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I was recently written up by HR. They interviewed myself and a couple of other individuals and concluded I was wrong resulting in the write up.

However HR did not share all the evidence against me, just bits and pieces. When I inquired what else was written, I was told they had to keep it confidential.

However, when they interviewed others HR shared with them what they did not share with me. The conclusion they derived was simply I was wrong. I felt if it was done correctly I should have been allowed to face my accuser and address the points they brought against me. Additionally, unbeknownst to HR one of the individuals they deemed as honest gave inaccurate information, but for me to bring that up now would seem petty.

This was my first ever written reprimand in my career so I am not sure how this should have been handled by HR.

Should HR had allowed me to meet with the individuals who made the accusations and should they have shared things with others that they did not share with me?

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    You haven't actually asked us a question. Voting to close, as there is no actual addressable goal.
    – David K
    Jul 5, 2017 at 12:35
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    Is this related to this question? workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/93884/… Jul 5, 2017 at 13:09
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    I would say this is normal to an extent. You don't have a right to face your accuser, this isn't court. Normally in these situation, HR will try to hide the identity of the person who file the complaint so there is no outward retaliation towards that employee. They know what you said because they raised the complaint they clearly know who is on the other side so there is no need to keep it a secret. I also noticed that you used the word inaccurate instead of lying. Is this because the information could have been accurate from their point of view and you disagree? Jul 5, 2017 at 13:17
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    @Rebecca - ultimately I think you'll struggle to get this re-opened as it will require too much knowledge about either your company's HR policies and procedures (which we have no way of knowing) or employment law in your jurisdiction (we can't give legal advice).
    – motosubatsu
    Jul 5, 2017 at 13:17
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    Thank you all, i had never been written up so this was all very new to me, i thought i had a right to refute accusations and clarify any misunderstanding.
    – Rebecca
    Jul 5, 2017 at 13:22

1 Answer 1

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HR is the one that determines what is allowed, so anything they say is fair, is fair.

Beyond that, there are numerous whistle-blowing statutes, anti-retaliation laws and regulations, and a plethora of other issues which makes it against the company's best interests to allow you access to anyone.

Furthermore, since you are being written up based on information from people who report to you, HR would be extremely foolish to allow you to know many details.

This actually protects you as well as the company.

How?

Since you don't know the particulars of the who or what, your actions going forward are less restricted with less of a chance of being written up again. If you don't know who made the charges, and you end up writing this person up in the future, they cannot claim retaliation. If they try to say that "Rebecca wrote me up because I filed a complaint against her", HR can reply "Rebecca was not informed of who made the complaint."

Beyond this, I would advise you to take your lumps and let the matter drop. Go forward, document everything so that false charges cannot be levied against you, and get along with your team. If that means kissing a little tush in the mean time, so be it. You cannot be worried about your ego at this point, you need to focus on moving forward.

Remember, HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND they do not work for you. They do not have your interests in mind. HR's duty is to protect the interests of the company. If that means throwing you to the wolves they will do so.

Again, document everything in the future, be clear, concise, and kind to everyone and you'll go far.

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  • HR "determines what is allowed" only to the extent of what employment law permits. If they cross that line it doesn't matter what they "allow". So if a similar situation arises, it wouldn't hurt to check your rights with an employment lawyer. Jul 5, 2017 at 14:51
  • @LaconicDroid which is why I posted about the legalities Jul 5, 2017 at 15:22
  • They call themselves Human Resources, but there is nothing human about them. "HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND"
    – user41891
    Jul 6, 2017 at 15:16

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