Issue - meetings

To consider a grievance appeal from an employee of Corporate and Support Services.

This item is confidential and has been circulated to Councillors only.

The Committee considered a grievance appeal from an employee of Corporate and Support Services. The Appellant and their representative attended the meeting and presented the case. The Committee received document bundles, heard presentations and questioning from the Appellant and Management and heard evidence from a witness.

RESOLVED - The Committee considered the grievance appeal, presentation and the written documentation that was submitted and heard management’s response. Having listened to all that was said and having read all the documentation the Committee found that :-

1. The meeting of 30 November was a team information sharing meeting not the start of the redundancy consultation process. Following that meeting appropriate processes were followed.

2. Whilst the business case appears to miss a section the Committee determined that as this was a post with only one member of staff it was not a significant matter.

3. The Council’s disciplinary process was overseen by HR and was not misused.

4. The Committee were not convinced that there was any evidence of victimisation or abuse of position as all processes were overseen by HR and senior managers.

The Committee therefore resolved that the appeal be dismissed.

The Committee met to consider an appeal against dismissal from an employee of Corporate and Support Services.

The appellant was unrepresented and did not attend the meeting on medical advice. The appellant had been contacted by the committee clerk on 9 November 2011 and was offered the opportunity for the hearing to be postponed in order to allow the appellant to attend, however the appellant declined and wanted the appeal to be heard in their absence.

Management attended the meeting and presented evidence and explained their reasoning that led them to their decision to terminate the employee’s employment.

The Committee received document bundles, and read all the evidence submitted by both parties.  After paying attention to the evidence and questioning the oral testimony given by management and following careful consideration of the appellant’s written testimony and grounds of appeal, the Committee decided to adjourn the appeal hearing. This was to seek a further medical opinion from the Council’s Occupational Health provider of the likely effect of the appellant’s medical condition on the appellant’s conduct and behaviour in the workplace and to give the appellant the opportunity to comment and a further opportunity to attend and present the appeal in person.