DH dismissed from work

[user14792792]

Last month DH was sacked from his job for gross misconduct.
I am really worried we live in a very small town where everyone knows each other. I heard from a friend today that everyone is talking about why he was sacked and coming up with different theories.
I don't know how he will find another job if everyone is talking about him and giving him a bad reputation.

I dont know I've just had it as a question on many reference forms I've filled in. We always say yes as we have never sacked anyone but I assume if we sacked someone for gross misconduct we would say no.

This certainly isn't the norm for large companies.

That’s all well and good if he’s only been there a couple of months. If he’s been there longer than that though an employer is going to want him to explain the employment gap.

^^ well could give any reason couldnt he. I'm sure people who have been sacked have managed to somehow gain employment again in the future. It's not the end of the world OP hopefully he wasn't there long. A lot of references just contain confirmation of dates. Employers generally avoid negative comments and stick to literal facts as it's a HR minefield. Has he got good references from other jobs?

Yes of course. I suppose if this was a question and it indicated they wouldn't hire said person again it may involve a phone call to the referee to elaborate on those reasons..possibly. Who knows 🤔

OP, you’re massively sugar-coating this.

Gross misconduct just isn’t a little mistake. For most companies it encompasses situations that have arose from theft, security breaches, etc.

It’s actually difficult to get sacked from a job, especially if you’ve been there over 2 years. I’ve seen situations in work where a case has been built against a person for dismissal over months, if not years, because everything has to be properly documented and dealt with appropriately each time.

Unfortunately if you do something horrendous enough for immediate dismissal then it will affect you in the longer term, especially if you live in an area where everyone knows each other’s business.

If it was me, I’d be leaving that industry and going into a completely different field, and commuting to work if not moving home entirely, just so I had the opportunity to start afresh.

Actions have consequences and unfortunately you’ll be dragged into those consequences.

I work in HR. Gross misconduct can also be things like complaining about your job on social media, or checking work email on a public network. Gross misconduct isn’t necessarily an intentional disregard for the rules, it could indeed be due to a mistake but it’s the impact and frequency of a mistake that might lead to dismissal. It’s not always from deliberate bad behaviour.

if it'll get him a bad reputation then its clearly something bad enough to give him the reputation. time to face the music he shouldn't have done it in the first place

What did he do?

very hard to advise without knowing

Local gossip doesn't matter. You need to worry about what your DH did and if it's likely to happen again. He can always apply for remote jobs ... but you and him need to seriously consider if the gross misconduct will mean other companies won't want to employ him.

@Cornchip absolutely not the case in all situations.

I don't think OP will disclose what he has done on here

My DH was fired for gross misconduct, because he had to go to few physiotherapy sessions during working hours due to an injury he sustained at work. We tried to challenge it but he felt it wasn’t worth the hassle in the end.

OP , dont feel pressured to say anything. You must be going through so much worry. Gossip is like weather, it passes in the end. Also this is a world of second chances. If he made a horrible mistake, deliberate or not, and owns it and regrets it, things will improve. Good luck.

I have to agree.

I often hold the final stage of a conduct disciplinary in my role and while I am extremely confident given the intense process we have to go through to take a case from investigation to dismissal (huge corporate company,) we are giving the correct outcomes, I also understand talking to people in different industries or different companies they don't have the same strict processes

While I agree that we can't give exact advice of OP isn't willing to share the reasons for gross misconduct - which is probably making us assume actually it's a valid dismissal - there are a lot of places that gross miss conduct can have different levels of severity and fairness depending on the process.

I’ve had a long day and I’m going to need to know what he did.

Is he guilty? And did they follow procedure properly?

DH was sacked on the spot for gross misconduct. Something had happened on his watch that he should have spotted/prevented and someone at the top had basically wasted a head to roll. I don't know if the gross misconduct would have stuck, but they definitely didn't follow procedure.

ACAS were brilliant and he got 6 months salary and an agreed reference as an out of court settlement. He'd got another job before 6 months was up and was glad to leave the company, who were terrrible employers before that so it worked out well for him in the end.

To be honest, I think the sacking for gross misconduct will be what’s makes it difficult to get another job Really.

I’m sorry OP, it must be very difficult for you, especially in a small town.

Was just going to say this. At my old work a lady was sacked for gross misconduct because she forgot to fill out a form. It obviously was an issue and could have had serious consequences, but it was not a case of her being malicious and devious. It was a very stressful environment, we were very understaffed, and she made a mistake. To be honest I think they were looking for an excuse to get rid of her because I’ve seen people get away with it before.

But as for op, I would say be honest if it’s not as bad as they’re saying. Nothing kills gossip faster than the truth. Depending on what he has done of course.

For those convinced that appropriate processes are followed carefully, at least one co-CEO seems to have made up employment law as she went along to protect the public purse.
In my experience, the assumption that due process has been followed is often used to intimidate those being dismissed - particularly those seeking employment with competitors after being overlooked for promotion or pay increases.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11942877/School-worker-lost-job-days-eligible-pension-wins-age-discrimination-tribunal.html

My DH was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct for the most ridiculous reason and we overturned it on appeal. We lived through a horrendous 9 months for a minor infraction. It is sometimes a small mistake.

It all depends on the tole that he does and the type of misconduct.
Theft or sexual harassment is normally game over in terms of getting another job but simple though serious work mistakes can absolutely be moved on from .

Honestly a fresh start might not be the worst idea in the world.

It's part of the fun. That they live in a small town so saying what it is would be outing but leaves room for infrequent allusions to fuel the thread. A classic of the genre

😁😁😁