unfairly treated

[WhimsicalWinnifred]

If anyone sees this it will give me away but I desperately need help, if you'll give it.

I work in quality assurance. I had a new manager this year. She is good at what she does and talks of being a team but it is clear we are not. Since she started she has given me a file note and verbal warning. My record was spotless previously. The manager that is senior to both of us told me they are 'bullshit' and not too worry too much about them.

This time round...

There was a quality issue with a product. It is not an issue we have had before, been trained to look for or is part of the quality check. This was missed by myself, the quality manager, the operators that produced the product and their manager. It was spotted by the next people involved in the process because they couldn't do their part.

My manager was told their was a problem and went through stock. She still missed it. Yesterday I had a 'disciplinary interview' which was to 'investigate' and "may result in disciplinary action". Today I got a written warning but all the operators got a file note. They have a different manager who refuses to punish them for this.

The excuse for my harsher punishment is that I am quality and should be working to a higher standard. I understand that. I check approximately 1% of what was produced. She believes the volume of the problem means I should have caught it (approx 25%) but i think the proportion of what I am checking is too low and the odds of me missing something are too great. Not to mention, she also missed it even after searching through boxes specifically to find the issue. This product did not come off the machine like this. It got worse as the product settled. I believe this is why we all missed it.

I am appealing the warning but could anyone give me any advice? Thanks if you got this far

The first thing I'd suggest for anything like this is that you need to be conciliatory, i.e. concerned about the problem and open to taking on board feedback about the situation. Going into a disciplinary proceeding being defensive ("its so unfair" type attitude) will reflect badly on the employee (you) under review, even if you are whiter than white.

Secondly, maybe think about what you could have done to look out for the quality problem. What is it in your job that made it difficult to pick up the quality problems. If Quality is your responsibility and accountability, and you aren't picking up problems (where you mention that 25% of a batch have the problem - That's a lot of items!) then either you need to ask for more on-the-job support/training, or else (dare I say it) you may need to consider whether this is the right job for you.

Thirdly, please don't fall into the trap of worrying about other people, eg pointing fingers at what "they didn't do". I would suggest you need to focus inwards, on yourself and your performance and be open-minded to the fact that maybe, just maybe you didn't do your job.

The manager that is senior to both of us told me they are 'bullshit' and not too worry too much about them don't listen to any manager saying stuff like this. procedures are there for a reason, they shouldnt try to minimise them.

Hopefully I'm reading the situation correctly based on the info you gave in your OP and don't sound too harsh, but I just want to give you constructive advice to help you retrieve the situation with your employers.

What happened at your interview - what did they say?

If I had seen the problem and missed it or not brought it to the attention of managers then if agree with you. I must clarify that I am extremely good at my job. I see problems that others don't and have the nicknames of picky and fussy because I see things others don't and let people know that this is not to standard.

Like I say, this is not an issue that we knew could happen with this product including many experienced operators and a very talented and experienced manager of that dept. this is an issue that occurred during time after production long after it was seen/checked by anyone.

If everyone missed it, you can't say it's not the job for me. I have been done this job for several years but this is the first time I have missed anything and everyone involved missed it.

By saying that everyone missed it, please don't think I am pointing the finger and being defensive. My aim is to show that everyone involved is highly skilled on this product, yet we all missed it. We are all very good at our jobs. The reason we missed it is not because we are ignorant, malicious or care free about the product.

The reason I am pointing to my manger missing it also is because if it is deemed so unreasonable that I missed it, surely it is more unreasonable that she missed it. Again, she will not have missed it on purpose and that should mean that she empathises with my position.

She gives some spiel that we are a team but she is not on my side. The other manager has defended his team and myself. She is being unfair.

I have the best knowledge of products within the company and I will leave for this. It may not be quickly but I will be looking for any job to get me out of there. I am by no means saying I am irreplaceable but the company will have a hard time finding someone who can do that job as well as me.

The funniest thing is that from these posts, I sound really cocky. I'm truth, this place beats me down so much sometimes I struggle to even speak. I have a saying about the company. It will out me more than anything else i have said but it's 'hope dies here'. A colleague calls it 'company name birkenau'

Tbh I would just put together an SOP for future testing so the fault does not get missed again. You do not have a crystal ball new faults happen in production and need to be dealt with as they arise. Don't get defensive be constructive in your approach to the issue.

Procedure already changed. That is very much my point. We learn about these things as they happen. We cannot preempt all issues. We may spot them but if we are not trained that the issue could occur then we cannot be punished when if happens.

In my appeal letter do I have to state my reason for appealing or simply that I am?

Whimsical it sounds like you've been well and truely shafted. I replied yesterday, but didn't post as it sounded trite. ACAS seem to have little to say other than you can appeal. Probably worth ringing them. I to nk I'd give some basics about why, but not all the details, as that just gives them time to find a way round. So maybe II" feel I have been harshly treated for something out of my control" sort of message. But that is from me being a manager who hasn't had a grievance brought against them, unlike my predecessor who would claim all credit for successes, but all failures were her teams. If your system didn't sound so different to our manufacturing, I'd have half thought you worked for her now.

Hmmm she has recently moved from a different type of manufacturing. I wonder...

I found out more today. The other manager of the other dept said he was told by manager of everyone my warning was an accumulation of issues where I haven't been up to scratch. I told him that the warning did not state this and there had been no mention of this but that it did state I would be closely watched for a few months. My appraisals have all been very positive and I have not heard of any major issues.

