Partner dismissed

A question about : Partner dismissed

Hi everyone,

My partner has just told me that he has been suspended from work for using cannabis at work and 'pushing' someone when confronted.

I am now in despair. He has now decided that he is not going to smoke cannabis anymore as he has now discovered that it destroys everything.

I have been trying for years to get him to give up but obviously losing his job has been the 'rock bottom' moment he needed.

But I am beside myself - he has been suspended and has probably got another 5-6 weeks wages coming in but then - nothing. He is positive he will get the sack and has been told so.

I work 24 hours a week, have 2 young children to look after and feel really upset that all the scrimping and saving I have done to give us our little treats, overpaying the mortgage, using tesco vouchers for holidays etc etc has all now been wasted on my idiot of a partner throwing it all away.

What if he can't find a job within the next month which, lets face it is a possibility in the current climate and the fact that he has been sacked.

He has no skills to speak of and was working as a postal sorter. So the jobs he can go for are limited.

He is very sorry blah blah blah but what am I going to do financially? Help!

Best answers:

• hes !!!!ed at worked thats for sure.
  is he a member of a union first of all?
• He is a member of the union but he hasn't approached them yet as he doesnt seem to think there is any point - I dont know whether there is or not
• there is a point they can negotiate with the employer directly from a greater position of strength than if he was to approach the employer alone
  he will be sacked so he needs to find a way out before that happens - perhaps the union can persuade them to let him resign with the payoff he is entitled to under the redundancy process.
  how many years has he worked there, was he permanent full time?
• He needs to get job hunting now, and also needs to grow up.
  Can you increase your hours? Overtime etc.
• The only thing I can see is you need to start working full time and he could look after the children. However I wouldnt want someone who does drugs looking after kids...So I suppose that would depend if he is actually giving it up or just saying it as to whether you could trust him with that.
• exactly googlewakcer
  what you and your man need to think about is the future
  accept he is dead meat here and get out with the best deal he can
  an agreed refernece would be great.
  if they can agree to terminate his employment without being sacked he could even claim under an insurance policy he has such mortgage or income protection.
  does he have anything like that?
• I cannot envisage a firm's policy which does not include drug taking/assault on the premises as gross misconduct in which case a "pay off" is out of the question. Never mind just losing his job, have the firm indicated they have/will contact the police?
• look this poor woman needs any straw to clutch at. asking the union if they can pull a few strings for him will not hurt.
  just telling her the bloke is a muppet and deserves everything he gets is of no practical use to her at all. she knows he is a liability at best already!
  however for whatever reason she is still with him, he is the father of her children and his money did come in useful.
  im sure he will still be able to resign anyway. i cant believe they will force him through a disciplinary.
• very little a union could/would do
  yes they should ensure the correct procedure is followed but he is all but for sure to be dismissed
  you say postal sorter
  do you mean for Royal Mail?