No smoke without fire

[shockedstunnedandangry]

My fiance works for a large corporation within the UK and has been suspended from work and he says he doesn't know why. It's been 8 weeks since this happened and he says he has no idea but it might be something to do with a works night out and a student he shared a taxi with. All sounds very odd and lots of people need to be interviewed which is why this is taking so long. He's VERY worried about this and I'm very suspicious of what he's been up to and I'm sure he wouldn't be suspended for sharing a taxi with a student. He's been checking back through text messages and worrying there's something there to incriminate him but he swears it's all a misunderstanding but I'm one that tends to think there's no smoke without fire. AIBU to think that?

OP when you say 'student' how old? As a student can be anything from school girl to 90.....

At the last place i worked one of my managers (my manager's manager) was suspended because of a "complaint" and that's all he was told. No details at all, just a "complaint".
He was told it was potentially gross misconduct but that was all he knew until he was called in for an interview. It was a pretty big organisation - a large, national charity rather than a corporation but lots of employees and places of work.
The alegations turned out to be false but its not impossible that he hasn't been told anything, it does happen.
(And i know because i was involved with the union so i heard about it that way rather than office gossip)

Will you have an opportunity to sit down and talk properly with him anytime soon? You either need to completely put your cards on the table and admit you're not sure he's being truthful or insist on becoming involved in (or at least informed about) figuring out how he goes about defending his innocence and ensuring his employer treats him fairly and abides by employment law. Which route you go is up to you but you deserve the truth.

The student is early 20s I think.
They must be interviewing a lot of the staff for it to be taking so long.
I've warned him before about being too friendly with students and having them as Facebook friends. I don't see it as appropriate at all and then they are texting him at home for work related things and I think that should take place in work time. He thinks I'm being ridiculous.

Does he work in education? There have been many instances of teachers/lecturers being suspended because of an allegation and they are not told what the allegation is. Sometimes it turns out to be completely unfounded and once they know they can prove it, but it may take weeks.
He may have done something wrong but he may be completely innocent. If he is a teacher I really hope he is in a union or has legal cover on his house insurance.

I think he knows. Ask him calmly but firmly.

It may turn out to be nothing dreadful. Hang in there.

He knows - there'd be nothing to incriminate him if he hadn't done anything. He's worried that he's referenced something.

I'd have no respect for him at all if he won't show you his letter outlining what he's accused of. What good reason is there for keeping that from you?

He's not a teacher.
No matter what I say he just says he's done nothing wrong and doesn't know why and refuses to discuss further.

I have known a person to be suspended because of an anonymous letter without the contents being made clear to the suspended person. Huge investigation followed while the person was on full pay. In the end the conclusion was 'there is no case to answer'.

The situation was intolerable for all involved and very damaging. It was not a person employed by a major corporation, but these situations are not unheard of in education and medical fields.

Garkand Gookin - sorry, crossposted with you. Correct, education is appalling for this and unions can't deal with it. I'd always advise someone to have a great lawyer if in education or medicine.

I work for a large corporation and we recently had a man go through this. They know the allegations, it's all done formally to avoid later legal action. The company will have hr and management, as well as seek their internal lawyers advice. He will also be advised he can get representation.

Ours took months as there was also a lot of interviews, from people who had witnessed his behaviour to who accused him ( sexual propositioning). There is also then a shit ton of appeals and everything else. It's not fast. Ours was about six months.

Ultimately they are normally allowed the opportunity to resign or the company moves to dismissal. Folks usually take resignation for obvious reasons.

If he has been off eight weeks it's serious. He may be appealing. The company will also be able to access his electronic communications if they moved quickly enough if it's a company device. If not the recipient may have a copy of whatever he sent.

I'd say the only things you know for sure is he's lying to you, he knows what he's being accused of, he knows where it is in the process, and it's very serious, as in gross misconduct move to dismissal level of serious.

He knows. I can't believe they haven't given him some sort of reason.

See "Suspension as part of a disciplinary procedure (investigation)" in
www.unison.org.uk/get-help/knowledge/terminating-suspending-job/suspension/

Does he have a union rep?

If he works for a large corporation he knows the allegation. No one is suspended and not told why. No one.

This^^

Has he engaged legal advice and if not, why the hell not?

You need to make time to sit down with him and get the truth. If an assault charge has been made a court case could follow.

He may not have done anything wrong but sticking his fingers in his ears and saying “la, la, la” isn’t going to help him defend himself.

Get the truth, get organised.

How have you let this slide for 8 weeks?

If he works for a large corporation he knows the allegation. No one is suspended and not told why. No one.

Not true. Many organisations are awful at HR. A colleague of mine was suspended over unpleasant rumours of sexual impropriety started by a spiteful colleague. The only thing she'd done wrong was to ignore them and not take defensive action (i.e. lawyer up immediately). There was nothing to it and she was reinstated by appeal after months of suspension, but she'd been so badly treated she resigned immediately upon clearing her name.

The same colleague previously made allegations about me (non-sexual this time) and I never found out the details, they were dropped after a very worrying unpleasant 3 months of hearing nothing.

There is often smoke without fire. - some people are nasty. If my DW was suspended from work I'd believe her without doubt and I'm sure she'd be the same with me. I wonder why you don't, OP?

I think you have to be supportive of your DH, to not do so when he needs it would be unforgivable- that does not mean you need to be credulous. There must be a reason, you don't trust him?

You, and he, need to get the details of the suspension and you need professional advice.

You can’t be suspended without being told why.

I don’t doubt some companies suspend without giving a full explanation but the op’s fiancée behaviour is suspicious, especially refusing to speak about it.

He's obviously lying to me

You can’t be suspended without being told why.

Who exactly do you think stops companies when they break employment law? There is no enforcement mechanism and abuse is common.

People who are willing to fight through to tribunal will often receive redress, but that is a hard road.

You can’t be suspended without being told why.

Who exactly do you think stops companies when they break employment law? There is no enforcement mechanism and abuse is common.

People who are willing to fight through to tribunal will often receive redress, but that is a hard road.

Why was he checking his phone for anything incriminating if he's done nothing at all wrong?

Why was he checking his phone for anything incriminating if he's done nothing at all wrong?

Don are you actually saying you work for a large corporation who suspends peope and doesnt tell them why? This is very very unusual indeed. Very. I would urge the ops fiancé to seek legal advice if that's what's happened, but I doubt it very much.

Op, I suspect the reason he isn't telling you or showing you the documentation is because it's sexual, I'm sorry, and will have implications for your relationship as well as his job.
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