grievance raised against me in work

Soldato
Joined
14 Aug 2004
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So, first post in a while :) I was hoping someone could offer advice on this.

I work for a company of about 70 staff and was called into a meeting on Friday to say that a colleague had raised a grievance against me and they asked me some questions... they told me that they needed to determine the facts or if it was all just hearsay. My manager asked me to be as honest as possible so that they could get the facts. I was asked if I had ever been negative, if I had ever used obscene language or if I had ever been inappropriate. I answered the questions the best I could and they wrote things down. It was as if they were fishing for info, like they wanted me to land myself in the you know what. I asked who raised the grievance and they said that they couldn't tell me. I asked what I had allegedly done as I could answer the questions better and they told me that they couldn't tell me. After the meeting, I felt sick to my stomach. I can't think of what it is that I've apparently done.

I was told that there will be another meeting this week and another manager who will make the decision will be present.

My question is, what can they do? They never asked me to sign the minutes they took when questioning me. My work doesn't have an HR department. I've been worried all weekend as I could potentially lose my job :(. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Soldato
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I'm going to guess that it's another case of a special little ********* taking offence at an entirely innocent comment. That's why you don't know what it could be, because anyone with a functioning brain would take it for what it is, a throwaway comment meant in jest.

Does anyone at work come across as one of those people who go through life being perpetually offended at anything and everything, and have you had any interaction with said person in the past week?
 
Joined
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Go to the chemists and buy a lubrication product

I know this is GD, but I think this is a fairly serious thread.

Best to move this to the careers section.

I'm going to guess that it's another case of a special little ********* taking offence at an entirely innocent comment. That's why you don't know what it could be, because anyone with a functioning brain would take it for what it is, a throwaway comment meant in jest.

Absolutely this. Everything is offensive if you try hard enough.
 
Soldato
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Are you part of a union? If so they wont be able to help because of the Tory union bills.

Joking aside if you are part of a union get them in.

I wouldn't have said a thing tbh and said if there is an issue i want it in the presence of HR where it can be recorded and I want the circumstances. I am quite sure under the ERA96 they have to tell you the basics of the complaint/grievance eg the grievance is specifically X.

I'm no lawyer (thank god) but I would bet my bottom dollar negativity I not an enforceable grievance.
 
Soldato
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ACAS can help you - your employee handbook will also have the process in it, you'll need that too.

A grievance, from my experience, is typically settled in an informal manner in the first instance; but I guess that will depend on the severity really. If not, then they will be asking searching questions to establish facts - not to drop you in it really. After that, they must follow the procedure set out in your employee handbook - that's where ACAS can offer advice.

I had a bunch of bogus allegations levied against me many years ago, in a previous job, no evidence of anything to back it up. Thankfully, my employer didn't follow their own procedures over the six months it ran for - so I had a solid case when I raised it as a grievance and won. Same thing happened when they tried again a few months after I won; so I did the same and won again.

Providing you haven't done anything to constitute gross misconduct, I'm doubtful you'll lose your job, but if the grievance goes against you, you may have a marker against your record for 12 months.

I'd speak to ACAS asap, they were brilliant when I needed someone to turn to.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
14 Aug 2004
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2,992
Are you part of a union? If so they wont be able to help because of the Tory union bills.

Joking aside if you are part of a union get them in.

I wouldn't have said a thing tbh and said if there is an issue i want it in the presence of HR where it can be recorded and I want the circumstances. I am quite sure under the ERA96 they have to tell you the basics of the complaint/grievance eg the grievance is specifically X.

I'm no lawyer (thank god) but I would bet my bottom dollar negativity I not an enforceable grievance.

I just joined a union a few mins ago but would this be valid as the grievance was raised before me joining a union?
 
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