Seemingly major problem at work...

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 15:38

So yesterday, Just as I'm getting ready to leave work for the day, my line manager comes into my office, and says he's been ordered to confiscate my keys, and has to escort me to the Head managers office.

I was rather confused, but I do as he says, and follow him to the office, where I'm told (and this is literally all I've been told) there's been an incident, and while it's investigated, I'm suspended for the rest of the week, and I shall recieve a letter and phone call to explain what's going on later in the week.

I asked a couple of times while I was there what was going on, and why I was being suspended, but they refused to tell me, and then had my line manager get me to collect my belongings, and escort me off site.

Can they do that? I have no idea why I've been suspended, As far as I know I've done nothing wrong, and knew nothing about any of this until I was in the managers office.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 15:41

Thankfully not, I'm suspended on full pay. Not that that really makes the situation any better

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 15:43

In a secondary school In town, which makes it a lot more worrying really

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 15:45

As far as I know, I've been doing everything I'm meant to and a bit extra, haven't done anything wrong or that I'm not meant to, and deffinatly haven't been browsing OcUK all day

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 15:46

PiKe said:
Well you must know if you've been touching up anyone?

To be fair, If I had been touching someone, I'd
1 - Know why I was being suspended
2 - Not advertise it on a forum...

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:02

Sawell said:
Whatever it is please tell us when you find out.

Seriously, I'm actually interested.

I shall do, if they ever bother telling me...

I still don't see how they can suspend me without telling me why, or without giving me a chance to appeal against the suspension though

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:08

bledd. said:
Could you contact your boss out of work to ask him/her?

I shall probably e-mail / ring my line manager tomorrow morning to find out if he knows anything more.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Affliction View Post
and a bit extra

Click to expand...

By 'a bit extra', I mean overtime, and occasionally helping out with jobs that aren't covered in my job description

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:11

JBuk said:
That's your problem right there

Remind me to double check my post in future for stuff you lot will take the wrong way

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:14

JBuk said:
Nothing at the moment

This

Nahh, I am/was an IT Technician

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:16

div0 said:
I'd suspect that the reason you've not been told anything is that it involves an allegation made by a child at the school. I would have thought that as a teacher there was somewhere you could get advice from though. I'd imagine that there are standard procedures which all schools have to go through for particular incidents, or reported incidents. It would hope that it wouldn't be too hard to at least find out whether this was standard procedure or not.

That's what I was thinking, although 'weeks suspension with full pay from a school' is a pretty vague google search :rolleyes:

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:19

Unfortunatly, I haven't joined the union yet, was planning on doing so but hadn't gotten round to it

wish I had now.

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:21

NickK said:
My parents are retired teachers and thankfully have never had an accusations. It seems to be a modern thing that the kids think it's fun and sometimes attempt to extort damages from the school.
.

Unfortunatly, I'd imagine they're more likely to believe the kids accusations over the staff members plea of innocence

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 16:26

sanaxe1 said:
If you have done nothing wrong then just look at it as a week off from work. Wohoo!

A week off while being falsly accused of something, and not even knowing what you're being accused of, isn't as fun as you'd think.

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:16

simulatorman said:
It doesn’t stop you from joining them now does it, have a word with them about it a.s.a.p.

Gypo said:
Hi Affliction,

My advice to you is to join Unison straight away and seek advice on this matter, as an IT Technician in a secondary school also i know that there are several things that could have caused this immediate suspension, the main one being an accusation from a pupil.

It is SLT and School protocol to keep this under wraps and total silence will be implemented.

Good luck with finding out what is going on from your IT Manager and Business Manager, it's likely to be a false allegation from a pupil.

Quoted from the UNISON website:

Eligibility
# In order to qualify for legal help you need to: Have been a UNISON member at least 4 weeks before realising you need legal help

One would imagine that if I join now and DO need legal help, waiting 4 weeks before requesting it is probably too long a period?
Any Leagl Eagles on here?

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:52

I plan on calling the CAB tomorrow morning, to see where I stand with this.

Would anyone recommend calling the school to ask about the situation, If I don't hear anything from them tomorrow, or is that a bad idea?

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:59

Kami said:
1. Stop posting online and get this thread removed from the forum.

2. Get your backside down to the CAB.

It's probably a pupil or parent making a claim against you.

Why get rid of the thread? I haven't disclosed the identity of the school, or the names of any people involved, and don't plan to either, so if they should happen to find this thread, they wouldn't be able to hold it against me; I'm only asking for advice, much like I would be from the CAB.

That's all I can think the problem is as well, although I would love to know what they're accusing me of....

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 18:27

Nix said:
Ice-cream lady has accused him of propositioning her?

"No, I asked for a 99."

Seriously, that would be worth a weeks paid suspension

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 18:29

OzyOly said:
It doesn't matter if he did or not, if he's been accused and even if the girl/boy turns out to have lied, that's his career in a school over.

I seriously doubt they can prevent you working in a school again from a proven false accusation.

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 18:57

Gaygle said:
Wait....2 years full paid suspension?!? I'm in the wrong job! I need to work in a care home touching up old senile women...

I agree with the first half... as for the second half though.... :eek:

Affliction · 17 Nov 2009 at 21:40

Slime101 said:
Are you a teacher or do you just work in a school??

If you are a teacher join a teachers union such as National Union of Teachers and get leagal advice and support asap because whatever the alligaiton its serious because you have been suspended. There is most likely no grounding or foundation to it, but dont expect it to be an easy ride and take it very seriously, ultimately it could ruin your career.

I'm not a teacher, no, I'm just an IT Tech employed by the school.

Although I shall probably Join UNISON tomorrow, and see if they can help.