Thank you fedex for firing me for asking directions

[Keystone]

Well, I got fired today. On Wednesday of last week, I coded two packages that were in the country ( county roads), dex-03, and clicked other and typed that I needed directions. I have done this on multiple occasions and never had an issue until Wednesday. Well one of the addressee's called in asking where their package was and my manager told me, the next day, that he went and delivered the packages. This happened on Thursday morning when I reported for work. He proceeded to tell me that I was suspended pending further investigation for falsification. I was in shock! I simply needed directions. How is it falsification to ASK FOR DIRECTIONS!!!! Anyway, after three days of questions from HR that I responded to, today I was told I was terminated for falsification of the two stops claiming wrong address. I NEVER CLAIMED WRONG ADDRESS!!!! I said I needed DIRECTIONS!!!

What a load of crap!!! Get out of this place while you can, if you can! I busted my hump for them and my station manager even said on my way out, thank you for always doing a good job for us. This place is UNREAL!!!

 

[Operational needs]

Are you going to GFT?

 

[Cactus]

Get a lawyer. Pronto.

This company is scraping the bottom of the barrel for excuses to terminate senior couriers. Sounds like they already had their minds made up before HR asked you the first question.

And by the way, HR is not a friend of the hourlies.

 

[Keystone]

After reading the policy on GFT, I have to be available for the meeting on the process in Memphis, TN. I can not afford to go there. And, Cactus, I agree with you....HR did have their mind made up.

 

[hypo hanna]

Should be easy to beat with a smart lawyer. Assuming you want to keep this crappy job. Even if you don't, there is probably a nice payout for winning a wrongful termination suit.

There is no dex code for unable to locate. If there was a code they wanted you to use in that situation, they should have told you which one they wanted.
You put it in comments that you needed directions.
Dispatchers are already tasked with trying to locate all DEX 03's and yours would have read your comments.

Have your lawyer start by subpoenaing PF8 screen history of the two packages. This will show both your comments and what happened with the dispatchers research.

 

[Keystone]

ok, thanks Hypo....

 

[hypo hanna]

The GFT process is not a required step before litigation can proceed. It's more for FedEx HR and legal to fact find determine their strength or weakness of position. You want justice with FedEx? Get a lawyer.

 

[Keystone]

Got it! Thanks Hanna!

 

[FUFred]

GET A LAWYER, PLEASE GET A LAWYER. I'm speaking from experience. I didn't want the job back but I was denied unemployment benefits and that, I wanted. The GFT is (Good friending Try), it never works, it's garbage. Take it as a blessing and move on. But talk to a lawyer because Fedex will contest your unemployment, they always do and they did it to me.
The Fedex HR rep said this tot he ALJ in my unemployment hiring , " Judge we cannot be here and must leave,.When the former employee has legal representation we cannot be in the room and we must leave.” ( HR rep and my old Mgr had to leave it was company policy) Judge said ok, my old Mgr and the HR got up and rep just left. When Fedex knows they will drown and cannot steamroll over you they just walk away. The Administrative Law Judge based his decision on my testimony with no input from fedex and I won my Unemployment hiring.
Brother, I was fired for losing a package and I found 35 mins later, undamaged, unopened, and in perfect condition. Fedex doesn't care about you or anyone.
Talk to a lawyer, most will give you free 20 consultation and then go from there. If I spelled something wrong sorry, I had to get this out asap.

 

[Cactus]

FU Fred, congratulations on winning your unemployment case.

 

[bbsam]

AHEM...Told you so.

 

[Ricochet1a]

After reading the policy on GFT, I have to be available for the meeting on the process in Memphis, TN. I can not afford to go there. And, Cactus, I agree with you....HR did have their mind made up.

You don't have to be available for ANYTHING to file a GFT. You don't need to travel, you don't need to do a damn thing. (This is internal Express policy). Either you misread PEOPLE or someone fed you a line of bull..

Go ahead and submit a GFT (don't expect anything out of it though). While that is cooking, get yourself an attorney (you'll most likely need to give them a retainer of between $1500 and $5000 depending on where you live - large city, expect higher retainer). You need to get one that specializes in labor law and wrongful termination suits.

You are not aiming to get your job back - you are aiming first for an out-of-court settlement for wrongful termination, then if there isn't enough there to get that, then you want to get unemployment benefits approved in administrative court.

