rather than with me - but i think i may be over analyzing things.

You have my sympathies but all may not be lost. You appear to be a quite valuable employee with plenty of tacit knowledge that any interim replacement will lack. If you're good at your job then getting another shouldn't be too difficult - if that happened whilst this was still all going on, I wouldn't be surprised if you got offered a raise to stay.

My old marketing director used to use all sorts of tricks in a negotiation, and your union rep may well have used a classic, sitting on the same side of the table so they can read the opposition's notes!! They'll also spot any procedural errors easy peasy.

There's another thread on here by fergie76, their friend got sacked but got their job back due to all sorts of things, worth a read:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5888466/appeal-against-dismissal

Good luck with what ever way it turns out.

EDITED TO ADD: As well as following other people's advice, i would argue that your concern all through was to protect the company from losing such an important client/ income stream, or at the very least avoid damaging the relationship between the companies.

Paul_DNAP

Fergie76 wrote: »

Would the manager even have the authority to amend or renegotiate the current contract? If it is a multi-national company would they not have a contracts/procurement department who would look after this stuff and it would be the managers job, just to manage his/her section of the company in line with said contracts?

I can fully understand what the OP's issue is (taking what they have said at face value). As others have said if the manager doesn't like that, then he should take it up with his superiors rather than trying to bully the OP.

If the manager is overstepping their remit and ends up royally infuriating the supplier/customers, then it is the problem for the manager's manager or the head of the company to sort that out. All you can do as an "underling", no matter how experienced and knowledgeable and no matter how absolutely sure you are that it's a massive mistake in process, is to either let him hang himself, which isn't a good way to go, or to try and point out the error, which is the way the OP has tried and is now being disciplined for.


So if the company is going to back the guy who appears to be destined for self destruction then you've got to assume the "higher-ups" are either behind him 100% or are completely oblivious to the magnitude of dung that's about to fall on them.