Gross Misconduct

Stan44

Hello, im new to this. I would like to know ur views.

I currently work in a call centre and left the building on a toilet break. This was to make a phone call about somebody in my family who is currently in ill health. I felt stressed at my desk and it just kept running over in my head. My supervisor is now taking me up for gross misconduct and im facing dismissal for misuse of aux times. I.E. Using phone instead of going to the toilet. I haven't mentioned this issue to my supervisor and don't want to as it's none of their business.

What do u think>??

topper75

It has become boss's business now though.

E-mail someone in HR if not happy talking to boss. The company has to acknowledge the humanity of the situation.

krudler

Do you have a "personal time" aux? we have on in the centre i work in and if someone said it was only for using the bathroom they'd be laughed at, people use it for making phonecalls, going for coffee, fag breaks, you name it, its at your own discretion what you use it for, as long as you dont take the piss with it, itd be different if you were putting people on hold or something, but take it up with HR and say it was a necessary call, most call centre supervisors are petty nazis anyway so call their bluff on it

txt_mess

I have worked in a couple of call centers in my time and have plenty of friends working in them also but I have never heard of anyone facing dismissal of one instance of AUX usage for personal reason. Go to HR and tell them you are being victimised and then point out the line of smokers outside and ask why you are being singled out.

Other then that is there some other back story to this ?

Stan44

No theres no other back story to this, the power has just went to my supervisors head, u know what there like.

Is there any useful phrases, points i can put across in the disciplinary meeting???

They'd be much appreciated...

foxyboxer

Gross Mis-conduct???
To make a phone call?

The last time I checked, Gross Misconduct meant showing up drunk or punching out idiotic people like your supervisor.
You weren't told that this was unacceptable behaviour. You're supervisor is being very unreasonable and basically being a grade A a$$hole



What counts as gross misconduct?
You must give employees a clear indication of the type of behaviour you consider to be gross misconduct. Most employers would identify intoxication (whether from drink or drugs), fighting or other physical abuse, indecent behaviour, theft, dishonesty, sabotage, serious breaches of health and safety rules, offensive behaviour (such as discrimination, harassment, bullying, abuse and violence) and gross insubordination as examples of gross misconduct.

You might want to specify other offences, depending on the nature of your business: for example, accepting or offering bribes, downloading pornography, downloading software from the Internet or using personal software (to protect the business against legal risks, and the risk of importing viruses), misusing confidential information or setting up a competing business. If you have policies covering all or any of these activities, you can specify breaches of all or some of them (or of particular activities specified in them) as gross misconduct.

Other lesser offences, often relating to work and work performance - for example poor timekeeping, absenteeism, use of workplace facilities, personal appearance, negligence or sub-standard work.- do not usually amount to gross misconduct. However, you may want to specify that repeated minor misconduct (for example, persistent poor timekeeping) can, cumulatively, amount to a more serious offence.

Sir Ophiuchus

Foxyboxer, call centre supervisors can be unbelievable nazis. I once received a written warning by email from my supervisor (who sat just across from me, you understand) for doing the same thing as the OP - personal phone call on a toilet break. Ridiculous crap.

nmesisca

i dont know.. I have worked in several call centers, on the phones first and as a manager after. is sounds a bit strange that a supervisor would say something this drastic for a one time thing.
unless the OP has done this several times or there is something else to this story he wouldnt even stand a chance with HR (because you and him will have to discuss the accusation with an HR representative).
on the other hand, if for example, some of the OPs colleagues have complained to the manager that the OP is not pulling his weight, then things could get more complicated.
one of the 'rules' of (busy) call centers is that, generally, you dont abuse AUX codes as a sign of respect for your colleagues that will have to pick up your share of phone calls while you're away.
i remember every time one of the colleagues was away, the whole team was uber-stressed with the surplus calls.
in any case, the OPs point can be easily proved because the manager has all his statistics: how much time he spent on each AUX code, how many calls he has answered, how many the team has answered, so unless he really has tangible proof of misconduct, hes just barking.

kjl

Thats the problem with call centres really, you have no ambiguity. If your boss wants to be a prick, then you have very little recourse.

nmesisca

kjl wrote: »

Thats the problem with call centres really, you have no ambiguity. If your boss wants to be a prick, then you have very little recourse.

i disagree with that.
since everything is measured and is into some sort of stats, is quite easy for the boss to prove his point, or for the OP to disprove it!

"If your boss wants to be a prick, then you have very little recourse"
this goes for ANY job in ANY company, has nothing to do with call centers in particular.

kjl

nmesisca wrote: »

i disagree with that.
since everything is measured and is into some sort of stats, is quite easy for the boss to prove his point, or for the OP to disprove it!

"If your boss wants to be a prick, then you have very little recourse"
this goes for ANY job in ANY company, has nothing to do with call centers in particular.

Right, so you think that people in a call centre who read a script to customers and have to plan when they go to the bathroom and are giving out to for making a phone call, this is your mind screams ambiguity does it?

That might explain why you still work in a call centre.

