AIBU to not understand why I am facing disciplinary at work for such a non-issue?

Would it be okay to give a clue as to what the harder jobs and easier jobs are? I’m just curious as to why the jobs are split as they are.

Tommy should not be shouting angrily at you at work. I would complain to management about that.

I think your wisest course of action should management make this into a bigger issue is to make the focus on you and not Annie. So stress that you were frustrated by the fact that you were always given the harder tasks and you felt that this was unequally distributed. And just give Annie as an example of that. Making the focus on Annie and what duties she specifically is being given could be problematic if management are the type to make this into a bigger issue

Perhaps she did well with the harder tasks so her reward is a break from that and some lighter ones. Or there’s another reason that you’re unaware of due to health/medical….

perhaps once you get through this harder part and show you can do it well, you may then get the lighter ones for a break.

Anyone can talk to anyone, freedom of speech and all that. Talking about a colleague negatively to other colleagues is not on, if you have a problem with someone at work go to management don't gossip and spread rumours.

There may well be medical reasons why Ann has phycially lighter details - would explain her DH reaction.

Best way to handel this would have been to go to management and discuss why your work load was always so phycical.

I don’t think you understand what freedom of speech means! It means you are free to speak without retaliation or censorship from the government. It doesn’t mean you can say anything you like at work.

This. And Annie is sensitive to it because it’s private and Tommy is incensed you’ve used her as an example for your moan.

far enough really- your freedom of speech shuck was antagonising too.

but you haven’t got a disciplinary yet, they’ll need to investigate.

You are utterly unreasonable. You have NO idea why some members of staff including Anne are on lighter duties and it’s none of your business. And to default to pregnancy being the only possible reason you could come up with shows ignorance. I agree with posters above the mention of their nationality does feel racist/xenophobic.

I’d say if you are disciplined it would be fair and appropriate.

Indeed!

If you have an issue with task allocation you speak to the people doing the allocation - the managers. You do not start speculating - gossiping, bitching - about other staff. You deserve to be told to keep your beak out by colleagues and to be pulled up on this by management.

You may be right about favouritism and/or there may be other things going on that you don’t and shouldn’t know about. But you’ve gone about this the wrong way.

You are maliciously gossiping of course your going to be disciplined.

Surely your not daft enough to not realise Annie may be disabled.

Are you in a union if so speak to them.
Just tell them you feel that the allocation of work is unfair

Op herself is not English
op also referenced many people given lighter work one of which is Annie. She has not singled Annie out

op your main issue is not raising the issue of allocation of duties to your line manager / this should have been done. Also put in a complaint bout tommys aggression

Is Annie's birthplace relevant to the job that she's employed to do? Or maybe it's relevant to the physical work that, in your opinion, she's shirking and you're lumbered with? No?

You don't know why Annie is on lighter duties and you are not entitled to know.

If you are struggling with the duties assigned to you, you should have requested a meeting with your manager and/or HR.

You can ask what the company's policies are on reasonable adjustments in the workplace, but you shouldn't ask or speculate about adjustments made for individuals.

Your company is doing the right thing in investigating this matter, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything in the meantime to affect the outcome (unless you are suspended or facing disciplinary action, which I am assuming you are not).

I suggest you write a full and sincere apology to Annie and Tommy and assure them that you have given the matter some thought and you now realise you behaved badly. Send a copy of the letter to HR.

If you are suspended or facing disciplinary action you must send the letter via HR, not directly to Annie and Tommy.

The fact that Poland's laws are less employer-friendly than ours is entirely irrelevant.

You mentioned several people who seem to only be given lighter duties? As everyone else says, you have no right to know if someone is on lighter duties for a reason, but it doesn't sound like you were singling out Tommy's wife.

You should have taken your burnout to a supervisor not criticised another colleague whose medical history is unknown to you. You were the rude to her husband. You are not in Poland, so it doesn't matter what would be acceptable behaviour there.

YABU. It’s none of your business what Annie does. If you have a problem with your own workload, you can of course bring that up with your manager.

Probably racism, discrimination and harassment based on your first post

You have no idea why Annie is on light duties and have no right to speculate and moan about it either.

If you are struggling with your allocation, then you need to raise this with your manager. Focus on yourself, the impact the allocation is having and what solution you would like.

You have no idea why Annie or anyone else does the lighter tasks. Tommy's reaction suggests perhaps there is a good reason for this that is sensitive.

I had some slight adjustments in my job last year - to others, it may have looked like preferential treatment/favouritism/unfair. The reality is, I have an unseen disability which badly flared and I was in a lot of pain. If someone had gossiped about it, I might have reacted like Tommy did because it's just none of their business!

Clearly management know of a reason Annie cannot be heavy lifting and it's none of your business.

Agree, there may be another reason why this particular person has lighter duties.

However if they aren't generally going to allocate fairly they should maybe do a pay differential between the 2 roles.