Help desperately needed

[ULA]

We are in unprecedented times with the coronavirus and companies are having to adapt their ways of working. Given the time the process has already taken, I can presume that they are trying to find ways of using technology to continue managing the process.

Agreed that even if they use video conferencing then this needs to be done in a way that ensures a fair hearing. Are you having a colleague with you and if so what arrangements are they making to have them included in the meeting?*

*

[Bobby23]

Hi again Ula hope you are well. I finally had my disciplinary over phone conference that lasted 5 and a half hours. I had a union rep with me but i was not in the union so i’ve had to pay a lot of money for his help. They wouldn’t give me an answer till yesterday where i was dismissed. I’m understandably upset that they treated me so badly, given me an unfair process, given me no support and kept this going 7 months. The hell i’ve been through is unbelievable. It just shows that even when you’ve done nothing, big businesses and organisations can just get away with everything and we as employees do not stand a chance. I want to go forward to a tribunal but my rep said not to bother as i’d win my case for sure but i probably wouldn’t get given any compensation. it’s not the money but i need to clear my name but how can i do this? Do you have any further advice or do i go away and remain unemployed with no money, no job, no future and my name is destroyed just because of a vendetta from an NHS manager?

[ULA]

That was certainly a marathon disciplinary meeting.

The first thing you will need to do is consider appealing the decision. The details of the appeal process should be provided in the letter you receive confirming the outcome of the disciplinary hearing.

[Bobby23]

I’ve received it in an email. Do i have to appeal as part of the process as this is going to cost me £800 and now i’m unemployed and have used my savings on the disciplinary process i’m penniless. I can’t get benefits either. I need to prove my innocence but i don’t have the cash to do it. I’m so upset and depressed that after so many years of loyal service that a vindictive thieving manager can point the finger at me and i’m now branded a drug taking thief. None of this is fair. Sorry but i’m just very down right now. I can’t see a way through any of this.*

[ULA]

I am not sure I understand why an appeal is going to cost you £800. Appealing the decision of disciplinary action is part of the internal process and will not cost you anything to do. In most cases you will have a time period to appeal the details of which should have been given in the email you received.*

[Bobby23]

Hi Ula
sorry for the late late reply. Been going through hell with this crap. I was paying privately for union representation as i was not a union member when all this happened. £800 was what the rep was going to charge me for his continued services but after being sacked i didn’t have the money. So had to tell him i wouldn’t be using him anymore. Can’t say that i was hugely impressed with him at the end anyway. He led me to believe i had a good case against my ex employers but suddenly told me to forget it all and move on. I didn’t want to because i’m do angry that anyone can come after you and accuse you of just about anything and there’s nothing you can realistically do. If you’re skint then forget getting any justice. I did contact a solicitor in Milton Keynes. He charged me £240 for a phone call and has ghosted me since so not impressed with him either. I suppose the only thing i can do now is give up unless there is a solicitor in Milton Keynes who won’t mess me around, will be honest with me and take my case on a no win no fee basis?!?!!!!
So, had my appeal today and as predicted they upheld the original decision so i’m still sacked. It was a total farce. A waste of time.
i have a month left to go forward to acas. What a joke....
i really hope that others who suddenly find themselves in this nightmare situation don’t ever expect to win. I’d like to tell everyone to be so careful at work, watch your backs, trust no one and make sure you get any evidence pertaining to anything you do. And whatever you do....NEVER WHISTLEBLOW. It just isn’t worth it folks.
anyway, thanks for listening and thanks for everyones help

[Bobby23]

I just wanted to post a quick update. I paid a solicitor to look at the documents pertaining to my case. It took him weeks to get back to me, i had to chase him by email many times before he bothered replying and he basically told me not to bother taking this to ACAS as it wouldn’t be worth it. So, my career is over, i’ve been wrongly labelled as a thief and i’m jobless. How the hell does and innocent person find themselves in this awful situation? I can not believe this is possible. It’s absolutely sickening that you go to work, get treated like crap, give everything you have day in day out and when a manager decides to come after you and ruin your life, then can and they get away with it. It’s a terrible and unforgivable situation and no one will help me defend myself. So i have to move on and live with this. I’m sure this isn’t the end of it as my professional council will come after me for this next. The nightmare continues. Basically, don’t work for the NHS. And remember to cover yourselves every single day. Trust no one. Take photo copies of everything and as i said in my last post, never....ever whistleblow. Good luck to everyone who is or about to go through a disciplinary. You’ll really need it.

[ULA]

Hi Bobby23*thanks for coming back to post your update. I wish you all the best and hope that things will start to get better for you.

[Bobby23]

Hi all. I just wished to post a final update. Things have moved on for me since all this nightmare started. But the strange thing is, everything has been really amazing. I thought i’d never recover from this hell but i bounced back so quickly. Not working for the awful nhs was such a blessing in disguise. Initially it was hard because i’m an innocent, hard working person so being labelled as a thief by the very people or person who committed the theft was difficult and almost impossible to handle. I had tremendous support from many people and the whole experience toughened me up so much. It made me realise exactly what i’m truly capable of. And it has changed me too. Once i had grieved for the loss of my job and my career, i picked myself up and started again. I began a new career and have already been promoted. I am valued and respected as an employee but i also never allow myself to put my trust in any work colleagues anymore. I also began studying, started my own part time business and learnt lots of new skills. I passed my driving test, got super fit and started running marathons and reconnected with family. I have turned a massive negative into the biggest positive situation possible. Despite all the issues, this has been the best thing to happen to me. And recently i heard the judgement from my professional body who conducted their own thorough and unbiased investigation and found me innocent. They have found no wrong doing at all and have cleared my name. I’m over the moon that justice has finally been done. I feel like i’ve won the lottery. I won’t be going back to practicing pharmacy as i’m happier without it and i will never work for the vile nhs ever again. They are evil. Needless to say, i didn’t stand on my doorstep clapping for them.
i hope by telling my story like this, then others that end up being victimised like this can see that you can get through it, regain your good name and come out the other end, happy, content and thriving. Even though it feels like the end sometimes, it is only the beginning of something much better. If you find yourself in the same position then don’t panic, get support and advice and take the best of care of yourself. Thanks for reading.

[ULA]

Hi Bobby23 thank your so much for the update on how you have been doing.

Great to hear that you have turned the stressful situation you found yourself in early last year into such a positive - well done to you. The additional fact that your professional body found you innocent must be a great relief to you.

I wish you all the best.