wrongly "informally" accused

[tonysioux]

Please someone, i need a bit of advise as i don`t know how to deal with this.
Last night i was taken to the office for an "informal" chat with my manager as someone said i had harrassed them. A bit of background to this is that the accuser has a reputation by workers and managers of complainig about the majority of people they have worked with. Although i was told it was an "informal" chat, notes were being taken and i was accused of harrassement. I have not harrassed this person and i am angry that i have been accused of this, things that were said about what i had done were totally made up.
I have been told that both sides of the story are being looked at and my manager will get back to me. Meanwhile i am supposed to carry on working with this person and i am struggling because of the lies that have been said about me. The person has said that they don`t want to take it any further and are willing to draw a line through it and make a fresh start............but i havent done anything!!!!!
Should i just let it go?

[norbert]

Please someone, i need a bit of advise as i don`t know how to deal with this.
Last night i was taken to the office for an "informal" chat with my manager as someone said i had harrassed them. A bit of background to this is that the accuser has a reputation by workers and managers of complainig about the majority of people they have worked with. Although i was told it was an "informal" chat, notes were being taken and i was accused of harrassement. I have not harrassed this person and i am angry that i have been accused of this, things that were said about what i had done were totally made up.
I have been told that both sides of the story are being looked at and my manager will get back to me. Meanwhile i am supposed to carry on working with this person and i am struggling because of the lies that have been said about me. The person has said that they don`t want to take it any further and are willing to draw a line through it and make a fresh start............but i havent done anything!!!!!
Should i just let it go?

NO !, at the very least RM will try the guilty by association one and they are on the lookout for any little thing to blow out of proportion to impress.Don't ever go in without a rep as [/b]everything is purely to impress managers higher up the chain of command , lets just say practices are a bit too sharp at best & very underhand at the worst .

Sounds too contradictory quell surprise , it has got silly , the old way was simply to move someone to the other end of the building , also RM did try that intimidating witnesses thing at East London MC , six months and the stress to get people back , now with RM being bloody minded it'd take a Tribunal to sort it out .

RM were that keen to "build" a case to impress they "forgot " to interview the material witnesss , no other firm would handle things that badly and turn everything into a mini -series .

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Question did you take your rep in. If not its too late now but remember to take them in next time, its your right to do so.

To help on this occasion. I would give it 24 hours for you to calm down and think things through. This is not against you but when your are angry it is not a good time to try do anything on an unofficial or official basis.

Once the 24 hours is over I would then suggest writing a letter to the DOM presenting your carefully considered opinion on the subject, but don't say anything derogatory against the accuser, and ask for that to be included in the paperwork that they are generating. Also if you go down this line make sure you keep a copy of the letter, and if the DOM is approachable see if you can get a copy of the final findings.

Before you give the letter to the DOM get one of your mates who you trust, and who you don't mind giving you criticism so that he can point out any flaws. Also check it with the rep as well.

[greynut]

Please someone, i need a bit of advise as i don`t know how to deal with this.
Last night i was taken to the office for an "informal" chat with my manager as someone said i had harrassed them. A bit of background to this is that the accuser has a reputation by workers and managers of complainig about the majority of people they have worked with. Although i was told it was an "informal" chat, notes were being taken and i was accused of harrassement. I have not harrassed this person and i am angry that i have been accused of this, things that were said about what i had done were totally made up.
I have been told that both sides of the story are being looked at and my manager will get back to me. Meanwhile i am supposed to carry on working with this person and i am struggling because of the lies that have been said about me. The person has said that they don`t want to take it any further and are willing to draw a line through it and make a fresh start............but i havent done anything!!!!!
Should i just let it go?

TBT is right . Sit down and think out it. Personally, it seems that this person is going to lose a lot of work friends if he keeps this up.

I had the same problem, a guy was accusing me of working too loud (work that one out). So I went home thought about it, consulted a few friend and family, then I came back to the office and puched his f***ing lights out. No not really.

