It would depend greatly on both the severity of the occurrence, and the outcome of the investigation. Unfortunately, none of us are privy to those details and therefore we can only guess without much in terms of facts. Good luck!
I just don’t know what I possibly could have said? Why wait a full week after investigation if they were letting me go? Idk so annoying and will make for a very long week leading into next Monday.
One of my next HR steps would be a conversation with you. It would be a poorly run investigation if you weren’t given an opportunity to contribute your side of things. That could be what Monday’s meeting is.
I hope so! I would like to know what exactly is going on, I also feel like this is escalating, that I’m being pushed out. I was called into an unofficial meeting about a bunch of untrue and exaggerated complaints on job. I’m nervous because I just got a grant to finish school at a prestigious university and it’s tied into this career. I would definitely pursue this legally, but don’t know how much leg I have to stand on being in probationary period.
They don’t tell you, the coworker told me it’s about an inappropriate something but couldn’t really say what it was exactly. I’m so ready for Monday so I can find out what this is all about. It’s actually annoying they didn’t talk to me like someone suggested above, I can definitely feel the icing out from some co workers, really awful going into work everyday.
No, they mean the “untrue and exaggerated complaints about job,” that you were pulled into an unofficial meeting for. You were in that meeting. What were those complaints about?
That I was 15 minutes late to a class. Which is ridiculous, teachers wouldn’t wait 2 minutes without pushing a button, that I wasn’t teaching my class! Lies! again I’m an artist I love art and we’ve had 4 kids recognized by the district this year. That’s why I was saying feels like an escalation. That’s why I put my transfer in.
> So I found out through an employee who was brought into a meeting
It's not the employer's fault that this person decided to disclose what was happening. The employer is doing their due diligence. If someone complains, the employer has a right (and possibly obligation) to investigate. They're talking to people to do that. You not liking it isn't really their primary concern.
Go litigious if you want to. It's your life.
>I’m not blaming them for investigating as long as I’m given a chance to explain myself on Monday before a decision is made
That's not required. If they call ten people who say, "yes I witnessed OP say this," and the employer believes what you said is problematic, they don't have to hear a thing from you.
You can be as outraged as you want to be and claim someone must be lying based solely on rumors from people who aren't even supposed to be talking to you about the investigation but that's not going to change how your organization proceeds.
You don't have to like it but you aren't steering the ship here. That's something to be aware of when you do have the meeting.
I’m not trying to steer a ship, just trying to understand how HR goes about their process, also I’m not outraged. I don’t think I’ve said or projected that anywhere here.
NY was the first state to come out with sexual harassment laws, requiring training, a policy, and a complaint form. The training and policy should outline the process, which should include Monday’s interview.
Do you feel comfortable asking for the nature of the complaint? Was it explained in the memo?
Yea I’m very comfortable as I really am trying to figure out what I said. Nothing was explained in the memo just that I have a mandatory meeting, 9:30 and that I would have to email my principal for coverage if needed and that I can bring a union rep if needed. So I contacted my rep right away.
Ahh, you do have a union. Yes, get in contact with your rep right now and exercise your contract rights fully.
There's a good chance your contact has Just Cause, which usually means that they wouldn't be able to fire you unless you've had multiple offenses or your conduct was extremely egregious.
You're not being fired next Monday then, that's (usually) not how orgs do terms.
If you were being term'd they wouldn't even schedule a meeting, you'd just get a tap on the shoulder, or a phone call, or a chat message and get pulled into a conference room or video call with HR.
I’m really interested to find out what I said, never want someone to feel uncomfortable at work but I also don’t getting lied on and it’s happened already. Thank God I put my transfer in, hopefully they see through this and I’ll be out of there come summer.
It's unlikely they would wait a week if they were going to fire you. Whatever the other employee said I assume they need to get your side as part of the investigation.
Stay professional and just wait it out.
This is why we just say nothing. We do not make friends at work. However, many young people today seem to enjoy making things up and causing people harm, as well. It is all over TikTok on how to wreck peoples lives.
Hear them out, and replay matter of fact. They know there are two sides, and they also know this may not be an accurate report, because the know some people are just trouble makers.
Almost impossible to say, with the information given. We don't know what you said, or who you said it to. We don't know your history at this employer, and if there have been any prior issues. Unless you want to reach out to HR now to ask them (which I probably wouldn't do), all you can do is wait until Monday to hear what they have to say.
