My 18yr DS has just been suspended from work for 1 week . IT's ALL MY FAULT

[lisa111]

Ok now the details:
He works for Tesco, he has a Tesco privilege card. He receives 10% discount on purchases.

We only shop at Tesco, when my son is working we go in and do our shopping. He comes to the till and passes his card to me so that we get the discount.

I have never taken the card or used it without him being present.

Tonight my DP went into Tesco for a few bits, my son gave him the card but was unable to stay at the till point with my DP. My DP used the card and returned it to my son.

The Manager has suspended him for 1 week on full pay, telling him "letting another person use his privilege card is FRAUD"

We all live in the same house, myself and my DP provide everything for our 3ds's.

I spent £123.00 last week in another Tesco store without my son's privilege card.

Now my DS may lose his job, its all my fault he is only 18, wanting to help his mum out.

How can i HELP him keep his job.

Please Please help me xxx

[Flumpybumpy]

Take it higher!! Bypass teh store manager who sounds like a small fish in a very big pond anyway.

Go to Tesco Head Office, speak to HR there and explain teh situation. Tell them the truth that you didn't think it was breach of teh rules etc..... and get their advice.

I work at Sainsburys and I the Tesco rules are them same as ours. A collegaue of mine did teh same thing with her Mum, was called away fro teh transaction cause she was busy, the manager agreeed that she should have been there but she was able to prove that she and her Mum lived at teh same address and she was called away to assist a customer, she was told to not do it again and it was left at that.

It sounds like the manager of the store is a bit of a knob and maybe teh bigger bosses could do with knowing it

FB x

[LIZS]

Stock loss and discount card abuse are rife in retail and the most frequent reason for dismissal ime. Could well be that they've recently had a problem in that store and with bonus targets on the horizon are clamping down. The Store Manager was probably spot checking such transactions and came across an anomaly which , rightly or wrongly , your son has been associated with. tbh it is up to him to speak to HR and his manager to ask them to be specific about the issue and then to offer an explanation and the statements in response. Good luck.

[flowerybeanbag]

I'd be wary of immediately bypassing the manager - sorry flumpybumpy. This guy sounds a bit power hungry and in need of taking down a peg or two, but he is Lisa111's DS' boss, and DS' everyday working life could become pretty unpleasant if he does that, even more so if the manager thinks DS' mum was involved!

See how it is dealt with locally first I reckon, then address it higher up if not satisfied.

[lisa111]

UPDATE: Disciplinary hearing Monday

DS has had 2 Investigatory meetings this week.

At the meeting he gave the investigating officer copies my DP's Bank Statement and Driving Licence (showing his picture). Proving he is a family member living at the same address, and he pointed Rule 1 of the scheme:

1, The goods purchased using the Privilege card must be for personal use of the employee, their partner/spouse, or any other family member living permanently with the employee at the employee's address as held on company records.

They then pointed out that he had broken Rule 6:

Using your Privilegecard. You can use your Privilegecard in any Tesco store in the UK and the ROI, and you must present this at the till whenever you wish to use the Privilegecard Scheme. You can also use your Privilegecard for on-line purchases through Tesco Direct and Tesco.com.

They also highlighted the first 2 you's of the above rule.

My DS explained that he was very sorry, he did not intentionally break the rules, and that the rules should be made more clear.

The investigating officer replied "it is something that may be looked into after this is sorted". Also he didn't think he could trust my DS working for Tesco after this.

He has been told he will be facing a Disciplinary hearing on Monday, as yet no time has been given and we've had nothing in writing yet.

DS was given a copy of the minutes for 1st investigatory meeting. I read them, my DS's could of given better answers, he was so scared. I dread to think what he said during the 2nd meeting.

Any ideas on how can we help prepare his case for the Disciplinary hearing?

The Union rep is trying his best for my DS, but as my DS's job is on the line i think a more experienced Union rep should take charge. Can my son request this.

Sorry for the long post.

[edam]

I really wouldn't want to alienate the union by asking for another rep, tbh, unless you've got concrete reasons to believe the current rep is not doing a good job.

Sorry your boy is having such a tough time.

[flowerybeanbag]

Agree with edam, unless you have a specific reason for thinking the rep is doing a bad job, I would leave it, they tend to know what they are doing and should protect your son's interest and ensure procedures are followed correctly.

If you feel procedures are not being followed, you can get you son to point this out. Don't contact the rep yourself, however tempting, but you can prompt your son to ask him/her questions etc if you feel it's necessary.

Hope the hearing goes well

[MotherFunk]

Message withdrawn

[Judy1234]

He should try to find out what a sample of Tesco employees think - if everyone in the branch thinks it's fine to let others in the family take and use the card and that is standard practice that would really help him.

Also he could write down a statement of what he was told when he started in particular if he were told about use of the card for family but no one ever said you have to be present when the card is used.