LegacyUser

You should have received a contract and terms of work when you started working, and this should tell you what constitutes Gross Misconduct in your company. If you dont have this, ask your HR department for a copy and also what the disciplinary procedure entails. This is information you need to have before your meeting.

LegacyUser

What is AUX code?

HermitHorace

Well I'm afraid you have little comeback, using a phone when you should have been going to the bathroom reminds me of the time my employee got some coffee when she said she was going for "tea".

I got her deported.

To Siberia.

Which is where you're headed.

Silverfish

HermitHorace, off topic and unhelpful posts can earn you a ban from this forum.

Please read the charter before posting.

HermitHorace

Apologies, it was meant to highlight the ridiculous attitude of the supervisor.

Silverfish

HermitHorace wrote: »

Apologies, it was meant to highlight the ridiculous attitude of the supervisor.

Which it did, but it's of absolutely no help to the OP.

Stheno

unregistered wrote: »

What is AUX code?

It's a code used in callcentres to indicate that the agent/calltaker is not available to take calls, be that due to their being on a break, doing something other than taking calls (like updating notes) etc.

OP I think you should either discuss this with your supervisor or someone in HR.

nouggatti

nouggatti wrote: »

It's a code used in callcentres to indicate that the agent/calltaker is not available to take calls, be that due to their being on a break, doing something other than taking calls (like updating notes) etc.

OP I think you should either discuss this with your supervisor or someone in HR.

Also known as 'not ready' time. We were only allowed 10 mins a day which is a joke really. That's basically 2 trips to the toilet - no time left for entering details onto the database or completing order forms. Call centre bosses are ridiculously demanding. That said, I went on not ready if I had an important call to make (doctor or family member) and they never said anything to me. Sounds like an abuse of human rights to me, I mean gross misconduct over one phone call?

Dirty Dave

kjl wrote: »

That might explain why you still work in a call centre.

What exactly is wrong with working in a call centre?

The Recliner

Dirty Dave wrote: »

What exactly is wrong with working in a call centre?

Dirty Dave this is not a general discussion forum, this thread is here to help the OP with their situation, if you want to discuss this topic then I suggest you start a thread in another forum

kjl less of the agressive tone and unhelpfulness please

Kipperhell

I worked as a call centre supervisor and any rules were enforced as somebody would ruin it for others by taking the wee. As it was outbound mostly we were able to allow things to be a bit more lax than inbound stuff. When we started doing inbound the rules were much more strictly enforced and we had to do it for the entire centre.

The rules had to be strict as the system just couldn't cope and putting any extra people didn't work if the rules weren't followed. Personal phone calls were very restricted. We allowed people make calls over ill family and similar e.g. "important calls" but also made sure it wasn't abused. Initially we were quite accepting until certain people always had a sick relative and needed to make a call.

People were caught making calls in the toilets but we always asked first was it an "important call" and if it was we would say let the supervisor know in future and details weren't needed. If somebody kept needing such calls we would check if anything was a serious problem that meant they couldn't keep it in breaks.

Every now and then we had to tighten rules again as they would slide a bit and the message was passed to the supervisors. Inevitably one person would get a bit of a summary judgement which is what sounds like here. Explain yourself and the matter and assuming it hasn't been happening before you should be all right. As said the details aren't important but you have made it their business so it warrants an explanation or you just accept it. Believe it or not it can be good to have a very clearly defined work situation when in family stress.

nmesisca

[quote=[Deleted User];63291138]Also known as 'not ready' time. We were only allowed 10 mins a day which is a joke really. That's basically 2 trips to the toilet - no time left for entering details onto the database or completing order forms. Call centre bosses are ridiculously demanding. That said, I went on not ready if I had an important call to make (doctor or family member) and they never said anything to me. Sounds like an abuse of human rights to me, I mean gross misconduct over one phone call?[/QUOTE]

well by law everyone that works on a computer all day has the right to have one 15minute break in the morning and another 15 minute break in the afternoon. plus the lunch break. so 10 minutes are not legal.

(15minute break every 2 hours of work actually).

RogerThat

Hi there,

I use to work in a call centre(manager/technician) and from my own experience it would seem that you are not telling the full story.

There is no way you can be given the bullet for mis-use of your Not Ready Times or for excessive use of auxillary codes unless this is a repeat offence and you are on a final written warning or are indeed in a probationary period. In saying that in order for this to go a head it would need to go through your HR department. To terminate someones contract certain policies & proceedures are in place to protect the company and the employee.

nmesisca

nmesisca wrote: »

well by law everyone that works on a computer all day has the right to have one 15minute break in the morning and another 15 minute break in the afternoon. plus the lunch break. so 10 minutes are not legal.

(15minute break every 2 hours of work actually).

I'm not talking about breaks, I'm talking about aux/not ready time. This is aside from breaks. You need to go on 'not ready' to get a cup of water, or go and speak to a supervisor about something, to do paperwork, to look up something. It's used as much for work purposes as things like toilet breaks or personal calls. You can't not answer the phone in a call centre like you can in a regular office. If you're logged in, you're taking calls, all the time usually, so ten minutes in your working day when you're not available for calls is really feck all time.