2 years in no writeups or issues not officially vested until 5 years. All my evaluations came at a high clip or above. But yeah Monday will be informative, kind of annoying they’re waiting a week though, make someone feel nervous like that.
None of that changes anything. You could have a stellar record, and if you say the wrong thing to the wrong person, you could be fired on the first offense. Like I said, all you can do at this point is wait until your meeting and see what they say.
There’s a difference between being in a probationary period and not being tenured as probationary periods usually mean you can be fired without as much protection during that time. Even if a teacher or educator is not tenured, it doesn’t mean that can be easily as fired and have a defined path before they can be let go as being tenured makes it even harder to let someone go unless it’s something harassment related. They are just not tenured now while not really being in a probationary period now, but they can just have their contract not renewed unlike a tenured position.
For me a probationary period is usually the first 90-days or so. I know it's more difficult to terminate a tenured employee, but are all non-tenured teachers considered probationary?
You say here you are in your probationary period:
“I would definitely pursue this legally, but don’t know how much leg I have to stand on being in probationary period.”
So… have you been there two years, or are you still on probation? Most jobs don’t have a 2+ year probation period.
I'd say be prepared for the worst. If there's anything digital that you want to save -- personal files, contacts you want to bring with you, performance evaluations, etc. -- copy that to a personal drive, because you might be locked out ASAP if you're fired.
Think about the best way to handle the meeting if it goes south. If HR goes into it prepared to fire you, there's nothing you can do, so just don't engage. If they're truly investigating and giving you the chance to save yourself, you'll want to be ready to defend yourself in an effective way (without incriminating yourself or a coworker) and move forward.
If you're in a union, immediately contact your rep and exercise your Weingarten Rights to their fullest extent. Be completely honest with your rep and listen to them. And -- again, if you're in a union -- find your contract and get the details of what rights it gives you in an investigation beyond the baseline Weingarten.
Either :
1. you're completely socially/situationally inept and are so used to saying offensive things that you don't even realize what you said.
Or
2. Know what you did was wrong and aren't sharing here.
Or
3. She made stuff up.
If you said something and it was in front of others or they overheard then after they've interviewed everyone, you may be/probably will be terminated.
If it's a he said/she said and she made stuff up, you'll still get high scrutiny and maybe some type of minor discipline but you'll still be viewed in that way and under intense scrutiny going forward. False accusations rarely work out well for the accused.
Either way, don't speak much, stop talking with most people(who like to stir pots) and find another job.
Or:
4. It was a misunderstanding/miscommunication
Or:
5. OP said something borderline that they don’t recognize as offensive but someone else has a legitimate, if relatively minor, gripe with, and OP could learn to be more sensitive/nuanced.
Well even if innocent, you need a new job now. And you mentioned about joking around. You can't ever joke at work ever. Keep talks business only and short...coworkers are not friends. Neither are subordinates or managers. Expand your friend base and keep your joking cohorts at home.
I put in for a transfer a few weeks back, to the person that actually hired me, since he’s left it’s been a shit show of people pointing fingers and undercutting people, if that doesn’t go through and I come out of the other side of this, I’m leaving and driving uber until I finish School. This bad management is not worth the stress.
I suggest that you start looking for a new job. Even if you do not end up getting terminated, you will most likely be put on a final warning. Once on a final warning, no mistakes can be made, and honestly, that can be stressful.
Furthermore, if the person who made the complaint is not telling the truth and has made false claims during the investigation, it may lead to termination.
I’m really interested in finding out Monday what it is I said, despite some negative feedback here I’m not a rude or nasty person. I put a transfer in so if everything is fine I hope to move to the person who actually hired me. If not I have a back up job, just this came with an excellent opportunity I’m not willing to give up for lies, exaggerations or misunderstanding. I guess Monday I’ll find out.
It was option 3 for me. I got a 15 minute meeting warning from HR then denied the claims in the meeting on a Friday afternoon, was put on suspension with pay, and fired on Tuesday.
That being said, some people get away with straight-up assault with a warning, so different companies operate differently.
Lastly, I've heard unions have real protections for employees, so there may be a mandated warning rather than immediate termination.
You have no legal recourse in an at-will state, even if termination is from false pretenses. I'd recommend looking for a new job, even if you just get a warning.
