Just after a bit of advice regards a issue at work whereby I’m having some issues currently where it seems that I’m being singled out and basically discriminated against.

It all seems to stem back to a issue with my ex manager who was under scrutiny by his direct manager(Regional Manager).

A situation arose where the Regional Manager was hoping I would implicate my manager for wrong doing, which I refused to do and refused to be involved in ,ever since then it seems like I have been under scrutiny and the slightest thing/step out of alignment is being investigated and action taken against me.

However the problem that arises is the team I work in has had several temp line managers since my ex line manager was relieved of duty and each one has been involved with the above the only common factor seems to be the Regional Manager who any action would have to be either run past him or instigated by him.

Although I have no hard evidence that he’s behind the above my gut feeling is that he is.
I have been at the same company in the same position for several years with no issues and only since the incident mentioned regarding my ex manager have I started being called out.
Question is ,is it a coincidence(Knowing the full details on the above I think not) and if I was to raise a grievance does it have to be specifically against someone or can it be against the business/department in general.

I know I’m being slightly vague but that’s for my own protection.
Any (sensible) advice would be appreciated 🙂

Too many managers in that story.

Yeah it does seem that way but the main point is would I directly have to name the Regional Manager if raising a grievance as he is the one I feel is behind this even though I don’t have solid evidence just the fact any investigations,disclinplinary would have have to be instigated by him or signed off by him.

Some of the issues are things that my colleagues do work wise on a regular basis but on the occasion I have done the same a investigation has been made on me,but not them?

Sounds awfully like royal mail !!!!!

Seems likely that your grievance would have to be against the immediate line manager- your theory seems sound but can you support it with anything other than “it seems to me that…”? Could be simply impractical, without the line manager’s intervention. Which, conveniently, may well occur if they come under investigation and say “The regional manager said…”

Oh, also, just to stop you walking into a trap- the regional manager isn’t the one common factor, there is also you.

Since TJ isn’t here to give more qualified advice, let’s just add the inevitable, are you in a union?

Oh, and a completely unqualified opinion, but for all it’s not desirable to get involved in office issues, would it not be reasonable for an employer to expect your support when investigating wrongdoing?

Ask him what his problem is ….if he carries on being a bell

Point out your going to knock his pots in

If it carries on or you losy your job seriously give him a hiding

Fight spineless bastards with fury and pent up aggression

Ask him what his problem is ….if he carries on being a bell

Point out your going to knock his pots in

If it carries on or you losy your job seriously give him a hiding

Fight spineless bastards with fury and pent up aggression
Ace.
The internet needs more people like you.

If I can get through the vagueness.. It seems that your former boss was up to no good, you knew he was and decided that you didn’t want to tell the company and are now suffering guilt by association? Does that sum it up?

Ask for a meeting with said manager and discuss whats going on and the previous issues.

No proof then nothing can be done.

You need proof then follow the trail …

Why on earth you defended the other person when you knew he was in the wrong? Some people are not worth defending at all you know …

OK a few more details ,my line manager is no longer with the company after the regional manager went on a witch hunt to get rid of him by any means necessary.
The reason being he was involved with a situation on a night out that I was also on and I was named as a witness to the incident by another ex colleague who had a issue with our line manager(it is a messy situation).
The night out was not in works time ,non of us were in uniform and as far as I or anyone else was concerned it was not a work /company issue.
But the regional manager took it upon himself to make it a company issue,and for the above reasons (and the Reg manager being a cock)I would not be involved in implicating my line manager.

No union I’m afraid,last time engineers tried to get one going the company stamped it out(part of Rupert Murdoch’s empire you see)

@chewkw
Re.defending my line manager, he actually is a decent bloke and would stand up for us against the heirachy instead of being a corporate gimp like a lot of the other line managers within our company and that said is possibly one of the reasons why his manager wanted him out.

As stated previously I have had no issues,grievances,disciplinary on the previous 5yrs I have been with the company but since the incident I have alluded to in previous posts I have been singled out and had meetings and action against me on 3/4 occasions now ,my point being other colleagues are operating in the same manner but nothing is happening to them so it does feel from my perspective that I’m being discriminated against.

If 2 members of management were fighting then it was a company issue regardless of where you are. You need to prove you are being set up via constructive dismissal. You need evidence you are being treated differently and report via personel manager

Either play the game or get out would be my advice.

Ring ACAS, where you can get some better advice re: grievance processes.

A thought though is you may find that RM was correct in taking it upon himself to deal with the night out issue as a company issue. Many employers, including my own, have terms regarding behaviour outside of the workplace and working hours; it’s written into the employment contract (if you have one). You may want to check this before anything.

Hi

Firstly, are you in a union? If you are and you have a good rep they should be able to look in to it for you. If you are not then you need to be careful how you approach it. I’m a rep myself and my advice would be to look at your grievance policy and also your raising concerns policy. HR should show you where to get these policies. I would then discuss your concerns with HR first informally to gauge their response and if they are supportive put your concern in writing before putting your grievance in. If you follow what the policies say you cannot go far wrong as they have been agreed by both management and unions. Also, try to find out if anyone else is having problems with the same senior manager. You may find that some of the previous line managers left because of problems with senior management.

Finally, if you genuinely feel like you are being bullied discuss it with HR they should take it seriously.

Good luck

If you want any chance of a greivance to go your way you’ll need to accuse someone, have a specific accusation of wrong doing and able to back it upwith credible evidence. Putting in a greivance whilst absolutely your right is a nuclear option. It would appear you are already on the wrong side of a fairly senior manager. The greivance will need to be heard by their superior so you’re really putting your head above the parapet.

Also what do you want to happen as a result of the hearing, unless its the removal of the regional manager I don’t think things will change much. The manager will only go if the company want them out anyway or you can prove something a little more concrete than vague bullying allegations.

Unfortunately most complaints processes be it greivance or tribunal rarely go in favour of the employee and if they do the outcomes not really what they want.

It’s not right but life isn’t fair, you can be pragmatic and move on or stand on your principles and probably get shafted. Being in a union may have helped (although politics amongst union reps are as bad as amongst managers) but it’s a bit late for that now.

I’ve been shafted several times despite being demonstrably good at what I do, turned a department around and got it profitable instead of loss making, got singled out for redundancy. Got sacked because and I quote my face didn’t fit after six months, no warnings, passed probation fine 2 months before. Other than negotiate over pay outs I moved on. I now feel fairly smug as I’m earning significantly more, got a better job and am valued by the people who employ me. (The director who made me redundant got canned herself 3 months after me, my career went from strength to strength, hers went down the dumper, that was sweet).

We need more details about what happened on that night out.

..and pictures.

They want you out, you failed to report a problem with the previous manager.

Royalmail,plus one, and its going to get worse as people try to make a name for themselves before leaving.

They want you out, you failed to report a problem with the previous manager.

Royalmail,plus one, and its going to get worse as people try to make a name for themselves before leaving.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts ,no fighting or others involved lets just say my ex line manager was very mellow after smoking a roll up and that’s where the issue for him was.

Think I might just arrange a meeting with the Regional manager to clear the air and see where that goes.

And snivell. Don’t forget to snivell. 😉

Make sure you keep a written record of everything relevant that happens from now on (if you haven’t already started that is).
Good luck.

Unfortunately organisational politics can be a pain in the backside if you are in the wrong camp. Many decent people get shafted because they do the right things while many climb the corporate ladder for being back-stabbers.

Yes, just clear the air with them …