i have been suspended

[clairebubble]

I really need some advice:
I am a store manager i have worked for the company for 4 years. I had a visit on my day off from someone from head office(HO) on 10th may and the HO person asked to go upstairs, on going upstairs they found the fire bar still on the fire door and asked the person in charge why they said 'had forgotton', then asked to see the keys they was holding and they had a safekey on them in person. This HO person then done an investigation on the person in charge and looked through his keyholders book and there were 2 pages not filled in, but both sections on health and safety and cash handling were signed, by both me and the keyholder.The Ho person then suspended the keyholder. The Ho person locked up that night and left the counter caches with the money in it and also toke the fire bar keys. I had no Fire bar keys the next day to undo the bars and the HO person did not come in till 8.20 Monday 11th May to see me and done an investigation with myself. The Ho person asked if the keyholder had been signed of i was 99% sure they had. But The HO person pointed out to me there was 2 pages not signed. I was then suspended due to 'allowing an unatherised person to run the store'. Even though the person had been running it for 9 months. Last year when i got to the store, no-one was signed of any keyholders book, i had no assistant manager and was working 7 days. I had to order a book nad get someone to run days fast, but my Manager knew the person was not signed of and we were working throught the book and still allowed the person to run the store. I have an e-mail to prove this, but due to holidays and a death in my family i missed the last 2 pages.
I hold my hands up and said i should have finished it, but due to human error, i forgot.
Where do i stand, i am very worried, as i love my job.

[buildersmate]

OK, based on what you have said, don't beat up on yourself.
The first thing to say is that suspension of an individual whilst an investigation is undertaken is pretty standard HR policy. It doesn't mean that you've done anything wrong, it just means the process was found by HO to be sufficiently broken to warrant an investigation. You should be paid normally whilst you are suspended.
If it is shown that you have followed most of correctly, that is good. It is just a relatively minor error in missing 2 days (in my opinion).
I don't get the bit about the keyholder (who presumably works for you) not being authorised. I assume this could mean one of two things:
This person has never been authorised (by HO?) to be a keyholder - but you didn't know it
By failing to sign correctly, the keyholder's authority is automatically nulled
It is your job, of course, as manager of the keyholder, to undertake audits to check they are doing their job correctly - you seem to be able to demonstrate that most of the time it has been done correctly.
I suggest that you spend time preparing your case, be prepared to admit the error but point out the (many?) good things you have been doing in the job.
My guess is that you will asked to attend a disciplinary interview to hear your side of events.
You should know the disciplinary procedure of your oraganisation (as I assume you use it from time-to-time with lax shopworkers), so you know the process.
From an HR point of view, this doesn't sound like a case for gross misconduct or dismissal with notice. It sounds like it could end up being a written warning of some type - which I'm sure you will know means don't do it again.
No-one died, nothing was stolen from your company and your actions didn't result in any other loss from the store.
Good luck with it.

[cassa333]

Buildersmate has given sound advice but I'm not sure what you have been accused of other than the letting an unautherised person be in charge.

WHY weren't they autherised? What proceedure wasn't in place to allow then to be autherised?

Is this a sackable offence? or are they just going through the right proceedures. AND more importantly do you think they are doing it to get rid of you?

I say the last part only because it sounds like you work for a 'local convienience store' and they have been known to be notorious for expecting people to work to the given standards but often don't give enough staff or training to be able to carry out the task properly. Sorry if I have gone off on the wrong tack.

[MrBounty]

The end of cassa's answer sound exactly like the scenario my girlfriend was in when she worked for Somerfield.

She was the manager of a department, but didnt have enough staff, had to work all hours by herself, was often critisized, etc, etc.

Buildersmate has given a great reply - dont take anything laying down....get your story / explanations all written down so you can give answers to all their questions.

Obviously it's someone who hasn't got a clue about running a store, but thinks they know better.

Good luck

[clairebubble]

The keyholder had worked for the company for 4 years. The HO person is saying the keyholder is unautherised because he had not finished his book and also been on a workshop but after speaking to another manager he was not even aware they had to go on a workshop,neither was i.There seems to be nothing on the company intranet of what a store manager has to do,regarding getting a keyholder signed off and im sure i have never signed anything saying what to do to get a keyholder signed off.
I have today recieved a letter from HR and said i am being invited to a suspension and investigation meeting on the 26th may. This is 2 wks away, which to me seems a long time for this to me hanging over me. I am not sleeping properley and just cant stop crying.

[clairebubble]

Also this is a well known high street retailer.

[cassa333]

Do you have ro belong to a union?

If so get representation. Get as many other managers as possible to confirm the view that the rules governing keyholders isn't clear etc. Make sure as far as you can that everything else 'in your house' is in order.