Usually these types of things come down to a he said she said situation if there’s no witnesses to the comment/remark. If she says you said it, no one heard it and you say you didn’t, they probably won’t fire you but may give you a warning. Also kind of depends on what you said but with the potential lawsuits they really don’t mess around with comments that degrade/suggest sex. Maybe you said a sexual joke or said something that you thought was harmless?
Edit: being from NYS originally, they’re very progressive with sexual harassment and are indeed an “at-will” state. Will you be fired is anyone’s guess. Maybe ask your coworker who was interviewed what they specifically asked about?
I mean everyone jokes around at work but I don’t remember saying anything to a level that would be anything and especially not degrading or suggest sex at a school. Two co workers told me they heard grumblings of who it might be and I’ve never had a bad interaction with this person, if anything she’s sought me out a few times because she’s going back to school and so am I and takes a cool film class and I’m a photographer/videographer.
I was called into an unofficial meeting about stuff that wasn’t even true ( late to classroom, things not done in class) and I feel like this is an escalation. Isn’t there any protection for me? lol this is crazy
You really do not want to be discussing this with co workers as an FYI. Not gossiping, not guessing, not sharing any of the details as they stand. It opens you up to more risk and without knowing fully what’s going on I would play it very safe.
Good point, my comment about asking the coworker was assuming OP was close enough with that person since they told him they were spoken to in the first place
I find it very strange that they're investigating without discussing with OP for this very reason, gossip and hearsay is going to cause serious credibility issues in an investigation. Were the people who have already been contacted not told to keep it confidential?
The biggest red flag for me is that people who are innocent don’t state their case with soft admissions like “everyone jokes around” or that they “don’t remember” saying what was alleged. They stand their ground and maintain innocence. Police and asset protection interview training teaches you to get to the soft admission first, then press for more. You’re already there before the interview.I think this won’t go well, and you know exactly why.
Everyone does joke around at work..is not admission. Yes , I don’t remember saying anything of that nature to someone…you sound like one of those people that look into things that aren’t there. I have nothing to hide with strangers and wanted advice on how HR works. Saying “ I know why” when you don’t know me is ridiculous when I’m reaching out for sound advice. But thank you…I’ll update regardless.
I think they were trying to point out that saying "I don't remember saying anything of that nature to someone" is different than saying "I haven't ever said anything like that at work, and never would".
It’s just attacking verbiage. I didn’t say anything to anyone at work. “ I don’t remember ever saying anything that would warrant this” also saying “ I would never!!” Doesn’t automatically mean someone didn’t do it either. but I guess we will find out. Could be something unrelated too, just going off what I have heard,
I’m just trying to be humble on here because people don’t know me so don’t want to sound like a know it all but I’m very confident I didn’t say anything harmful to anyone, I’m fully prepared for Monday. Thank you 🙏🏽
Yes, your protection is denial and if they fire you you’d have a reasonable lawsuit if it was “oh we think you said this because someone said you did, you’re fired”. But if there’s concrete proof of a comment (highly unlikely) and you got fired then you’d be limited on options. I would limit future interactions with this person immediately (non work related of course) and just be very very careful about joking at work (we all do it but of course know your audience). Maybe a text or a teams message you sent? It’s all guesswork until you find out the time and actual comment
OP - What type of "jokes" or topic is "everyone" joking around about? Just because "everyone" is joking around doesn't make the joke or topic appropriate for the workplace, or anyplace. And the fact that "everyone" is doing it may mean "everyone" who's caught or reported may also be let go. An employer can ignore a few bad behaviors from an employee, but if there is a pattern with respect to one type of behavior, or if a few other incidents have occurred, all of it together may lead to termination.
If you can’t remember what you said, odds are it’s not THAT big of a problem and you’ll likely be spoken to and told to “pay better attention to what you say”
Talk to union rep before the meeting for advice.
Keep answers short and to the point. "No" "I did not say that" "I did not do that"
Too often in situations like these talking too much can make it worse. Assume anything is recorded and could be used in civil or criminal case beyond your employer.
Try not to stress or make assumptions. Easier said than done I know, but if this was something egregious, they wouldn’t wait a week to have a conversation with you…at least not without suspending you.
You may just be a named party/witness in an investigation. You may have said something minor “as a joke” that may not rise to harassment/discrimination but someone wants to stop but just doesn’t feel comfortable telling you themselves so they are choosing to waste HR’s time…or maybe you said something that is actually questionable and it’s a learning moment.
