Suspended from work

Oblivious said:
As secretspy says, thats rubbish.
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I am fully aware of the law and procedures regarding giving oral and written warnings.

You just dont go to final written warnings unless its serious misconduct, just short of serious gross misconduct.

I should have made myself clearer.
He hasnt done anything that warrents more than a talking to, which is why they "cant" go straight to written warning.
His union or indeed ACAS (if it was something more serious that a supermarket job, no offence) would get it laughed out of a tribuneral.
 
My baby sister is the HR manager at a Morrisons and I've just shown her this thread.
I told her to bare in mind that when people write in threads about subjects like this they are usually 99.9% honest because they have no reason not to be.
She was appalled at your treatment and if it happened how it happened then a verbal would have been enough.
The only problem is you don't know what lies your boss has been telling and since you've had no Union backup you're on your own.

Speaking as an ex Union Rep for many years a petty argument like that would only result in a verbal for a first offence.
People knock Unions all the time but they do have their uses in situations like this.
 
Garp said:
I'm not entirely certain you've got a leg to stand on, to be honest. What you did was wrong, whilst it was petty, it was still wrong. You've been told not to do it and you still repeatedly did it. That doesn't leave you in much of a strong argumentative position. Your main defence will have to rely on the lack of suitable parking spaces, or alternatives should those bays be taken up, and that they're not marked out specifically, and that really isn't much of a defence.
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Of course he has! He wasn't given a parking space (which weren't outlined anyway), so what do you expect him to do? Go home?

He repeatedly did it because he was forced to, there is no other way of looking at this. Yes, that is a suitable and decent defence.

Anyway, I've been brought up on a disciplinary before when I worked at Gamestation, it was more than a little laughable. I wasn't offered a witness by the people interviewing me, I was told before that it would be conducted by one guy, he asks me when I arrive if he minds if the new manager (that would be taking over) could sit in and watch - I felt pressured and agreed it was okay although I didn't want him to (came across as if he wanted me out of there, I was 17/18 at the time, felt well over-pressured). They didn't have a dictaphone, just a pen and paper, kept pausing throughout the interview process. They tried Good Cop Bad Cop on me after they went for a break (I wasn't aware of that kind of thing until my mate I worked with explained what people do like that), I felt shocked that he suggested they might go to the police (and the other guy, the older manager said "No no, I don't think we need to go that far"), I fell for it annoyingly. I got fired for cashing in something I was told to cash in by a manager, despite me being one of the best guys there, load of nonsense.
 
They are claiming that the repeated instruction to move the car was considered the verbal warning.

Also going from the statements that were read out today the Manager did indeed make up a pack of lies. I'll get the exact details from the letter however.

Basically they pulled me up on Gross Misconduct and barely gave me a chance to defend myself. I was not given any notes as to their investigation prior to the meeting and....

The Manager whom I had taken issue with was not present at this hearing!!
 
TBH what were you supposed to have done? There weren't any bloody spaces!!!! Surely there's no need for advice as it'll be a simple "WTF, surely there's nothing else I could have done?" "Oh yeah you're right, c ya!"

.........
 
I was fired from Tesco under gross misconduct.

The reason? I didn't telephone them to say I couldn't make a shift after a major car accident. I called 3 of the guys on my dept because I couldn't get in touch with a duty manager, and they (management) said that even though they had the message it was put down as an "UA" unauthorised absence because I didn't speak to him/her directly.

I was a team leader and made it clear that even though I knew I needed to ring in, I was NEVER informed of this stupid rule. I even told them that it is "frankly pathetic" and that was it.. they babbled on about signing a contract agreeing with the rules to ring in, and therefore absence margins...


:rolleyes:
 
That's pathetic EVH.

I forgot to call in once, all I got was a slapped wrist and a "Please do it next time"

Although I did get a verbal once because I phoned in, unable to work because I'd just had a tooth out and I was literally dribbling blood the whole evening.
 
Psymonkee said:
They are claiming that the repeated instruction to move the car was considered the verbal warning.
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To where? Say you were told to move in, and the manager was shouting and screaming at you to do it, even though you reasonably asked where to move it to, since there were no parking spaces left. He never said where to move it to.
 
don't complain you'll be suspended on full pay.

your best bet is to get witness statements to back yourself up, however if there is none then just deny it, unless they have a witness who backs them up there is not much they can do.

if you need advice im a manager for morrisons.

the end of the day the fact that they have not issued you with a company handbook and are reffering to it is breach of your contract. oh and by the way they haven't produced a company handbook for harmonised stores yet.
best bet is to study your contract, which assuming your not on a management contract will be tiny. only the management one goes into detail.

the fact that they gave you a verbal warning is nothing to worry about, according to company procedure they have to give you a verbal warning then a written warning before they can issue disciplinary precedings unless they are doing you for bringing the company into disrepute.

are you a member of the union? if not sign up to usdaw now, take your local union rep into the disciplinary precedings with you.
 
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Nix said:
That's pathetic EVH.

I forgot to call in once, all I got was a slapped wrist and a "Please do it next time"

Although I did get a verbal once because I phoned in, unable to work because I'd just had a tooth out and I was literally dribbling blood the whole evening.
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I know!!

I was sick of the job anyway, so I didn't really care too much. It was the way that the management played it by the book with no compassion.

I was ringing off a pay phone in the hospital the day after the accident, and they said "you should have tried more.. there's usually someone to answer the phone" even though I'd tried 4 times in a day, and in a rage I said "I didn't have time or the energy to stand around waiting for someone to answer, and if I can't get an answer what can I do; smoke signals?"
 
