Disciplinary hearing

Dakta

JReacher1 said:

Would be harsh to get sacked for gross misconduct for this. 

Probably more likely to be a written warning. Anymore than that and I would suspect they wanted to get rid of you for another reason. 

Don’t defend yourself. Just apologise. 

I think you've nailed it!

Jillanddy

SORN said:

I told them I had an urgency to go to the toilet and then I went back I saw my manager and I did just follow him, I did evaquate the bulding did just took 1 min longer that's all

Was there a part of "stop digging" that wasn't entirely clear? You do not go to the toilet when a fire alarm goes off. When you have been to the toilet when a fire alarm goes off you don't "go back". 

Purplelady65

Fire safety training is a legal requirement of an employer - just Google fire safety training for the legislation. If you haven’t received any fire safety training then you have a good defence in any disciplinary hearing. It was a bit silly of you not to evacuate the building when the fire alarm went off but I doubt you would lose your job over it particularly if they are unable to evidence that you have undertaken fire safety training. Where I work everyone has to do it every year. 

General_Grant

74jax said:

Are you a fire warden? If so, then I would insist on fire training, it's absolutely shocking if they don't agree and I'd step down as a fire warden immediately.

If not, then what training do you mean? No one should tackle a fire. You have regular fire alarm drills, and have said you know where the assembly point is, I'm not sure what else you need training on? 

I worked for TWFRS for a short time, I can't imagine what a fire fighter would say on having to risk their life to get someone out of the building because a drill had just been carried out half an hour prior so they didn't bother evacuating......

Putting someone's life at risk to me seems a very good reason for dismissal. 

Just to comment on the text in bold -

It is not the case that no one should tackle a fire.

Fire extinguishers and blankets are provided to be used - better to tackle a fire which could be extinguished safely than to leave it and allow it to get out of control.

You don't have to be a fire warden to tackle a fire if you come across one.

Undervalued

JReacher1 said:

Would be harsh to get sacked for gross misconduct for this. 

Probably more likely to be a written warning. Anymore than that and I would suspect they wanted to get rid of you for another reason. 

Don’t defend yourself. Just apologise. 

I would agree unless there is more to this story than we are being told.

The legal test is whether dismissal "is within the range of sanctions a reasonable employer may choose".

I also agree with the last line. Whilst no employee should lie in these circumstances, occasionally if the truth is implausible and  there is no evidence to back it up it may be better to say nothing apart from sorry!

Jillanddy

Purplelady65 said:

Fire safety training is a legal requirement of an employer - just Google fire safety training for the legislation. If you haven’t received any fire safety training then you have a good defence in any disciplinary hearing. It was a bit silly of you not to evacuate the building when the fire alarm went off but I doubt you would lose your job over it particularly if they are unable to evidence that you have undertaken fire safety training. Where I work everyone has to do it every year. 

For general staff very little is required, and despite what the OP says about not having been given anything, I would lay bets that they have  - they knew to evacuate the building and where the assembly point was, they had done these things previously and decided on this occasion not to bother. Unless they gained that knowledge by osmosis, they received instruction. There are also other bits of legislation - like the H&S regulations that require employees to safeguard the safety of themselves and others, and example of which might be evacuating a building when the fire alarm is going off. Not evacuating wasn't "a bit silly". They had done it 30 minutes beforehand - they hardly have an argument that they didn't know what to do! 

Savvy_Sue

Too much to hope you're in a trade union?

Marvel1

elsien said:

Referring to @Emmia’s previous comment, I recall in a fire training session being told that in the (I think) Manchester Woolworths fire people died because they ignored the alarms and carried on queuing to pay. There was also reference to people not wanting to leave meals that they paid for. 

Some people do indeed carry on shopping when they should be legging it. 

Oh they do, some customers don't care, I was on checkouts, fire alarm went off, they wanted me to finish off - no I'm going and left.

SORN

No I am not

Please suggest the best trade union to join which can offer a rappresentative, the hearing will be in 9 days but i also make them pospone it up to 5 days

JReacher1

SORN said:

No I am not

Please suggest the best trade union to join which can offer a rappresentative, the hearing will be in 9 days but i also make them pospone it up to 5 days

They probably won’t take you now. Signing up and asking for assistance to attend a hearing in 9 days isn’t really enough time. Take a work colleague