Now, my problem. I transferred to a new office in June 08 and started on a 30 hour delivery duty. After my first couple of weeks I had a visit from my (mis)manager asking me why I was claiming so much overtime. (12 hours a week) I told him that as I was new to the duty I was finding it hard to start with but would improve with time, which I did. It`s now an average of 8 hours p.w. Nothing more was said until October when he called me for a "fact-finding interview" over why I was claiming "excessive overtime". I told him truthfully that was how long the job took as it was way over a 30 hour duty IMO. He replied that they had it tested in July (when I conveniently was moved back to my old office for a week) and the greyhound they got to do it completed it within the duty time and was easily do-able. I told him that proved nothing as this chap would outpace Linford Christie and has a reputation for cutting all the corners and no regard for health and safety. Anyway,interview over and I awaited the outcome. Three weeks later I get a letter telling me that the case was being forwarded to the cluster manager as any decision may be above my manager`s authority. No other explanation and he wouldn`t tell me over the phone either. So another 3 weeks go by and I receive a letter from cluster manager telling me I had been charged with gross misconduct relating to dishonesty from fraudulent claiming of OT and that he had lost confidence in my trust and honesty as a postman. The penalty for this could be dismissal.
As you can imagine I was gobsmacked and started to sort out my defence, which was how I arrived here and my trawl through the conduct code. I discovered that they had made at least seven procedural errors and wouldn`t have a cat-in-hells chance of making it stick, especially as I`m innocent!
So today was the big day for the interview so I turn up nice and early to speak to my union rep. He had great pleasure in telling me he had broke the news of their procedural cock-ups to them and that wiped the smile off their faces
However, instead of them coming to apologise to me and dropping the charge they instead said "interviews off, we`ve got to check some facts and we`ll have the interview at a later date"
So, I`m still up for dismissal and I`ve probably got to enjoy worrying about it all over Christmas.
What a bunch of t******