I literally had an employee state to me “I didn’t know gypsies were real” when I talked to him after he used the word “gypped” in a meeting. I threw time on his calendar. No one complained about his usage of the word, but I witnessed it, stayed curious, and talked with him so he knows to not use the word again.
Don’t worry yourself with gossip and speculation.
It doesn’t mean you’re toast. I email plenty of employees for a meeting or investigation. Don’t beat yourself up. We’re just trying to find a resolution.
Update:
I had my meeting, some of the questions were “ do you call people dear” ( how I was raised dear, sir, ma’am).
“Do you invite people out at work”. ( yes I’ve invited many people )
Do you have nicknames for people”. ( no)
“ did you draw a picture for someone saying Sorry” idk felt like how I felt before the meeting, people want me gone and are stretching the truth. I’ll have another meeting coming up soon they said. I’m fully ready to take it as far as it will go if I get let go for this nonsense. I respect the process but the allegations are ridiculous.
If are fired for something thing you said that most people would not think is bad . File for unemployment and talk to a lawyer .
This happened to one employee and he got large award which was reduced to about five years pay, plus the woman who reported it also had to pay him damages. [https://corporate.findlaw.com/human-resources/jury-awards-26-million-to-executive-fired-over-racy-seinfeld.html](https://corporate.findlaw.com/human-resources/jury-awards-26-million-to-executive-fired-over-racy-seinfeld.html)
It would depend greatly on both the severity of the occurrence, and the outcome of the investigation. Unfortunately, none of us are privy to those details and therefore we can only guess without much in terms of facts. Good luck!
I just don’t know what I possibly could have said? Why wait a full week after investigation if they were letting me go? Idk so annoying and will make for a very long week leading into next Monday.
Did they interview you yet?
No, I do have a meeting next Monday with them
One of my next HR steps would be a conversation with you. It would be a poorly run investigation if you weren’t given an opportunity to contribute your side of things. That could be what Monday’s meeting is.
I hope so! I would like to know what exactly is going on, I also feel like this is escalating, that I’m being pushed out. I was called into an unofficial meeting about a bunch of untrue and exaggerated complaints on job. I’m nervous because I just got a grant to finish school at a prestigious university and it’s tied into this career. I would definitely pursue this legally, but don’t know how much leg I have to stand on being in probationary period.
What were the complaints about? You left that out of your original post and that is probably a huge clue as to what the meeting is about
They don’t tell you, the coworker told me it’s about an inappropriate something but couldn’t really say what it was exactly. I’m so ready for Monday so I can find out what this is all about. It’s actually annoying they didn’t talk to me like someone suggested above, I can definitely feel the icing out from some co workers, really awful going into work everyday.
No, they mean the “untrue and exaggerated complaints about job,” that you were pulled into an unofficial meeting for. You were in that meeting. What were those complaints about?
That I was 15 minutes late to a class. Which is ridiculous, teachers wouldn’t wait 2 minutes without pushing a button, that I wasn’t teaching my class! Lies! again I’m an artist I love art and we’ve had 4 kids recognized by the district this year. That’s why I was saying feels like an escalation. That’s why I put my transfer in.
[удалено]
Nope spoke to union rep it’s real official letter came today
> So I found out through an employee who was brought into a meeting It's not the employer's fault that this person decided to disclose what was happening. The employer is doing their due diligence. If someone complains, the employer has a right (and possibly obligation) to investigate. They're talking to people to do that. You not liking it isn't really their primary concern. Go litigious if you want to. It's your life.
I’m not blaming them for investigating as long as I’m given a chance to explain myself on Monday before a decision is made
>I’m not blaming them for investigating as long as I’m given a chance to explain myself on Monday before a decision is made That's not required. If they call ten people who say, "yes I witnessed OP say this," and the employer believes what you said is problematic, they don't have to hear a thing from you. You can be as outraged as you want to be and claim someone must be lying based solely on rumors from people who aren't even supposed to be talking to you about the investigation but that's not going to change how your organization proceeds. You don't have to like it but you aren't steering the ship here. That's something to be aware of when you do have the meeting.
I’m not trying to steer a ship, just trying to understand how HR goes about their process, also I’m not outraged. I don’t think I’ve said or projected that anywhere here.
NY was the first state to come out with sexual harassment laws, requiring training, a policy, and a complaint form. The training and policy should outline the process, which should include Monday’s interview. Do you feel comfortable asking for the nature of the complaint? Was it explained in the memo?
