URGENT - DH JUST BEEN SUSPENDED FROM WORK NEED ADVICE

[puddytats]

DH just got home. Returned today after 4weeks off after birth of dd to find that he is at the centre of fraud allegations at work. He was given no warning until this morning and was given no chance of having a representitive at the meeting that suspended him.

He did not do this (i know i am bound to say this but he is innocent). Where do we go from here, what should work have provided him with, what do they need to tell him etc?

I'm really shocked to see such a horrible thing happening to you, Puddytats, and want to send you my best wishes in getting this sorted out.

Opps - DH actually got something wrong - soapbox is right - company can say no to a solicitor - sorry - he had now double checked, and while he was checking up for you, he found that the company should have outline their case against him, so DH can prepare his defense, and obiviously he can talk to the legal prof to be sure of his facts and rights (thats where the confusion came in) again sorry - he talks I type.

Is there a union where DH works, a union rep would be cool to take in. Again DH and I are thinking of you and hoping everything gets sorted.

guess the puddytats family is pretty busy this morning, just posting to let you know we're still thinking of you, and good luck.

yes, i was thinking of you too last night and again thism orning. HOpe all goes well today.

Thankyou all for your thoughts.

I have never seen dh cry before. Last night he did. It is like they have just stripped him completly. How he is coing to get through today i don't know, I am really worried bout him.

About to call the solicitor so hopefully that will help.

just hold on to the knowledge that
you are as strong
as intelligent
and have the same rights
as the people who are accusing you.

It is just a matter of standing up for yourself, even if you have to learn some new rules along the way.

What a nightmare - hope today goes ok.

This is awful - good luck to Mr PD for today - can't begin to imagine how he must feel.

Well, we have just spoken to a solicitor and at this stage they are not allowed in the hearing. They have given some very useful pointers for us.

Have also been told that DH's rep is allowed to spend the day doing any investigating on his behalf but is not allowed to ask anyone anything!

Not sure how much help this will be to you and DH, puddytats; the situation is the same but the circs are a bit different, but I'll go ahead anyway.

DH was once sacked from a job on grounds of "gross misconduct". The reason he was sacked was because the FD and MD wanted to replace him with someone else (pal of FD's) so couldn't make him redundant; he was accused of deleting files from the system - he was IT manager!!!! - and when he denied it they said he was lying, and that was the gross misconduct. (The MD said he "didn't like the stance he was taking".)

This happened in August 96; school holidays, kids then aged 3, 8, 11, 14. No payoff, no help from Social Security (because of "gross misconduct"). The shock and strain were enormous at the time.

They went on lying and lying and lying to the extent that he even began to question whether he had done what they said. We were incredibly lucky with 2 things; our local CAB had a really good employment law specialist who worked for them one day a week and he happened to be there the day it happened and was with us from then on, and a software house person who he had been working with trusted him implicitly and got him into the company he is still working at now.

We were supposed to go to tribunal although it dragged on almost until Christmas with them pratting about and changing dates but eventually they paid up - £9,500 (top limit then was £12,000 so CAB chap was well satisfied) - I was a bit disappointed that we never had the chance to face them down but CAB chap was relieved about that too because he was worried I might hit somebody.

DH was pretty much wrecked by the whole thing at the time - it was me that drove it on when they kept making derisory offers - and has never really had quite the same attitude or confidence at work since. But just to let you know that there really are some very immoral people out there who will do everything they can to wear you down.

(The MD concerned was Peter Ridsdale btw - some of you may have heard of him and know all about his morals )

Wishing you and DH the best possible outcome and that whoever is responsible for this gets properly punished. (But probably won't )

thinking of you today .. you are in the right and honesty always win through

and remember 'don't let the b@st@rds grind you down'

why is he not allowed to ask anyone anything??

Puddytats

How is dh today?

I think this is bloody awful what they are doing to him.

I agree with previous post if an employer suspends you it has to be on full pay pending investigation, this happened to me and I got paid, they will soon resolve the issue as most companies dont like to pay an employee when they are off work.

When does he go back for the verdict

Have no idea when the verdict is. Meeting at 3.30pm today so just have to go from there.

Sent dh on long walk to clear his head as he has to be fully fit and fighting this afternoon.

He has given 5 1/2 years to this company and they aretreating him like a criminal already convicted. They are going to be so sorry by the time we have finished with them - finally something i can channel my pnd into.

Puddytats - good luck for today for DH.

Having lived through many a situation like this from the other side of the fence. I think that DH should work hard to remain calm and try to focus just on the facts not on the emotions of what is going on. Easy to say damned hard to do!

Factually, your DH's employer has had some cheques stolen and cashed. They are duty bound to investigate this which is what they are doing.

Your DH is under suspicion because he has access to the cheque books and reconciles the bank account. So he has had the opportunity to have been involved.

So far that is pretty much as far as it goes - it is purely circumstantial. Now that your DH has been suspended they will go on to gather evidence all of which will exonerate your DH. This will be a time consuming process, frauds like this are never that straightforward and can take weeks to unravel. During that process it is highly likely that the real culprit will be found. The hurdle of evidence for a criminal prosecution is very high, innocent people are rarely convicted of this type of fraud!

I completely understand how shattered your DH must be feeling right now, but he will be in a much better position if he can use all of his energies in pulling together all of the evidence that he has that he did not do this. This included writing down all the dates he was not in the office during the period under question. Finding anything he can to place him elsewhere, receipts, cash card withdrawals, people he spent time with. Note it all down carefully so that he can give it to his solicitor.

at an old place of work there was a spate of cheques being stolen randomly from the middle of cheque books which of course could possibly have put weeks between the theft and the discovery of the cheque missing. It went on for ages and it was a horrid feeling (a) not knowing whether the finger was pointing at you and (b) not knowing whether it was one of your cheques to be taken next.

It turned out it was a secretary on the same floor as I was working.

Hope all goes well today for your dh puddytats - please post and let us know how he gets on

All the best to your dh puddytats. The whole thing sounds an absolute nightmare. Will be thinking of you all this pm.

that's a great post, Soapbox.

Oh, how awful for you both. One of my worst nightmares is this happening to dh, especially as we are rather "short" atm. Can only offer profound sympathy & hope someone qualified can help!

Great advice from Soapbox and others on here, hoping for a good outcome for you both Puddytats

here to chat if you want to pass the time puddytats .. must be nerve-racking time

any update puddytat?

Puddytats

How did the meeting go hun?????

How is dh????

Hi, puddytats sis here. The disciplinary is still going on, since 3.30. Will update if I can later. Thankyou all for being there for my sis.