More HR dramas

[Jayro]

Well was just reading the other HR related thread. Makes me feel better that other rediculas HR issues are occuring.

Just this week I have recieved a mark against my file at work for inapropriate behavour. I drive a company sign written car as im a tradesman. I drove through a school zone and looked to my right to notice a young girl and her friend both in very short skirts and the knee high socks happening. Both chics dirty dancing to a street pole. I didnt even slow the car, no beeping the car horn, no yelling out the window or whistling etc. Literally barely even had time to notice them as I was driving through. By the time I returned to our office 10 minutes later there was a complaint about me looking at the 14 & 16yr old girls inapropriately and making them feel like a peice of meat. HR informed me yesterday that they have no choice but to put a mark against me on my file.

hmmmm what a load of sh#t and nothing I can do about it

Been driving sign written cars for 12 yrs. Married with a baby on the way. Wouldnt even carry on like that in my own car let alone works car. Not the best thing to tell my wife when she asked how work was but she knows me well enough to know its a load of rubbish. Just think its very wrong how the system works these days.

Cheers Jayro!

 

[Sheryn]

Go get them - don't lie down and take it.

Jayro

I would think you have the right of appeal.

I know I would argue this 'attack on my character traits'

Inform HR in writing that you wish to meet with the person who made the complaint to discuss the allegation.

That is fair...

If the person who made the complaint refuses then you argue with HR to have this removed from your record - where is the evidence...verbal heresay...eyewitness accounts are unreliable.


That is fact.


Kind Regards
Sheryn

 

[steveadl]

Did your co. tell you who it was that complained? The girls, teacher?

 

[marg4000]

If you are in a union, contact them.

Otherwise write to the HR department setting out your side of the story and request a meeting. Both sides of the story should be investigated.

How can they simply take the word of "someone"??? To say HR have "no choice" but to put a black mark against your name is ridiculous.
Marg

 

[weg]

Unless the person put pen to paper for a more serious allegation than looking, I would demand HR remove it from your file.

If they are not reasonable, find out your rights and take it further.

 

[Jayro]

It was the girls who made the call themselves to my office. My office called the girls back and appologised. Im unsure why as I have done absolutely nothing wrong.

I sent the HR lady and owner of our company an email detailing the events. HR said she needs me to sign off saying that I have been warned about it and that I acknowledge the warning. I refused to sign anything and she said not to worry she will just keep it in my file anyway as she says there is no choice when such a complaint is made.

Personally I would have thought if an imature little girls simply says I looked at her the wrong way then I expected the complaint to go in the bin and be left at that. Like I said to my wife, if people seen me do something inapropriate or yell out or even whistle or if I had offendered one of our clients etc then I would cop it on the chin and appologies but for this rubbish, NOT HAPPY.

Jayro!

 

[weg]

I think it's in your rights to contact the school and report what has happened, making sure you stress they were 'dirty dancing'.

I know my childrens school (private boys school) would take something like this very seriously and possibly ask them to leave.

You would need the support of HR to provide the names, and evidence of the complaint (that you looked ) though, I would think. This way the girls can't change the story and it gets even uglier.

Sounds like they were playing silly games to me without having any idea about the consequenses.

 

[GoAnna!]

That's ridiculous. I think anyone (male or female) would give them a second glance. What they were doing is attention seeking. I think it would be dangerous to let that go by. What will they accuse some-one of next?

From a parental perspective I would want to know about the incident so that I could stomp on that kind of behaviour before it led to something more dangerous.

 

[Jayro]

ok thanks for the replies. Thats reassuring. I wasnt sure if I was making a big deal over nothing and was thinking well maybe just let it slide. To be honest the thing that annouys me more than anything is my companies (and mainly the boss') attitudes towards it. Iv busted my butt for the company since i moved here 4 1/2 yrs ago and if we ever get an unhappy client then im sent to make them happy etc now it seems when an issue does come up I just get shat on. Just a number I guess.

I would have also thought if our HR had half an idea of how to do her job then surely I would have been sat down with for a chat. BUT nothing, just take the girls words and put the complaint in my file.

Jayro!

 

[lizzie]

talk about attention seeking - i feel sorry for the girls that the feel the need to a) behave like that in public and b) make a "look at me" complaint.

personally i would take it forward. i am persuing my parking inspector situation, even tho i could have let it go - simply because it is a bigger issue than me just getting peeved at a fine. if someone doesn't stand up and say enough (to the inspector or to these girls) then the situation, and their self-belief of power, will continue and continue and continue.

 

[wylie]

I agree with the others. I would push to have the black mark taken off your record.

The story reminded me of when I was 16 and went to say with a friend. I was quite young for my age and this girl was much more game to have some innocent fun. We were playing Skyhooks and the song came on "you just like me 'cause I'm good in bed". Next door were some young hunky builders. She kept turning it up for the "you just like me 'cause I'm good in bed" part.

I would never had had the guts to do it, but it was giggly fun and they were playing along. waving and whistling. I was sleeping over that night, and in the middle of the night, a panel van (which we thought was the same panel van that had been next door) pulled up out front. Nobody got in or out, and we were terrified, realising then what a stupid game we had been playing.

