What is the name of your state? Virginia
Outside of work on my own time last night, I spoke with both a supervisor and a fellow co-worker who would be covering a part of my shift today. I called the supervisor and asked if she was still at work to make the schedule change; she said she was not, and would take care of it in the morning. I called my co-worker to confirm that our supervisor knew I would not be in until later, and my co-worker confirmed said she would cover for me. She asked if the change had been made in our scheduling system; I said that no, it wasn't, becaue our supervisor was no longer at work. In our talking, I mentioned that she had "sounded drunk" when I talked to her. She did sound drunk; her speech was slurred, she was laughing quite a bit -- no judgement from me, I respect that people want to enjoy their Saturday nights away from work.
Flash forward to this morning. Our supervisor called another co-worker to let him know that she would be late coming in. He then relayed the message to my co-worker covering my shift; she asked why our supervisor would be coming in late, he said he didn't know. She mentioned to him that I had said she sounded drunk. That was the end of it. Apparently, the supervisor got wind of this from our co-worker, and called my friend in to make a statement about her "being drunk." My co-worker told our supervisor that all I said was that she sounded drunk on the phone, it was idle chatter outside of work, and no big deal. Our supervisor suspended my co-worker and sent her home for relaying these remarks to our co-worker, saying her integrity as a leader was placed in jeopardy.
I arrived for the latter portion of my shift this morning and didn't say anything out of the ordinary. Our supervisor then called me in to talk with her about what I said that "damaged her integrity." I told her I never said she was drunk (I didn't -- I never said she had been drinking or was drunk), and regardless of whether I did or did not, personal conversations outside of work are personal and should not be brought into work. She apologized for having to send me home, as well. She requested that I write a statement, too, about what I said to my co-worker the night before, when none of us were working.
I reminded her that her integrity as a leader was not in question; no one was judging her on anything she may or may not have been doing outside of work. She was unrelenting, and said she took personal offense to people saying she was drunk. I told her again that I never claimed she was drunk, and regardless of whether anyone did, that would be a personal issue to take up with them outside of work. Our other co-worker (the gentleman my co-worker working for me spoke with) sat in on the meeting, and he agreed that it was a personal issue that should not have been brought up in the workplace, and it was improper for us to be sent home as a result of things said outside of work. Our supervisor did not care to listen; her pride was hurt, and she asked me to write a statement and clock out; I would be suspended until we "resolved this issue" with our General Manager. I advised her that I wasn't comfortable writing a statement of the goings-on of my personal life while on the clock at work, nor did I find it appropriate to do so. I clocked out and left, as instructed.
My question is-- what leg does management have to stand on with this? Can they really take things said outside of the workplace between two people who never had the integrity of our supervisor in question, and then use it to suspend us? Our GM is known to "hate gossip at work" -- although, again, this was all outside of work, when none of us in question were working. We are supposed to all sit down on Tuesday to discuss this and the repercussions (although our supervisor is off on Tuesday, and given the history of this management to follow up on anything, it's anyone's guess as to when there will be followup).
I never said she was drunk, or that she had been drinking. I said that, in my opinion, she sounded drunk. Would we be having this discussion if I had said she sounded sad, or sick, or overly happy?
Our co-workers were shocked at us being sent home, given the other gossip going around at work that is tolerated. Should either of us be terminated for this incident, do you think we would have a good case for unemployment, or a wrongful termination suit?
Outside of work on my own time last night, I spoke with both a supervisor and a fellow co-worker who would be covering a part of my shift today. I called the supervisor and asked if she was still at work to make the schedule change; she said she was not, and would take care of it in the morning. I called my co-worker to confirm that our supervisor knew I would not be in until later, and my co-worker confirmed said she would cover for me. She asked if the change had been made in our scheduling system; I said that no, it wasn't, becaue our supervisor was no longer at work. In our talking, I mentioned that she had "sounded drunk" when I talked to her. She did sound drunk; her speech was slurred, she was laughing quite a bit -- no judgement from me, I respect that people want to enjoy their Saturday nights away from work.
Flash forward to this morning. Our supervisor called another co-worker to let him know that she would be late coming in. He then relayed the message to my co-worker covering my shift; she asked why our supervisor would be coming in late, he said he didn't know. She mentioned to him that I had said she sounded drunk. That was the end of it. Apparently, the supervisor got wind of this from our co-worker, and called my friend in to make a statement about her "being drunk." My co-worker told our supervisor that all I said was that she sounded drunk on the phone, it was idle chatter outside of work, and no big deal. Our supervisor suspended my co-worker and sent her home for relaying these remarks to our co-worker, saying her integrity as a leader was placed in jeopardy.
I arrived for the latter portion of my shift this morning and didn't say anything out of the ordinary. Our supervisor then called me in to talk with her about what I said that "damaged her integrity." I told her I never said she was drunk (I didn't -- I never said she had been drinking or was drunk), and regardless of whether I did or did not, personal conversations outside of work are personal and should not be brought into work. She apologized for having to send me home, as well. She requested that I write a statement, too, about what I said to my co-worker the night before, when none of us were working.
I reminded her that her integrity as a leader was not in question; no one was judging her on anything she may or may not have been doing outside of work. She was unrelenting, and said she took personal offense to people saying she was drunk. I told her again that I never claimed she was drunk, and regardless of whether anyone did, that would be a personal issue to take up with them outside of work. Our other co-worker (the gentleman my co-worker working for me spoke with) sat in on the meeting, and he agreed that it was a personal issue that should not have been brought up in the workplace, and it was improper for us to be sent home as a result of things said outside of work. Our supervisor did not care to listen; her pride was hurt, and she asked me to write a statement and clock out; I would be suspended until we "resolved this issue" with our General Manager. I advised her that I wasn't comfortable writing a statement of the goings-on of my personal life while on the clock at work, nor did I find it appropriate to do so. I clocked out and left, as instructed.
My question is-- what leg does management have to stand on with this? Can they really take things said outside of the workplace between two people who never had the integrity of our supervisor in question, and then use it to suspend us? Our GM is known to "hate gossip at work" -- although, again, this was all outside of work, when none of us in question were working. We are supposed to all sit down on Tuesday to discuss this and the repercussions (although our supervisor is off on Tuesday, and given the history of this management to follow up on anything, it's anyone's guess as to when there will be followup).
I never said she was drunk, or that she had been drinking. I said that, in my opinion, she sounded drunk. Would we be having this discussion if I had said she sounded sad, or sick, or overly happy?
Our co-workers were shocked at us being sent home, given the other gossip going around at work that is tolerated. Should either of us be terminated for this incident, do you think we would have a good case for unemployment, or a wrongful termination suit?