I wrote a letter pre-empting the situtation. I wrote that I had done nothing (If this was the case he/she would have witnesses) relating to these accusations. That I was very upset and angry that I had been unofficially warned, without the chance to take a rep in and explained that the accusation had been made out of thin air.

Well, two days later, this guy started on about 3 people, trying to provoke a reaction. He was asked to leave the office and we never saw him again.

[brothermagrew]

Please someone, i need a bit of advise as i don`t know how to deal with this.
Last night i was taken to the office for an "informal" chat with my manager as someone said i had harrassed them. A bit of background to this is that the accuser has a reputation by workers and managers of complainig about the majority of people they have worked with. Although i was told it was an "informal" chat, notes were being taken and i was accused of harrassement. I have not harrassed this person and i am angry that i have been accused of this, things that were said about what i had done were totally made up.
I have been told that both sides of the story are being looked at and my manager will get back to me. Meanwhile i am supposed to carry on working with this person and i am struggling because of the lies that have been said about me. The person has said that they don`t want to take it any further and are willing to draw a line through it and make a fresh start............but i havent done anything!!!!!
Should i just let it go?

No you shouldn't let it go, and the first point that I would raise is when managers start taking notes then it is time to get up and walk providing that you are in the union (we can continue this conversation when I have my union IR Rep here in the office with me) (managers will say it is only a fact finding informal meeting where I have to take notes) don't fall for it insist in your right of trade union representation. After all it appears that it may become a bullying or harassment conduct code issue. Remember sometimes the law may be a complete ass but it is innocent until proven guilty.

You should also note that it is a conduct code offence if an employee make false allegations against any other employee when the true facts are established and they have been found out lying.

Your first mistake was to go in without union representation (providing you are of course in the union). If you are in the CWU then go to the CWU website and do a search for the RM bullying and harassment policy.

[dvbuk55]

Don't let it go. If this person has a habit of this sort of behaviour then it is time to put a stop to it. It was a mistake in not taking the union rep in with you and if you aren't a member and the other person is .............................. then he is obliged to defend them and not you. If they get away with it they will feel as though they have the upper hand and can say and do as they wish with impunity.

[tonysioux]

Thanks for your replies. I had a word with my union rep about it tonight and he will get back to me on Monday. I did find it difficult working with this person as they were being quite loud and i felt that they were gloating. It gives me the weekend to think about where i want to go with this, at the moment i want the person to take back the accusation but on the other hand i`m thinking why should they get away with this again.

[asbru]

Don't let it go. Get your rep involved and consider taking out a counter-grievance against the person making the complaints. If they're using official grievance/bullying harassment procedures with mal intentions then they could be in serious trouble.

[tonysioux]

Well to say that this person wanted to start afresh and wipe the slate clean.........even though i`ve done nothing wrong........they are now gossiping about me to people in my office. i spoke to my manager and union rep, my manager is going to have a chat with this person and depending on the outcome of that i will decide if i`m going to take it further.

[mailsort6]

It seems as though this complaint was not made in 'Good Faith'. I would write a letter to your DOM stating this and that you will take the matter further (e.g. grievance procedure) if this false accusation of harassment does not stop. This person might dislike you for some reason and has chosen to go down this path, which is very evil. It seem as though this person is misusing the company's bullying and harassment procedures to get back at you and the thing is some managers cannot see through this. Remember to keep a diary of meetings, what was said, etc.

[norbert]

It seems as though this complaint was not made in 'Good Faith'. I would write a letter to your DOM stating this and that you will take the matter further (e.g. grievance procedure) if this false accusation of harassment does not stop. This person might dislike you for some reason and has chosen to go down this path, which is very evil. It seem as though this person is misusing the company's bullying and harassment procedures to get back at you and the thing is some managers cannot see through this. Remember to keep a diary of meetings, what was said, etc.

The mangers won't see through it as they are on the lookout for trouble and opportunities to impress . Vultures is the polite word for it , they are just as militant and bolshy as a rep on the lookout for any little thing , just a different twist on things .

The amount of firefighting they have to do for Area / HR/Senior makes them that way . RM have to turn everything into a 3 part melodrama as RM prefer to play petty politics as they can't manage .