We woke her father up and told him what we had been doing and that we were worried he had come back, possibly thinking we were "up for it". I was terrified.

Point of my story is that we had been playing a very flirty game and it backfired. We never knew if this was one of the builders hoping to have a bit more fun than we were prepared for or not, but it was a good lesson on not to flirt recklessly.

These girls "pole dancing" in short skirts on the street are using their charms and need to know that there are consequences. Most drivers would look at what these girls were doing, but you had the bad luck to have a company car with a name plastered on it.

To call your company and report you makes me think they are playing stupid games, and they could get themselves into more trouble than they think.

It would be interesting to know if any other company vehicles have had calls, but there is no easy way of finding out. I would, at the very least, be writing to their school to let the school know these little tarts are playing dangerous games.

If the girls don't realise how dangerous their game is, the school can counsel them. If they do know, the school can punish them.

 

[lizzie]

i agree with wylie - it's not only you that has to look out.

the next guy to drive past might be a perverted stalker - and these girls need to learn that "putting it out there" has consequences.

 

[BayView]

talk about attention seeking - i feel sorry for the girls that the feel the need to a) behave like that in public and b) make a "look at me" complaint.

The whole world is addicted to "look at me".

If it wasn't, we wouldn't have guys (and girls) walking around in the dead of winter in t-shirts and singlets displaying their tatts.

People wouldn't buy swisho looking cars/clothes/houses - anything swisho.

Blogs wouldn't exist, or facebook etc.

And so on.

 

[natmarie73]

What will they accuse some-one of next?

Rape probably.

Honestly what a load of nonsense. Your HR department have absolutely no idea obviously. If I were you I would speak to a solicitor who specialises in ER law and see what they have to say. Nothing should be put on your file without a thorough investigation where you are given the opportunity to defend yourself. Anything less is defamation of character and victimisation.

I reckon these girls have probably phoned every tradesman's company who drove past in a work vehicle with a phone number on it and made the same complaint, so it may be worthwhile phoning their school and threatening to phone the police to make a complaint of public nuisance against them.
Maybe cruise past the same place at the same time (in an unidentified vehicle) to see if they do it again.

 

[Petal]

I agree with everthing the others are saying. Jayro you NEED to do something about this.

I know it is a long shot, but what if that little mark on your file comes back to haunt you someday and has big consequences. This sort of thing happens everyday,

Your HR department are idiots if they have given you no right of reply. I assume you got the full details of what was said?? (as should be your right)

The "little" mark on your file could turn into something else further down the track. Also I think by not doing anything about it you are validating what these silly young girls have said. You need to fight it!!

 

[keithj]

I drove through a school zone and looked to my right to notice a young girl and her friend both in very short skirts and the knee high socks happening.

It's a responsible thing to do to be especially alert when driving through school zones, and watch out for kids acting unusually. It sometimes takes a second glance to work out if any unusual behavior is just kids mucking about, or a school kid being attacked.

 

[Simon]

My daughter and I have discussed how the girls from some local schools seem to wear their uniforms as miniskirts and look very trashy

Her school is quite rigid on behaviour whilst in uniform and she is the sort of kid who likes that.

Having said that - if I saw a couple of wholesome looking teen girls pole dancing on the street then I would probably look twice. Be surprised if anyone, male or female, would deny it. Not something you see every day.

What is it with young girls these days anyway? They seem to be w a whole lot more developed than in my teen days. I reckon it is the hormones in the chicken that does it .....

 

[yo yo ma]

Your HR department have absolutely no idea obviously. If I were you I would speak to a solicitor who specialises in ER law and see what they have to say.

Good idea... I would mention to HR that you are speaking to a lawyer.

 

[handyandy]

Hi Jayro

I agree with the sentiment expressed in these posts and feel for you. They were the ones behaving badly, attention seeking etc that HR can't understand this and bin the complaint is unbelievable unless the HR person has personal issues and is bringing them to the table.

About taking it further or even worse including the young ladies in question into the discussion forget it. Simply, having it on file, who cares you won't be there forever and maybe now is the time to reconsider the value of this company to your working career.

I see a real risk in taking the situation further with a possibility that the girls escalate the complaint even further with a possible police involvement. The bottom line is you just don't know where it will go or what it ends up being as these girls have already proven to have psychological problems and making up further lies to protect their innocence will not be to much of a stretch. Remember its your word against 2 with the assumption that you are the dirty old man.

Cheers

 

[natmarie73]

I disagree Handy, the HR department has not afforded him any natural justice at all, and have not even investigated the issue. I don't think the girls are involved anymore - its now between him and his company who have not treated him fairly no matter what he has been accused of doing.

He needs to get his hands on the HR policies where it should outline exactly what should happen when any staff member is accused of misbehaviour - I would bet my last dollar their policies either do not comply with employment laws or they have not been followed properly.

And if I were him I would fight it and make sure a complaint is made to the principal - what if they had caused a car accident which would be highly likely if drivers are distracted by their skanky behaviour - would you suggest it just be left alone then?

They need a bloody good smack if you ask me.