If you were asked to write a statement about someone at work?

[WendyLady]

I've been asked to write a statement about a conversation I heard on a 2 way radio at work today.

The colleague was asking for assistance and unfortunately she used some swear words. I work in a school.

There are lots of staff with radios, so I won't have been the only one that heard, but I was in an office with her Senior at the time and I immediately gasped, so she knows I heard, which is why I've been asked. My other colleague who was there doesn't want to write one. She thinks we should all stick together. I disagree - I think!

WWYD?

Well I m not a teacher or in a union, so.my gut feeling might be way off but assuming I liked the swearer I would write

'Today I heard x on the radio while in an office with y. I was not offended and do not wish to be involved in any further matters.'

What about a factual paragraph followed by an opinion one?

To the best of my recollection the conversation went .....

Furthermore however, I have never before heard X swear in the presence of a child or parent. She is normally highly professional at all times.

For her to do this means, in my opinion, that she must have been pushed beyond reasonable limits and this lapse should not be held against her. Rather it should be an indication that steps should be put in place to ensure such a situation won't occur again.

So honest, but backing her up?

I don't particularly like her tbh, she's a pain in my arse, but personal feelings shouldn't come into it really!

I guess I just state the facts. It's likely that at least a dozen staff heard, plus any students who were in the same classrooms as those people. Reception has at least 3 radios on all the time, so if there were parents in, they'd have heard too.

Not to mention the HT, who always has one ear on the radio waves.

Silly lady. I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but it's been said now and if students go home and report, then I guess we need to have been seen to be taking action.

@AgentHannahWells, that's a fair response.

The only statement I've ever had to give concerned something that deeply offended me (a former PM propositioning me and other women). I still made sure to keep it factual and to the point, concluding 'I feel deeply uncomfortable working under X and, in my capacity as a team manager, feel ill at ease bringing further female staff onto this project under these circumstances'.

That was basically polite for 'fuck NO!'

Whatever you decide, make sure to try and keep things neutral and professional in tone if you do end up giving a statement. It'll be to your credit.

Just keep it purely factual:

"Today at about Xpm I was in the office and could hear a radio conversation between A and B. In the conversation A used the words XXXX, XXXXXX, and XXXXX.'

A statement of facts is exactly that. Don’t add opinion or anything you think might have happened like posters have written above.
A simple “I was in X’s office at approximately X time. I heard X say xyz (whole sentance if you can remember it).
X then asked me to write that I heard this on the radio.

I assume that my statement, along with the people I know heard, will be confidential anyway. I think that's what is worrying my other colleague. She thinks the woman will get shirty with the people that wrote statements. Personally. I don't think she'd give it a second thought, if the shoe was on the other foot.

I'm going to check with my boss in the morning first I think. He's been the union rep for years, so he'll know the drill.

Just for context of how bad or not it was, she said, 'Jonny has walked out of department again, not following instructions, same old bullshit'

If you don't like her then just state facts (which really I wouldn't bat an eye at and I don't swear at all). I only suggested giving opinion if you wanted to be truthful but also back her up.

(I was imagining 'FFS someone get here quick XXX has exploded again' etc whilst fearing for safety with known violent child)

Personal impression: that's inappropriate but hardly even 'swearing'

For comparison: I used to have a colleague whose standard answer to complaints allegedly was 'that would be because [complainant] is a fucking moron' (never heard him say it and only learned about it after he left - he's part of our 'office lore'). He was smart enough only ever to say this to sympathetic people in personal conversation, of course, and thus never got into trouble, AFAIK.

If it came to a disciplinary and the statements are to be used as evidence then yes she would be able to see who wrote them.
Which is why you should literally write the one or two sentences of where you were, st what time, with who, what you heard.

Lol! It is a bit lame isn't it? I'm surprised I've managed to not swear in the 10 years the damn thing has been attached to my belt tbh! . But we are there to discourage such language and we are supposed to be respected and lead by example.

I will state the facts and nothing else.

So the senior member of staff heard It? Is the person who was on the radio denying It?

It's a really inappropriate thing to say over the radio in a school.

How do you know it was definitely her? Can you just say you heard those words but couldn't 100% identify who said it.

She hasn't admitted or denied it as far as I know. Evidence is being collected. It was unmistakably her. She has a style and it was calling for assistance in her department. She's the only one with a radio in that department.

Why would you have to write a statement when your/her senior was there and heard it themselves? They should write a statement. It's a bit unnecessary and divisive to ask you imo.

That sounds like a massive overreaction - it's barely even a swear word & doesn't sound like it was directed at anyone or said in an aggressive manner.

Maybe this is the last in a line of things she has done against the rules and they will use it to get her out.

I’m also confused. If her senior was in your office at the time and heard why do you have to write something, why can’t they write it? It doesn’t sound earth shattering, a lot of hoo haa over nothing really and I wouldn’t want to get involved. I’d say I was concentrating on something else at the time and wasn’t listening, sorry. If questioned about gasping I’d say I probably remembered something or had a thought strike me, can’t recall. I’m Australian, we are experts st this . Obviously if I saw a colleague assault someone, act inappropriately, make a mistake that caused harm etc I would make a statement but this, nope.