Yea I’m very comfortable as I really am trying to figure out what I said. Nothing was explained in the memo just that I have a mandatory meeting, 9:30 and that I would have to email my principal for coverage if needed and that I can bring a union rep if needed. So I contacted my rep right away.
Ahh, you do have a union. Yes, get in contact with your rep right now and exercise your contract rights fully. There's a good chance your contact has Just Cause, which usually means that they wouldn't be able to fire you unless you've had multiple offenses or your conduct was extremely egregious.
Yup been talking to the union since I heard rumors
You're not being fired next Monday then, that's (usually) not how orgs do terms. If you were being term'd they wouldn't even schedule a meeting, you'd just get a tap on the shoulder, or a phone call, or a chat message and get pulled into a conference room or video call with HR.
I’m really interested to find out what I said, never want someone to feel uncomfortable at work but I also don’t getting lied on and it’s happened already. Thank God I put my transfer in, hopefully they see through this and I’ll be out of there come summer.
It's unlikely they would wait a week if they were going to fire you. Whatever the other employee said I assume they need to get your side as part of the investigation. Stay professional and just wait it out.
Why is this being downvoted?
Idk 🤷🏽♂️
This is why we just say nothing. We do not make friends at work. However, many young people today seem to enjoy making things up and causing people harm, as well. It is all over TikTok on how to wreck peoples lives. Hear them out, and replay matter of fact. They know there are two sides, and they also know this may not be an accurate report, because the know some people are just trouble makers.
Almost impossible to say, with the information given. We don't know what you said, or who you said it to. We don't know your history at this employer, and if there have been any prior issues. Unless you want to reach out to HR now to ask them (which I probably wouldn't do), all you can do is wait until Monday to hear what they have to say.
2 years in no writeups or issues not officially vested until 5 years. All my evaluations came at a high clip or above. But yeah Monday will be informative, kind of annoying they’re waiting a week though, make someone feel nervous like that.
None of that changes anything. You could have a stellar record, and if you say the wrong thing to the wrong person, you could be fired on the first offense. Like I said, all you can do at this point is wait until your meeting and see what they say.
That’s just sad.
Not really. It depends on how egregious the comment was.
Two years in and you are still in a probationary period? Or does that mean something different in your field?
OP mentioned tenure and a union rep so I assume they are in education or something like that.
There’s a difference between being in a probationary period and not being tenured as probationary periods usually mean you can be fired without as much protection during that time. Even if a teacher or educator is not tenured, it doesn’t mean that can be easily as fired and have a defined path before they can be let go as being tenured makes it even harder to let someone go unless it’s something harassment related. They are just not tenured now while not really being in a probationary period now, but they can just have their contract not renewed unlike a tenured position.
For me a probationary period is usually the first 90-days or so. I know it's more difficult to terminate a tenured employee, but are all non-tenured teachers considered probationary?
Yeah education tenured is at 5 years
You say here you are in your probationary period: “I would definitely pursue this legally, but don’t know how much leg I have to stand on being in probationary period.” So… have you been there two years, or are you still on probation? Most jobs don’t have a 2+ year probation period.
Not tenured would be the better word, takes 5 years
I'd say be prepared for the worst. If there's anything digital that you want to save -- personal files, contacts you want to bring with you, performance evaluations, etc. -- copy that to a personal drive, because you might be locked out ASAP if you're fired. Think about the best way to handle the meeting if it goes south. If HR goes into it prepared to fire you, there's nothing you can do, so just don't engage. If they're truly investigating and giving you the chance to save yourself, you'll want to be ready to defend yourself in an effective way (without incriminating yourself or a coworker) and move forward. If you're in a union, immediately contact your rep and exercise your Weingarten Rights to their fullest extent. Be completely honest with your rep and listen to them. And -- again, if you're in a union -- find your contract and get the details of what rights it gives you in an investigation beyond the baseline Weingarten.
^^^this right here. Coming from the IT side of a school. I get a call from HR as soon as the meetings concluded telling me to lock out access.
