Grievance raised against me

[Piggywaspushed]

I posted this yesterday in staffroom but I might get more traffic here possibly. (Sorry, I have made it longer so as to avoid dripfeeding but I don't want to out myself at the same time. I have NCd)

I don't want to go into too much detail here but does anyone have any experience of/ advice on having a grievance procedure raised against them?

Am in bits and most of online advice is for the aggrieved party and the info the head gave m yesterday is aimed at the aggrieved party, too. My local union guy is an old fashioned socialist type who, last time I met him, launched into a discussion about education and politics and wasn't useful.

Not been told what I have allegedly done just who has raised a grievance.

I don't need a character assassination here but just an outline of what valid grievances someone could have against another person : the colleague who has raised her grievance is not in any way my junior. We are co workers. She is not in two days a week and we only ever really communicate via emails so I am puzzled.

I also want to know , if her complaint is proven, what her endgame(s) could be?

I am being very careful not to now go around fact finding with my department colleagues (I have only told one and she is a close friend) but, for example, she spends a lot of time in our HoD's office with door closed (it's an interesting leadership style my HoD has!)if she has raised problems there, my HoD has never discussed these with me so this is a bolt from the blue. I know someone who worked with her in a previous school - a bit of digging reveals she has done this before : but , obviously, I can't mention this as an excuse! I think she knows I have a bit of a reputation for being a bit of a rebel and this makes me a soft target. I certainly inadvertently upset my line manager last week who then (apparently) cried and this aggrieved colleague rushed to soothe her. No doubt they then had a good bitch about me. But the line manager herself discussed matters with me later,and certainly hasn't raised a grievance herself. It just isn't what people do in my school.

It is clear she does not like me - but I can't see that as a viable reason to raise a grievance!

Lastly, assuming she has put this grievance in writing, should I request to see it? What are my rights there?

She has been frustrating me ever since she came to the school (she is a kind of automaton and keeps planning my lessons for me and organising me and I have found it hard to keep up.) - but I have never raised any of these issues as they seemed petty and I thought we were both just rubbing along. She seems to find me borderline incompetent : but that isn't a grievance, is it?

She's a knob

for you!

Didn't get the job today!

Oh well! Nil desperandum and all that.

Oh no!

Onwards and upwards and other empowering clichés!

Too tired for but it's tempting.

I was thinking about you today Piggy. Hope you are OK.

Thanks Water. I have just come from a not very nice meeting with the head and the nice other SLT man.

I am fuming, to coin a MN phrase, that the opportunity seems to have been given to my (soon leaving ) second in department to talk about things not relevant to the case -and also to my HOD, who I mentioned before I had a falling out with in the week prior to the grievance. One could say, of one were paranoid, that those three were in cahoots.

I made it really clear that those matters should not have come up, should not have been used against me and are irrelevant. The other two colleagues questioned just commented on an awkward atmosphere in a meeting. I was told the second was interviewed because she was at that meeting. Funnily enough, the other person present was not interviewed,. They even said she had said that she (the second) didn't hear my allegedly awful comments and didn't notice an atmosphere! But she was still allowed to go on and talk about how difficult I am to manage , even though this grievance is about working with me , not managing me. Grrr

Anyway, I have to apologise otherwise it goes formal as the head keeps threateningly telling me. It's bollocks.

I am not as upset as I thought I would be because I am more angry.

I am so petty that I am going to go into school tomorrow and ask for my £5 that I gave to a leaving fund to be given back to me! Small thing but it's a physical thing I can do, I guess.

My apology will be very qualified : I have made that clear.

Off to phone union again.

How can you make someone apologise? It seems so petty of them. Your feelings have not been taken into consideration. Definitely phone the union!

How can she say that you're difficult to manage and no-one respond that she's not supposed to be managing you and maybe that's part of the problem?!! This is awful. I would be furious. It really doesn't sound like you're being treated fairly.

I know you're speaking to your union but is it worth speaking to an employment lawyer as well? The first session is usually free (and there's no pressure afterwards to go with them).

By saying that you have to apologise, does that mean that they have found in favour of her grievance? In which case you have the right to appeal. Is keeping it informal in your best interests? I think these are things you need to discuss with your union and/or a lawyer before going ahead and apologising. I would also be very tempted if I were you to raise a grievance myself (but would want to get legal advice first).

Has this woman got "connections"? Is that way they seem to be bending over backwards to make her happy?

Maybe 'hold your nose' (figuratively speaking) and give the politician's apology "I am sorry you were upset by my comment"

That's presuming they will allow you to apologise using your own words and won't give you a written script to recite word for word and 100 lines!

Honestly the whole thing seems like a kangaroo court the way you've described it.

I think she does vaguely have connections. She also got them running scared with a comment that never made it to press which I won't divulge.

To be clear, she didn't say I was difficult to manage. the two leaders in my department did (I put my hands up to this : I can be seen as questioning), one of whom is a very poor leader, to be frank.

I did feel as if my feelings don't matter. My two friendly colleagues said the meeting was 'awkward' but it doesn't sound as if they particularly blamed me. Because one of these people is a personal friend I think she was quite tight lipped so she didn't speak up in my favour as such but said very little I feel. I don't think she was encouraged to be nice.

I didn't ask whether they found in her favour. How stupid of me! I need to ask to see the head again. maybe that isn't an expression used at the informal stage.

My head just kept bleating that they (ie the SLT members) 'didn't ask to be involved'

Hi daisy. I have made it clear I will offer a qualified apology ( I think it was hamletssister who provided wording before!) and they seemed OK with something of just a couple of sentences.

the head hates bureaucracy so just wants it done so these troublesome women will get out of their hair.

Hi OP, I'm a little concerned for you how 'outing' your thread may be, given how much detail you have included and how the situation is unique to you and your circumstances.

Just a thought.

I hope things work out in your favour. Good Luck

yes, I agree Steinbeck . Might get it removed at some point but everyone is so nice and it makes me feel better .

You could always start a new thread and give a general outline of it, so HQ can remove this detailed one to protect you. This is definitely one where your identity deserves to be protected. Don't worry I am sure there are plenty of people here who will continue to support you.

Keep strong, remember in the near future "this too will pass...."

Hi. Hoping you got a good result.