Now... I know some of you will be reading this and shaking your heads and sighing and ready to slap me about a bit for naming the work place that just sacked me.... Some of you however.. will be agreeing with what I've done and why. Legally.. they can take me to court if what I say amounts to slander or libel.. legally I say bring it on.. I will invite as much media as possible..
This is my outlook on the whole thing.. and I am beyong caring who it makes look bad. But I ask you this.. Judge me after you've read it.
I worked at Yeo valley years ago in Blagdon.. It was possibly the best job I ever had, I loved where I worked I loved the job and I loved the people I worked with. Sadly due to an allergy that couldnt be helped I had to leave that job.
Luckily for me another oppertunity arose where I could once again work for Yeo Valley, closer to me and I thought things were almost perfect, I had not my dream job.. but it came close.. I enjoyed learning, I enjoyed seeing a product come in.. and I was rewarded with seeing it go out on time. However it soon became clear this was not the Yeo valley I had worked for back when I was younger. The in house training was virtually non existant, and that for me was devastating, I enjoy to learn, I enjoy to better myself through a job.. This wasn't pushing the buttons.. I did complain many times, but like all things here it fell on deaf ears, You were shown 5 minutes on a job or briefed and that was your training... There was just no time for us *foot soldiers* and thats how it became easier for me to deal with the lack of training, My friend Karen also worked here alongside me.. and if it was not for her I think I would of gone insane. I don't blame my manager.. he really didnt have the time to teach.. but it was almost like there was no incentive to want to teach us, to train us.. maybe it was because no one but me was asking.. I was in an english minority and it became clear who ruled the roost.
Within the workplace I got along with everyone, I laughed and joked with everyone and loved to learn from where people came from and their cultures.. I had even talked about going to Latvia with a friend to learn about her home. To me it was all learning, and I learnt more about poland and Latvia than I did about yeo valley... but it was feeding my thirst for knowledge and so I settled into a happy routine, I worked, learnt what I could from colleagues about the job, but learnt more about other cultures from my friends.
I had plans now, dreams that were going to come true, trips to paris and germany were on the cards and finally my marraige to Kate was going to be a reality, we had a budget and we had a future.. things were great.
Then suddenly overnight it all went wrong.. instantly.. I was suspended.. then fired.. This is what happened and how one bully can destroy a person in a heartbeat.. and how one company can treat one person so unfairly.
A normal working day.. and a normal busy one at that..
We were collecting products from pallets, pallets that were too close to each other, and too close to the table. We had all complained about the pallets, but as always.. deaf ears.. I lost my balance and pushed Trish who in turn bumped into Marika, we both apologised as you do and carried on. Nothing was said I might add and we continued to work. Later that day Mark (My Manager) called me to one side and explained that someone had "expressed concern" about pushing and shoving around the pallets, and this person *didn't want a scene made* so Mark was just letting me know, and he would also be letting Trish know. So without a thought I went back to work.
At the end of day, Mark called a team brief and explained he was fed up with *Horseplay* around the pallets and he would hope having spoken to the two people Involved that it would now stop !!!!! This is where it gets sticky... I was livid.. I had been accused of fucking about around pallets, when I had only lost my balance.. It turns out the guy who *reported* us.. was Marika's boyfriend and wasn't even in the room at the time.. and In his statement.. he says I *crushed* Marika... mmmm I didn't even touch her !! So this should show a little towards his character.. It should also be noted, that Marika is pregnant, but kept this from Everyone, instead we were told she had a bad back.
So anyways.. I digress, I went home angry that night. What you don't know is that Dariusz (Marika's Boyfriend) has had several run ins with Mark since I have been there. I thought to be honest that Mark was scared of him. He took someones mat once and Mark told him off for it.. Daruisz's reply... "It's all about the english" even back then, this set alarm bells going.
So.. Home I went.. and straight onto facebook.. and I made a mistake. I ranted.. and instead of leaving it, I tagged a friend.. yea stupid I know... and to top it off.. that friend was also friends with.. yea you guessed it.. Dariusz and Marika.
My status... went something like this..
"Unbelievable, fuckin prick of a male at work accusing me of shoving, shoulda shoved harder and caused an accident, fuckin immigrant"
So... there you have it.. that statement cost me my job.
Why.. because he saw it, printed it off and took it to Mark saying he was *offended*. I was interviewed, Investigated, appealed and dismissed.
And I didn't have a leg to stand on, clever Yeo Valley got me before I had been there a year.. so I couldnt even claim unfair dismissal.
What you should understand is that, 1) Yeo Valley was never mentioned on my profile as to where I worked..
2) Dariusz's Name was also never mentioned...
3) The accident, although in the cold light of day looks like a threat, was never meant the way it had been taken... In my clever state of mind at the time, I meant had I of pushed Trish harder, it would of been me falling backwards over the pallet.. and I would of been the accident.. It was that simple.. and we all know the adverts for "Have YOU had an accident at work" etc etc.. Hell I was just thinking pound signs... Yeo valley took it like I was going to Hurt Trish.. I am also going to add here, that Trish is my friend now and was then, why I would want to threaten her is beyond me and her.
As for the immigrant comment, which is what the *big* issue seemed to be.. This word was used along with foriegner/paddy/geordie/spanaird etc etc.. I am of Irish decent and still have the accent... I am called a foriegner regularly in work, I take this is good form and have never taken offence, Dariuzs and Marika also have used the same words and have never *taken offense* before now. But.. this time, he did.. and No one listened to me.. My story, and I got fired.
During my suspension, Daruisz chased Karen and Trish on forklift truck shouting at them "I know where you live" & "yesterday was just a warning"
They complained and he was *told off* According to Yeo valley policy, if there is *any* incident on a truck, you will be removed and have to re sit your test.. well guess what.. He didnt. He is still on trucks.
Karen, well she transferred to another shift and moved home because of it.
I wanted people to know the real story, no matter how bad it makes me look, there was a reason behind the status, and I explained it clearly to every manager that listened.. In my defence I supplied over 12 Character statements who Yeo valley could of contacted.. and they didn't. I have worked with every colour and creed possible, I worked in a self help group helping people from poland/latvia/lithuania get homes and jobs.. I have worked and been friends with transgendered people.
But this they ignored, I called witnesses who were never spoken to, references that were never contacted.
From interview, to investigation, to appeal to dismissed.. I plead my case, I begged for my job.
I was accused of being a bully, Of being racist, Of incitement and harrassment.
Yeo valley no longer has my respect or support. I'm ashamed to of been a small part of what once I was proud to be involved in.
It proves that Yeo Valley is not the family friendly company it used to be.
I'm hurt and angry that my appeal was never treated seriously, and that people like daruisz can get away with what he has done, without consequence.