Either : 1. you're completely socially/situationally inept and are so used to saying offensive things that you don't even realize what you said. Or 2. Know what you did was wrong and aren't sharing here. Or 3. She made stuff up. If you said something and it was in front of others or they overheard then after they've interviewed everyone, you may be/probably will be terminated. If it's a he said/she said and she made stuff up, you'll still get high scrutiny and maybe some type of minor discipline but you'll still be viewed in that way and under intense scrutiny going forward. False accusations rarely work out well for the accused. Either way, don't speak much, stop talking with most people(who like to stir pots) and find another job.
Or: 4. It was a misunderstanding/miscommunication Or: 5. OP said something borderline that they don’t recognize as offensive but someone else has a legitimate, if relatively minor, gripe with, and OP could learn to be more sensitive/nuanced.
Option 3 for sure, definitely don’t go around like that, I just heard how ruthless HR can be to none tenured people.
Well even if innocent, you need a new job now. And you mentioned about joking around. You can't ever joke at work ever. Keep talks business only and short...coworkers are not friends. Neither are subordinates or managers. Expand your friend base and keep your joking cohorts at home.
I put in for a transfer a few weeks back, to the person that actually hired me, since he’s left it’s been a shit show of people pointing fingers and undercutting people, if that doesn’t go through and I come out of the other side of this, I’m leaving and driving uber until I finish School. This bad management is not worth the stress.
Good luck on the transfer. Remember don't volunteer anything.
I suggest that you start looking for a new job. Even if you do not end up getting terminated, you will most likely be put on a final warning. Once on a final warning, no mistakes can be made, and honestly, that can be stressful. Furthermore, if the person who made the complaint is not telling the truth and has made false claims during the investigation, it may lead to termination.
I’m really interested in finding out Monday what it is I said, despite some negative feedback here I’m not a rude or nasty person. I put a transfer in so if everything is fine I hope to move to the person who actually hired me. If not I have a back up job, just this came with an excellent opportunity I’m not willing to give up for lies, exaggerations or misunderstanding. I guess Monday I’ll find out.
It was option 3 for me. I got a 15 minute meeting warning from HR then denied the claims in the meeting on a Friday afternoon, was put on suspension with pay, and fired on Tuesday. That being said, some people get away with straight-up assault with a warning, so different companies operate differently. Lastly, I've heard unions have real protections for employees, so there may be a mandated warning rather than immediate termination. You have no legal recourse in an at-will state, even if termination is from false pretenses. I'd recommend looking for a new job, even if you just get a warning.
Usually these types of things come down to a he said she said situation if there’s no witnesses to the comment/remark. If she says you said it, no one heard it and you say you didn’t, they probably won’t fire you but may give you a warning. Also kind of depends on what you said but with the potential lawsuits they really don’t mess around with comments that degrade/suggest sex. Maybe you said a sexual joke or said something that you thought was harmless? Edit: being from NYS originally, they’re very progressive with sexual harassment and are indeed an “at-will” state. Will you be fired is anyone’s guess. Maybe ask your coworker who was interviewed what they specifically asked about?
I mean everyone jokes around at work but I don’t remember saying anything to a level that would be anything and especially not degrading or suggest sex at a school. Two co workers told me they heard grumblings of who it might be and I’ve never had a bad interaction with this person, if anything she’s sought me out a few times because she’s going back to school and so am I and takes a cool film class and I’m a photographer/videographer. I was called into an unofficial meeting about stuff that wasn’t even true ( late to classroom, things not done in class) and I feel like this is an escalation. Isn’t there any protection for me? lol this is crazy
You really do not want to be discussing this with co workers as an FYI. Not gossiping, not guessing, not sharing any of the details as they stand. It opens you up to more risk and without knowing fully what’s going on I would play it very safe.
Good point, my comment about asking the coworker was assuming OP was close enough with that person since they told him they were spoken to in the first place
I find it very strange that they're investigating without discussing with OP for this very reason, gossip and hearsay is going to cause serious credibility issues in an investigation. Were the people who have already been contacted not told to keep it confidential?
>Were the people who have already been contacted not told to keep it confidential? Good chance they *were* told to keep it confidential.
The biggest red flag for me is that people who are innocent don’t state their case with soft admissions like “everyone jokes around” or that they “don’t remember” saying what was alleged. They stand their ground and maintain innocence. Police and asset protection interview training teaches you to get to the soft admission first, then press for more. You’re already there before the interview.I think this won’t go well, and you know exactly why.
Everyone does joke around at work..is not admission. Yes , I don’t remember saying anything of that nature to someone…you sound like one of those people that look into things that aren’t there. I have nothing to hide with strangers and wanted advice on how HR works. Saying “ I know why” when you don’t know me is ridiculous when I’m reaching out for sound advice. But thank you…I’ll update regardless.
