I helped a friend to get a job and he took over the dept. He began claiming improper conduct, intimidation, harassment, etc on my part. My supervisor accepted the friend's side of what happened began to "throw the book" at me. I got upset and walked out. I want to keep my job but do not want to continue working with this person. I plan to follow grievance procedures with HR. IS there anything that you would recommend short of documenting everything?


I would first off have serious reservations about going back to a construction employer where my side of a story isn't heard and I felt the need to leave in the first place. Regardless, if you've made the decision to go back, I'd make sure that the HR policies are more 'up to snuff', meaning that there is an actual investigation into any allegations and they are handled diplomatically. I'd also want to know what kind of information they put into the employee records regarding the situation, as well as make sure you (and your ex-friend) understand the new working dynamics, if you're going to be working with him/her at all. Finally, make sure you document everything (every email, every phone call, every letter) to ensure that this type of thing doesn't happen again. Ultimately, you want to make absolutely sure you are protected and there is no reason for any kind of unwarranted termination.