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Grievance

13 replies

wine0 · 30/07/2013 09:06

My DH had a grievance put in against him (he is a manager of 5 team managers and 60 office clerks). For weeks the person has gone around telling people about the grievance he put in and has ignored DH several times throughout the whole process. Due to DH position, he has been unable to defend the conversations, the whispers, but work through it and ignore it all.

Yesterday, the outcome was decided that no intention was meant by DH and an apology for any upset caused has been offered to the office clerk. The office clerk now has 7 days in which to respond.

DH raised the spreading of the grievance around the office to the investigating officer but this has not stopped him and no action has been brought against the clerk.

DH is now considering putting in a counter grievence against this clerk along the lines of blackening his name making it hard for him to manger the staff he has spread this amongst.

Anyone who could offer advice at this point would be greatly received.

Thanks

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flowery · 30/07/2013 09:55

Was the clerk specifically requested to not tell anyone about his grievance? I's his grievance and he can tell who he likes really.

What does your DH think would be achieved from bringing a grievance against the clerk? That would be an extremely strange thing to do against a more junior member of staff. It sounds like your DH is his manager, is that right? He ought to be able to manage his own staff's behaviour without putting grievances in against them.

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wine0 · 30/07/2013 10:07

Not sure tbh. The allegation was a serious one which DH has been cleared of but the employee has been intent on making things as difficult for DH as possible.

It was me pushing DH to raise his own grievance tbh. Simply because he has not been able to defend his name throughout any of this and was told not to talk about it with anyone, which he hasn't. I just presumed the person who lodged the grievance would have been told the same and that not talking about it was the norm.

I want the clerk disciplining for spreading untruths about and for giving us weeks of upset and sleepless nights. This clerk has form for putting in grievances.

I'm just so mad that we've endured all of this completely unnecessarily and it has now been proven to be the case.

This employee just should be allowed to go around spreading unfounded accusations. If DH was to do this publicly in his position then it would be serious misconduct, bullying, potentially. But because of DH position he can be subjected to all the tittle tattle and conversations about his integrity and not be able to defend himself. Just doesn't seem right.

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flowery · 30/07/2013 10:36

I'm not saying the employee should be allowed to go around spreading unfounded accusations. I'm saying that raising a grievance against a junior employee would be an odd way of dealing with it.

If your DH manages this person, what has been preventing him dealing with the clerk's behaviour?

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flatmum · 30/07/2013 10:39

He's the manager so has to suck it up I think - one of the downsides of being a manager and the extra salary that comes with extra responsibility is that you have to be prepared to have people constantly bitching about you behind your back. wouldn't be for me but the managers i know don't give a damn.

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Cremolafoam · 30/07/2013 10:51

No he shouldn't get into the reciprocal grievance thing. Some dignity needs to remain. He needs to find a way of rising above it I'm afraid.
The more professional he acts the better. Take it in the chin and move on. Leadership needs to show and lead by example. Sounds like the culture in the company has gone downhill a bit. He needs to separate himself from that and concentrate on doing his job. The grievance has been dealt with and unless there is an appeal he needs to draw a line under this incident , learn and move on.

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EATmum · 30/07/2013 10:59

I've had a similar situation in the past and it's really hard - but bear in mind that if this person has form for this kind of behaviour, everyone else will know that too.
Would a mediation session be beneficial here do you think? Rather than a disciplinary or grievance situation, to get both parties in the same room to explain the way the recent issues have felt to them, without judgment on the other party, might help the clerk realise the impact of their behaviour on others? If so, an impartial third party would probably work best as a mediator.

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kiwimumof2boys · 30/07/2013 12:02

To be honest, all the clerk is doing by gossiping, is making himself look bad. As the saying goes, when people gossip, it says more about the gossiper's character, than the person they're gossiping about.
In the short term, he might garner a bit of sympathy, but come promotion time, managers remember this sort of behaviour and will certainly think twice before promoting a gossipy trouble-making little twit !
I would advise your DH to hold his head high, and hopefully it will blow over soon.
Good luck to your DH. not a nice situation.

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wine0 · 30/07/2013 12:26

Thanks for all your thoughts. Think you may all be right and so far he has been, by far, the bigger person through some very awkward moments where he has walked in on conversation etc.

He is paid extra money for his position, granted, but this wage; IMO is for the extra responsibility that goes with the position, not to be treated with disrespect and shouldn't have to "suck it up" because he is paid more.

I have a feeling this employee will appeal the decision within the next few days which will cause even more stress to my husband. All the while he has to try continue trying to do his job.

As for managing this employee, he has been told not to and to leave it to the employees direct line manager and for my DH to manage the line manger and not this employee directly. Quite frankly, the line manger is a soft touch and is scared of a similar racial grievance being submitted against him so has pretty much let the guy do as he pleases.

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flowery · 30/07/2013 14:25

Well why isn't he managing the line manager and ensuring he deals with it then? Or is the line manager completely disregarding his instruction?

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wine0 · 30/07/2013 14:35

It's very messy and because of the nature of this person, it's a hot potato nobody wants to deal with so everyone treads around on egg shells and lets him get away with far too much because of fear of pulling the race card out.
The first person to challenge him on his conduct (my DH) and he has pulled the race card out and slammed in a grievance. This employee is serious trouble. He doesn't like being pulled up for anything and over reacts with everything.
The line manager knows he's trouble and wants a quiet life DH said. DH wouldn't want to pull the line manager up for not managing him as he understands the position this line manger is in.

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CinnabarRed · 30/07/2013 15:38

DH wouldn't want to pull the line manager up for not managing him as he understands the position this line manger is in.

That's part of being the boss, unfortunately. If the line manager isn't performing part of his duties then it's your DH's responsibility to raise that with the line manager.

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wine0 · 30/07/2013 15:50

I know and maybe that's a conversation that will need to be had when all this is resolved because if the line manager had been doing his job and pulled him then my DH may not have been in this position.

My DH is going to have to adjust his own practice after all this and manager staff through his line managers.

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kiwimumof2boys · 31/07/2013 01:44

God I hate it when people pull out the race/age/sexual orientation card.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the Line Manager needs to grow a pair.
Or, have a talk to HR.
What a horrible situation - hopefully the employee will leave soon.

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