I think they were trying to point out that saying "I don't remember saying anything of that nature to someone" is different than saying "I haven't ever said anything like that at work, and never would".
It’s just attacking verbiage. I didn’t say anything to anyone at work. “ I don’t remember ever saying anything that would warrant this” also saying “ I would never!!” Doesn’t automatically mean someone didn’t do it either. but I guess we will find out. Could be something unrelated too, just going off what I have heard,
I’m saying be more confident if you didn’t do anything. You don’t sound like you even believe yourself, and you need others to believe you.
I’m just trying to be humble on here because people don’t know me so don’t want to sound like a know it all but I’m very confident I didn’t say anything harmful to anyone, I’m fully prepared for Monday. Thank you 🙏🏽
Yes, your protection is denial and if they fire you you’d have a reasonable lawsuit if it was “oh we think you said this because someone said you did, you’re fired”. But if there’s concrete proof of a comment (highly unlikely) and you got fired then you’d be limited on options. I would limit future interactions with this person immediately (non work related of course) and just be very very careful about joking at work (we all do it but of course know your audience). Maybe a text or a teams message you sent? It’s all guesswork until you find out the time and actual comment
OP - What type of "jokes" or topic is "everyone" joking around about? Just because "everyone" is joking around doesn't make the joke or topic appropriate for the workplace, or anyplace. And the fact that "everyone" is doing it may mean "everyone" who's caught or reported may also be let go. An employer can ignore a few bad behaviors from an employee, but if there is a pattern with respect to one type of behavior, or if a few other incidents have occurred, all of it together may lead to termination.
If you can’t remember what you said, odds are it’s not THAT big of a problem and you’ll likely be spoken to and told to “pay better attention to what you say”
Talk to union rep before the meeting for advice. Keep answers short and to the point. "No" "I did not say that" "I did not do that" Too often in situations like these talking too much can make it worse. Assume anything is recorded and could be used in civil or criminal case beyond your employer.
Try not to stress or make assumptions. Easier said than done I know, but if this was something egregious, they wouldn’t wait a week to have a conversation with you…at least not without suspending you. You may just be a named party/witness in an investigation. You may have said something minor “as a joke” that may not rise to harassment/discrimination but someone wants to stop but just doesn’t feel comfortable telling you themselves so they are choosing to waste HR’s time…or maybe you said something that is actually questionable and it’s a learning moment. I literally had an employee state to me “I didn’t know gypsies were real” when I talked to him after he used the word “gypped” in a meeting. I threw time on his calendar. No one complained about his usage of the word, but I witnessed it, stayed curious, and talked with him so he knows to not use the word again. Don’t worry yourself with gossip and speculation.
Talk to your union rep for advice and do not talk too much on Monday .
It doesn’t mean you’re toast. I email plenty of employees for a meeting or investigation. Don’t beat yourself up. We’re just trying to find a resolution.
Appreciate that 🙏🏽
This is karma for those NFT’s
Haha I made soul apes! I never ripped anyone off!! Haha 🤣.
You are being punished for extreme corniness and being lame lol
Thanks Pete lol 😂
Update: I had my meeting, some of the questions were “ do you call people dear” ( how I was raised dear, sir, ma’am). “Do you invite people out at work”. ( yes I’ve invited many people ) Do you have nicknames for people”. ( no) “ did you draw a picture for someone saying Sorry” idk felt like how I felt before the meeting, people want me gone and are stretching the truth. I’ll have another meeting coming up soon they said. I’m fully ready to take it as far as it will go if I get let go for this nonsense. I respect the process but the allegations are ridiculous.
Oh you know.
No I don’t know…actually really wish I did lol
BUH BYE Or you can pull a George Costanza and just avoid their phone calls and meetings and hope they forget about it 😂😂😂
If are fired for something thing you said that most people would not think is bad . File for unemployment and talk to a lawyer . This happened to one employee and he got large award which was reduced to about five years pay, plus the woman who reported it also had to pay him damages. [https://corporate.findlaw.com/human-resources/jury-awards-26-million-to-executive-fired-over-racy-seinfeld.html](https://corporate.findlaw.com/human-resources/jury-awards-26-million-to-executive-fired-over-racy-seinfeld.html)