2 year suspended

[She Raa]

Hi, my work friend lost a special delivery letter nine months ago and was fortunate to get away with a 2 year suspended dismissal. He's recently had another incident with a special, where he left a 739 but the special letter ended up getting mixed up in his colkection mail and went though the system and returned at our office the next day. It hit reported and he's had interviews with rep with him and awaiting what decision they make. Would it be likely that he"ll be sacked? He's sick with worry as his wife has just been made redundant.

[rambo1]

Ok this shouldn't happen at all but am surprised it doesn't more often with the increased pressure most of us are under now. Of course, if delivery staff did deliveries and collection staff did collections it would be impossible to happen.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

It's a possibility but it will depend on the exact circumstances on how it got mixed with collection mail, ie if he had collection mail in box in front of van and put it in there are if he was using a pouch whilst on delivery and had to put the collection mail in there

[Spedley]

It wouldn't happen in our office, sackings are almost always for laziness and cutting corners and not for genuine mistakes. If you make a mistake you need to see why you made it and plan what steps you need to prevent it happening again.

e.g. it could have been a non-silver, plain white special in a tray which fell over in the back of the van - he picked it up, saw the white label and put it back in with the collection mail. Very plausible and in no way a sacking offence.

[datasaint]

We should get a blue specials pouch for use on delivery. The same kind you see in post offices/firms. It would keep all the small specials secure.

I also think specials should have to be scanned/signed back in by the locker attendant to be 100% secure.

[She Raa]

They sacked him today.

[rambo1]

Really sad to hear that. I'm afraid it's the way we're going,any sackable offence will be carried out as it's more cost effective than paying someone who's got 4 yrs till retirement, £30k to leave. Just proves how important it is to take your time to give yourself the best chance of not making a mistake that could see you in the dole queue. We got a telling off once for not doing a 9am spcl in time. Would have been impossible as the locker gave us it at 9.15, but as it had a white label we missed it and did it before one. There really needs to be total continuity with specials being the same colour (blue for one, red for nine). As if we don't have enough to look out for, barcode that scan, those that don't etc. Once again feel sorry for your mate.

[rehabron]

They sacked him today.

Although your work colleague still has an active 2 year suspended dismissal it does not automatically follow that any further breach will incur dismissal as after a full and complete investigation and on the merits of the case. The description you have given on the recent incident that the item of the special delivery was never lost but remained in the RM system and mislaid within the collection system. This should have been a mitigating factor when determining the degree of punishment
and trust that this was argued by the union representative at the conduct interview. The procedure may have been broken by how your work colleague separated returns with additional collection mail in the rear of his/her van and how an investigation was carried out to this effect and if confirmed would possibly require some form of disciplinary punishment but it seems that the manager has gone to the extreme in this case by implementing the original disciplinary still active on work colleagues record. I hope that their is an appeal to be lodged in this case and does the new revised Conduxt Code not now include an additional category other than wilful delay and unexcused delay to mail.

[drewsie]

They sacked him today.

He's going to appeal though, yes?

Jesus H Corbett....just shows you that the first chance they get to fire you off, they'll do it!

[trythat]

Is this not the sort of situation where the 3c's are supposed to be used i.e. coaching, counselling and conduct. I'd be disappointed if this went straight to a dismissal in our DO.

As others have said make sure they appeal.

[She Raa]

He sys he's not going to appeal. He can't face it.

[rehabron]

He sys he's not going to appeal. He can't face it.

Silly man if he fails to use his right of appeal and then later has a change of mind and decides to go through an Employment Tribunal this would have an adverse effect on his award by reducing the compensation amount if he won his case for failing to use company appeal procedure.

[POSTMAN]

Put your arm around him and get him to appeal.