Done something wrong - dont know what

cantcope

I got called into the office by my boss and HR on Tuesday. It was meant to be my one to one but was told that had been cancelled.
My boss told me that one of my team (i'm a supervisor) had said that i had discussed their sickness with someone else. She didnt say who said it, or what exactly was said. I have been told that they are doing an investigation and that i would be having a hearing on Tuesday 18th.

since then i have been sick with worry. I have no clue as to what i've apparently said as i dont discuss confidential things with anybody. I've been told they cant tell me anymore as they dont have the full facts.

My boss went off on compassionate leave yesterday and is not expected back before we finish for Christmas so I've been told that the hearing will not take place nezt week and they dont know when it will. I've explained to HR how difficult i am finding it to concentrate and hold my tears seeing my team be carted off for interviews and that i am feeling sick and not sleeping and have been told to just carry on as normal Iam banned from discussing it with anyone inside the business

Does anyone know how long these things can take? I'm not sure i can wait until after Christmas. I have no idea what ive done and its making me so miserable and upset. I'm scared for my job and think it's outrageous they are making me wait indefinitely.

Does anyone know where i stand on this? Or do i really have to just wait until they are ready?

Ladygrim

If you have a Union and are in it - talk to them NOW. Your bosses CANT stop you talking to your union rep (in confidence of course).
If youre not a member - join NOW
If you dont have a union, then then maybe citizens advice can help?

LG

cantcope

We don't have a union i will try and get an appointment with Citizens advice today

rheme

You can just join a union on your own. No-one else in the company has to be in it and you don't have to tell them either until you require representation.

The membership fees don't have to come directly out of your pay you can do it by direct debit.

Andy_L

However many Unions won't help with something that happened before joining

Savvy_Sue

We had a union in to talk to us all not long ago and they said that they might not represent you if you'd only just joined but they would certainly give informal advice.

Zazen999

Hi Can't Cope

Please can you have a look at your HR procedures; and at the ACAS info here:

http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/9/5/CP01_1.pdf

They should have established the facts before informing you, as there might not be a case to answer.

The main thing to go through in your defence, is: Who has been off sick and is there anyone that you might have discussed this with in the recent past?

Unfortunately, if your boss has gone on compassionate leave, and the investigation has not been completed; then someone should be picking that up whilst they are not around.

How were you informed that the hearing a] was and b]wasn't taking place? Was this in writing? Did they go through the procedures with you so that you knew what to expect?

The first step in any case is to actually tell you what you are alleged to have done. I can't see that they have done this; so I would request a meeting with HR on the 18th as previously requested [by them, not by you remember], to go through what has happened so far. In the request, also ask for a printout of the company's HR procedures, in respect of the action that they are seemingly taking on you. Keep the letter objective, not emotional, and stay professional throughout.

Make sure you take someone with you to every meeting; preferably someone with some common sense and from another dept; not a trouble maker if at all possible [sometimes these sorts of people jump at the chance ot be involved, but just make it worse for the person that needs help most].
Make sure that the person you take makes copious notes.
Read that ACAS guidance and know it well; they have already not followed the guidance. Have a copy with you when you attend any meetings.

Above all; remember that alot of the time, these things ARE just disgruntled people and when it comes down to it; there is usually little evidence to show for things. If you are 100% sure that you are in the clear, then once the investigation has happened it should be closed once there is no case to answer and it should not go on record.

Lets hope that this is sorted out for you ASAP; what an unprofessional lot to do this to you now.

cantcope

I've been told not to discuss with anybody so can't take anyone into a meeting without doing this. Every member of my team (8) has been off sick at some point so far in december. they all tell each other whats wrong with them so there is no need for me to discuss it. I did look for a copy of the policy on the intranet but there isnt one and i havent been given a copy.

I found out the meeting was cancelled because i emailed HR to find out if it was still going ahead in light of my bosses absence (which is being gossipped about throughout the office!). They had not told me it wasnt until i asked yesterday. I did ask if somebody else could conduct the hearing but was told no.


I am so upset. I've only been in the job 6 months and i love it. The company is giving out redundancies at the moment where business isnt going well so i feel like i've lost before i even know what's wrong.

Thanks for everyones advice. I cant get a meeting with C.A until next Wednesday.

dmg24

Sorry to hear about this cantcope, have been there myself and know how upsetting it can be.

The main thing to go through in your defence, is: Who has been off sick and is there anyone that you might have discussed this with in the recent past?

I agree with this, can you narrow it down at all?

Do you have a friend at work, someone that you know that you can talk to in 100% confidence (this is the key bit). When I was told that I was not to speak with anyone, one person did contact me and tell me what was being said etc.

I ended up appealing against my dismissal on the grounds that I still did not know what I had done. I won the appeal, but was offered money to resign and walk away. Although I was pleased to be out of the situation, to this day I still wish I knew who I had (allegedly) offended.

I hope that your situation does not go as far as mine did, but if you need to have rant about it all, feel free to PM me x

dmg24

We've cross posted!

I do think that them making you wait could be seen as an unnecessary delay. Could you ask them if, even if you cannot have a meeting any earlier, could you have a written statement detailing what you have done?

My heart goes out to you. I'll never forget the shellshock of when I was told that I was under investigation x

Savvy_Sue

cantcope wrote: »

I've been told not to discuss with anybody so can't take anyone into a meeting without doing this.

You can take someone, it's your right. And you can do it without telling them what you've been accused of. It may not seem like a lot of help, but if you have a trusted friend who will just be there and listen for you, it's worth saying "I've got a disciplinary hearing coming up, I can't tell you what about but please would you come and take notes for me."

Years ago, I had to conduct a disciplinary against one of my team. She didn't discuss it with anyone but did ask a colleague to come. The colleague had no idea what it was all about until she got into the meeting and I set out the facts.

In that case, my team member had no recollection of what she was supposed to have said, although I don't doubt she said it (didn't hear it myself). She said that she had no recollection, but that she might have said it, and she had not intended it the way it had been understood. She apologised for the offence she'd caused - don't think she ever knew for sure who'd made the complaint but she might have guessed.

She got a verbal warning, nothing more.

I know it's scary and it does sound as if confidentiality is a bit of a problem anyway: I know it can vary from one place to another, we all know each other's business where I work but in other places I've worked you've only ever known that X is off sick and won't be back until this date. If I was managing X I wouldn't tell the rest of my team what was wrong, but X often did when they got back, and if it was a recurring problem there would be much rolling of eyes when I asked for cover for X again.