Just been fired!

[daveparry]

I had a letter asking me to attend a diciplinery hearing with regards to my absence from work, the letter had my name and address on the envelope but inside on the actual letter it had my name but the wrong address and the wrong week was referenced.
Went along to the hearing and got the book thrown at me including just about every little thing they could fault, apparently missing work for 2 days (yes I did ring in) is gross misconduct and that is instant dismissal!

Woe is me! anyone need a Commercial gas engineer?

[Soovy]

daveparry said:

I had a letter asking me to attend a diciplinery hearing with regards to my absence from work, the letter had my name and address on the envelope but inside on the actual letter it had my name but the wrong address and the wrong week was referenced.
Went along to the hearing and got the book thrown at me including just about every little thing they could fault, apparently missing work for 2 days (yes I did ring in) is gross misconduct and that is instant dismissal!

Woe is me! anyone need a Commercial gas engineer?

If what you say is true then you have been unfarily dismissed.

[Soovy]

"Unfairly...."

[Muzzer]

daveparry said:

I had a letter asking me to attend a diciplinery hearing with regards to my absence from work, the letter had my name and address on the envelope but inside on the actual letter it had my name but the wrong address and the wrong week was referenced.

This isn't hugely relevant if you're thinking of using it as ammo.

daveparry said:

Went along to the hearing and got the book thrown at me including just about every little thing they could fault, apparently missing work for 2 days (yes I did ring in) is gross misconduct and that is instant dismissal!

This part needs expanding on. Were they faulting your performance or picking up actual things that you'd done wrong procedurally?

You use the term "threw the book at you" This implies that they were being pedantic but accurate....

Either way, unless what they threw the book at you for consitituted gross misconduct (absence itself definitely doesn't by the way) then get yourself to an employment lawyer pronto as you have a good case.

[williamp]

employment lawyers cost money. have a look at ACAS first

[daveparry]

By threw the book at me i meant that they had compiled a list of all those things that we all do, but when you add them up it sounds terrible ie my paperwork is not 100% I don't get into the office very often (i,m mobile servicing covering the whole of Hampshire) just minor things that in normal practice the boss would tell you about and you could sort, for a while, but no, I had no idea that i was doing anything wrong and thought that everybody was happy with my performance, i have had 2 appraisals from this firm and both were satisfactory with no problems!

[Soovy]

daveparry said:

i have had 2 appraisals from this firm and both were satisfactory with no problems!

Then you have been unfairly dismissed.

Get a solicitor, now.

[daveparry]

Just to add that I did in fact take 2 days off due mainly to the snow stuff but I really didn't make much of an effort to get to work, i just tried to get my van to drive away from the curb but couldn't so gave up, I had other more pressing personnal issues going on at the time and was feeling seriously stressed out. More than I am now and now I have no job!

[Mojooo]

Soovy said:

"Unfairly...."

Soovy said:

daveparry said:

i have had 2 appraisals from this firm and both were satisfactory with no problems!

Then you have been unfairly dismissed.

Get a solicitor, now.

?????

[Eric Mc]

Did you have an employment contract?

[heebeegeetee]

Mojooo said:

Soovy said:

"Unfairly...."

Soovy said:

daveparry said:

i have had 2 appraisals from this firm and both were satisfactory with no problems!

Then you have been unfairly dismissed.

Get a solicitor, now.

?????

I think by that he means he went from 2 satisfactory appraisals to being sacked without anything being said in between.

I'm not up to speed with employment law, but i thought that if you were instructed to attend a meeting, which could result in your dismissal, then you have to be told this and the employer must advise you to bring representation.

That was in the good old days though, before new lab handed the country to the commercial world who has still managed to bankrupt us.

[Rollcage]

Sounds to me like you have a very strong case for unfair dismissal.

You dont seem to have been given any chance to correct any deficiencies the company may have identified. Obviously, if you dont know there is a problem, it is hard to do anything about it!

We may need a few more details if you can, but I would certainly not be dismissing someone in the circumstances you have outlined.

For one thing, I dont think the process they have followed is even remotely correct - where are the warnings, documentation, suspension, investigation etc?

Edited by Rollcage on Monday 25th January 17:36

[chr15b]

have you had any prior warnings, verbal or written regarding performance or not following correct procedures?

and to the poster a few back, Soovy made a spelling mistake then commented on it in the next post - he put unfarily dismissed - which is quite amusing as a spelling mistake.

[Munter]

What they all said^^^

You should have had warnings about your paperwork, visiting the office etc before they sack you for it.

They can't go "You're doing ok, You're doing ok, You're sacked for being crap."

[Steve_T]

Talk to RichBurley on here for employment matters.

Edited by Steve_T on Monday 25th January 18:03

[CatherineJ]

Have you had any verbal or written warnings before this?

[daveparry]

Munter said:

What they all said^^^

You should have had warnings about your paperwork, visiting the office etc before they sack you for it.

They can't go "You're doing ok, You're doing ok, You're sacked for being crap."

Thankyou for putting it into such a succinct manner! It made I larrrf!

And no I had had no warnings verbal or otherwise.

Thanks for all the input so far, lets see how it goes with ACAS tomorrow.

[Rollcage]

Let us know at what point they decide to not sack you after all. Failing that, how much the tribunal awards you!

[stig of the dump]

Im not an expert, but two employement hearings later! Your employer must;

Providing that you had been there more than 12 months in service

A verbal warning

Two written warnings

The oppurtunity to appeal against the dismisal.

I have an employment solicitor working for me at the moment, who works no win no fee please send me a PM if you want his details.

[southendpier]

If you have been there less that 12 months then what they have done is terminated your contract fairly.

Odd things is you say yourself you are not donig the job properly (paperwork) and aren't making enough effort re(attendance).

I wish you all the best getting a new job but ask yourself why would they want you?