can my manager force me to go in for meeting when im ill?
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Help i really need your advice?
sorry if this is long….i hope you can help?
im having a real problem with female co-workers, ive been travelling around the country doing work on a short term contract with a company with 2 other females who have been best friends for years.
ive had attitude off them from the start because they didnt like having to pick me up from my house in the company car (even though the driver got paid extra to do this) she was making me drive my car to her house and leave it there, causing me personal petrol money, and she kept dropping me far away from my house
i tried to make her drop me/pick me up from my house, but they gave attitude so to keep peace i did but then i couldnt afford petrol so i told regional manager who told her off, but even after she kept dropping me off not at my house.
we were getting on ok during the work but towards the end it turned sour, we travelled to do a show with the companies equipment, now these girls have told my manager that i damaged equipment they are blatantly lying.
ive said they are lying and now we all have to go in for a meeting to discuss, the thing is im unwell with a bad viral infection but the manager is forcing me to go in, ive said im not well enough and cant but she said if i dont go in i will get billed for these items that the girls are accusing me of breaking. she hasnt even suggested delaying meeting til im better :0(
i can honestly say i have not broken any piece of equipment, they are lying, what should i do?
i will have to travel by taxi (they’ve said they’ll cover my travel expenses) as im not well.
im worried that they will beleive the pair of liers as there is 2 of them and 1 of me! thing is they cant give examples of when i supposedly broke equipment because they would be coming up with excuses out of thin air, unlike me, where i can give details where one of the girls broke 2 pieces of equipment.
after she broke the equipment it was reported to the manager, the female are accusing me of breaking a light, and a pole but they have both been faulty from the beginning and my managers know this, i suspect its a loose fuse on the light and they know the pole was broken because one of the managers hit it ith a hammer as it wouldnt fit! they cant blame me
also she smashed the car and the pair of them made up a story and lied about how it happened, they said they parked it and came back and it was smashed whereas i told my manager that the driver smashed it, and i told how she smashed it, where and when, but the manager was like well the pair of them are saying something different she said we’d have to all come in to discuss it, surely the manager would believe me?
also the stupid idiot told another member of the company that she smashed it so i would be relying on her to back me up although im wont be speaking to her directly.
i can face them easily as im not afraid of them and ill tell them what i think of them but i would rather not obviously have a slanging match infron of the bosses, and when i feel so ill
i wont be working for the company again as its a short term contract and will never see those liers again after the meeting. thing is the girl is still phoning/texting me saying she’ll pick me up! is she stupid? im not going to speak to her after the pair of them are accusing me of breaking things .
can anyone advise me how to handle this?
i cant ask anyone for help as its a saturday and the meetings 2moro.
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6 Comments
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:39 pm
This is not the sort of thing that can be addressed here. Ask an attorney. The first consultation is often free…and they can advise you if they believe you have a case.
Good luck.
July 26th, 2010 at 2:54 am
Go to the meeting and spread your virus around. Ha!
July 28th, 2010 at 5:41 am
Personally, sick or not, I would go anyway. But I would first call the fair labor board in my areaand see if its even possible for a company to charge me for broken equipment. Somehow, I actually doubt this. But this may have been touched upon in your employee handbook.
If you do go, be sue to breath on every single one of those@holes.
July 29th, 2010 at 4:33 am
You have several questions that need addressing. Your first and titled one would be whether or not the manager can force you to attend a meeting when you are ill. The key is How Ill are you? Are you under a doctor’s care or just staying home to get over a 24 hour bug or a sinus infection? If you are not currently under a doctor’s care, I would think that yes, she can demand your presence. If your doctor says you are not well enough or contagious, then you should have the doctor’s office fax a letter to this effect to the managerial staff. If the doctor says that it will not worsen your health or endanger others to attend a meeting, then you have no excuse other than your own trepidation.
You are definitely burning your bridges getting into the he said-she said contest about how the car got smashed. You should make a report in writing and present it. It should stand alone with or without your presence. You can ask the other witness to write a statement about what the driver told her, but again, that is hear-say. The strongest case is the two others who were present with the same story.
If you are accused of any damage to equipment, ask for the account in writing. If they are asking you to pay for damages then it is necessary to contact an attorney.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:25 am
I agree with all of the answers thus far!
And people wonder why unions gained popularity-in a union environment a sick person would never be called in to a meeting. If you are an at will employee then you are screwed but dont be afraid to ask for what you need. ASK the manager to delay the meeting but anticipate a refusal; sounds like you work in a cut throat environment.
As for the meeting-arrive early bring your bible and pray. Pray w/o ceasing, bless the room (if you can gain access early) and then be prepared to battle like David and Goliath. If you never asked before inquire as to what happened to the person before you and why these two seasoned pros seem to be threatened by Lil ole’ you. Don’t make it personal-talk about what you have learned from the two of them and how there is more to be done. Kill them w/kindness and speak positively when you reply to all questions-IN SHORT MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE FOOLS!
Hope this helps! I know how it can be working with back stabbing women.
July 30th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
this isn’t the sort of thing you should be asking on here, talk to a legal adviser