I see much of this has already been mentioned but for my 2 pence worth... :

- Get your story totaly straght, write it down.
- Ask them to fully expalin the diciplinary procedure
- Ask them to fully explain what the "charge" is
- Take a coleage to observe for you
- By all means ask to record the conversation but don't do it covertly, covert recordings will not be accepted as proof in the future, and could get you into further trouble.
- Write everything they say down, if need be ask them to stop while you finish writing the last thing down. (This freaks them out as they are no longer in control)
- If it gets too hot, ask to take a break to discuss this with your colleage.
- Don't react, state your side of the story calmly and truthfuly... leave anger to later when you can rant to your gf, best friend whatever.

Once the hearing / meeting is over talk it over with your colleage, then take action.
 
EVH said:
I know!!

I was sick of the job anyway, so I didn't really care too much. It was the way that the management played it by the book with no compassion.

I was ringing off a pay phone in the hospital the day after the accident, and they said "you should have tried more.. there's usually someone to answer the phone" even though I'd tried 4 times in a day, and in a rage I said "I didn't have time or the energy to stand around waiting for someone to answer, and if I can't get an answer what can I do; smoke signals?"
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tescos sucks
I had flu once when I was working there
got sent home cos I worked on checkouts and was dying, told to phone in before my next shift to say if I was gonna come in or not, so the day after I phoned up saying that I was still ill and would not be able to make my shift only to be told I'd have to phone in 3 hours before my shift to confirm it!
my shift started at 7 am
so mum gets me out of bed at 4am, I call up and the night manager (store was 24h then) tells me that I shouldn't be calling in, that last nights call was ok, and to go back to bed cos I sounded like I was about to die.

I go back in for my next shift (the week after) to be told that I was in trouble for being off so long!!!!
because my shifts had a long brake between them they counted the WHOLE TIME between them as sick leave!
 
VeNT said:
I go back in for my next shift (the week after) to be told that I was in trouble for being off so long!!!!
because my shifts had a long brake between them they counted the WHOLE TIME between them as sick leave!
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That seems to be the general policy of companies. For example, in my work if I'm off on a Friday or Monday for whatever illness they'll count the weekend as days off too, basically to stop "sickies".
 
afraser2k said:
That seems to be the general policy of companies. For example, in my work if I'm off on a Friday or Monday for whatever illness they'll count the weekend as days off too, basically to stop "sickies".
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its stupid tho, they KNEW i was realy ill, THEY sent me home on the first day!
not my fault that my next shift wasn't for a week
 
this thread makes me love my job :D small family run garden centre + cash in hand + lots of 16,17,18 year old laydeez = :cool:

my mate works at tesco and i know he earns more than me, but theres no way i'd do his job
 
I think the bottom line is that supermarkets are one of the worst places to work there is. I wish I could stop everybody who walks in to pick up a job application and explain to them that almost any other retail environment is better. Sure, all retail jobs aren't that great, but supermarkets are the absolute pits. The managers are, in my experience, the worst kind of people around and you are never made to feel like you're a valued person.

To anybody thinking of working in a supermarket - DON'T DO IT!
 
jim5000 said:
Some managers are just terrible, but as someone said above, they know there is a never ending stream of young people\students who will take your place instantly, so they just dont care.
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I had one of them when I was just working the B&Q tills (just saturday and sunday) as a student.

Called in work telling them I couldn't come in as my Dad had had a heart attack and had been taken into Intensive Care. Went in the next day for my shift (he was still in hospital) when my manager informed me I needed to get my priorities straight! :mad:

So I did - I walked out there and then and didn't go back :p
 
Kell_ee001 said:
I had one of them when I was just working the B&Q tills (just saturday and sunday) as a student.

Called in work telling them I couldn't come in as my Dad had had a heart attack and had been taken into Intensive Care. Went in the next day for my shift (he was still in hospital) when my manager informed me I needed to get my priorities straight! :mad:

So I did - I walked out there and then and didn't go back :p
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lol
what did they think? that you cared more about working there than about FAMILY?
duh
bad managers run the workplace.
 
Psymonkee said:
Very basically the dispute is over car parking at work. Been going on for a few months now and had problems with the guy before that. Today I finally snapped at the guy and told him to explain why he kept picking on me.

No suitable answers were forthcoming so I gave him my name badge/tie/apron (yes till staff wear aprons :rolleyes: ) and tell him I'll be back to deal with this.

Go into Personnel (yes Morrisons are archaic) to attempt to file a greivance with him but he butts in and has me suspended at full pay :(

Yeah I've done wrong but the reaction has been totally over the top and I intend to fight it all the way where possible :)


I will have my Line Manager sitting in on the meeting with me on Monday but I don't know who will be running the show yet. I plan to take a dictaphone with me as well so that I can record everything that is said.


I haven't joined the union and kinda wishing I had now but not sure exactly what to do in this case.



//edit:

In my eyes this is petty btw as I (a cashier) have been picked on (imo) by the manager since he arrived 6 months ago. I have not physically assualted him or verbally abused him to my knowledge so I doubt it will go that far.
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Continue to file a grievance and also mention that you feel that you are been bullied make sure that you ask for the copy of the paperwork. Appeal the final warning try and get intouch with central hr rather than the the store one.

I once went to seminar on disciplinary procedure and one thing that surprised me was that when these things get to tribunal (cant remeber exactly) about 60% failed on procedure and the company lost the tribunal because they did not follow their own procedures.
 
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