Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 296 total)
  • HR advice – been called into the office at a moments notice…
  • Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Had a call from my boss today, he's told me to be in the office tomorrow for a meeting with him and HR. Very unexpected, no warning and I'm not on consultation as far as I know.

    So I'm wondering what it could be and narrowed it down to three options:

    1. Redundancy – although out of my team of 5 I'm the only one being called in

    2. Disciplinary – for what I don't know as I'm quite honest at work.

    3. Role change – I know other teams are recruiting or trying to for similar roles as mine. I was offered one back in the summer but turned it down as it wasn't the right career direction for me and I was told it wouldn't affect my job security if I didn't.

    Had a chat to my sister in law who used to work in HR (she was made redundant recently – joys of working for Corus) and she says it sounds like they want to make a change in my contract as I've been given no notice of disciplinary or Redundancy.

    What does the STW collective wisdom think? Should I expect the worst and if it does what action can I take if I am made redundant?

    BoardinBob
    Full Member

    If it was 2 then I think they have to give you the option of inviting someone along as a witness etc.

    br
    Free Member

    Public or Private Sector?

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Go in but be prepared to be strong and say " I am unhappy at this meeting without notice – I need time to get a witness / facts / paperwork / whatever" as appropriate.

    It is clearly your right to be accompanied if there is something serious going on.

    Redundancy needs all sorts of hoops to be jumped thru – so I doubt its that.

    maxsatnav
    Free Member

    take a collegue in wit you "just incase" its only fair that you have someone there as a witness which ever way it goes

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Private sector.

    Thinking about taking a witness in with me,

    project
    Free Member

    You mean Corus the steel company bought by Tata, Enough said.

    Zedsdead
    Free Member

    Having had the unfortunate experince of just how bad, poorly informed and down right wrong companies can be I'd follow TJ's advice.

    You have the right to someone being there – I was told that I didn't. The company tried to bully me and claimed they were doing 'nothing wrong or illegal'
    They were indeed wrong, very wrong on many levels.

    Take written notes of everything as well. This is very important. I managed to build up a 12 page report from mine with the CAB and 2 solicitors telling me it was very very good that I had them. They both knew straight away that they could wipe the floor with my employer from these notes.

    Say as little as possible – if you do say anything then think very carefully before you do.

    roper
    Free Member

    Ménage à trois?

    TheSouthernYeti
    Free Member

    A disciplinary can not be held / would not be valid without you being given the opportuninty to take a representative / witness with you.

    Don't take anyone with you, then if they say its a disciplinary hearing they will legally have to stop the meeting and re-convene when you have a witness.

    Taking a witness from the out set would certainly put my back up and will be likely to do the same to your boss.

    monkey_boy
    Free Member

    take somebody else in with you as suggested you are allowed to do this. it will make you feel better, take notes down aswell

    best of luck

    br
    Free Member

    No point taking a witness, if HR are there it will be above board – and if you unhappy at any time, stop the meeting.

    And as for a witness, who'd want to go in with you – as in "who wants to put their head above the parapet?"

    I've been a witness for a colleague in the past, he asked me as I'm known for my fairness. After the meeting I brokered a deal (on the side…) so he could leave with a decent package – I was a lot more senior and worked in 'corporate', whereas he was in one of the divisions.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    b r – Member

    No point taking a witness, if HR are there it will be above board You would hope so but unfortunately often not – look to Zedsdead experience for one and I know of many others.-

    and if you unhappy at any time, stop the meeting.

    Yup – you need to be strong to do this but its your right

    lowey
    Full Member

    They've found you porn stash in the gents. Best start restocking up on Razzle and Escort.

    stumpyjon
    Full Member

    Could be all sorts of things, might involve something a colleagues done.

    As for redundancy, ignore the twaddle above about consultation etc., it depends on how many are being made redundant or in fact this could well be a consultation meeting along the lines of your position is at risk (which usually in my experience the fat lady has already sung).

    As for the witness, I'm with the others, go in on the assumption it's nothing sinister, if it goes that way listen to what they say but commit to nothing and ask for a further hearing later. Taking notes is definitely a good idea.

    project
    Free Member

    If youre made redundant,its not you theyre makeing redundant its the job,and if it is they should have notified the union and the government,if there are above a certain number,there should also be consultation with the unions and staff,if they havent,you can argue,but theyll probably find some way around it.

    Best wishes for tomorrow

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    How about talking to HR in advance and asking if it's the kind of meeting you might like to have someone in with you?

