Dissmissal a real possiblity? Take heed Do The Job Properly!

[paddytoon]

A colleague whilst delivering, scanned, signed for and posted two recorded signed for items on the same street for different customers. The first he used the customers name. This customer put a CLEO report in saying he never received his item. The second he signed for under his own name, same scrawl signature was used for both.

Management pulled his PDA downloads for that day and soon discovered the second item. He verbally admitted signing for and posting both items on being questioned.

He had the Union rep with him in the official fact finding interview. He admitted everything again, he stated that it was a one off (two off!) and would not happen again. He said he had only failed to change the PDA to his name before signing and wasn't implying the customer had signed for it. He was asked if he knew the correct procedure for dealing with recorded signed for items. He said yes. Had he been trained in using the PDA? Yes again. (He is a part time PHG). He said he was only helping the customers out. He declared he had definitely posted them. He was informed by the DOM interviewing, that he would be dealt with by him and he believed him and would be dealt with quickly. As he wasn't suspended he felt confident he would be safe and get a 2 year warning or something...

Yesterday he got a Special Delivery letter from the DOM telling him he had been referred up to the DMS for fraud and theft. It looks like his future isn't too bright.

What do you think will happen? Dismissal? Anything helpful?

[fishtank]

It has been referred to the DSM because your manager is not a high enough grade to deal with a gross misconduct and subsequent possible dismissal.
I think that says it all.

[pokos27]

one mistake, your career could end, nasty. it doesnt look good.

[clashcityrocker]

If he wasn't suspended it will be very difficult for them to argue that he is a threat to the integrity of the mail.
Consequently I think dismissal is unlikely but nowadays ......anything goes.
Is he an idiot?....yes.
Is he guilty of gross stupidity?.....yes.
Is the "I was just helping the customer" defence garbage?.....yes.

[fishtank]

It's difficult to call.
This is not a "genuine mistake".
This is an experienced,fully trained OPG deliberately disregarding Mail Security.
It's possible gross misconduct even without the dubious allegations of theft/fraud.

[clashcityrocker]

It is gross misconduct.
I would have expected him to have been precautionaary suspended.
The fact he wasn't is a huge point in his favour.
His DOMs mistake(?) could have saved him his job. But maybe not.

[hatetheboss]

We had a Lad did the same thing now on the dole

[Mick200]

Has the Dom taken you off deliveries? If not you can argue that if he felt your weren't trustworthy anymore why has he let you carry on delivering mail.

[74tower]

i have dealt with cases like these as a manager and if the integrity of the mail was deemed a threat with this postie then he should have been precautionary suspended to "protect the integrity of the mail" .As a manager that has had cases like this passed to me i havent dismissed for the simple reason that it wasnt deemed by the DOM to be serious enough . This postie may find himself very lucky because he would have been suspended by the majority of managers as dismissal would be a real possibility . An ET would probably throw out a dismissal because of a failure to suspend .A suspended dismissal could be a likely outcome but i'm afraid that isnt guaranteed .

[fishtank]

I think the DOM may have felt that a lesser punishment was suitable,hence the lack of suspension.
I think he may have got cold feet,perhaps after pressure from the customer.
The DSM can kick it back down to the DOM if he doesn't think it warrants dismissal but the DSM will look at the cold facts and the facts...even simply those admitted by the OPG are not good.
The fact that he did it twice is not good.
Once is a brainstorm...a moment of madness...twice is a pattern of misconduct.

[paddytoon]

Firstly I must stress this is a colleague and not me. He is not suspended, but we have a major manpower problem at this moment with sickness absence, I fear it has more to do with that than not trusting his integrity.

I assumed he was a dead man walking, sadly it seems I was right. He has no defence and was stupid.
Maybe the best thing to come out of it will be the other clowns in the office doing this signing for things will stop. (It's rife, as is door stepping, especially since the (largely unsecure) Safe Place thing came in for tracked's.)

Is there any point getting the Area rep to attend the DMS meeting as there's no defence?

Would a preemptive resignation be any use to future job prospects?

[clashcityrocker]

Would a preemptive resignation be any use to future job prospects?

No. As 74tower says an ET may well throw this out as he has not been suspended.
His job is still on the line and he should have an Area rep to defend him.
Hopefully it will be a lesson to the other clowns. Maybe not.

[74tower]

he should take in the area rep who , if any good , will ask why he wasnt suspended immediately . the manager will find it hard to justify a dismissal .A DSM will reluctantly pass this back to the DOM and let him give a lesser penalty . Hopefully a lesson can be learned by all , manager included !

[fishtank]

he should take in the area rep who , if any good , will ask why he wasnt suspended immediately . the manager will find it hard to justify a dismissal .A DSM will reluctantly pass this back to the DOM and let him give a lesser penalty . Hopefully a lesson can be learned by all , manager included !

I hope you're right 74tower.
I'm not convinced that a lack of precautionary suspension would be enough,in itself to save him but i hope i am wrong.

[hatetheboss]

By signing on behalf of a customer is an act of fraud I do not think not suspending him will save him.