Workplace problem - advice please

**lisa12000___** · 9 Jul 21, 01:57 PM

May partner works for a pharma company and a few weeks ago a member of staff was passing pictures around of a young lady staff member which were quite revealing (without her knowledge), and also making another member uncomfortable by commenting on her tight leggings etc. My partner discussed with another staff member and they were very very uncomfortable with this and asked to speak to a more senior member of staff (this wasn’t the first incidence either). The staff member got suspended and everyone was interviewed

Now we have a situation where one of the two of them (not my partner) has also been suspended due to a counter accusation about something he said, and the guy accused has told everyone who would listen about the accusations and my partner is getting the silent treatment and is being treated like crap by most of the workforce. He has no reason to worry about himself as tbh he really does keep himself to himself.

What makes it worse is this person was invited to a works leavers do (whilst suspended) and the picture was shared again! - there are now rumours he js coming back to work, and has made out it’s a race issue!

Is there anything the two of them can do? Surely no one should have been told who made the complaint? It’s literally spread all round the workplace abd it’s very uncomfortable

**Claudette** · 9 Jul 21, 02:16 PM

I am sorry but I didn’t really understand the second paragraph properly. It reads like somebody got suspended because somebody else said something about women in the department, which didn’t make sense to me. I am wondering if maybe the other person was suspended (pending investigation) because of some counter accusations that you are not aware of? Of course these could be made up, but they still need to be investigated.

Regarding your own DH, I would probably wait and see if silent treatment blows over for him? If it doesn’t, then this could be considered bullying, but as I say, I think holding fire for now would make sense.

I also wanted to comment on your thread title as you mention “whistleblowing”. There is a specific legal definition of whistleblowing in employment law, in terms of what it entails and what it means for whistleblowers. I recommend don’t get sidetracked into reading up on whistleblowing, as it doesn’t apply here.

Whistleblowing (in this legal definition) does not mean alerting management to any workplace issue. Whistle blowing relates to alerting management (or an outside body) to certain workplace issues such as relating to health and safety or breach of regulations. Whistleblowing legislation does not apply to personal matters such as grievances, bullying, discrimination etc.

**lisa12000___** · 9 Jul 21, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Claudette

I am sorry but I didn’t really understand the second paragraph properly. It reads like somebody got suspended because somebody else said something about women in the department, which didn’t make sense to me. I am wondering if maybe the other person was suspended (pending investigation) because of some counter accusations that you are not aware of? Of course these could be made up, but they still need to be investigated.

Regarding your own DH, I would probably wait and see if silent treatment blows over for him? If it doesn’t, then this could be considered bullying, but as I say, I think holding fire for now would make sense.

I also wanted to comment on your thread title as you mention “whistleblowing”. There is a specific legal definition of whistleblowing in employment law, in terms of what it entails and what it means for whistleblowers. I recommend don’t get sidetracked into reading up on whistleblowing, as it doesn’t apply here.

Whistleblowing (in this legal definition) does not mean alerting management to any workplace issue. Whistle blowing relates to alerting management (or an outside body) to certain workplace issues such as relating to health and safety or breach of regulations. Whistleblowing legislation does not apply to personal matters such as grievances, bullying, discrimination etc.

Fair enough i will change the title.

Yes I meant counter accusations which have been raised. I of course know they need to be investigated and the person accepted that but still felt that showing revealing pictures without the ladies consent (sent privately to him on a phone) was just too serious not to mention

**sparklegirl** · 9 Jul 21, 02:33 PM

I think if I am reading it right its one of the suspended guys who has named your husband and not the employer?

If I am then I am not sure what your partner can do but raise the concerns to the management again. I dont know wat they can do to deal with it and if the information is already out there by same other means then it will just be a case of the employer having to take measures to prevent your partner potentially being bullied and I would consider silent treatment as bullying. Again that may blow over relatively soon.

In terms of the employee coming back to work there is nothing that can be done about that. The company has every right to follow their procedures and they can not share any of these with anyone else so at the conclusion of the investigation if the result is the person comes back to work then others just need to deal with that. I would be very surprised if the employer even entered into a discussion with someone else about another employees conduct and discipline.

Sadly sometimes doing the right thing does lead to challenging situations.

**Claudette** · 9 Jul 21, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by lisa12000___

Fair enough i will change the title.

Yes I meant counter accusations which have been raised. I of course know they need to be investigated and the person accepted that but still felt that showing revealing pictures without the ladies consent (sent privately to him on a phone) was just too serious not to mention

Yes of course that is a serious matter. And it sounds like it is also being dealt with as the person was suspended pending investigation too. I would be surprised if it did not lead to dismissal. In the meantime, they need to separately investigate the counter accusations.

HelenLime · 9 Jul 21, 03:08 PM

The key point from your partners perspective is that he was one of two members of staff who witnessed another member of staff objectifying a fourth member of staff. He did the right thing and reported it.

The counter allegations are a separate issue. In my experience of managing workplace disputes it is not uncommon for counter accusations to be made.

If the counter allegations do not involve your partner then his part in the affair is over and he just needs to rise above it. He reported unacceptable behavior in the workplace and frankly, anyone who gives him the cold shoulder for doing so has a moral compass that is slightly askew!

levtweeney · 9 Jul 21, 03:52 PM

Tell you husband to keep a very detailed daily diary from when the first incident happened to now. Yes this will be retrospective for the first few days/weeks but as time goes on it will catch up. Even silly little ignoring incidents should be logged and by whom. Exact comments should be written down and times if possible. Even if you think something is so negligible as to be silly put it down as it will help build a whole picture.

These diary’s can be very powerful pieces of evidence if and when you might need it. Hopefully that won’t happen. I did it when I was having an issue with a senior person at the place I was working at the time and when it was read out aloud at an interview it shocked the pants of my senior managers and ensured the incident was dealt with rapidly and to my advantage.

**lisa12000___** · 9 Jul 21, 06:45 PM

Thank you very much everyone - all ver frustrating when the suspended individual is still openly sharing the pictures around to whoever wants to see it

shirley · 9 Jul 21, 06:57 PM

Does the subject of the picture know that this guy is showing everyone? Some people never seem to think rules etc apply to them, then try and deflect the issue with making a complaint!

9 Jul 21, 03:08 PM	#6
	9 Jul 21, 03:08 PM HelenLime Apprentice Imagineer
HelenLime Apprentice Imagineer Join Date: Jan 18	The key point from your partners perspective is that he was one of two members of staff who witnessed another member of staff objectifying a fourth member of staff. He did the right thing and reported it. The counter allegations are a separate issue. In my experience of managing workplace disputes it is not uncommon for counter accusations to be made. If the counter allegations do not involve your partner then his part in the affair is over and he just needs to rise above it. He reported unacceptable behavior in the workplace and frankly, anyone who gives him the cold shoulder for doing so has a moral compass that is slightly askew!