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WO toolkit 2012 complete.pdf - GMB

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SECTION 4.3<br />

ARRANGING A HEARING<br />

Agree a date for the investigation hearing which allows at least five days to prepare.<br />

Do not accept a disciplinary hearing unless an investigation has been carried out.<br />

Agree a date for a disciplinary hearing at least five days in advance.If a member has been informed of a<br />

hearing and you cannot attend,seek a postponement in writing.You have the right to do this under<br />

section 10 subsections 4 and 5 of the Employment Rights Act 1999(see sample letter at the end of this<br />

section).<br />

AT THE HEARING<br />

Meet management on equal terms<br />

Treat them with respect for their position,but insist on respect for you and the member too.<br />

Ask questions<br />

The more questions you ask the more weaknesses you might find in their case and the more<br />

information you will obtain.<br />

Try to resolve the issue at the first stage<br />

Don’t assume that by letting it go through to the next stage it will then be resolved.<br />

Stick to the issue<br />

Focus on the matter in hand,don’t allow management to side-track you with other issues unrelated.<br />

Discuss the issues,not the people<br />

Discuss the issues central to the case,don’t discuss personalities.<br />

Use a positive approach<br />

Take the approach of positive resolution rather than negative aggression.<br />

Listen for the main point of the management’s argument<br />

Try to narrow down the differences between the two sides to establish the main point of the case.<br />

Keep calm<br />

Don’t be provoked into losing your temper.Sometimes management will try to do this to make you lose<br />

track of the details and undermine your credibility.<br />

Avoid arguing with the person you are representing in front of management<br />

If a disagreement arises,ask for an adjournment to discuss the problem outside the meeting room.<br />

Don’t make threats<br />

This weakens confidence in your abilities and loses you credibility if you can’t carry them through.<br />

If you are unsuccessful,act with dignity<br />

Remember that you and the management will have other issues to resolve in the future.Get the<br />

decision in writing and discuss the right to appeal with your member.

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