A soft knock on the door relieved Daisy of her despondent job-hunting session.
‘Come in,’ she called, shutting down the site. There was simply nothing else out there to apply for, darn it.
Zoe stuck her head around the door. ‘I’ve had a look through your contract,’ she said. ‘It clearly states that the use of the company’s IT equipment and internet is strictly for company use only, and any breach or disregard of this may lead to disciplinary action, and then it refers you to the company’s disciplinary policy.’
‘That’s that, then,’ Daisy said. She’d not really expected anything else.
‘Not necessarily. I really need to get my hands on the company’s disciplinary policy, but regardless of what it says, they don’t appear to have followed the correct procedure for the dismissal of an employee.’
‘Which is?’
Zoe came into the room, and Daisy sat up, scooting across the bed and patting the covers next to her. Zoe sat and cleared her throat.
‘When an employee contravenes a company’s rules and regulations, there are set procedures which should be followed, otherwise the company might leave itself open to challenge, or appeal. Some actions, or failure to perform actions, can clearly be seen to be gross misconduct, and this often, but not always, leads to instant dismissal. But even in those instances, there are procedures which should be followed. The list of reasons why an employee would be subject to dismissal under the gross misconduct umbrella, includes things like theft, fraud, drug or alcohol misuse, but it is also subjective. For instance, a barman drinking alcohol at the workplace would probably not be treated with the same level of severity as, say, a taxi-driver.’
‘Are you saying, that even though I contravened the company’s policy on the use of the internet, I shouldn’t have been sacked?’
‘Again, not necessarily. If it can be proved that other staff members have accessed the internet for their own personal use and benefit, and the company was aware of that, and they weren’t dismissed, then you have a case for unfair dismissal. Or if you can prove the company was aware of other instances, and dealt with them using their disciplinary policy, up to, but not including, dismissal, then you also have a case.’
‘Basically, you’re saying that I need to prove that either they knew and did nothing, or they knew, but the other employee only got a warning, or something?’
‘Exactly!’
‘I don’t think I can prove that,’ Daisy said, thinking hard.
‘That remains to be seen. You have a right to appeal, and you have a right to ask for any records the company holds which might be pertinent to your appeal. Or rather, in your case, your solicitor will do this for you.’
‘I don’t have a solicitor,’ Daisy said, with a frown. This all sounded very serious and grown up.
Zoe gave Daisy a pitying look. ‘You do.’
‘I do?’
‘One of the perks of working for my law firm, is that employees and their families are able to apply for pro-bono work.’
‘Pro-bono?’
‘Free, to a certain point, and under certain circumstances. Hazel Holmes has looked at your case, and has agreed to take it on. She wouldn’t do that unless she thought you had a good chance of winning.’
‘You mean, like going to court, in front of a judge and jury.’
Zoe laughed, and Daisy realised how seldom she’d heard her sister-in-law do that recently. ‘Not court, an industrial tribunal,’ Zoe explained.
‘Okay,’ Daisy was apprehensive, despite the little glimmer of hope. ‘Where do we go from here?’
‘You meet with Hazel. She’ll be able to give you more details and better advice than I can. Before that, though, you need to write a letter to Caring Cards, advising them that you are appealing their decision to dismiss you without warning, and that you have retained the services of a solicitor, who will be acting as your representative.’
‘Okay…’
‘I’ll help with the letter. In fact, I’ll type it out for you, and all you’ll need to do is sign it and stick it in the post.’
Zoe was as good as her word, and before the hour was out, the letter was written, signed, and clutched in Daisy’s hand as she headed to the corner shop for a stamp, then into town to meet Hazel.
Ms Holmes was a smartly-dressed, slim woman in her late forties, with the demeanour of a Rottweiler.
‘Sit,’ she barked.
Daisy sat, twisting her hands, nervously.
‘Don’t fidget. I won’t bite.’
Daisy wasn’t so certain.
‘I hope you’re taking good care of Zoe,’ Hazel growled. ‘I need her back here, sharpish.’
Daisy nodded, her head bobbing up and down so fast she thought her neck might snap, and she wondered how Zoe put up with the woman.
‘She practically runs this place. Keeps me on my toes,’ Hazel was saying, and Daisy’s respect for her sister-in-law grew yet again.
