Mrs NW Suspended on full pay!!

[NormalWisdom]

So, the saga continues

Following on from other issues with work ( SausageGate - SalaryGate ), the story gets better!



Mrs NW called me last evening (I work away from home) and tells me she was suspended from work, on full pay, whilst a "theft" of c£515 is investigated. The thing is, the dates of the alleged theft coincide with when she was off work for 2 weeks having collapsed at work with a suspected heart-attack. Her employers are fully aware of this yet still they suspend her.

She will obviously be consulting with her union, is there anything else PH can recommend as I have really run out of patience with what I consider to be a string of vindictive and deliberately bullying actions which are actually really impacting Mrs NW's health.

Thanks NW

[NormalWisdom]

pork911 said:

First step, her to get a new job?

That is definitely in progress

[NormalWisdom]

Breadvan72 said:

PM me for some solicitor recommendations.

Thanks for that Bv - As soon as we get the official letter from her employer I will take stock - She was verbally "laid-off" yesterday.

I am just amazed that employers think they can get away with such actions, their attitudes (IMHO) have to take significant blame for her hospitalisation in April and to compound with this now is frankly barbaric!!

[NormalWisdom]

Davel said:

Has anyone else there been suspended or just Mrs NW?

Just Mrs NW

GreatGranny said:

Is she employed by the school or the LA?

By the school until 31st DEcember, since then she was TUPEd into an outsourced company

Breadvan72 said:

Ubi ius ibi remedium*. In other words, go get 'em. I will offer some pro bono initial steers by PM if you like.

* Where there is a legal right, there is a remedy for the breach of it.

Sir, you are a true gentleman - As stated I will await the official letter from her employer to better understand the lie of the land

[NormalWisdom]

The original suspension last Tuesday was committed verbally. It is now over a week and still no formal written suspension letter has been received detailing the reasons. Does anyone know if there is a time limit to such matters?

Thanks - NW

[NormalWisdom]

"Official" Letter received allbeit through company email with a registered delivery to follow. The email was not received until yesterday and a meeting has been requested for today (which Mrs NW refuses to attend without adequate support).

It would also appear that she has been suspended on "zero pay due to the nature of the loss of money"

Mrs NW is beside herself!

BV, your offer is much appreciated but I don't seem to be able to PM.

[NormalWisdom]

Siscar said:

Does she realise that union official or work colleague are her only options for support unless the employer is unusually generous?

Absolutely - It will be a union rep but the date needs to be mutually acceptable

[NormalWisdom]

ferrariF50lover said:

Norm, click on BV's username. When his profile comes up, one of the tabs will be 'email me'. That's the PM function on here.

Apologies, if you knew that and the problem is something else, but I though, you know, better safe than sorry.

Simon.

Ah ok thanks - In that case BV, I emailed you yesterday!! In fact I am so riled at this I am seriously considering paying for your services, this has gone on for too long in one way or another!!

[NormalWisdom]

What is making me more angry is that I'm in Munich and she is having to deal with this on her own.......

(not intended to be a sob story!)

[NormalWisdom]

I sent another this morning - It arrives from an AOL email account

I can/will pay what it takes so any recommendation welcomed, thanks

[NormalWisdom]

Breadvan72 said:

I have sent you an email.

Where are you located? I will recommend a solicitor near you, and if the situation becomes barristery. I would suggest that the solicitor use pretty much any of the junior juniors (ie from one to ten years experience) at Blackstone Chambers, all of whom are fabulous, but some of whom do more employment work than others.

Thanks very much BV, located Berkshire.

Also, union rep is very much on the case (and on the ball).

[NormalWisdom]

Breadvan72 said:

Stay with him/her at present. If you need to lawyer up, I would suggest David Ludlow at Barlow Robbins in Woking, or Arj Arul at M Law in Newbury.

I really do appreciate that, dealing with a near hysterical (in a she wants to go and throttle someone fashion!) partner from a distance is incredibly frustrating........

[NormalWisdom]

So, in response to the e-Mail (which required attendace at an investigatory meeting at 3pm today)

Dear HR Director

I opened and read the content of your email dated 13th May at 7.30pm yesterday.

I have not received the suspension letter dated 10th May, either by normal or recorded delivery post. This is possibly because it is incorrectly addressed.

I do not, therefore, consider that you have given me reasonable notice of the meeting this afternoon. Nor do I consider it reasonable that you expect me to attend a meeting outside of my normal working hours. As you know, my finish time is 3pm.

