Punched In The Face At Work!

[buffymad]

My boyfriend works at a shopping centre as a maintenance man. He quite often gets grief off the public for cordoning off areas where he needs to work.

Today he cordoned off an area in the car park to dig a pot hole. A member of the public (in his car) gave him grief as he wasn't able to drive straight round. Boyfriend told him to speak to management if he had a problem (that's what they've been told to say). Mr Public Man then goes off and parks his car, comes back over and asks why he's been cheeky (?!). He then punched boyfriend in the stomach! Unfortunately boyfriend retaliated and punched him in the face. Wrong wrong wrong, I know.

Management then spoke to Mr Public Man who insisted he'd been cheeky. Oh by the way, Mr Public Man was a typical chav - not that that has anything to do with it!! Management then spoke to boyfriend. Said he shouldn't have done it (but secretly applauded him) and now he's been suspended without pay for the rest of the week. Said they have to look into it further but hopefully it will "just" be a letter of warning and a slap on the wrist.

There were 2 witnesses who handily disappeared when needed. There are CCTV cameras ... which don't work.

Just wondered what the outcome might be, despite what he's been told.

He knows he shouldn't have punched him back, but "he was trying to defend himself" as Mr Public Man looked as though he was about to swing again.

[EDDIE51]

Hopefully just the temporary suspension, just hope the man he hit does not want to press charges. Theoretically your BF is guilty of common assault but the man would have to make a complaint to the police and press charges.

[factor-fiction]

I am less confident than Eddie is. If he had just retaliated with abuse he might have got away with a warning but I think that punching someone is a step too far. If I was the employer I wouldn't want to take the risk of him doing it again. To me it's gross misconduct and dismissal.

[joeluke]

Unfortunately I don't think his employers will have any other alternative than to sack him

[ludwig]

// Unfortunately boyfriend retaliated and punched him in the face. Wrong wrong wrong, I know. //

It was wrong. He should have hit the ground like a sack of spuds and writhed around in agony for at least ten minutes, then had the chav arrested and sued him for thousands. He should then have got a load of time off work for stress, and probably sued his employer as well for failing to protect him against violent chavs during working hours.
That's the way things work these days.

[ladybirder]

pmsl here. I do love you Ludwig.

[joeluke]

Ludwig's right though, that is the way things work these days

[buffymad]

Thanks Ludwig and so true!

The bloke wasn't going to stop though, he was swinging back for another punch when boyfriend tried to defend himself.

If he gets sacked does he have any comeback, ie that he was put in a position like that? Sure that's not par for the course and you don't expect it to happen normally! Of course if the company had paid for the CCTV to be fixed, everyone would've been able to see the course of events.

And if bloke decided to press charges, what happens then? As bloke was the one who punched him in the first place - unprovoked!!