Suspension

[whatwillhappenif]

A well liked colleague at work has been suspended, and it has really upset us all as they were close friends and we feel it was unfair and just based on the fact his new manager does not like him.

The problem is that we have all been asked not to contact him in an official email from HR.

A few of us have been in contact outside work with him to offer moral support, and we have put a joint grievance in against the manager who suspended him.

My worry is that we may get in trouble for being in contact with him due to the email we initially received about not having contact as the grievance we submitted has been handed over to an external legal team.

Will we get in trouble for contact outside work with him, and what will happen to us if this is discovered which I'm worried it will be, as I stupidly sent a linkedin request to him which I later found out was linked to his work email which I'm guessing the new manager has access to. I havent asked the new manager if he has seen this for obvious reasons and he hasnt mentioned it to me, so I'm hoping he's missed it or it didn't go through to the work email after all.

Happened to a popular colleague of ours, suspended. We weren't even to discuss it between ourselves. Eventually we found out what had happened and were shocked.

You're all being very silly.

Yes, people might be very silly.

But also, managers might be evil power-crazed bullies facilitated by HR.

Seen it many times I'm afraid.

Best course of action, is to not get involved. If you've all been asked by HR to not contact this person, then you should do as you've been asked. The problem is, unless you were personally sat in the suspension meeting with your colleague, you may not know all the details. It's very easy to say the Manager doesn't like this person, and perhaps they don't, but there is still a process to follow, to make the suspension legal and anything leading up to it. Your Manager is not going to share details with you, and your colleague may only tell you want they want you to know. You need to think of your own employment, and not run the risk of being dragged into it. I don't know what could happen with the SM request you sent, that's linked to your colleagues work email. I'm sure someone with HR knowledge can help there. It may be classed as misconduct, as you've deliberately disregarded an official statement from HR.

You have no idea why he’s been suspended. It is unlikely that it’s simply because someone dislikes him.

I’m struck by possible other points of view: You mention a new manager - I wonder if you’re all resistant to change? Hanging up on a manager could look like workplace bullying ….

You do not know why he has been suspended. HR cannot tell you that. You are jumping to defend him but you don't know what you are defending him against, which makes no sense. Asking you not to get in contact with him suggests that you might be called as witnesses - suspensions and no-contact instructions are not given lightly. You might like him as a person, but you have no idea what he has done. I once worked with a 'really nice guy' who had been stealing large sums of money from the housing association where I worked. Didn't know anything about it until he was prosecuted and I had to give evidence.

Its probably somewhere between the 2 BUT as OP has no idea what has actually happened its best she and her collleagues stay out of it

You really think your friend has been suspended for the manager not liking him?

You didn't stop and ask yourself why the manager may not like him?

You really are young or very naive aren't you?

@TimeForATerf you're naive if you think that doesn't happen.

I think a lot of posters here have never experienced horrifically toxic workplaces. I wish I hadn't.

It happens, some managers lie or exaggerate, hr and managers have been known to make shit up to get rid of someone or cover up for their own mistakes

He can’t have been suspended for no reason. Irrelevant if that’s what he’s telling you. Wht exactly was your grievance, you sound like a bunch of kids.

Sure, but the op nd her mates have no idea, other than he’s saying that. Let’s face it he’s unlikely to tell them the truth.

I have that experience too. But it’s another good reason to keep professional distance to not get yourself pulled in and give reason to be the next victim. It’s wise advice to tread carefully.

youre idiots for getting involved

theres alot more to the story than anyone is letting on including your colleague

wait till the outcome then decide what to do

You can't just suspend someone from their place of employment because you don't like them tjere obviously more to this is it worth risking your job on a presumption when you do not lnow the facts

I don't think your workplace can stipulate who you contact in your own time on your own personal mobile. So I wouldn't message your colleague from a work laptop or phone but if you have their personal mobile then I really don't see how they can require you not to speak to someone you have a personal relationship with.

But it would be wise not to discuss the issues with them. Have you advised they get in touch with the union if there is one?

Stand together. They can’t sack all of you.

Want to bet on that?

