Defamation & Mistreatment from Employer

[blondeyjoe]

Recently the company for whom I work made announcements to many employees that were inflammatory and which amounted to the incitement of workplace violence. My position and function with the company is to report the existence of a dangerous and hostile work environment and to alert the organization if a safety threat exists to personnel and/or the organization. After doing my job, I was singled out as being a threat or making a threat against the company and am presently on suspension. Though I am being paid for the time off, I have been investigated and the company has taken an adversarial posture toward me. One of the big problems I have at present is that I met with a couple of company representatives who required me to sign a document that affirms the company's attitude toward me which is filled with insinuations and accusations that are not true of me. I signed the document as an acknowledgment of how they feel about me, but I am bothered that this document being in my employment file is a false description of my actions and character. My notification to the company concerning the danger created by the announcements was directly due to having the company's best interests in view. The very thought of being viewed as a threat rather than a help and a protector is offensive to me and I don't appreciate it after functioning in this position for a good many years. Moreover, if I am a threat based on my notification of the problem to the company, shouldn't everyone else who was on the receiving end of those announcements also be a threat or potential threat now because of the nature of those announcements? In my view, the words were tantamount to inciting workplace violence. I would think the company would at least want to find out whether the sentiments of employees are indeed inflamed and if animosities exist among personnel. Yet, they have not to my knowledge even inquired about the affect of their announcements. Furthermore, I have been of a mind to write my own version of the document they had me sign in order to put the entire matter in perspective. However, I feel like if I keep pushing back, contentions will continue to exist between the company and me. I'm becoming weary of their adversarial posture when they have no legitimate reason to be belligerent. I was simply doing my job. Do I have to allow this inaccurate document that is now in my employment file to cast doubt over my character or can something be done to have it removed?

Cordially,
Blondeyjoe

 

[FlaRiptide]

There is no law, to my knowledge, that governs what is kept within an employee's employment file. There is nothing illegal about the company taking a negative perspective of you and the situation.

You haven't told the details of what occurred, yet I surmise you stepped outside your position's boundary and onto an upper management's foot.

Your function is to notify management of the existance of potential problems. I assume that whatever you had done was perhaps not done with the knowledge and approval of management. Thus, they perceived your action(s) as hostile to their intent. Their intent may or may not have been good, and your concerns should have been brought directly to them (not to the employees).

I'd suggest your best direction now is to consult with HR. Apologize for any actions that you took that the corporation has issues with. Indicate that your sole intent was in fulfilling what you deemed to be you job's function.

In summary, I feel this is an issue regarding following proper protocol and not so much being a threat.

Hopefully you can smooth this all out.