HR advice please

[MiserableMelanie]

I’m sorry to post on AIBU - but I am so stressed out by work and really need some advice.

I submitted an anonymous email to HR about the conduct of a colleague. It was incredibly difficult to write this and not in my nature to do this. I like to deal with things but in this instance I couldn’t.

There is a situation in my office where one persons behaviour is impacting me and many others. They are sadly my peer but in a slightly different role.

HR have acknowledged my email and said they do not need to have any further contact with me. This was approx 10 days ago. Nothing since.

Am I entitled to more from them or by being anonymous has this taken any right for information away from me?

They’ll probably just investigate the colleague behind the scenes. They may already have arranged an interview with the colleague or fed back to their line manager to monitor. But how they deal with it is going to remain confidential anyway, they’re not going to report back to you on any action taken as it’s between the colleague and their line management, but they’ve told you they have received your concerns, and presumably that’s the limit of their need to keep you informed any further.

Even if you're not anonymous, you won't be told. Obviously if someone is sacked, you'll work it out. But you won't necessarily be told if they've got a written warning. You certainly shouldn't be told about the investigation, though you might be asked to interview if they are asking people in the same team about things.

Yes the persons manager and the person themselves will have been informed by now and told of the complaint, the manager will have a say in if they think there is any validity, they also will have a duty of care to the person the op complained about, as in is this harrassment or vindictive from a colleague or someone externally,

so both sides, the managers view and then the persons view on it, and also do they need to protect the person as they dint know if this is someone fearful to come forward or if this is a campaign of harrassement,

if it was something firm, ie an event with witnesses, it is easily validated, if it’s a complaint about general behaviour , a demanding personality it’s very different, and the managers view will carry weight on next steps,

I imagine fne person will be quite shocked and distressed that sonone has done this anonymously. And will take their own views on who that was.

we have had two anonymous complaints I’m aware of in my dept over the years, both complaints it was very obvious who had done it. And arguably could have been from multiple people.

It sounds like a really tricky situation... If you feel that putting your name to a complaint would only affect you negatively, it might be best for you to start looking for a better job. I know it's technically not permitted to victimise someone, but people do it, especially if there's 'soft power' involved (e.g. long-standing friendships). Good luck.

Hi OP. Have you investigated your legal rights as a whistleblower? Have you checked and got advice from an employment lawyer or ACAS? Or even ChatGPT? There’s a lot you can do before quitting!
For instance you may be able to validly claim stress at work and get signed off. You can raise issues with your manager. Or if they are pals with this individual then go higher, to their manager. Have a confidential chat with them and get advice. You have the right to a safe workplace under HSE and it’s your duty to inform management if you don’t feel safe- that means mental health as well as physical.
Your organisation must have policies in place which are around conduct. This person is probably going against those. Look at yr orgs grievance and bullying policies . They are there for a reason!

It costs an organisation thousands every time someone quits early. So you may find a sympathetic ear….

Remember she was anonymous so has no rights as a whistle blower.

They wont incase your complaint is vexatious. It would be q breach of GDPR. If you wanted a response. You should have put your name on it.

Massively unlikely this is covered under whistleblowing. This is a personal grievance.

Also, op going off with stress is all well and good, until specific questions start being asked around the cause of the stress in welfare meetings. "Its a person but im not saying who" will get op nowhere and gives the employer no information so they can act and help her feel safer.

Also, beware that there is no such thing as a confidential chat with a manager. Yes some might keep things confidential, but they shouldn't if the person is sharing something that poses a risk to the company.

I think the poster forgot she reported anonymously and doesn’t wish to identify herself so isn’t going to be covered as a whistle blower, won’t wish to go off with stress and name them and won’t want to have conversations with management about it, as that removes all anonymity

Yes all fair points but as OP has not said exactly what the issue is I thought it worth raising. And stress at work is real… cause of stress - well it’s up to the individual to decide whether to disclose that or not. I agree this complaint is trickier for the company when it’s anonymous.

I’d add ir will also make it very obvious she’s the complainant,

in my experience though they always know who wrote it, it’s the phrasing, the view point, the behaviour round the person, so Id say they are all guessing it’s the op, as she doesn’t wish to own it, starting going off sick with stress and having chats about her colleague is simply going to validate it,

as said the manager will already know about it and have read it, as will the person she’s complaining about, she’s no right to confidentiality, she’s anonymous and the person has the right to know the accusation, and their manager needs to know also,

Thanks everyone - taking on board all perspectives.

@Charlenedickens I do not want to out myself so have kept information vague on purpose. In my complaint I have been specific about my concerns but have not named anyone. If others wish to make a complaint they can do so. I can only hope that the complaint is specific enough to allow some sort of investigation to take place.

You seem to have a harsh view of my actions, can I ask why please? Do you not understand that I have made this complaint anonymously because of the implications? Not all anonymous complaints are vindictive. This certainly wasn’t.

In making the complaint my main aim was to alert senior managers about what is going on. I recognise that for anything to really happen I would need to put my name to it.

I just hope it’s not been a complete waste of my time - am I concerned they will know / surmise it is me? Slightly - however, I have no intention of going off sick, or speaking to managers at this stage. They can guess who it came from but they won’t know it came from me because I will not be disclosing this.

@BoilingHotand50something I am glad that complaints are investigated in your workplace - I hope this will be the case in mine too.

@MacronsPensWiper yes I feel that it’s an interesting take too. I have maybe been niaive. I explained in the complaint why I was reporting it anonymously.

Unsure if offering context will help at all - I work in the NHS.