    It could be that they are going to put you at risk in the meeting; as people point out, there are lots of hoops you have to jump through and this could be the first one.

    My advice would be not to jump to conclusions however and certainly don't start getting all militant in the absence of any evidence that you need to. It's just going to antagonize the situation and not win you any favours.

    The law are there to protect you after all so you don't have to start drawing battle lines in the sand just yet.

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    The redundancy (along with sacking) would be the worst but I don't understand why of the people in my team who all do the same job why I've been singled out for it and non of the others are being called in. Surely if its the job they are making redundant then they would somehow have to select us fairly… OK so I'm the one with the least work but I am also one of the most knowledgeable and have just had some independant research done with the customer i look after and they couldn't have spoken more highly of me.

    Also, if they offered me a new role doing the same job but in a different sector and I decided against it, and if I know that that position hasn't been filled since surely they can't make me redundant because it is a role they need and I can do – or is it like double jeopardy…?

    TJ – If I want to stop the meeting – on what grounds can I stop it? Is crying one of them??

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Bushwhacked – you don't need any grounds really.

    Somnething along the lines of "this is getting serious and I would like my union rep along / time to check facts / a witness present so I want to adjourn this meeting until a suitable time" Say nothing else and gt up and leave.

    taking notes very obviously is also a good one – keeps 'em on their toes. When you go in sit down and take a pad of paer out and make it clear that you are takig a note.

    Have a look on the ACAS and TUC sites for advice

    Oh – JOIN A RUDDY UNION FFS

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Blimey – not a member of a union at the moment!

    Is there a Financial Service salesman union?

    bananaworld
    Free Member

    Bushwacked – they're hauling you in for lack of apostrophe-use-knowledge.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    There is a union for anyone. They keep amalgamating and changing names. It'll be on the tuc website. Might be UNITE

    Stoner
    Free Member

    JOIN A RUDDY UNION FFS

    Tired Cliché No.76 🙂

    No-one with a bit of wit needs to join a union.
    Personally I would have asked long before 6 o'clock on the evening before what I was being asked in to discuss. Man or mouse?

    I also wouldnt recommend going straight in with "witness". Think what a twit you'll feel when you find out its a discussion about a new employee appraisal method, or asking about your views on the coffee machine.

    By all means, if its clear from the outset that it's serious, just say that you would have preferred to have had more notice of the nature of the discussion, listen to what they have to say, take notes as you see fit, and then say that you will defer your response until you have considered what they have said and arranged to have someone come with you next time.

    Hardly needs the ACAS Legal team to hold your hand.

    jedi
    Full Member

    hope its nothing sinister bro!

    you're an good guy 🙂

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Stoner well said. There are so many laws now to prevent the abuse and exploitation of employees that unions were originally set up to address that they (the unions) now just serve to arbitrarily fight with any decision they don't agree with regardless of whether it's in the best interests of the company (and therefore by default the employees).

    BA are a great example. I've had some experience of the unions at BA for both pilots and cabin crew and they are a bunch if winging numpties who think the world is out to get them and that they are owed a living.

    project
    Free Member

    Bushwacked just wait until tomorrow all youll do is listen toi strangers offering possibly good advice, and possibly putting ideas into your head.

    Non of us know what youre going to expect tomorrow,so just wait and see,then discus it.

    Lets us hope that HR dont read Singletrack.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    +1 for Stoner's comments above.

    And for this;

    they (the unions) now just serve to arbitrarily fight with any decision they don't agree with regardless of whether it's in the best interests of the company (and therefore by default the employees).

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Stoner – I've been pestering my boss most of the day for information but all he will say is that he has been told not to say anything and they have to follow the process. I'd love to know what I'm discussing but he won't budge no matter how hard I try.

    Can I record the conversation??

    Tony – Me too!!! Well stressful! God knows what it is but I know that looks like its session on for tomorrow night whatever the outcome – I want to ruin myself after the day I had today!!! 😉

    To put icing on the cake – Wife went to london on behalf of her boss since he couldn't make it. Got to the place in Chiswick, nowhere to park so parked outside, went into to see if they could suggest somewhere to park – comes out and being clamped – £295 release fee and they kindly took my wife to the cash machine to take the money out of the joint account!!! To top it off – the person who arranged the meeting told her the wrong date so it was a wasted journery for everyone except the clampers!!!!

    and…

    …went to get a video to take my mind off things – £15 fine for late video a few weeks ago!!! does it end!!!

