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Original poster

To dock a worker's pay for every penny they have cost my dad?

148 replies

Roary1 · 08/06/2013 13:49

I have been left to run my dads building firm for the last month. Last week a member if staff TEXTED in claiming they had been admitted to hospital with laryngitis. I did not believe him and requested a ward discharge summary which he could not give me and then just admitted he had gone to A&E and did not go to the ward as the hospital had no beds. He was told a sore throat is not a valid reason for absence but he stayed off for the week. After returning he went AWOL for a day he claimed he had texted in but I never received it and when I asked him to produce the text off his mobile he claimed he deleted it. His messing around has lost the company £200. Should I dock it from his pay?

OP posts:
pigletmania · 08/06/2013 17:56

Yanbu at all, he does not sound like a very good worker,tbh he sounds as though he is taking the piss. What you have mention in your posts are valid reasons to fire him.,

pigletmania · 08/06/2013 17:59

If you are running a company you don't want piss takers despite what eople on here think, you are not a hard bitch just doing te best for te company. I presume you are a small company so these losses will hit it hard, as a business person you have to be assertive, your not a charity!

yaimee · 08/06/2013 18:01

You sound awful.
I can't believe that you feel justified in illegally docking his pay and illegally sacking him!
Have a heart.

HeadsDownThumbsUp · 08/06/2013 18:02

LoSiento is right - this is what nepotism gets you.

I can't believe that you want to do something that you know full well is illegal! Doesn't that give you just a teensy clue as to how unreasonable it is?

StuntGirl · 08/06/2013 18:04

I reported it, and judging from the apologies for the mass email I wasn't the only one Grin

pigletmania · 08/06/2013 18:11

Yaimee the op is not a charity. It's not illegal to fire someone who does not get the job done! Docking his pay I don't know, op has said is not a good wirker sowhy keep someone like that on. Did you give him warning and follow proper proceedure

FarBetterNow · 08/06/2013 18:12

OP: Do you subscribe to an Employers' Advice Service.

You should do.
They give you advice on the legalities of Empoloyment Law and will repesent you should you need a tribunal.

It is indeed a minefield.

Did you pay the absent employee in full for the week he was off ill?
What do the Employment Contracts state.
Have you read them?

flowery · 08/06/2013 18:15

What an unpleasant thread. And the trouble with employment threads in AIBU is that you get loads of people giving employment law advice as fact when most of them are not in a position to do so.

OP I understand you are frustrated. There are ways to address this but I urge you to take proper advice and take a breath before you act. Act advisedly and rationally rather than in an irrational reflex response to your irritation.

Madamecastafiore · 08/06/2013 18:17

We only keep a discharge summary in medical notes and send one to GP. We have never given one to a patient.

hermioneweasley · 08/06/2013 18:23

Well said, flowery

dollymixedup · 08/06/2013 19:29

ACAS will give free and up to date facts and advice to employers and employees.

www.acas.org.uk/

LittlePeaPod · 08/06/2013 19:45

StuntGirl Wink Smile

ThisWayForCrazy · 08/06/2013 19:55

You sound like a prize knob. If you have legal grounds to fire the guy then do it. If he just pisses you off then I'm afraid you have to suck it up. Being a manager means you have to be adult about things. Sounds like you have some growing up to do.

FarBetterNow · 08/06/2013 20:07

OP: How many days was he off for in total?

Have you paid him for those days?

If he has cost the company £200 he cannot of been off sick for long.

How much does he get paid per day?

Is he office based or a skilled building worker?

quoteunquote · 08/06/2013 21:37

His messing around has lost the company £200

How has it cost the company £200?

maddening · 08/06/2013 21:46

Gosh I hope your poor management of staff doesn't cost your father his staff morale and good will. (Though you sound the kind of person who deserves just that)

He can self certify for a week and you have no proof he didn't have laryngitis - and if the only reason a&e didn't admit him to the ward then it wad probably pretty bad.

Also - as an employer your father should have factored in staff illness to his business plan - he is a shit business man if he didn't - it comes with the territory of employing humans - particularly in a physically demanding job (in an office for example in a non customer contact role you could work with a cold or sprained ankle - a physical job is different ).

maddening · 08/06/2013 22:25

Sorry if the only reason he wasn't admitted to the ward was lack of beds then it was probably pretty bad.

Ilovemyself · 08/06/2013 22:41

You cannot deduct pay for damage to equipment, negligent or not. You can only discipline if company procedures allow.

You sound like the sort of person who will bring the company down with your own personal vendetta.

LivingThings · 08/06/2013 22:52

To dock a worker's pay for every penny they have cost my dad?

Maybe you should have a think about how much your poor management style may cost your dad should you be allowed to continue like a power crazed, childish idiot?

just a thought.............

MulberryJane · 08/06/2013 22:52

OP grow up, the underlying idea that you need to get rid of an employee who is not working to an acceptable standard is NU. However, the bullying, power- trip you are on is pathetic. Your father has (for some reason) given you charge of his business which he has (probably) built up, you're destroying it in one fell swoop. Businesses rely on word of mouth more than ever now, you will soon have a nasty reputation linked to your business if you carry on like this. Your staff could probably find better treatment at similar companies...just saying...

Altinkum · 08/06/2013 22:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LivingThings · 08/06/2013 22:53

Oh and you should have insurance for damage to equipment. or do you know nothing about business

Ilovemyself · 08/06/2013 22:55

Has it occurred to you that the employees attitude may be down to a bully of a boss?

BackOnlyBriefly · 08/06/2013 23:03

Oh for the days when you could just beat the lower classes eh?

"I know I cannot LEGALLY" if you think breaking the law is fine when it suits you then why are you upset that he breaks rules?

Entertaining though.

FarBetterNow · 09/06/2013 12:00

OP has disappeared without answering all our questions.