I have a couple of questions re: child tax credits: Why is one partner's income 2008-2009 and the other 2007-2008? Seems odd that one person's income is taken as a different tax year to the other person. Is there a table/chart anywhere of the 'ideal' hours to work to make the most of the system? It might seem like a cheeky question, but the Wife, IMHO, needs to reduce her hours as she gets barely any time with me and the kids due to the shifts she works. Not good for the kids, not good for her and not good for me. There seems to be very little info regarding either of the above (that I cam see, anyway). Thanks, Robin

You'd be better off posting this in a new thread...not wanting to sound uncaring, but this is nothing to do with my case.

What can I SAR them for - what does it cover? I assume personnel records, but what about any e-mails relating directly to me?

I can't remember about signing anything - however, there's nothing in the handbook which says you can't set up an auto-forward rule.

Exactly why I am thinking if it is worth a SAR...the letter inviting me to the hearing referenced a load of bits of the company handbook, and I countered all claims, yet in the meeting they focussed on intent. and they also think internet is the same as e-mail - bits of the handbook specifically and exclusively state internet, but they say it is the same as e-mail. Hmm.

They have confidentiality agreements with all clients, and they say this is breached...I might have to ring/e-mail them all to let them know! They also said any prior conduct had no bearing as it was so serious...

Length - 30 months. THe IT company printed the rule and there was a screen dump of it in the 'evidence'. I had a 6 page counter argument, but they kept coming back with 'intent'. Even though there was a rule on the server to stop auto-forwarding, had that not been in place even one e-mail work related would have breached confidentiality. The fact is that NOTHING confidential left the company by my means, but others DID remove docs, both hard and e-copies, but it seems like there's a problem with what I did. To top it off, my line manager who was there for 2 months came from another company my mate works at now. Aparrently she's a bit of a bitch if you get on her wrong side! And the section manager - once, every male in the company received a letter from him saying that an unnamed female member of staff had has some sort of unnamed harrassment directed at her - he later got a right knacking off the chairman for it. Might try to get a copy off someone!

Not good - Sacked! Going to appeal with the intent to go to tribunal. Their argument was that I had intent to send confidential info off-site, yet nothing went. I can however whistleblow a few of their 'transgressions' to clients and regulatory authorities at some point - not that I'm going to get revenge, or anything!

Well, I did get 2 hours of free advice from a friendly corporate lawyer/HR boss-woman my parents know - She thinks that there is no case to answer, and that the report from my line manager, a copy of which was sent to me, is actually prejudicial to the outcome of my hearing tomorrow...nice to have an impartial view backing me up. I have looked through all the 'evidence' supplied to me and basically shot holes in nearly every paragraph, and it has got me so worked up that when (if) I retain my job tomorrow, I will raise grievances against at least 2 of the people involved. I'll let you all know tomorrow what happens!

Business is pharma - I fully understand that confidentiality is paramount in this industry. However, the 'evidence' they supplied states that none of the auto-forwarded e-mails (either personal or work related) left the company servers. They then state that it would be difficult to ascertain whether I sent anything confidential off site manually. Surely they would actually want to check to make sure I did ( or didn't!) and what it was? There's also a very prejudicial letter from my line manager who interviewed me at the time - personally I believe this has overtones of prejudicing the hearing with one of the directors tomorrow. Also undertones of constructive dismissal by bringing up trust. The worst bit is I know of other people who manually sent stuff home to work on, as well as taking hard copies - against the company handbook policies. A friend of my Fatha is a corporate lawyer and she's having a look at my response to the allegations, and their evidence, tonight!

Can I SAR my employer for all docs (electronic and paper) relating, written or containing my name?

In outlook...Tools, Rules and Alerts, New Rule, Start from Blank Rule... All I wanted was for personal e-mails to be forwarded to personal e-mail when on holiday etc...however nothing at all was ever forwarded to my account!

That's the point - I never received any auto-forward e-mails, either personal or work-related. If I had received WR ones, I would have stopped doing it asap, as I don't want to work outside my hours, and even if I did, I wouldn't get paid for it! There is something in the company handbook (I was told in the meeting), though I lost mine in a house fire and I don't know if there is a copy on the network.

Basically, I set up my work outlook to auto-forward personal e-mails whilst on holiday to my personal e-mail account. What seems to have happened is that every e-mail I received outlook tried to forward. This was picked up by the external company we use as out IT supplier, and I was called into a meeting with HR and my line manager. I was told that this was against company policy and that I was being suspended on full pay for gross misconduct, as it could affect client confidentiality. The issue I have is that none of the e-mails alleged to have been sent (either personal or work-related) were received by my personal e-mail account, and they were also never in my work e-mail sent folder of outlook! I have e-mailed Google to try to get logs on my g-mail messages, but not hopeful on this. Was suspended on friday 1200, and told the allegetions and evidence would be sent as a hard copy to my address (not arrived yet). Then I would be called in to a hearing with the section director. Was also told I could have either 1 work colleague or union rep (not in a union) present, with no contact with any work colleagues (or at least mentioning the situation to them). Is there anything you can suggest? Is there a time limit on suspension on full pay? Is there a time limit on them getting the 'evidence' to me? Is it worth turning up with a solicitor? Is it worth recording (overtly or covertly) the hearing? Thanks, TG

Thanks all...and it'll be Murphy's then Carlsberg Export...no wine for me!