Could I be fired?

questricky8

I was sick from work. I couldn't physically hand over the work keys to my employer. So I asked someone else to go to my workplace and give the keys to my work colleagues. Apparently, there is something written in the contract that doesn't allow that to happen  for security reasons. Is this a dismissal offence? Or will I likely just get a warning?

Undervalued

Only your employer can answer this as it depends so much on the type of workplace.

If you work somewhere very high security then yes, you could potentially be fired for handing your keys to anybody other than an approved employee.

In a more ordinary environment, assuming the person was honest and responsible, you may be congratulated for making arrangements to get the necessary keys to the right person.

74jax

I'm guessing your employer knew you were sick and asked for the keys? Did you say you would send xyz over with the keys? 

I think in the above situation if work knows you are sick, if they couldn't get someone to you to pick up the keys, and they said they need them, they know you can't take them in so agreed to have someone else take them to work. I can't see how you would be penalised.

It has highlighted an issue though, that there needs to be 2keyholders.

getmore4less

Apparently, there is something written in the contract that doesn't allow that to happen for security reasons

As a key holder. why did you not know the rules?

TELLIT01

getmore4less said:

Apparently, there is something written in the contract that doesn't allow that to happen for security reasons

As a key holder. why did you not know the rules?

If you are so sick that you can't make personal arrangements to hand the keys over you may also not be thinking too clearly about the requirements of the keyholder in the contract.

I wonder if part of the issue from the employer perspective is that the keys were apparently handed to a work colleague not to the manager.  Looking at that from the OP's position, efforts were made to get the keys to where they needed to be and it would be unreasonable to expect a 3rd party to hang around until the manager was available.  Hopefully, as 74jax said, the company will ensure that there is more than one keyholder available.

questricky8

Sorry for my late reply. I called in sick about an hour before my shift was supposed to start. All of a sudden i felt a shiver and dizzy and there was no way I could make it to work! I have worked at my employer for 11 years. No arrangements where made to hand over the keys I assumed they needed them so I asked somebody to hand them over to my colleagues.I work in a supermarket not in high security job.I have heard there is going to be a disciplinary meeting so I am a little nervous.

Bradden

First thing I would suggest is check your contract and see what it actually says.

Potentially you could face action for this breach but it depends on how your employer sees it. Hopefully they will see your intentions were helpful and with your length of service take it easy on you - if you think this is possible then I'd own up and apologise.. saythat you weren;t well and not thinking clearly.. They may just see it as an opportunity assert thier authority though.

TELLIT01

All you can do is attend the meeting and explain what happened.  Beyond that it is up to the employer.

elsien

questricky8 said:

Sorry for my late reply. I called in sick about an hour before my shift was supposed to start. All of a sudden i felt a shiver and dizzy and there was no way I could make it to work! I have worked at my employer for 11 years. No arrangements where made to hand over the keys I assumed they needed them so I asked somebody to hand them over to my colleagues.I work in a supermarket not in high security job.I have heard there is going to be a disciplinary meeting so I am a little nervous.

There seems to be a lot of hearsay going on here.
If there is to be a disciplinary hearing you should get the information in writing plus a copy of the disciplinary procedure. If you don’t get a copy then ask.
If you are in a union then contact them for help. 

[Deleted User]

To add to jillanddy post...

• ensure there will be no repetition.

MalMonroe

Is it just me but I don't understand why there was only ONE person who had the only set of keys for a supermarket. Are you saying that nobody else had any keys at all? And if not, why not?

You asked someone to go to your work to hand over keys to your colleagues so that they could use them to open up. You didn't ask that person to open up in your absence.

The alternative to your doing what you did was to not send any keys anywhere and the shop wouldn't have been opened if nobody else had any keys (very strange). I can't see any employer being so petty as to fire you. If you are, indeed, the sole and only holder of the keys you did act in the interests of the business at a time when you felt very ill. 

As elsien has said above, if you are in a union, contact them. You could always contact Acas (link below) too, see what they say. 

But if it were me, I'd really stress the point that more keys need to be distributed to other members of staff. Maybe someone more senior and who, unlike you, IS in a high security job. It's a big responsibility that I'd not want to have taken on in the first place. And very unfair to expect you to take it on if your own job isn't actually in high security.

Link  -   https://www.acas.org.uk/contact