Thursday meeting
"Terminated for misconduct by correcting my time on clock system. Had been given permission and a password and responsiblities on this system for the past year."
If it was common practice to correct your own time on a clock system, and if other "regular" employees had the same opportunities, I would contact the unemployment office and ask to have those you know issued a supeona to appear, I would also ask for the person who gave you the permission and their password (if it was not your own) present as well. With time being so short, you may want to ask for a delay (if possible) Also, if there is anything in writing, as in the policy for access to the payroll system that did not prohibit your changing your own records it would be helpful as well.
Remember to remain calm, show integrity, honesty and stick with facts. "All imputs were documented and turned into company." Show time, dates, copies of documents, or at best write down the process of what made you believe that the changes were required, and how this was handled normally and by whom.
"All of this happened after a dispute with Manager." Attempt to show, maybe in conclusion but with facts dispute, date, time, why, result, but do not emblish on this point.
These are all personal opinions, we recently went to an appeal in which "everyone" said was hopeless because the "company" always wins......not true.....be prepared to have evidence discredited (theirs) anything that is signed by anyone other than yourself that is not present...object to based on "how do I know that is the person" Also, everything that is presented by your company must have been given to you prior to the appeal. If not it can not be admitted, unless it will show your credibility (usually bad things, write ups etc)
I went to a web site that pretty much said how things would go, wish I knew which one, I just kept typing things like unemployment hearing, appeal to unemployement, etc and came up with a site that gave you the process, and I am really glad that I did, it at least gave me the confidence needed.
Use the opportunity at the end when given to do a summary, by listing all the great things that you have done at the company, lenght of time, training, responsiblities, etc this will give the mediator a sense of who you are, like maybe the misconduct wasn't really misconduct only a pattern of expected behaviour that now was being enforced.
Good luck to you. Remember, I'm just a regular person...just thought something that happened to me might help you...
