Written Up at Work? Don’t Sign That Paper!
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I was recently written up at my job. I was told that I use too much bathroom time. I believe in this day and age a grown man should be able to go to the bathroom whenever he likes, but obviously my employer doesn’t feel that way. A peice of paper was written up and placed in front of me along with a pen. The HR rep smiled and spoke to me like this was a good thing. “Oh we’ll just need to get this out of the way and then we can move past this.” he said. They make it sound like it’s in YOUR best interest to sign the paper. I respectfully declined.
When you sign a piece of paper when you get written up at your job, you are giving your employer more power in a situation where you may need to go to court. They can also use it if there is an argument for unemployment benefits should you eventually lose your job. You don’t gain anything from signing.
Since my HR rep’s attempt to get me to sign didn’t work, he then said “OK, that’s fine, but what I’d like to get is your side of the story.” Many people seem to cave in at this point. They get excited that HR is giving them an opportunity to give their side of the story. What you’re really doing by writing a rebuttal is acknowledging that your employer warned you. Another item that can be used in court.
Whether you think you are in the wrong or not, you gain nothing by signing a written warning at work. You don’t have to sign it and shouldn’t under any circumstances. Tell your employer that you respectfully decline to sign. Don’t even write that you respectfully decline on the paper if asked. Write nothing!
4 Comments
CT
June 3rd, 2009
at 8:35am
In my experience as an employer who always fights unemployment benefits in the case that an employee was fired with cause, nothing illustrates that “fired with cause” status faster than a collection of written reports stamped “Refused to Sign.”
Sign the paper, don’t sign it. Your best bet is to pay attention when an employer tells you something in writing and work with him or her or start looking for an employer you can work with. States generally aren’t shy about taking back unemployment benefits that were paid while a denied case works its way through the system.
oztech
June 3rd, 2009
at 8:52am
And nothing fights that back better than “I never saw those papers!”.
Agreed, you should work with your employer. Sometimes though employers can be out of line. Signing the sheet only strengthens a case against the employee. If they can build a case without that, so be it, but you’re just handing the case over to them outright when you sign.
Ron Knights
June 26th, 2009
at 5:17pm
In my working history, I’ve seen far too many employers who were totally out of line.
In fact so many of them believed your employment was their excuse to abuse the hell out of you.
That’s one reason I finally applied for Social Security Disability.
And, no I did not sign the papers when I lost my last job.
len
July 31st, 2009
at 6:51am
Don’t sign.
Just be sure to start looking for another job the same day. Witch hunts are real. They happen just like some employees insist on violating company policies for any number of wrong headed reasons.
HR is seldom working for the benefit of the employees. That sort of HR professional vanished two decades ago. The person who wrote you up is also not working for you. Yes, you can be set up. No it’s not fair. Yes, it is almost impossible to prove without the kind of documentation we seldom collect. Yes, do keep the latest copy of the company policies handy and study them. Your ability to quote chapter and verse can be useful. You can also ask the HR person to initial a copy to ensure that they understand the policy.
On the other hand, if you’ve been warned repeatedly in a friendly professional way and to any reasonable observer, you are at fault, don’t wonder if the same thing doesn’t happen at the next job.
However, if you have never been on the other side of the table as a manager having to discipline an employee, you’ve also never been subjected to the daily abuse some employees commit on their managers. You are probably insensitive or even boorish by failing to understand just how little power a manager has even in regular routines.
It takes two. Have a beer, or even a Bud Light.