All drivers,including the fitter, at our depot were given written warnings today about not defecting a problem with one of the vehicles. I haven’t driven it for over seven months and am refusing to accept it but that’s not the issue. The problem is, I thought we had to be given a verbal warning first and then written ones afterwards. My boss reckons that the rules have changed regarding warnings, and verbal ones are no longer required.
True or false? anybody know for certain before I go in spouting off?
Did you sign a contract, and if so, what did it say?? If there’s nothing in ‘black & white’ i wouldn’t be too woried.
In a union??
Not my area of expertise but my understanding is that there is/never was anything to prevent a first (verbal) warning being clarified in writing.
After all, how can you give a verbal warning to someone who is deaf 
And before anyone asks the obvious, yes, you can give a written warning to a blind person because the document has a physical entity. 
From my understanding, what an employer cannot do, is give a blanket warning to the whole workforce unless each individual has been identified as being responsible for an action to incur the warning. An Industrial Tribunal would be very unlikely to accept it as being valid.
Go and tell him that unless it is withdrawn you wish to initiate a “Grievance Procedure” and wish to see the Companies guidelines in respect of such actions.
Cheers for the info Krankee. No verbals were given just an envelope handed to me when I got back to the yard this afternoon. That was the first I knew of it.
I will have to check my contract of employment on warnings and stuff , marcustandy
First off did you have notification of an investigation review, disciplinary hearing? If not then you cannot be disciplined (the warning is a punishment for a behaviour that is not acceptable) in the way you describe because you have not had the chance to test the claims against you or lodge a defence of your actions. The relevant legislation is the Employment Act 2002 ( dispute resolution) regulation 2004. They came into effect 1st October 2004.
Get yourself in contact with your trade union, Citizens Advice Burueax, or own solicitor. Good luck.
As to the staging of verbal, written, final warnings that is down in part to the method of warnings used by your company and there is no requirement to go through the earlier stages first. Example someone found in the process of wilfully damaging their employer can be summarily dismissed and escorted from site. The company does have a right to protect itself.
Thanks Wiretwister, like I said, no notification or anything just got handed a letter and that was it. I just wanted to check about the stages of getting a written warning.
I’ve been in today and said my bit, plus extras when I started getting annoyed, and told them I would be taking it further if they didn’t retract it. What’s annoying me is I haven’t driven it since august 2004 and it was OK then or I couldn’t have pulled the drawbar trailer with it. Which when I’ve checked my diary I was doing the last time I drove it.