    Stoner
    Free Member

    Stoner – I've been pestering my boss most of the day for information but all he will say is that he has been told not to say anything and they have to follow the process. I'd love to know what I'm discussing but he won't budge no matter how hard I try.

    In which case if it is a disciplinary matter, he really should tell you, and if you feel really need to then I suppose you could take someone in.

    Have you phoned HR and asked them? Asked them whether the matter directly effects you?

    If its serious but doesn't require him to tell you about it, then it might possibly be an interview about the behaviour of a colleague.
    #
    Either way Id expect a substantial justification for not telling me the reason for the cloak and dagger shit, and if the reason wasn't good enough, and the matter did relate to me, Id let them say their piece and then walk out saying Id get back to them by the end of the day once Id considered what they'd said.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    yes unions we dont try and protect our members interests , look after their T & C, fight to protect jobs, I mean look at the T & C we had at the start of the Industrial revolution, before unionisation. Recall how nice employers and rabid capitalism is. Sick pay, holidays, maternity leave, etc …. I mean what has organised unions ever done for us 🙄

    PS

    whether it's in the best interests of the company (and therefore by default the employees).

    halfing your salary + holidays and getting you to work twice as long is therefore in the best interest of the company and you then?

    If it was your disciplinary you need the info in writing 5 days in advance so I doubt it is that.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Those who say there is no need for unions – have you seen how many folk on here ask for employment advice? All of them would benefit from a union. Every week or so there is someone. Without a union what do you do if unfairly dismissed as many folk are ? or victimised at work?

    Unions can be a force for harm for sure – but you guys need to get real and get your heads out of your arses. Teh OP here clearly would benefit from union membership – the law only protects you if you know what it is and are prepared to use it. I have seen union representation make folks lives better many times over.

    Stoner is right tho – no need to go in all guns blazing / witnessed up – but be prepared to stop the meeting if thats the road you need to go down

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    It could be anything but when I was called in for my redundancy meeting (basically a chance to put my case as to why I should stay) they gave me 24hrs written notice and everyone knew that redundancies were coming anyway.
    AFAIK, for redundancy & disciplinary it has to be written notice and you need to be offered the chance to have a collegue/union rep in there as well.

    On the other hand it could just be something like you may have witnessed a collegue bullying/harrassing someone and they want your point of view? Or some delicate company negotiation type thing? Anything like that, they don't want you talking to anyone else about the facts/rumours, they want a fresh outlook.

    Look smart, turn up on time, be prepared to take notes and, as TJ says, if it starts getting heavy then request that the meeting be adjourned until you've had time to gather your thoughts/get a witness. There was a similar thread on here a while back about this kind of meeting, I think someone said not to try to record it secretly, it can apparently end up with you in trouble for not informing them it's being recorded.

    Good luck!

    Stoner
    Free Member

    Teh OP here clearly would benefit from union membership

    TJ – if it's a conversation about the strength of the Moccachino, then no, he wouldn't "clearly benefit from union membership".

    Employment rules and information can be gained from all sorts of other sources from the ACAS website, to the CAB, friends, relatives or even, dare I say informal forums. None of which require paying protection money a sub to a hairy knuckled, time-served, self interested, union dinosaur like Bob Crow the union secretary.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    😆 @ Stoner above!

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    right wing ideologues in hatred of unions shock

    I do so hope you work 60 hr weeks with no holiday pay and sick pay, no protection from unfair dismissal etc Thats what you would be doing without unions and I am sure you would not want to benefit from unions in any way

    grantway
    Free Member

    I would go in and let them have there say then tell them you
    are going to need time to think it over and then get legal
    advice.
    You must also bring in a witness has they have HR.
    To me it sounds that they are doing it wrong has they
    have not told you why first.
    So say nothing let them make the mistakes and take a witness in
    tell them you need to think things over and then get legal advice.

    Good Luck

    Stoner
    Free Member

    I do so hope you work 60 hr weeks with no holiday pay and sick pay, no protection from unfair dismissal etc

    Dont worry , I do*. Im self employed. I've taken responsibility for my own personal welfare. Have you?

    * I dont need to work 60hr weeks, but the rest stands.

    right wing

    Nope. We've covered this one many times TJ. Im not "right wing". Im a Free marketeer. My economic philosophy is not tied to any particular political ideology.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Grantway – there are perfectly good and fair reasons why they might not tell you – investigating a colleague for example

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Stoner – are you postings o here not reflective of your views? cos your postings on here are clearly those of a right wing ideologue.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    we disagree on Unions, and you think that automatically makes me right wing do you?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 296 total)

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