Grievance taking weeks!

[GordonLaChance]

After 18 months of ongoing issues with a colleague, one particular incident was the final straw. I spoke to my manager who raised this with HR on my behalf. (it's a small business if relevant - less than 10 employees)

It took 4 weeks for HR to arrange a meeting with me, and this only came about because my manager nudged them.

An investigation was started, but the colleague had a week off sick, so everything was paused.

Colleague back for 2 days, still no progress with investigation and now colleague off sick again.

I'm so angry and frustrated that this has dragged on for so long. It's been 6 weeks since I initially spoke to my manager.

But how can I possibly pursue this if the colleague is off sick? It makes me look like a heartless cow, mainly because there are so few staff and everyone works so closely together.

FWIW, I'm not the only staff member to have been bullied by this person (they have also attempted to spread vicious rumours about other employees) but for all intents and purposes, it looks as if they will now get away with it now so much time has passed.

Where do I go from here?

Are you in a union or have rung ACAS. If they are off sick maybe they won't return. Can you ask your manager for an update on if the investigation is still going ahead as you've not heard anything, what outcome are you looking for.

What time frame does your company handbook give for grievances? They need to follow the rules. Also you may not know this but they might be suspended rather than off sick. Particularly in a small workplace it can be very difficult to hide an ongoing investigation as they have to interview all the staff, trawl through email accounts etc. I was accused of racism and had to suspended whilst the whole team were interviewed and checks done. After a week I was invited back in for a meeting and exonerated as it was a completely made up allegation. Another time I found a manager was stealing money and reported it to head office. He was suspended for two months whilst investigations took place and fired.

Definitely not suspended..they checked into A&E on fb according to others.

We're all on zero hours. I can't/won't work with this person anymore (18 months of low level bullying is enough for me!) but this means I have had to reduce my hours. I think they should be the one to lose hours.

Speaking to other staff members, there isn't one who hasn't been on the receiving end. They've just been allowed to get away with it because they are slightly higher up the food chain than the rest of us.

I'll see my manager tomorrow and find out what, if anything, is going to happen. I'm pretty sure he'll be as clueless as me though.

Not part of a union unfortunately.

Unfortunately, a grievance does take time, and it's common for the person being investigated to go off sick. That said, HR should be keeping in contact and supporting you.

Might be a good idea for you and the other staff not to discuss this between yourselves anymore or talk about them going to hospital, let your manager and hr deal with it, at least she's not there at the moment but gossiping is also bullying.

Thanks, but we're not gossiping.

And it was a customer who mentioned hospital because they plastered it all over FB! We were all unaware because none of us are FB friends with them for obvious reasons.

What you think it is, and what it may be made into, are not the same thing. If you are all on zero hours, regardless of the rights and wrongs of this, there is a fast and simple soluton to it all - you don't get offered hours. And if this person has employment rights (or, given the hospital part of this - possibly disability rights) you are potentially infinitely more disposable than them.

Absolutely and you can’t put the person through a grievance process until they are healthy. I would suggest they will stay off ill knowing this is coming…..

Also, be very prepared that very often grievances come to nothing no matter how right you feel you are and they do take time as they need to be properly investigated. At this point it’s your word against theirs and if the shoes was on the other foot you would want your company to treat you fairly.

And expect a retaliation grievance back at you, seen it many times