Whilst I am more than willing to attend an investigatory meeting to defend myself against these spurious charges, I require sufficient notice and for it to be convened within my normal working hours. I also wish to be accompanied by my trade union representative. Can you please provide me with a copy of the investigation and disciplinary policies that apply so that I can understand what rights I have regarding representation?

I note that you state that my suspension is precautionary and is not intended to be an assumption of guilt. However, you go on to state that once the investigation is complete I will be called to a formal disciplinary meeting. This smacks to me of pre-judgement and I would welcome your comments on why you already consider I will be invited to a disciplinary meeting when I have not yet had a chance to put my version of events forward?

I would also question your decision to withhold my pay – on what policy or employment legislation are you relying? Please send me a copy.

As I have said, I will fully co-operate with the due process but I expect you to treat me fairly and with dignity along the way.

Yours sincerely

[NormalWisdom]

hora said:

Would it be wise now for this topic/other related ones to be deleted for now? You haven't said anything out of order/derogative etc but could the school find a way/say you discussed internal matters on a public site?

Thanks for the pointer - Actually, the letter from the HR Director only specifically excluded speaking to any of their employees without prior permission.

[NormalWisdom]

Breadvan72 said:

pedromorgan said:

i am sure you have already been told this...... but do NOT accept any guilt whatsoever.

even if she did what ever it was. it sevearly limits your legal avenues.

Peter

Ignore the second line of this. Sensible legal avenues do not involve fibbing about what you did or did not do. Experienced actual real world lawyer's rule one: stick to the truth.

No worries on that front as I know 100% she didn't (nor was even in a position) to do it!

[NormalWisdom]

All, thanks very much for your help and support. Mrs NW has calmed considerably and feels somewhat humbled.

BV especially, Mrs NW called David Ludlow and he was most helpful and should it be necessary we will definitely avail ourselves of his services.

I will fly back to the UK tomorrow afternoon for a long weekend and try to complete the job of setting Mrs NW back on an even keel.

I will keep this thread updated with salient progress

NW

[NormalWisdom]

Breadvan72 said:

Let David Ludlow handle it. He is a very sound employment lawyer. He may put one of his team on it as he is quite senior and expensive, but he has good assistants.

Exactly what we will be doing and exactly what he said he would do.

The employer sent a notice of reschedule which was essentially their original letter with the meeting date changed. They failed to address any of the points outlined in Mrs NW's response to them. She is inclined to get the "investigation" over with and meet them on Monday in which case I will accompany her (she can be quite feisty!!). She will sleep on it and make a decision in the morning.

[NormalWisdom]

KFC said:

The danger there is you're potentially getting one side of a story, and the other side has a completely different one to tell. Maybe they went in on the lunch break on a day they weren't actually working and stole something, maybe they stole something a few days previously but it wasn't noticed till their day off. Maybe they're telling the truth and its some stupid plan to get rid of an employee who's a pain in the ass? There isn't really any explanation that fills me with confidence in hiring this person.

In the world of internet this is quite possible though I can assure you this is not the case. In fact the "case" they have presented is so riddled with inconsistency, ambiguity and contradiction that it resembles a colander, even to my untrained eye!

[NormalWisdom]

Red Devil said:

What is it about the job that has led her to put up with this for so long?

That is a very good question. She is a trained chef (spent many years on the road cooking for various touring rock/pop stars) and she more recently qualified as a teacher (she loves working with kids). She is also a trained counsellor. To manage catering in a school gives her the opportunity to deal with two passions and there is often call for her counselling skills (even some teachers have availed themselves of this). The better-paid opportunities like this are few and far between.

In the kitchen she has 2 key measurements - COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and Wastage. Since they took over in January, her COGS have been some 20% below the company's average and wastage has been running at around 4% (Company guide is 10%). She has out performed at every level (even if I say it myself, she is very good, my waist is testimony to that!!). However, her salary is around 25% higher than the other catering managers in the company and given the short-sightedness of these types of companies I suspect they have decided that it would be better to reduce overheads than employ her obvious talents in a more effective manner.

Edited by NormalWisdom on Thursday 15th May 05:58

[NormalWisdom]

Quick update

"Investigative meeting" is scheduled for 10am this Friday, Mrs NW to be accompanied by Union rep.

Expectation is low!