Had a bit of a rant at my supervisor on thursday cos he gave me some extra drops.
At our place we’re on salary without overtime, with the understanding that in summer when it’s quiet, you go home early and are expected to make time up in winter when things are busier. LastAugust whilst I was on holiday the driver covering me liked ‘my’ run so much he insisted that he keep it, much to my annoyance when i came back off holiday. He then brags that he gets finished at 1pm some days. When winter is upon us he finds things are a little different and I quite often find some of his drops have been transferred to me along with extras like collecting returns or pallets. It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial, especially when if your first back you might be expected to take a local drop out, and double especially when I’m reliably informed his tacho shows other work for 40 mins!
So I went off the handle, and was presented with a suspension whilst investigations are carried out with regard to “failing to initally comply with a reasonable instruction from my supervisor and using foul and abusive language towards him.” When my case is heard on Monday I am realistically looking at gross misconduct and immediate dismissal.
any comments, help or good agency contacts welcomed.
It might help if you write out some pointers to prompt you when you are having this disciplinary. But occasionally we all snap and you’ll have to try not to do it in the meeting.
My previous technique was to walk away from the thing/person agreeving me. It doesn’t always work.
My manager who I regard as a friend, who also had to suspend me, has told me I will need to fight this very hard and with plenty of mitigating circumstances, I have had a couple of pointers from him in which direction to go. I’m not going to go in all guns blazing, but this is automatically regarded as Gross Misconduct for which instant dismissal is the only outcome as far as HR are concerned, and fraankly the only way out I see is dropping others in the doo dah which will be noticed at Head Office, and I really don’t want to work somewhere where I’ve had to do that. But on the other hand being nice won’t pay the bills!
seems to me that the other driver worked the head on you, or it may be that he has only done whats best for him leaving you picking up the crap there is always more than one way to skin a cat,
MADBAZ:
Had a bit of a rant at my supervisor on thursday cos he gave me some extra drops.
At our place we’re on salary without overtime, with the understanding that in summer when it’s quiet, you go home early and are expected to make time up in winter when things are busier. LastAugust whilst I was on holiday the driver covering me liked ‘my’ run so much he insisted that he keep it, much to my annoyance when i came back off holiday. He then brags that he gets finished at 1pm some days. When winter is upon us he finds things are a little different and I quite often find some of his drops have been transferred to me along with extras like collecting returns or pallets. It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial, especially when if your first back you might be expected to take a local drop out, and double especially when I’m reliably informed his tacho shows other work for 40 mins!
So I went off the handle, and was presented with a suspension whilst investigations are carried out with regard to “failing to initally comply with a reasonable instruction from my supervisor and using foul and abusive language towards him.” When my case is heard on Monday I am realistically looking at gross misconduct and immediate dismissal.
any comments, help or good agency contacts welcomed.
Had this sort of nonsense when i were at Abingdon…driver was a bit ‘over friendly’ with some customers and management wanted to take him off of ‘his’ run and put him on another. He kicked up, made a few enquiries and it turns out that if you have been doing the same run for more than 6 months, then it is your run and only you can choose when to come of it. Things might be different now so i’ll check
I never knew that when you worked for a company that any run was ‘your’ run.
As a driver, you get sent where you get sent, end of, and should never regard a run as yours. Things change rapidly in transport, and if you can’t adapt to change, then go stack shelves.
However…
If it can be proved that this driver is taking the ■■■■, then if they are going to hit you with a disciplinary rap, make sure that your so called friend gets looked into as well. If he’s sat tossing it off, then why should you have to mop up what he won’t do?
Stay calm, and put your points across to whoever is seeing you, and tell them that while you didn’t mean to go off on one, you think it’s unfair that your grafting on behalf of the company while others are taking them for a ride.
MADBAZ:
…It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial…
You would need a break at 2.30 pm to conform to the WTD, so maybe he is taking it a half hour early.
If you’re not happy and they are a crap firm… walk.
MADBAZ:
…It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial…
You would need a break at 2.30 pm to conform to the WTD, so maybe he is taking it a half hour early.
If you’re not happy and they are a crap firm… walk.
MADBAZ:
…It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial…
You would need a break at 2.30 pm to conform to the WTD, so maybe he is taking it a half hour early.
If you’re not happy and they are a crap firm… walk.
WTD break would be due at 12.30pm, not 2.30pm.
Ken.
Maybe he missed the 1 at the front while he was hammering the keys!
MADBAZ:
…It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial…
You would need a break at 2.30 pm to conform to the WTD, so maybe he is taking it a half hour early.
If you’re not happy and they are a crap firm… walk.
You got in a row on Thursday and they’ve got a hearing set up for Monday? That’s all a bit rush, rush! I’d ask for an adjournment to give you a bit more time to prepare your case. Is there a union at your place? Is there anyone who would be willing to attend the disciplinary hearing with you as without this these affairs often turn into a kangaroo court. ACAS will offer advice to you and your company, well worth a ring. On the basis of what you’ve told us can I assume no-one from the management side has ever used salty language towards a staff member? A key issue with all these things is for all parties to follow procedure and it’s where 95% of companies get it wrong. Find out what you’re companies disciplinary procedure is by asking HR and get it in writing.
Also, you should be notified of the hearing in writing together with the charges against you and be able to take in a witness of your choice, even if you are not in the union.
MADBAZ:
…It doesn’t help my mood when I have seen him sat at Wentworth at 2pm somedays reading a newspaper, we start at 6.30 and having a ‘break’ at 2pm is taking the proverbial…
You would need a break at 2.30 pm to conform to the WTD, so maybe he is taking it a half hour early.
If you’re not happy and they are a crap firm… walk.
WTD break would be due at 12.30pm, not 2.30pm.
Ken.
Oops, thanks, no wonder I get so many advisories (just kidding) my arithmetic is bad, I do know it’s six hours.
if there were no witnesses, then it’s easy.
you go to the hearing, and say, "i don’t know what the [zb] you bunch of tossers are on about, i’ve never [zb]ing sworned in my life, so let me get on with my [zb]ing job.
limeyphil:
if there were no witnesses, then it’s easy.
you go to the hearing, and say, "i don’t know what the [zb] you bunch of tossers are on about, i’ve never [zb]ing sworned in my life, so let me get on with my [zb]ing job.
failing to comply with a reasonable request is at the bottom end of the scale,i know cos i did the same
i don’t think you’ll lose your job over it,it’s hardly gross misconduct,that’s actually hitting someone,being drunk at work,etc
i swopped a couple of jobs around when i was doing the skip/hook loading job i did,so i didn’t get stuck in rush hour traffic,never let the customers down,no times on any of jobs.saved the firm some time & money but got suspended cos we’d had a call off the superviser,fom home,telling the lads to do their jobs in order.he wasn’t at work the next day.power ■■■■■■ little ■■■■ & he was out to take me down a peg or 2 as i said how badly the collection system we did,was organised & carried.we’d had many a fall out & couldn’t get anything on me,with this he do though.even when the manager took my statement,he said it’s a joke is this,kev is out to get,but there was nothing i could
i took my union rep in,he was really good.i still got a final written warning though,as i was already on a written warning.the guy who did the hearing was only going to give me a verbal warning,but couldn’t because of the fact i was already on the written,you can’t go down only up in the disciplinary line.
just keep calm,say why you went off the handle,sod it if you drop anyone else in the ■■■■,it’s your job & work record your defending.take a rep,work colleague in with you to witness everything.
chances are as long as your work record is clear you’ll get a verbal warning & bollocking & told not to do it again
At least it’s not for driving on the grass 
