SUSPENDED FROM WORK
13 April 2011, 10:30 AM
#32
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It does seem like a drawn out process but probably justified. I'd be surprised if she got fired over this, just make sure she doesn't Walkers.
The jokes are coming thick and fast now.
The jokes are coming thick and fast now.
13 April 2011, 10:31 AM
#33
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Now that she has come to attention they will just start chipping away at her now. At least now she is at home she can just stick the Kettle on and settle down and enjoy her crisps with a nice cup of tea.
13 April 2011, 11:13 AM
#42
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I used to be a deputy manager in a supermarket and witnessed someone being sacked for eating a pack of jelly babies on the shop floor. The pack had split open anyway so would have been binned and the lad only took a couple but the manager insisted it was gross misconduct.
Initially the lad denied it but the manager yelled at him that he could see the icing sugar around his mouth (at which point I had to turn away because I wanted to laugh).
So yeah when it comes to the crunch
if she hadn't paid for the crisps she can be sacked.
Initially the lad denied it but the manager yelled at him that he could see the icing sugar around his mouth (at which point I had to turn away because I wanted to laugh).
So yeah when it comes to the crunch
if she hadn't paid for the crisps she can be sacked.
13 April 2011, 12:23 PM
#49
I once got reprimanded and nearly kicked off a site I was once working at for eating in my van during a tea break.
The instigator was this idiotic Welsh guy that seemed to have it in for anyone breaching any rules and take some sort of self-gratification when he saw others being demeaned. He approached barking all the rules of must nots and can'ts do's, threatened to get us sacked etc. I don't know who he was but it appears he was just a desk jockey and had no authority whatsoever barring phoning the relative party to deal with the matter.
Thankfully I had good working relations with the site manager, who ultimately was his desicion of who stays on site. My case was put forward that;
a)no signage on site about eating outside of the refectory
b)no inclusion on induction course to new or regular site vistors explaining this
c)no confirmation if it was applicable to people eating within a private vehicle.
d)confusion as if was actually ok for non-permanent staff to use the refectory to eat their own brought-in food.
He backed down after my calm explaination of teh above, with Weshy boy in the background fuming as it was clear I had a case and wasn't going be sacked/kicked off site.
The basic reasoning is rats and hygiene from dropped food scraps and Weil's disease from not washing hands after being in contact in areas that infected rats may have been in contact with. Weil's disease latter wasn't an issue for me as I've known about it from demolition sites I been inducted on before, so always washed my hands before handling food. But this wasn't made clear to me on this particular site.
I gave Welshy a smile and a wink afterwards and he stormed off. We drove the van out the site gate and parked by the site entrance (public highway) and carried on with out tea break.
He later had me reported for working on a roof with no hard hat. What was going to fall on me...the sky? Its more likely someone below being injured if my hat fell off
That time I left him with egg on his face as there was no safety harness points in the area I was working (regular maintenance on air handler units - so needed safe access, which there wasn't) and that was a serious H&S no no - if I were to be injured due to the lack of provision for harness points I could hold them fully liable.
As a thankyou, I shut the damper flap on the air-conditioning duct to Welshy's office....let him sweat it out a bit in the summer
(I was going to leave a turd in the duct, but thought that one of us would eventually have to investigate and clean it up 
)
The instigator was this idiotic Welsh guy that seemed to have it in for anyone breaching any rules and take some sort of self-gratification when he saw others being demeaned. He approached barking all the rules of must nots and can'ts do's, threatened to get us sacked etc. I don't know who he was but it appears he was just a desk jockey and had no authority whatsoever barring phoning the relative party to deal with the matter.
Thankfully I had good working relations with the site manager, who ultimately was his desicion of who stays on site. My case was put forward that;
a)no signage on site about eating outside of the refectory
b)no inclusion on induction course to new or regular site vistors explaining this
c)no confirmation if it was applicable to people eating within a private vehicle.
d)confusion as if was actually ok for non-permanent staff to use the refectory to eat their own brought-in food.
He backed down after my calm explaination of teh above, with Weshy boy in the background fuming as it was clear I had a case and wasn't going be sacked/kicked off site.
The basic reasoning is rats and hygiene from dropped food scraps and Weil's disease from not washing hands after being in contact in areas that infected rats may have been in contact with. Weil's disease latter wasn't an issue for me as I've known about it from demolition sites I been inducted on before, so always washed my hands before handling food. But this wasn't made clear to me on this particular site.
I gave Welshy a smile and a wink afterwards and he stormed off. We drove the van out the site gate and parked by the site entrance (public highway) and carried on with out tea break.
He later had me reported for working on a roof with no hard hat. What was going to fall on me...the sky? Its more likely someone below being injured if my hat fell off
That time I left him with egg on his face as there was no safety harness points in the area I was working (regular maintenance on air handler units - so needed safe access, which there wasn't) and that was a serious H&S no no - if I were to be injured due to the lack of provision for harness points I could hold them fully liable.As a thankyou, I shut the damper flap on the air-conditioning duct to Welshy's office....let him sweat it out a bit in the summer
(I was going to leave a turd in the duct, but thought that one of us would eventually have to investigate and clean it up )
Last edited by ALi-B; 13 April 2011 at 12:32 PM.
13 April 2011, 02:51 PM
#50
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As ever it will depend on her contract. I think the firm is entitled to be put out if someone is eating on the job. It is even objectionable for the customers to have to watch that.
