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I recently had a issue involving a so called harassment write up. What happened and what was reported were slightly different.
My employer has never given the punishment I recieved for ths particulaar write up. Was given 3 days off, and next would be termination. This was a first offence. The party who had complained knows this so now my job is in thier hands.
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What happened they overheard a slurring of words that came out sounding like a racial remark, I was stunned at what had came out and imeadiatly apoligized. However they in thier "christian" attitude had decided that they were NOT going to let this go and I was to be punished. They do not like me.
I do not know what else could have been done, it was a word I never say!
I am sick with worry and can't sleep.
The supervisior says take the write up and forget it, but all the person has to do is get offended by any thing I say--- and no job. I have been there for 19 years.
All you can do is focus on your work and be careful in your conversations. Also, avoid being alone with the person who reported you as much as possible to prevent potential problems. If you do have to be in contact with that person, just be civil and limit the conversation. If this person is the least bit mature, this situation should blow over eventually.
Unfortunately, that's the price you pay when you make a mistake.
I have a problem when a non-supervisor can get someone written up simply by saying "he said such-and-such". (I'm assuming the person was a non-supervisor from your statement.)
If it was just an innocent slip of the tongue and not an intentional remark and you have no history of making such remarks or having that kind of attitude then you should write a response stating this and the actual context of the statement (what you were actually trying to say). Submit this for the complaint file. Reinforce that anyone can have an innocent slip of the tongue which is exactly what it was, that you apologized immediately and that you were completely taken aback not only at the slip itself but that anyone who knows your usual behavior would have in any way thought you had intended it. If you have co-workers or a supervisor who will vouch for you, have them write something up and include any good comments from recent evaluations about your character and how well you get along with others. CYA.
Is the complainant someone who is very thin-skinned and complains about everything or does the person have some kind of issue with you?
Location: Moose Jaw, in between the Moose's butt and nose.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bookworm2
I recently had a issue involving a so called harassment write up. What happened and what was reported were slightly different.
My employer has never given the punishment I recieved for ths particulaar write up. Was given 3 days off, and next would be termination. This was a first offence. The party who had complained knows this so now my job is in thier hands.
.
What happened they overheard a slurring of words that came out sounding like a racial remark, I was stunned at what had came out and imeadiatly apoligized. However they in thier "christian" attitude had decided that they were NOT going to let this go and I was to be punished. They do not like me.
I do not know what else could have been done, it was a word I never say!
I am sick with worry and can't sleep.
The supervisior says take the write up and forget it, but all the person has to do is get offended by any thing I say--- and no job. I have been there for 19 years.
Did you apologize to those that were offended?
I ran into something similiar, where the guy said he never said it, but did not even apologize for possibly offending me and never said that he would never offend me on purpose.
I've been accused of saying things that I never said, and you better believe I did not apologize for it. Once, I was accused of calling a black man a f-ing n*****. First of all, I don't use profanity, and second of all, I don't use the n word in reference to someone's skin color. Thankfully, the security camera caught the whole thing, so after a big whoop-te-do, I was told to apologize for maybe accidentally saying something and I told them not a chance. He wasn't even reprimanded for lying about the entire incident.
I made a joke to a friend of mine about starting a union. Some crazy bzatch that had just started there overheard me and reported me to HR. I got hauled down there the next day - didn't even know what was going on - and I was very nearly fired. She had the term paperwork all filled out, before they even asked me for my side of the story.
Luckily I had a good boss who backed me and the whole thing eventually blew over (after 6 months). But apparently some people are sensitive about the "U" word, even in jest. I say to her...get a life! It was a joke, said to a friend who I'd known for 2 years! He knew I was joking too.
Anyway, my advice to the OP is to try and forget it and move forward. You messed up, but give yourself a break. You're not a bad person. They'll get over it, but it will take some time. After 19 years, I think you've earned a pass.
I made a joke to a friend of mine about starting a union. Some crazy bzatch that had just started there overheard me and reported me to HR. I got hauled down there the next day - didn't even know what was going on - and I was very nearly fired. She had the term paperwork all filled out, before they even asked me for my side of the story.
Luckily I had a good boss who backed me and the whole thing eventually blew over (after 6 months). But apparently some people are sensitive about the "U" word, even in jest. I say to her...get a life! It was a joke, said to a friend who I'd known for 2 years! He knew I was joking too.
Anyway, my advice to the OP is to try and forget it and move forward. You messed up, but give yourself a break. You're not a bad person. They'll get over it, but it will take some time. After 19 years, I think you've earned a pass.
Sunny, you know...it's those hypervigilant types...just waiting to sink a knife in you...for all she knew, she didn't have the conversation right, but the real truth is...it wasn't her business.
She just knew this would rock the boat and ran with it.
Unless she tape recorded what you'd said, I would have said, "Oh really...someone said I said what?"
You see, it becomes hearsay...and she went and repeated a conversation to get you in trouble.
The fact she filled out paperwork against you shows some malice here. Is the word "union" banned where you work? Is Freedom of Speech not allowed?
Had she any proof that you were organizing a union there?
See...instead of fending off her accusations, I would have said, "Hey, what is going on here...why am I being attacked?"
You can't deal with insane people like that on reasonable terms, and you sound like a reasonable person. So you have to overstep them like road apples and tell the boss, "Gee, I don't have a clue what the problem is."
I would not admit to even using the word, 'union" because that would be twisted to make you look like a rabble rousing union-starting anti-corporate employee.
See how this works?
So, you go to the heart of the matter, and ask, instead of defending yourself, why someone, who wasn't part of the conversation, went and wrote you up, instead of asking what the conversation was about, and....why she was causing you problems. Because that is exactly what she was doing. She knew you weren't starting a union there. Come on.......
Although unions have been the most devastating thing to happen to the economical health of the USA, they've bought enough politicians to make it illegal for them to fire you for trying to form a union. However, if you were working and made the statement, you'd be fair game.
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