can I get fired for this? how bad is it?

[Snowowls]

I work in a company where I enter data manually into a system. I do about 8000-10000 entries per annum (it's about usage of a certain product which is linked to invoice creation). I was informed last week that in the last few months, 3 entries were incorrectly entered (though the have been corrected after the customer complained), all invoices had been corrected. I have been told that is is an unacceptable standard of working and I am having an urgent meeting with my line manager about it next Monday to discuss my poor performance. I have been in my job for 5 years but I worry I will let go. There were innocent mistakes. Not sure how they happened, just human nature. It's the first time in 5 years such a mistake has been flagged to but I am absolutely terrified as I have now a (disciplinary?) meeting about it. Any advice on how to respond? I am not in a union.

As someone who does what sounds like a similar job, I would expect a wee telling off at most. On the grand scale of your manual data entries, there’s always gonna be a human error and if that is corrected and the customer is happy and understanding, then I don’t see the big deal. But if it really is a small deal in your case and they are claiming poor performance, they’re either blowing it out of proportion or they are making steps to push you out.

I would expect this to be a warning conversation. No one can be expected to never make an error - but they will want to find out if there was anything that caused this (problems at home or work etc) or if it was a one off.
Is there an accepted error rate target? I would request one if this doesn't exist.

Error target is ZERO. We are not supposed to make any mistake. I have no idea how it happened. It was a digit/comma error (too far to the left).

I am absolutely mortified about losing my job. Maybe better to resign than to get fired?

I wouldn't have thought that this is a sacking offence, I'd imagine a warning, improvement plan and some supervision. Do you know how your records compare? Prepare for the hearing by reading everything carefully, pointing out your previous good record, performance reviews, any positive feedback etc. Obviously if there's anything else that you can say in your defense, unexpected workload, pressure, health issues or anything else relevant. Perhaps you can take someone else with you for support? Your record sounds pretty good to me.

Really doesn't sound like a sacking issue for a first offence. Maybe phone ACAS?

I wouldn't even know what the improvement plan could look like. It has been very stressful with a high workload but 3 incorrect entries out of 10k. But maybe I am not taking it seriously and it's really not acceptable. I have no idea how it happened. So there isn't even anything I could suggest to improve.

Depends if they class it as Gross Misconduct. I wouldn't have thought so? They should at most put you on a PiP. Don't resign. Stand your ground. And call ACAS they can advise!

Seems unlikely this would be classed as dross midpsconduct. I'd expect you to come to the meetings with a strategy for how you will ensure the mistakes don't happen again, and would expect there will be a higher number of sample checks of your work for a while with an objective set for not finding any errors within a certain time period.

This feels like it would be more in the realms of a performance improvement plan than firing.

You said you have made no mistakes for years but then 3 in the last few months. Has something happened or changed that means you have become more likely to make mistakes i.e. a change in processes, computer programmes etc. I ask because I wonder in the company hold some level of responsibilty?

They said it's a serious and unacceptable mistake, and should have never happened. I think they may class it as gross misconduct. just re-read the email even though they are not using that word.

Don't resign.

What percentage is the error margin? I think statically it would be negligible.

Ask for support if you feel the workload has increased.

Call ACAS as well for advice. Also check your work policies on performance management/gross misconduct etc.

no change of any sort. I don't know how it happened. no idea.

I think you need to find out when the errors occurred because they are going to ask you how or why they occured and I don't know isn't going to help. They will want to know what you can do differently to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Could it be they happened on the same day and you had been up all, night with a sick child, or on a day you had to leave early and were rushing. A day you had more than usual items to process. Bob was off for the week and you were picking up his work.? To be frank if you have never made a mistake in 5 years something must have happened, or was it with one client and they have just had an audit and picked it up?

If I assume I did 9k entries and three were wrong, the error percentage is 0.033% Target is zero. I understand it's not ok to make this mistakes. I just don't know how they happened and I have no idea what to say as to how to make sure it doesn't happen again. It's manual entries of thousands of numbers.

@Doggymummar They happened on a normal workdays without anything out of the ordinary going on. I already checked that to see if I can see a 'reason'. There isn't anything external that could explain it. I really don't know.

They happened over the course of 3.5 months on 3 different occasions. It wasn't done on the same day.

Yeah but they can’t just class it as gross misconduct as it wasn’t a serious lack of care.

After five years as well they can’t just fire you. That isn’t how the law works. You would have to be out onto a performance improvement plan and meet your objectives against it. If you meet them then you should be fine.

Sounds like they want to address it seriousky and want you to know they are addressing it.

I would apologise. Take it seriously. Thank then for bringing it to you attention and that it won’t happen again.

OP your rounded figure is actually zero.

Well, it's not. It's 3 mistake which I know should have never ever happened.

That's completely and utterly unrealistic. You're a human, not a machine. Quite apart from anything else, I think you're being bullied by management and their attitude is making you worry excessively about something that is vanishingly trivial. Whatever happens, I'd start looking for another job where you're actually treated reasonably.

3 mistakes out of 9000 is barely anything. I think this is being blown out of proportion. Everyone makes mistakes but they can- and have- be rectified.

Do you work for a big business or a small one?

Big, blue chip

0% errors is not a sustainable target.

Deep breaths. They can’t fire you for this. You have rights under the law as an employee of more than two years and this just isn’t gross misconduct under any legal understanding of the word. They can ask you to improve and provide steps to oversee that (indeed by law they should probably be helping you to improve).

don’t resign. Do not resign. Don’t resign.

acas could be a good route.

Seems like an overreaction to me. So take care!

Wow, I could never do a job like that. Is there a secondary procedure that you have to do to cross check you haven't made a mistake or is it literally a typo mistake.

Not sure I explained that well but hopefully you understand what I mean.