Les
Les
13 April 2011, 03:28 PM
#51
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Perhaps her boss got the wrong end of the (chip) stick?
I wish your friend the best of luck, hopefully it will be all salted out soon.
I wish your friend the best of luck, hopefully it will be all salted out soon.
Last edited by Dingdongler; 13 April 2011 at 03:34 PM.
13 April 2011, 03:36 PM
#52
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on the face of it It certainly takes the biscuit, If it come to the crunch it may be with looking towards a tribunal, that way it could end up costing them a packet.
Good luck to her though!
Good luck to her though!
Last edited by The Zohan; 13 April 2011 at 05:48 PM.
13 April 2011, 05:06 PM
#54
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Suspension is an emloyers precaution, suggests they think she stole the crisps, therefore could be a risk to the company if she is not suspended (as could do it agiain).
This is serious stuff, all suspensions legally must be "with pay", however if the company after investigation, then disciplinary action, finds you at fault the company may take "action short of dismissal" this may result in an un paid suspension, in additional to a warning at some level.
Honestly employers are holding all the cards these days, if i walk into a shop i dont want to see staff eating. They WILL HAVE a firm food and drink on the shop floor policy which is as much about public liability ( the possibility of creating a trip or spill hazard from eating/ drinking on the shop floor) as it is about how it looks to the public.
I carryout disciplinarys at every level, fired a few, and suspended dozens. Not fun. Make no mistake she could get fired, but it depends on her past history and how they have treated staff for the same "offense" in the past. If they fired the last person to be caught eating on the floor, she will probably get fired too as a president is set. My advise is to tell her to get humble fast, admit her error, and make the investigator feel sure she is a). a valuable member of the team, and b). she will not do it again!!
Imho.
Long post i'm Frazzled after that. Think ill go for a walkers to get some fresh air, with the SMITHS on my mp3
This is serious stuff, all suspensions legally must be "with pay", however if the company after investigation, then disciplinary action, finds you at fault the company may take "action short of dismissal" this may result in an un paid suspension, in additional to a warning at some level.
Honestly employers are holding all the cards these days, if i walk into a shop i dont want to see staff eating. They WILL HAVE a firm food and drink on the shop floor policy which is as much about public liability ( the possibility of creating a trip or spill hazard from eating/ drinking on the shop floor) as it is about how it looks to the public.
I carryout disciplinarys at every level, fired a few, and suspended dozens. Not fun. Make no mistake she could get fired, but it depends on her past history and how they have treated staff for the same "offense" in the past. If they fired the last person to be caught eating on the floor, she will probably get fired too as a president is set. My advise is to tell her to get humble fast, admit her error, and make the investigator feel sure she is a). a valuable member of the team, and b). she will not do it again!!
Imho.
Long post i'm Frazzled after that. Think ill go for a walkers to get some fresh air, with the SMITHS on my mp3
Last edited by SpecDscooby; 13 April 2011 at 05:10 PM.
13 April 2011, 06:51 PM
#58
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If the Activity is deemed gross misconduct, according to your terms of empolyment, then the company usually has the right to summarily dismiss you.
Sounds as if she needs to read her employment T's & C's,
Mart
Sounds as if she needs to read her employment T's & C's,
Mart
13 April 2011, 07:29 PM
#59
As has been said, it will depend upon the Ts & Cs, which I strongly suggests she reads before any disciplinary hearing. If there is nothing clear in there about this type of thing (eating/drinking on the floor/outside of break times), then she could play a little dumb by saying she wasn't aware there was a problem. Bit more difficult if this happened when the shop was open to the public as munching on a bag of crisps doesn't look good, does it?
I would also imagine (as previously stated) that the suspension was due to suspicion of theft, which would need to be investigated. This is the part that probably causes the most worry, I do hope for her sake she can at least prove they were hers to eat, otherwise I should imagine it will definitely be a dismissal. If it is just a case of breaking policy by eating on the job, if I was in charge, I'd discipline her, but sacking her would be OTT imo.
During the disciplinary, the hearing officer will go through all the evidence collated, and should give her the opportunity to explain herself. She has a right to a witness, but they cannot comment on her part (not sure how much this changes if she was to take a union rep in though). If she isn't being accused of theft, then she should just be polite and apologise, assuring them she will not do this again, hopefully she will just get a ticking off/warning.
Whatever decision is made at the hearing, she is entitled to appeal it, and they should clearly explain the proceedure to her at the end of the meeting.
I would also imagine (as previously stated) that the suspension was due to suspicion of theft, which would need to be investigated. This is the part that probably causes the most worry, I do hope for her sake she can at least prove they were hers to eat, otherwise I should imagine it will definitely be a dismissal. If it is just a case of breaking policy by eating on the job, if I was in charge, I'd discipline her, but sacking her would be OTT imo.
During the disciplinary, the hearing officer will go through all the evidence collated, and should give her the opportunity to explain herself. She has a right to a witness, but they cannot comment on her part (not sure how much this changes if she was to take a union rep in though). If she isn't being accused of theft, then she should just be polite and apologise, assuring them she will not do this again, hopefully she will just get a ticking off/warning.
Whatever decision is made at the hearing, she is entitled to appeal it, and they should clearly explain the proceedure to her at the end of the meeting.