Ahead of Halloween, Moira Grassick at Peninsula Ireland highlights some of the hair-raising horror stories its advisors have encountered.
Who ‘nose’ the culprit?
One employer had a mystery on their hands when staff began complaining about another team member’s unpleasant body odour. Several colleagues made the same complaint but when the issue was brought up to the person in question, they claimed it couldn’t have been them because they shower every day. This left the employer in a sticky situation with no one owning up to being the cause of the smell.
Advice: These situations are always awkward for everyone. But in such a scenario, action needs to be taken. An unpleasant aroma can have far-reaching complications such as loss in productivity and morale, or potentially even bullying concerns. A quiet word should be enough. However, if the person involved still fails to meet expected standards of hygiene, then formal action may be required.
The case of the phantom fruit snatcher
A group of employees were stumped when the bananas in their weekly fruit basket began to disappear. It wasn’t until someone spotted a colleague hoarding the full bunch in their desk drawer that the mystery was finally solved.
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Advice: Whilst this behaviour is certainly bananas, it is something that should be managed through an informal chat sooner rather than later. Letting the situation snowball until resentment grows could mean employee relations go stale.
Ghastly advice
Most of us know not to comment on another person’s personal life, especially if you only know them in a professional setting. But one employer decided to do just that by attempting to dismiss an employee for their presumed bad health.
The employee was asthmatic and overweight, and the employer became concerned after noticing they arrived at work breathless after walking from the bus stop. He decided that if the employee was to catch Covid, they would be more badly affected than the average person. He then proceeded to dismiss the employee ‘for their own good’!
Advice: You should never assume anything. Given that both asthma and obesity can potentially be classed as a disability should they meet the required definitions, this employer could find themselves in very hot water, should the employee decide to file a discrimination claim against them.
Dreaded drunken antics
Work night outs can be a minefield. While you could forgive and forget an embarrassing slip of the tongue or even a drunken kiss between teammates, it’s all too easy for carnage to ensue after consuming one too many. This was certainly the case for one employer.
Two employees got into a nasty argument on a work night out. As the night went on, the situation appeared to have been diffused, but come Monday morning they were at it again, this time with punches being thrown. The CEO even ended up with a black eye as he tried to separate the pair.
Advice: Everyone has a right to be safe whilst at work, and it should go without saying that violence can amount to gross misconduct or legal proceedings. However, it’s important to carry out a full and fair disciplinary process before taking any action. This includes conducting a full investigation, listening to everyone involved and taking witness statements, with reasonable explanations taken into consideration.