Therei s certainly an argument particularly for young lads like this in a first job that the rules are not clear. It could have said in capitals - The card should never be used unless you are there or something to that effect. I can see their point on "you" but given it says above the goods can be for other people it's not a wrong assumption that you could give the card to your mother or step father who are buying the goods for you and that you means you or your approved agent as it were. I wouldn't change union reps but I would see if he could put in a very full statement in advance of the next hearing in writing setting it all out for the file so they have that record in advance not just a record of who said what at the meeting.

[lisa111]

His rep is giving it his best shot, and they are good friends. Its just the little things my DS has told me:

"He has only been a Union rep for a few months and is still learning".

"He told me i will probably only get a written warning".

You can understand my concerns, they haven't even arranged a meeting to sit down together and go through it all. They just met 10mins before the meetings was due to start.

I found out 2 people at another branch had been sacked for misuse of their card, dunno if their circumstances were the same as DS's.

[edam]

Yikes, the union rep being a trainee who didn't even bother to meet ds before the meeting is quite scary.

But it's ds's show - what does he want to do?

[squiffy]

Thinking of you and your DS today. Best of luck. Get straight on the phone to the local paper if it goes the wrong way. They love taking down the big guys and your story is genuine enough to interest them.

[nannynick]

Yes, especially contact local press, as Tesco have been in the national press this weekend and thus are a Hot Topic!

In his employment contract, under Gross Misconduct, is there any mention of what happens if Rule 6 of the Employee Discount Scheme is breached?

Gross Misconduct section is very specific. Unless it is Gross Misconduct, disciplinary procedure needs to be followed, which I would expect will mean a Written Warning.

[flowerybeanbag]

just to clarify - apologies Nannynick, disciplinary procedure would need to be followed whether it's gross misconduct or not - part of a disciplinary hearing would be to decide how serious an offence is, whether it is gross misconduct or not.

A disciplinary procedure often contains examples of what might be gross misconduct but these sections are usually careful to be non- exclusive.

Lisa if the union rep is a trainee I would hope he is being supervised by someone more experienced - does your ds know this? I would always hope a trainee would have someone he could check everything with.

hope it goes well anyway

[WendyWeber]

This does sound like a serious over-reaction on the manager's part, unless there's something else going on behind the scenes - maybe other people had been abusing the discount card, and your DS happened to be the first one not to follow procedure after they decided to tighten up?

Good luck anyway lisa

[lisa111]

Disciplinary Hearing: This Wednesday letter arrived today.

Squiffy, Thanx for thinking of us.

Received his minutes from Friday, they go a litle something like this:

• Investigating Officer has interviewed Duty Manager (she was working the till DP went to).
  
• Also reviewed CCTV coverage.
  
  Investigating Officer asked for DP's copied Bank Statement that DS showed him @ 1st meeting.
  DS informed him that mum had added DP's Photo Driving Licence to compare with CCTV.
  
  Investigating Officer asked the age of my DP, DS tells him 25 and mum is 35 .
  
  Investigating Officer says it needs to go to a disciplinary, the photo driving licence will be compared with CCTV if they match your step dad, it will lessen it???
  
  Investigating Officer then says there is an element of doubt, that he could not trust DS working in his store.
  
  DS gives his apologies explains it was unintentional.
  
  TBH they must of thought DP was my DS's mate, I has DS at 16 and i don't look that old. (Very cheeky Tesco)
  
  Excuse spelling errors, first day back at work after Mat leave.
  
  THANKYOU ALL xxxx
  
  I am off to bed now, i will give you the results on Wednesday.

[1dilemma]

Is there a photo on card? Is the shop a samll one would duty manager have known him? I'm no lawyer but why did duty manager serve your dp with your ds card? shouldn't duty manager have known better? Isn't it part of her job to uphold these rules? Did dp pay by card/cheque if a big shop and she didn't check names?Did she see your ds 'drop off' your dp at the till IYSWIM.
SOunds crap to me hope your ds gets it sorted

[chocolatekimmy]

how long has he been employed for?

[lisa111]

VERDICT

At last its over, DS got a final warning, he gets to keep his job.

Just 1 last question.

How long will this be on his work records??

Thanks to all who advised me

[DangerousBeans]

Glad his job is safe.

[1dilemma]

Glad it's OK, work must have a policy can he ask union? I would guess forever but..... Still think it was their error and must be another reason (pressure from head office targets whatever) sorry for your ds not a nice start to his working life

[edam]

Glad he's still got a job. Sounds as if he's been very badly treated.

How long it stays on his record depends on their company policies - check his contract but that will probably refer to company disciplinary policy. He should ask his manager for a copy of the policy.

[uberalicelongbottom]

Glad this is now resolved. What a bunch of officious bastards. It's a supermarket, not the United Nations.

[flowerybeanbag]

Lisa glad he has kept his job and it's all dealt with.

Your son should have had written notification of the warning, and it should state in the letter how long it will remain on his file. 6 months is fairly usual, but it should tell him specifically.

Would also be worth him contacting HR at the end of the 6 months or specified period to ensure it has been taken off his file, rather than assuming they will do so.

[RedTartanLass]

oh lisa111 on so so so pleased for you!! Good luck in your first week back as well!