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I work for Company A which is a medium sized bus company. In 2005 company A was found of predatory conduct in relation to another company that ran competitive bus routes against the company I now work for. They were fined and had to pay a 5 figure (almost 6) compensation sum to the company that had gone out of business. In this they were considered to have brought themselves into disrepute and any further incidences of predatory conduct or practice could result in the loss of operating license(s).
I used to work for company C that was in competition on two routes against Company D which ceased trading in 2010. Two drivers who worked for company D that hold a strong personal grudge against me now work for company B, one of them holding a management position there. Company B has now started competitive bus routes against company A which I work for, and I am rostered to work one of the routes that they are competing against on a regular basis.
Two days ago there was a vehicle belonging to company B that was parked up unattended at a bus stop with the back end sticking out, making it impossible for me to pass without driving on the kerb. The driver was on the other side of the road talking to a driver of another bus. Their vehicle was not broken down, just parked awkwardly while the driver had left it unattended. In order to not block the road for other road users myself (as it was possible to get past but with part of my vehicle going over the stone central reservation) I went around their vehicle to pick up the passengers that wanted to board my vehicle.
After loading passengers, I stepped fully off my vehicle to take a photograph of the offending parking. Stupidly I shared this to facebook with the words "left [their] bus with the back end sticking out even though [they're] 10 minutes late - didn't stop me from getting past ha ha". The intention of my wording was to state that the parking didn't stop me from getting around the vehicle as it was blocking the road. It has been taken to mean that I wanted to "get past" with the deliberate intention of preventing them from getting to customers first - thus denying them business and bringing my company into disrepute. I immediately carried on my journey and when their vehicle caught up to me I made every effort to allow them to get past and not prevent them from "being infront". A goods vehicle was blocking a stop further up and I went out of my way to ensure the back end of my articulated vehicle was not blocking their progress. However, as I was driving an articulated vehicle the photo looks like I am blocking their vehicle in.
A facebook friend of mine that i'd totally forgotten was on my list is now an employee of Company B - they shared it to the manager that holds a grudge against me and they shared it to the managing director of company B. The managing director of company B emailed the managing director of my company directly to complain. The meaning of the wording of my post has been totally twisted to a different interpretation and the photo taken out of the context of what actually happened. I removed the post myself of my own volition less than an hour after uploading it as I realised that the wrong eyes may misinterpret it, this was before I was advised to do so by a manager some 8 hours later.
I reported to work the next day to be told I was to see a senior manager, a union representative met me and explained I was to be suspended with pay. In the interview the senior manager commented that I am one of the best employees there with an exemplary 4 year record of employment and an ambassador for the company - friendly, polite and I do my job well. Two days of sickness, one lateness and no disciplinary record at all. The senior manager stated that if it was up to them I would not be being dealt with in this manner, however as the managing director of the company was contacted directly they ordered this course of action.
The union rep stated that in the investigation they may look to say that I brought the company into disrepute in an act of gross misconduct - which is instant dismissal. The union rep said that I am being made an example of.
I fear that I am going to be thrown under the bus to set an example to other employees that NOTHING must be said about Company B in the public domain - can they do this despite my excellent previous record? I realise and admitted in the interview it was a very silly mistake - we have no social media policy currently in work and it was not stated how serious the company's position is in regards to any regulatory issues. If I had known how serious the situation was there was no way I would even have considered making any kind of post.
I used to work for company C that was in competition on two routes against Company D which ceased trading in 2010. Two drivers who worked for company D that hold a strong personal grudge against me now work for company B, one of them holding a management position there. Company B has now started competitive bus routes against company A which I work for, and I am rostered to work one of the routes that they are competing against on a regular basis.
Two days ago there was a vehicle belonging to company B that was parked up unattended at a bus stop with the back end sticking out, making it impossible for me to pass without driving on the kerb. The driver was on the other side of the road talking to a driver of another bus. Their vehicle was not broken down, just parked awkwardly while the driver had left it unattended. In order to not block the road for other road users myself (as it was possible to get past but with part of my vehicle going over the stone central reservation) I went around their vehicle to pick up the passengers that wanted to board my vehicle.
After loading passengers, I stepped fully off my vehicle to take a photograph of the offending parking. Stupidly I shared this to facebook with the words "left [their] bus with the back end sticking out even though [they're] 10 minutes late - didn't stop me from getting past ha ha". The intention of my wording was to state that the parking didn't stop me from getting around the vehicle as it was blocking the road. It has been taken to mean that I wanted to "get past" with the deliberate intention of preventing them from getting to customers first - thus denying them business and bringing my company into disrepute. I immediately carried on my journey and when their vehicle caught up to me I made every effort to allow them to get past and not prevent them from "being infront". A goods vehicle was blocking a stop further up and I went out of my way to ensure the back end of my articulated vehicle was not blocking their progress. However, as I was driving an articulated vehicle the photo looks like I am blocking their vehicle in.
A facebook friend of mine that i'd totally forgotten was on my list is now an employee of Company B - they shared it to the manager that holds a grudge against me and they shared it to the managing director of company B. The managing director of company B emailed the managing director of my company directly to complain. The meaning of the wording of my post has been totally twisted to a different interpretation and the photo taken out of the context of what actually happened. I removed the post myself of my own volition less than an hour after uploading it as I realised that the wrong eyes may misinterpret it, this was before I was advised to do so by a manager some 8 hours later.
I reported to work the next day to be told I was to see a senior manager, a union representative met me and explained I was to be suspended with pay. In the interview the senior manager commented that I am one of the best employees there with an exemplary 4 year record of employment and an ambassador for the company - friendly, polite and I do my job well. Two days of sickness, one lateness and no disciplinary record at all. The senior manager stated that if it was up to them I would not be being dealt with in this manner, however as the managing director of the company was contacted directly they ordered this course of action.
The union rep stated that in the investigation they may look to say that I brought the company into disrepute in an act of gross misconduct - which is instant dismissal. The union rep said that I am being made an example of.
I fear that I am going to be thrown under the bus to set an example to other employees that NOTHING must be said about Company B in the public domain - can they do this despite my excellent previous record? I realise and admitted in the interview it was a very silly mistake - we have no social media policy currently in work and it was not stated how serious the company's position is in regards to any regulatory issues. If I had known how serious the situation was there was no way I would even have considered making any kind of post.
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