Tweet
To cut a very long story short my boss called me into the office after attending a customer meeting with 2 other work colleagues. I was doing a demo of a product on behalf of one of the colleagues who didnt really know the product so I offered to help.
The other colleague (salesman) in the meeting felt the meeting ended early and without meeting the customers objectives. He subsequently complained to his boss back in the office who in turn called me in.
2 people complaining about me the sales guy and his boss (who wasnt in the meeting). 3 counts of complaint are as follows with my explanation which is based on 100% fact. The second one I did not say but allegedly both other colleagues in the same meeting may have testified that I did...not sure.
1. Did not cover the meeting objectives.
Apparently I am being blamed for not doing everything that was agreed (from the prior meeting). I never saw the brief and nobody sent me the brief. I was asked a week before meeting to help colleague out by showing him what to do to demo product. Instead I offered to help and be there at the meeting to demo. Thats all I did and thats all I was asked to do. The customer and sales guy expected more. We left the meeting without covering agreed objectives but these objectives were never passed to me, they were between sales guy , other colleague and customer. But its somehow my fault? Boss says that its unnacceptable behaviour
2. Towards the end of the meeting when it became abundantly clear that I was asked to do much more than a simple demo. It occurred to me that what was agreed is normally a role outside my responsibilities. I explained that we have a team of people who specialise in what was being asked and that I would be happy to engage them for you (customer). This was construed as me saying in so many words "sorry thats not my job". I never said those words, but perhaps cannot prove otherwise if the 2 work colleagues say that i did. Boss says it was unnacceptable behaviour.
3. I left the meeting early.
The meeting was scheduled at 11am to 1pm, the salesguy sent me an outlook appt. I left home 7.30am, travelled 3 hours. Was on time and left 30-40mins later than scheduled. I needed to leave to get home because my other half works at 6pm and I have to look after my kids. I did not leave early, i stayed beyond the agreed time. I am a home worker and the policy says that I can work from home. allowing time to travel I got home about 5pm. I guess my contract states 9 to 5.30pm.
My boss says this is unnacceptable. I argued that I stay much later than 5.30pm on other occasions but this day I needed to be back home by 5.45.
It was agreed up front and everyone knew. Again I dont think I am guilty.
Now my boss is micro managing me, I told him that I disagree that I have done anything wrong. Its now with HR. Informally HR have told me to get on with it as taking further is unlikely to get you anywhere!!
Thats a joke I thought, I dont want to accept any sort of special treatment for something I didnt do wrong.
My boss a week later has a one page summarising the 3 counts and his conclusions. Its taken him a week but he agrees that the first count is a mis communication by all so no further action. The second count still unacceptable, and states that I deny. The same for the third. He wanted me to sign this and it goes in a sealed envelope with HR for 6 months and if I've been a good boy the envelope is destroyed and thats the end of it. I couldnt sign it, and he woudlnt give me a copy to take away. What is this process?
I want to raise a grievance so my case gets investigated properly.
The other colleague (salesman) in the meeting felt the meeting ended early and without meeting the customers objectives. He subsequently complained to his boss back in the office who in turn called me in.
2 people complaining about me the sales guy and his boss (who wasnt in the meeting). 3 counts of complaint are as follows with my explanation which is based on 100% fact. The second one I did not say but allegedly both other colleagues in the same meeting may have testified that I did...not sure.
1. Did not cover the meeting objectives.
Apparently I am being blamed for not doing everything that was agreed (from the prior meeting). I never saw the brief and nobody sent me the brief. I was asked a week before meeting to help colleague out by showing him what to do to demo product. Instead I offered to help and be there at the meeting to demo. Thats all I did and thats all I was asked to do. The customer and sales guy expected more. We left the meeting without covering agreed objectives but these objectives were never passed to me, they were between sales guy , other colleague and customer. But its somehow my fault? Boss says that its unnacceptable behaviour
2. Towards the end of the meeting when it became abundantly clear that I was asked to do much more than a simple demo. It occurred to me that what was agreed is normally a role outside my responsibilities. I explained that we have a team of people who specialise in what was being asked and that I would be happy to engage them for you (customer). This was construed as me saying in so many words "sorry thats not my job". I never said those words, but perhaps cannot prove otherwise if the 2 work colleagues say that i did. Boss says it was unnacceptable behaviour.
3. I left the meeting early.
The meeting was scheduled at 11am to 1pm, the salesguy sent me an outlook appt. I left home 7.30am, travelled 3 hours. Was on time and left 30-40mins later than scheduled. I needed to leave to get home because my other half works at 6pm and I have to look after my kids. I did not leave early, i stayed beyond the agreed time. I am a home worker and the policy says that I can work from home. allowing time to travel I got home about 5pm. I guess my contract states 9 to 5.30pm.
My boss says this is unnacceptable. I argued that I stay much later than 5.30pm on other occasions but this day I needed to be back home by 5.45.
It was agreed up front and everyone knew. Again I dont think I am guilty.
Now my boss is micro managing me, I told him that I disagree that I have done anything wrong. Its now with HR. Informally HR have told me to get on with it as taking further is unlikely to get you anywhere!!
Thats a joke I thought, I dont want to accept any sort of special treatment for something I didnt do wrong.
My boss a week later has a one page summarising the 3 counts and his conclusions. Its taken him a week but he agrees that the first count is a mis communication by all so no further action. The second count still unacceptable, and states that I deny. The same for the third. He wanted me to sign this and it goes in a sealed envelope with HR for 6 months and if I've been a good boy the envelope is destroyed and thats the end of it. I couldnt sign it, and he woudlnt give me a copy to take away. What is this process?
I want to raise a grievance so my case gets investigated properly.
Comment