‘I hate employers who think they can ride roughshod over the law, and people’s rights,’ Hazel began, getting down to business. ‘I’m not going to guarantee we’ll win this,’ (Daisy liked the way she said “we”) ‘but there is a chance the company has been underhand. Tell me everything.’
Daisy did. She was too scared not to!
‘Have you got proof?’ Hazel demanded, when Daisy finished her story, ending with the eavesdropping episode in the ladies’ toilets.
‘No, but I could get some, I could follow Melissa, and—’
‘Hold your horses, detective. Say you did obtain proof of this affair, what then?
‘It would prove—’
‘Nothing. Nothing relating to your appeal, anyway. They could claim that their affair began after you were dismissed.’
‘But what about Melissa’s promotion?’ Daisy cried.
‘Again, circumstantial. They could argue that if you had still been employed by them, you would have had an equal opportunity to apply for the role.’
‘So, we’re back to square one,’ Daisy said, sighing. This was turning out to be a total waste of everyone’s time.
‘No, we’re not. I’ve handled many such cases and often, if there’s the slightest hint of malpractice on behalf of the employer, then these things are usually settled out of court, or does not progress as far as a tribunal. It will cost the company to defend a precarious position, if indeed this one is precarious, and even if it’s not, I believe you still have grounds for appeal.’
‘What do we do now?’
‘I’ll start the appeal process, then we wait.’
Daisy wasn’t very good at waiting, but with no other choice she was forced to accept.
‘Will they have to re-employ me?’ she asked.
‘Reinstate you? That depends on a number of factors, which I won’t go into now. Do you want to be reinstated?’
‘I don’t know.’ With her job prospects as low as they were, she didn’t know if she had much choice, but the thought of walking back into that office, with all eyes staring at her, and with Melissa as her line manager, filled Daisy with dread.
‘Leave it with me,’ Hazel instructed, showing Daisy out. ‘I’ll be in touch once I have some information for you.’
Back at David’s house, Zoe was waiting for her. ‘Well?’ she demanded.
Daisy told her about her meeting, slumping onto the sofa and resting her head against its squishy back. ‘I don’t know if I can work there again,’ she confessed. ‘It would be horrible.’
‘Have you thought any more about my idea?’ Zoe asked.
In all honesty, Daisy hadn’t. As exciting as it sounded, Daisy didn’t think she had the skills, the drive, or the experience to carry it off. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to try.
‘I’ve got a confession,’ Zoe said, after listening to Daisy’s excuses.
‘You haven’t started on it, have you, because I honestly don’t think I’m up for it,’ Daisy asked.
‘I haven’t, but what I have done, and please don’t hate me, but I’ve sent an email to the CEO of Rosebush.’
‘The Rosebush? Why?’ Rosebush was the biggest, most successful greeting card manufacturer in the UK. The CEO wouldn’t be interested in a CV from a nobody. He had an HR department (a proper one, not merely a woman called Joyce) to do the recruiting on his behalf. Somehow Daisy couldn’t see him, or her, sifting through random job applications.
‘Because the idea is a good one,’ Zoe said.
‘If it was so good, and I don’t mean to be horrid, but they’d have thought of it themselves.’
‘They haven’t. Or, if they have, the idea didn’t get as far as the CEO’s desk. He likes it.’
‘How do you know?’
‘He said so.’
Daisy was speechless, but Zoe wasn’t.
‘I took the liberty of setting you up with a new email account,’ she said. ‘You honestly couldn’t have DaisyDoLittle@butterfly.com, not if you want to appear professional.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’ Daisy really didn’t. It was very kind of Zoe, but it was too much like your mother stepping in to sort out your problems because you can’t – embarrassing.
Zoe must have guessed what Daisy was thinking, because she added, ‘I pretended to be you. I hope you don’t mind.’
Daisy suspected Zoe might do a better job at being Daisy, than Daisy was at being herself. She certainly had, so far.
‘His name is Emmett Carstairs, and he wants to set up a meeting with you. He, or his secretary I expect, will be in touch.’
‘But Rosebush is based in London. I don’t want to move,’ Daisy pointed out, and a pair of deep blue eyes and the man they belonged to, popped into her mind.