It is exceptionally unwise of colleagues to contact him, placing him in further jeopardy and themselves at risk of sanction - potentially for gross misconduct in disobeying a direct management instruction. For those who say that what people do outside work is none of the employers business - think again. It is if their conduct impacts on their workplace or work - and in other circumstances the same posters would be howling to dismiss people who have "done something outside work". The colleagues cannot prove that they haven't spoken to him about the suspension / allegations (and neither can he prove it), and that interferes with an investigation. Unlike the manager ad HR - who are supposed to discuss employment issues, and therefore are not conspiring at all - having contact in these circumstances is almost certainly going to be viewed as conspiring, and you might want to to be very careful about what you might be seen to be conspiring about!

I'll let you in on another little "secret"... the blabbermouth who turns you all in will probably either be him, or another of your colleagues. The by now infamous "I only have the entire department as friends on my social media" ought to be a lesson everyone has learned by now - your "trusted colleagues" are the most likely ones to rat you out for their own benefit. It is almost certain, one way or another, to get back to the employer, if it hasn't already.

You never know what people are actually up to.
When I was suspended (I was guilty) but I had actually been reported by a colleague, one of the ones who was sooooo nice and supportive to me. He had been getting a bollocking for something and decided to divert attention by chucking me under the bus. I had no idea until after I left and my old team compared notes and realised that was his MO and he had done it to everyone at some point. Unfortunately I HAD actually done something wrong so I suppose I deserved it but he did it for his own ends rather than because it was the right thing to do. I actually thought we were friends - rather naive of me

They don’t usually laugh at people, regardless of the situation.

Sending a LinkedIn request rather suggests the OP doesn’t have their personal contact details, doesn’t it? Hard to argue they’re “good friends catching up” if they have no other way to stay in touch….

Not discussing the reason for suspension is different from not being in contact and breaking all communications. Particularly in teaching there are suspensions many of which prove to be due to false allegations. I don't believe that ignoring someone is good for their mental health.

Op says they were asked not to contact their colleague, not instructed. It could be to protect suspended colleague who could be feeling very stressed.

The OP - regardless of semantics - knew very well that they were being told not to have contact with the suspended colleague, which is why they are now posting to find out just how much trouble they might be in. It is entirely common for colleagues to be told that they should not have contact with a suspended colleague - and if the colleague hasn't done whatever they are accused of it might be the evidence of one or more of those colleagues that proves that. Unless, of course, that colleague has been in touch with the suspended person and has concocted their witness evidence. Something that they cannot now easily dispute because they have had the opportunity to concoct it. Workplace investigations are not courts of law. But tribunals are. "Were you asked not to contact the claimant? Didn't you in fact ignore that and contact them? You and the claimant made up this statement, didn't you? How reliable is your evidence now?"

I don't believe that ignoring someone is good for their mental health.
But they aren't "ignoring them". They are, as employees, not interfering in a workplace investigation which they may be a party to. They are not their wives, husbands, siblings, best friends, GP or mental health practitioners. Yes, workplace investigations are stressful, there is no disputing that. But it is not the role or the responsibility of colleagues to manage their mental health; and nor is it even sure that contacting them would improve someone's mental health. For all anyone knows, the colleague has done something and /or may not want to hear from people they work with. If they want to rant or offload or get suport they need to look elsewhere; with the possible exception of, if they are not in a union, legitimate and agreed contact with a colleague who would be accompanying them to a disciplinary.

People are often friends with those they work with - working full time means that often your work colleagues become part of each other's social circle. Agreed that the reason for the suspension and work is off limits in conversations but there is no reason why people can't maintain contact. This idea that there is no contact has no regard for the well being of the suspended employee - as I said before teachers in particular can be subjected to malicious complaints which often prove to be unfounded and this approach of alientating the employee is in my view over the top.

Workplace investigations are not courts of law. But tribunals are. "Were you asked not to contact the claimant? Didn't you in fact ignore that and contact them? You and the claimant made up this statement, didn't you? How reliable is your evidence now?"

Any tribunal would be looking at whether the organisation behaved in line with the law/its policies in dealing with the original Disciplinary and any appeal.

The employer only need 51% belief that wrongdoing happened to take action - it’s a low threshold and nothing like a criminal case.

Which means they also only need to believe it is more likely than not that OP and her merry band have ignored a direct instruction and take action accordingly. Good of them to submit a grievance that probably confirms it with far more certainty than 51%.