He said he was unsure then. He ummed and arred (spelling?) and then said that he had walked into a room at the wrong time and heard my direct manager say to manager of all that she wouldn't have hired me and I wouldn't be her choice. Again, nothing of concern in appraisals.

I read this two ways and both could be wild conspiracy theories.

1. she wants me out and this will lead to constructive dismissal.

2. she has had no issue before but now that she may get into some trouble for this issue she is taking me down instead of her and saying she doesn't think I'm up to the job and she would never hire me if it was up to her.

I have a serious hatred for her right now. I'm really struggling to be in the same office as her. In remaining polite and diligent in my job but when I'm saying out loud 'there is an issue with x' in my head I am saying a lot of expletives and threats.

Whimsical having read your latest update the situation sounds awful for you. A similar situation has happened to me once in my career and I have never forgotten how horrible it felt. and I too got glowing personal performance ratings. It was then that I realised that a great annual review, exemplary feedback from peers and I ternal customers do not count for anything when the whatsit hits the fan like this. Its the senior person's word against yours.

I think you do need to get some form of arbitration going here to ensure your side of the situation is objectively and accurately recorded and represented. You need to clear your name as it sounds like this manager is trying to blacken it, and that can have serious implications for your thus far exemplary career. The thought of them "watching you closely" could be construed as constructive dismissal, if what it means is that it makes your day to day unbearable.

What do you think the next steps can be for you?

Yes it does sound like she is angling for you to quit. I think I would also be getting the record set straight on all your recent dealings with her in light of that. I would be formally taking it further as it does not like you have much to lose.

How long have you been employed there? Do you have full employee rights ie continuous employment for more than 2 years?

No time to post fully but just to point out that there is not necessarily any inconsistency here since you were already on a verbal warning and warnings are cumulative.

You have a point atticus, but was the verbal warning fair? Could it be that the OP was being singled out and perhaps the scapegoat ... or was it her accountability to notice to fault? Is that what needs to be ironed out and an independent assessment made of this whole situation? It does seem quite complex, lots of people involved etc, when you look beneath the surface.

Ok so biiig update today!

Firstly, yes I already had a verbal warning and a file note but she said a verbal warning is the same as a file note so it's not exactly clear to me. Another operator involved was on their final warning but they got a file note over this. Think verbal will have expired by now too.

So... I spoke to the other manager about it and he said absolutely he would help me. I have him my warning, the interview that took place, the old sop (written by previous quality manager) and the updated written by current. The old sop said nothing of this issue and procedure was followed. He also highlighted that what she have the warning for was completely wrong as it wasn't the reason. She has said it's sink in the mould. Actually a mould cannot sink as it's metal. The mouldings or components can (picky but shows her lack of basic understanding of what we deal with) and as was explained to her (but only just to me)this isn't sink but actual tool damage.

The manager of everyone called me into his office today. I took my appeal letter in an envelope. He asked me what that was and then asked me to explain my side of the story. I told him everything about why I felt I was being unfairly treated and that I felt she was sending me to the dogs to save herself. That I felt extremely demotivated working under her and that she was happy with my work at appraisals. He stated how deeply unhappy he was that I had missed this. I should know better. Everyone could have been sacked. He thinks I missed it due to distraction rather than not actually seeing it. At first he didn't believe I could miss it because of how good I normally am. I repeated everyone missed it.

Anyway, he literally tore up the written warning and said I would get a file note like everyone else.

I spoke to the other manager and told him. He was disappointed because after reading all the documentation he was ready to fight it because he didn't realise how badly she'd dealt with it but overall happy that I was now being treated fairly.

I told him our boss sold it as though he was protecting me but I have a feeling he was actually protecting my manager.

He went and talked to overall manager and discovered that some of the things documented in interview and how was written/dealt with left her in the firing line so she will be spoken to tomorrow.

Basically, I think she is still the golden girl for overall manager but she has gone down in everyone's estimation over this.

Ok I think I understand. I am presuming that the sinks were detectable by visual inspection as part of the QA process which you are partly responsible for and they were missed so multiple components were nearly supplied or fitted whichever your company does with the defect. It does sound like a massive cock up somewhere, if I am reading right, so I think you are probably being treated fairly now by getting the same warning as everyone else.

Is it too late to rescue one of the faulty components, to demonstrate how difficult it is to spot? And just stash it somewhere? Or are the parts too big.

Glad you are now not being overly penalised compared to the rest. Keep an eye on the manager, and document anything unfair, in case you need to back up any further undermining of your work.

I can grab one as we are having to sort through them between our checks.

Yes it was an absolute massive fuck up on al out parts. I'll be honest, I don't know how we missed it. I never ever saw one coming off the machine but when I looked in the box months after production, I saw it straight away.
It wasn't sink in the end it was tool damage.

The part has some grooves. Part of the check is to see these grooves are fully formed. I pull them apart to see. The only thing I can think is that down on the factory floor a shadow is formed and it hides it. Also if you pull it at the right (or wrong) angle you can't see it.

Another part of the check is to carve it up to check the inside is solid and fully formed. You then have an inside view of these grooves. This is the major opportunity you have to see the tool damage/sink but we only do this test to look for air holes so we are carving and doing a quick look. Now we have amended the check we can see it and now what to do.

I see quality as a learning curve. We now know x can happen and do y check to ensure it doesn't. Before we know an issue can happen, we can't look out for it.

It's infuriating because I don't miss this stuff normally. My nicknames are picky and fussy because I'm always questioning the relevant parties and making them improve their section of our products and I'm harsher than anyone else because I don't let shit through. I'm always contesting people to get a better product.