Hi, Thanks for all your help. I still haven't received a suspension letter but hopefully it will come tomorrow and state the exact reason for my suspension (whether it's misconduct or gross misconduct). I've been ill since that evening so I'm assuming it's a bug or something like that - I know what you're saying about the mix/max temperature and I don't think it was the heat that caused it necessarily, I definitely think it exacerbated how I felt though and this is what my manager doesn't seem to understand. She had spoken to me on the one occasion about leaving the floor without permission but I'm finding it difficult to accept her reaction to what happened and the total lack of understanding of what I was trying to tell her - I wasn't leaving the floor to skive off, I covered the til and legged it to the back because I thought I was going to be sick. Is that really unreasonable or am I seeing myself through rose-tinted glasses. I understand that she initially may have thought it was a repeat of the time she had spoken to me but she wouldn't even listen to an explanation as she was too busy shouting. Having thought it all through a bit more calmly I remember she said that everyone was hot and asked if I was saying I couldn't work the rest of my shift. I said I didn't think I could because of how sick I felt and that's when she suspended me. Almost as though if I had said I could work the rest of my shift she wouldn't have? God knows, I'm just twisting myself in knots worrying about it all now.

Thanks, I started in March - I've just passed my probationary period of 3 months. She kept making reference to speaking to me on 'numerous' occasions - making out that there have been lots of issues with my conduct. Other than the telling off she gave me for smoking while doing a job outside and when I was spoken to because I'd gone out after the problem with a colleague there hasn't been anything else. When I went on shift this afternoon she marched up to me, told me that the store needed to be immaculate and that it wasn't up to her standards (I'd only just come in) as a director is coming in tomorrow so she was clearly under pressure today because of that. It's also her first day back after being on holiday for 3 weeks so I'm taking her massive outburst as a combination of those factors. That being said colleagues have said she has zero tolerance and will sack people for pretty much anything. Am I right in thinking that suspension isn't normally used when it's just a misconduct issue? My worry is that my suspension letter will arrive listing gross misconduct as the reason - ok I annoyed her and should have gone to her first to say I was leaving the shop floor but I was literally heaving at the till and just didn't think - does that really amount to gross misconduct? From what I've read on here and other places it clearly doesn't matter whether it's justified or not as I've not worked there for 2 years and can't claim unfair dismissal. The not knowing is what gets me the most.

Hi all, Looking for some honest advice, no judgement. I was suspended from work tonight - I work in a shop and the temperate in there was 32 degrees and the heat was making me feel sick and dizzy. I left the till and asked a colleague to jump on for 2 minutes for me. I went into the staff room and got a drink. While I was in there I phoned my partner to say I wasn't feeling well and I was thinking of telling my manager I needed to go home. I was on the phone to her for 44 seconds and then hung up. My manager came to the door and flew off the handle, started shouting at me, pointing her finger at me saying that she's had to have several conversations with me about coming off the shop floor without asking (not quite the truth but I'll get to that) and that I should seriously reconsider my position in the company - she said lots of other things about how we were all hot etc and then proceeded to suspend me. I rang my partner to say she'd need to come and get me as I was being sent home and then my manager started shouting at me again, swearing etc. She accused me of all sorts to the point where a colleague who had been stood by watching had to interrupt her and say it was best that it was left there and that I should go home. Now, to put things into perspective - over a month ago I was out the back sorting rubbish. While I was stacking pallets and sorting rubbish I was having a cigarette. It's a pretty common thing that most people do, including the assistant manager and supervisors. I didn't stop working to do it, I was constantly on the move doing the job. She came out then and told me I was a **** taker and that I really didn't want to get on her bad side. She then slagged me off to a colleague but I just let it all go and said nothing. She then spoke to me two weeks later as something had happened with a colleague and I took some time outside to calm down, spoke to my partner and went back in. Nothing was said straight away and then I was spoken to about it by her and the assistant manager. I apologised and since then made sure I didn't use my phone or take breaks when I shouldn't etc (not that I did anyway - it was a one off). Now I've been suspended and I really don't know where I stand - she's making out she's had all these problems with me when in reality, she shouted at me once and I didn't actually do anything wrong and then she spoke to me about the one off incident. Other than that I work my backside off and love my job. Being suspended is obviously never a good sign I just don't know how it will go - she doesn't seem to be a reasonable person and lots of people have had issues with her but sadly seems to make up the rules herself. Any thoughts would be appreciated, sorry for the long post.