Tomorrow is judgement day in the bullying case that has dominated the past couple of weeks at work.
Having conducted the investigation I won't be involved in the disciplinary meeting, and I have to say I'm thankful for that.
During the initial stages, I really thought that the case was going to be a pretty easy one to deal with, which would end in the individuals dismissal.
However, the further I have gone into it, the more I am not at all convinced by the allegations against him, even though the initial allegation has since been joined by an even more serious one.
I can't quite explain my misgivings, especially without going in to specifics which it would be unfair to do here, but the whole situation really doesn't sit easily with me.
I would be quite amazed if the individual didn't lose his job tomorrow, but I can't help thinking that even though that will legally probably be the safest thing for us to do, it doesn't make it the right thing.
Someone who has worked for the company for 15 years, with no previous trouble, could find that all gone in a blink of an eye, with a dismissal for gross misconduct also potentially affecting future employment opportunities (which are in scant supply at the moment). That isn't something I would wish on many people, and I certainly wouldn't wish it upon this person.
This could end up being a successful and well organised witch hunt by a few individuals, and that is what is haunting me at the moment as I now think that this is the case.
Sometimes it's easy to see why HR employees are often polling very lowly in the job satisfaction stakes. It's really not a nice job sometimes.
A firing over simple bullying? Yes it has psychological effects but there's no law saying you have to fire as long as there is no discrimination against a protected class.