FPSLREB Decisions

Suspension (1 day) - Insubordination - Insulting memorandum directed to superior - the grievor directed an insulting memorandum to his superior complaining about the grievor's lack of success in a competition - the grievor's supervisor advised the grievor that this manner of dealing with his concerns was inappropriate - the grievor sent another insulting memorandum to his superior dealing with the same issue - the grievor distributed copies of his memoranda to other employees and to the Director - the grievor received a one-day suspension for his misconduct - the grievor did not testify - his representative acknowledged some fault on the grievor's part and addressed himself to the severity of the penalty - the grievor had been employed for 23 years and had no prior disciplinary record - the grievor's representative argued that a written reprimand would be a more appropriate penalty - the adjudicator found that the memoranda written by the grievor were insulting, offensive and clearly inappropriate - the fact that they were submitted to a superior in the workplace, with copies to other staff and management, clearly pointed to insubordination - insubordination is behaviour which is insolent and contemptuous of members of management with a resistance to or defiance of the employer's authority - the penalty imposed on the grievor was reasonable under the circumstances. Grievance denied.