Find Anything To Wine About
(I work in a call centre that sets up appointments and work schedules for IT engineers. My supervisor is horrible and always tries to big herself up to the manager by getting the staff in trouble. She hates me in particular as I’m a pretty cheery person and get on well with the engineers and management. In addition to this I have always bought the nicest food I can afford and frequent some of the more expensive delis in town where I sometimes get treats for the office that are a bit posh, and she gets quite jealous.)
Manager: *sternly* “Can I speak to you in my office, please?”
Me: *confused* “Okay.”
Manager: “I think you know why I have brought you in here today.”
Me: “…No?”
Manager: “[Supervisor] has advised me on many occasions she has seen you drinking wine at your desk. We take these matters very seriously and I’ve come to advise you of our intent to discipline you for gross misconduct which, if found to be true, could lead to you instant dismissal. Do you understand and have anything to say at this point?”
(At this point I am understandably upset as I have never touched alcohol while working.)
Me: “I don’t understand. I haven’t ever brought wine to work let alone drunk it at my desk in full view of the office. When did [Supervisor] say I did this?”
Manager: “She observed you many times this week openly pouring wine from a bottle of wine into a glass on your desk and drinking it. Are you saying you deny this despite [Supervisor] saying she has multiple witnesses?”
Me: *brain engaging* “Wait? Did you say a bottle at my desk… It’s not wine! It’s on my desk now if you want to go and see.”
(My manager follows me to my desk – sitting in plain sight us a glass bottle of raspberry and vanilla cordial I bought from the posh deli. Note at this point we are now yards away from my Supervisor’s desk.)
Me: “As you or anyone else can clearly see this is fruit juice, not wine. I’ve been adding it to water for the last week. If anyone had actually bothered to look rather than drag me into an office or accuse me of something so serious we wouldn’t be in this position!”
Manager: “[Supervisor], a word in my office…”
