Suspended from job
Discussion
Hi all, i'm a bus driver for a medium sized company and i've been working here for over 6 years.
Was seemingly a normal day - I return from a trip out to a council estate with a supervisor there waiting for me. He suspended me infront of the public and customers telling me an off duty supervisor had seen me on my mobile phone while on the bus at a certain place. With pay and without prejudice.
At this certain place i'd pulled into the bus stop - the car behind me couldn't get past without blocking the road so he waited for me - I pulled out and went into a right hand lane to turn right. The lights turned red just as it was clear for me to turn so I waited.
As I was waiting at the lights I took out a strip of paracetomol from my right coat pocket, fiddled about to take 2 of them out and swallowed them with a bottle of water.
I've no idea where this supervisor might have been hiding - there was no one on the pavement or opposite bus stop but the junction is right outside a pub - so i'm guessing there.
Spoken to union and they're understandably outraged. The only other action I did was I think I may have picked the newspaper up to look at my crossword then put it back on the floor.
I've NEVER looked at my phone in the cab the entire time i've worked there - even when I could get away with it, say for example in the middle of nowhere with no lights on or streetlighting. I just don't risk it.
At the time my phone was turned off (I had a 2 1/2 hour break so used most of my battery) and on the floor of the cab well out of reach.
Our company has many CCTV cameras on all the buses but due to union agreement there's none trained specifically on the driver so basically it's the supervisor's word against mine.
I'm not aware of any other possible motive for doing it - I get on well with the majority of supervisors and managers (don't get involved in politics and stay out of the way). I very, very rarely go sick and have had one minor bump in over 6 years so can't think of any reason why they might want me out if that's the case.
Just looking for some reassurance from 'experts' as i'm going to spend the next 2 days worrying over the weekend as I can't work out why this has happened.
Was seemingly a normal day - I return from a trip out to a council estate with a supervisor there waiting for me. He suspended me infront of the public and customers telling me an off duty supervisor had seen me on my mobile phone while on the bus at a certain place. With pay and without prejudice.
At this certain place i'd pulled into the bus stop - the car behind me couldn't get past without blocking the road so he waited for me - I pulled out and went into a right hand lane to turn right. The lights turned red just as it was clear for me to turn so I waited.
As I was waiting at the lights I took out a strip of paracetomol from my right coat pocket, fiddled about to take 2 of them out and swallowed them with a bottle of water.
I've no idea where this supervisor might have been hiding - there was no one on the pavement or opposite bus stop but the junction is right outside a pub - so i'm guessing there.
Spoken to union and they're understandably outraged. The only other action I did was I think I may have picked the newspaper up to look at my crossword then put it back on the floor.
I've NEVER looked at my phone in the cab the entire time i've worked there - even when I could get away with it, say for example in the middle of nowhere with no lights on or streetlighting. I just don't risk it.
At the time my phone was turned off (I had a 2 1/2 hour break so used most of my battery) and on the floor of the cab well out of reach.
Our company has many CCTV cameras on all the buses but due to union agreement there's none trained specifically on the driver so basically it's the supervisor's word against mine.
I'm not aware of any other possible motive for doing it - I get on well with the majority of supervisors and managers (don't get involved in politics and stay out of the way). I very, very rarely go sick and have had one minor bump in over 6 years so can't think of any reason why they might want me out if that's the case.
Just looking for some reassurance from 'experts' as i'm going to spend the next 2 days worrying over the weekend as I can't work out why this has happened.
folos said:
Our company has many CCTV cameras on all the buses but due to union agreement there's none trained specifically on the driver...
Aren't unions funny things? And just for my curiosity, why would a bus driver have a mobile phone on him if it was switched off and not allowed to be used?Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Aren't unions funny things? And just for my curiosity, why would a bus driver have a mobile phone on him if it was switched off and not allowed to be used?
Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
I doubt that many people would want a CCTV camera trained on them for every minute of their working day, so I'm with the Union on this one.Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
Maybe he had a phone on him so that he could use it during a break?
smn159 said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Aren't unions funny things? And just for my curiosity, why would a bus driver have a mobile phone on him if it was switched off and not allowed to be used?
Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
I doubt that many people would want a CCTV camera trained on them for every minute of their working day, so I'm with the Union on this one.Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
Although it is trickier to prove that you did not look at your mobile phone, your provider should have records of texts and calls received / sent during the times you were driving.
Employment is based on 'reasonable belief' so it can be one person's word against another's. However in your case you should be able to get hold of some evidence; there may even be cctv cameras in the location you were alleged to have been spotted.
Your Union should be able to negotiate a sensible way forward.
Employment is based on 'reasonable belief' so it can be one person's word against another's. However in your case you should be able to get hold of some evidence; there may even be cctv cameras in the location you were alleged to have been spotted.
Your Union should be able to negotiate a sensible way forward.
1. Get your phone forensically logged. Get an official log of everything you did on your phone, online and offline, that day. They can scrape every single thing off your handset and confirm you did not use your phone at their claimed time or place. Ask your operator, like O2, or the police, if they can recommend a company or expert.
2. Check for an ism. If you think they might be doing this because of your age or religion, for example, then you need to mention it to the union.
2. Check for an ism. If you think they might be doing this because of your age or religion, for example, then you need to mention it to the union.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Aren't unions funny things? And just for my curiosity, why would a bus driver have a mobile phone on him if it was switched off and not allowed to be used?
Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
Who doesn't have their mobile phone with them wherever they go these days? It was switched off as I had a long break and used most of my battery. The only place the company won't let us use it in the cab - which i've respected for the entire time i've worked here.Anyway, you have my sympathies-it sounds like it's going to be a nightmare to sort out. Can you prove a phone was switched off?
Yipper said:
1. Get your phone forensically logged. Get an official log of everything you did on your phone, online and offline, that day. They can scrape every single thing off your handset and confirm you did not use your phone at their claimed time or place. Ask your operator, like O2, or the police, if they can recommend a company or expert.
2. Check for an ism. If you think they might be doing this because of your age or religion, for example, then you need to mention it to the union.
There is an "ism" involved if it's the supervisor I believe it is - he's got a problem with a certain category that I fall into and discriminates against all of the other drivers that fall into this category. He's reported myself, my partner (who is also a driver) and a number of other drivers that fall into the same category for petty things (such as sounding the horn at pedestrians running out infront of a bus) - none of which were taken any further after CCTV was reviewed. 2. Check for an ism. If you think they might be doing this because of your age or religion, for example, then you need to mention it to the union.
There's no way I can prove it but i'll speak to the union about it as I can easily get other drivers to give statements on the this supervisor treats us.
Sheepshanks said:
It strikes me as a bit odd that it's considered OK to fiddle about popping tablets out of a strip, take a drink of water and look at a crossword, but picking up a mobile phone is a complete no no.
The only no'no for the company is handling a mobile device in the cab. At the time I was stationary at a set of traffic lights, other than that what person keeps their two hands on the wheel 100% of the time they're in their vehicle? Is it not reasonable for someone to, for example, open a packet of mints while sat in traffic and eat one?There was a driver recently suspended for using their "mobile phone" while in the cab - he was infact looking at his route direction booklet as he was a new driver. In the disciplinary he was told he was seen using a white mobile phone with a white case (the booklet) - they ended the disciplinary when he brought out his black phone in a black case.
folos said:
The only no'no for the company is handling a mobile device in the cab. At the time I was stationary at a set of traffic lights, other than that what person keeps their two hands on the wheel 100% of the time they're in their vehicle? Is it not reasonable for someone to, for example, open a packet of mints while sat in traffic and eat one?
There was a driver recently suspended for using their "mobile phone" while in the cab - he was infact looking at his route direction booklet as he was a new driver. In the disciplinary he was told he was seen using a white mobile phone with a white case (the booklet) - they ended the disciplinary when he brought out his black phone in a black case.
What's the 'ism' if you don't mind me asking? There was a driver recently suspended for using their "mobile phone" while in the cab - he was infact looking at his route direction booklet as he was a new driver. In the disciplinary he was told he was seen using a white mobile phone with a white case (the booklet) - they ended the disciplinary when he brought out his black phone in a black case.
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