Case Study – Textile Manufacturer
Disciplinary Investigation
The Client
The client is a textile manufacturer with a diverse portfolio of operations supplying to the automotive, furniture, bedding, civil engineering, aerospace and construction industries.
The Brief
The client had received concerns from numerous employees relating to a colleague’s inappropriate behaviour on the shop floor.
The initial concerns related to events impacting on the effective running of the machinery, however suspicions were growing about why these events were happening, which included potential sabotage, racial abuse and victimisation towards a work colleague.
The Solution
Following initial advice to the company to suspend the employee on full pay, Solutions for HR began a formal investigation into the concerns by interviewing the perpetrator, victim and witnesses.
Recognising the sensitivities of the potential racial motives for the inappropriate behaviour, delicate questioning techniques facilitated the process, as naturally some employees were concerned that they would be seen as “blowing the whistle” which may lead to issues for others.
Evidence was also explored and captured on social media sites which supported the concerns of racial discrimination, but as the individual had named the company on his profile, also raised concerns regarding the company’s reputation.
Solutions for HR supplied the evidence and witness statements to the client as part of a detailed investigation report, outlining recommendations for formal disciplinary action.
The Result
Our involvement provided an impartial investigation for the client to enable management to pursue disciplinary proceedings internally.
Solutions for HR ensured that a fair and robust investigation was carried out in line with the Acas Code of Practice.
The company were able to review the full suite of evidence supplied and take the appropriate steps to formally address the matter, with independent support and advice provided by Solutions for HR throughout.
The case resulted in a summary dismissal.
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