Deny, deny, deny...
HRanna
40 Posts
This has happened to me twice in the last two weeks, and will probably happen to me again today.
When we hear allegations of misconduct (the current issues have been threatening, name calling and sleeping on the job) we investigate. We only consider an allegation to be true if we have at least two credible eye witnesses.
Once we bring the accused into my office to conduct the last step in the investigation (hear his side of the story) and then issue corrective action, the employee continues to deny everything.
ME: "Twelve people who heard you say this."
EMPLOYEE: "I didn't do it."
ME: "Your Supervisor heard you!"
Employee: "I didn't do it."
I find myself at a loss of how to respond. I know he did it, and he knows he did it. I'm not looking for some witty, snappy comeback. I'm seriously wondering -- what do you say?
When we hear allegations of misconduct (the current issues have been threatening, name calling and sleeping on the job) we investigate. We only consider an allegation to be true if we have at least two credible eye witnesses.
Once we bring the accused into my office to conduct the last step in the investigation (hear his side of the story) and then issue corrective action, the employee continues to deny everything.
ME: "Twelve people who heard you say this."
EMPLOYEE: "I didn't do it."
ME: "Your Supervisor heard you!"
Employee: "I didn't do it."
I find myself at a loss of how to respond. I know he did it, and he knows he did it. I'm not looking for some witty, snappy comeback. I'm seriously wondering -- what do you say?
Comments
Once, I have an understanding of this person's statement and knowledgement along with all other participants, I will study all written and verbal information provided. It is at this point that I am able to discover weak areas in their stories and will recall any of the players for re-direct and clarification.
Once I feel like I know what happened, I approach the employee or ees with direct participation in the subject of the discussion and tell them what I know now "to be fact" and give the person an opportunity to come true with the circumstance.
Once this is accomplished it does not matter if there continues to be denial, I move forward with the appropriate action for discipline up to and including seperation of our employee/employer relationship.
The 10 Danger Zones for Supervisors covers the need to get stories down in written format and properly witnessed signed and dated, in order to lock down the stories and the facts. The document with the "Denying employee's story" then becomes a powerful document for legal purposes of negative personnel actions. Lying then becomes a very powerful hammer used to "nail" the situation down in a positive vein on behalf of the companies' action.
May we in the way of IVAN and now Jeannie have a Blessed day and a greater tomorrow!
PORK