If they fired you for falsification WITHOUT having any prior acts, or something you hand wrote with a signature on it - they are on shaky ground. Keying in a wrong DEX code isn't falsification - it is lack of proper training. Your attorney will need to know when you attended Courier training, and will need as much of your training materials as you may still have.

I think what Express is going to argue, is that you had TWO packages you DEX 3ed. They are thinking you didn't want to make those out of the way deliveries, and 'falsified' in order to shorten your day. Since it appears that the address was in fact valid - you are left arguing that you weren't properly trained in how to code a package for which you cannot find the location to deliver it.

This is why Couriers should ALWAYS use their p-pads for messages (auto log), then for something like an address they cannot locate, send a message BEFORE coding a DEX 3. I remember when I coded a DEX 3, I was read the riot act (it was in fact a good address). The road naming convention was all screwed up (in one place it was XYZ 'street' and another XYZ 'road' ...) and I didn't know that XYZ 'road' even existed (wasn't on my maps) - I was on XYZ 'street' and couldn't find a match with what was on the package.

A good labor law attorney will ask you all of these pertinent questions, then make a decision as to whether or not you have grounds for wrongful termination, or whether you'd be wasting your money on litigation.

 

[HomeDelivery]

that is total BS for getting fired that way... did you have other problems to have a target on your back?

DEX 03 for us is ok (for the cover drivers at least) if the QA clerk points out where it really is w/in the next delivery attempt.

DEX 02 is incorrect address at HD & the QA clerk can see the reason on the scanner and service cross (moved, vacant building due to hurricane Sandy, etc)

 

[Guapo]

When I was in extended area I and my co-workers used dex03 numerous times when unable to locate houses. People move to the country to hide (in many instances anyway) and don't properly ID there house, in order to not be found. I would follow advice of the posters on this thread.

 

[bbsam]

Around here, country addresses are pretty easy to find. It's all grid system. Does Express have a policy dealing with requesting directions on route through the ppad?

 

[Guapo]

I usually do what the poster did...dex 03 need directions for unnamed street or no id on houses or gates. Where I'm at we get sand\dirt roads no signs, or 1 of my favorites...Wild turkey Rd.- a hand painted sign on pvt property and yes that is what they use for del address.

Around here, country addresses are pretty easy to find. It's all grid system. Does Express have a policy dealing with requesting directions on route through the ppad?

 

[Guapo]

...if I know before I get to a stop that its gonna be wrong I'll send dispatch a message to call, but you don't always know until you get there

 

[Ricochet1a]

Around here, country addresses are pretty easy to find. It's all grid system. Does Express have a policy dealing with requesting directions on route through the ppad?

Like many things in Express - not an explicit company wide policy. The reason for this is because they send out Couriers with NO ROUTE KNOWLEDGE and expect them to get volume off. By having a written policy, they give ammunition for attorneys to use against FedEx.

There is no 'job aid' that a Courier can look at while in the back of their truck, and see what precise steps to take if they have a package for which they cannot locate the delivery location. The only thing they have is the p-pad, and many times the dispatcher is even more in the dark than the Courier asking for directions. Add on top of this the pressure to meet SPH goal and not have any gaps, and Couriers are real temped to enter a DEX 3 and move on....

Express knows this, thus why the hammer fell (I've got to assume it is due to having TWO Dex 3's back to back).

It will all depend on what was sent to dispatch and what was sent back. Falsification requires the individual to act in 'bad faith'. It is somewhat obvious that this Courier acted in 'good faith'. This is why I'm even surprised that Express pulled the plug and didn't either do a Warning Letter with no unpaid time off or an OLCC with EXPLICIT instructions attached to it as to the 'local' policy of what to do with a package for which one cannot locate the delivery location.

 

[Maui]

If you decide to GFT you have to begin the process in 5 days. The 1st level GFT is typically done at the station on a confernce call with HR and the MD. Your manager and the SR will be with you at the station. The MD will have all the info you provide plus the manager's justification.

I believe you should hire an attorney. I also agree with R1A that your goal should be wrongful termination rather than rehire.

Did you have other disciplinary issues prior to this? In my experience other DEX03 and asking for directions is the MOST common method for researching Unable to Locate addresses. If you get the corrected address, then you have a chance to make the delivery. What were you instructed to do with hard to find houses? DEX01? Termination for falsification should include intent for personal gain. It seems rather clear that the intention was honorable.

If FedEx believes this is creating unnecessary address correction charges, then there could be a class action. This is so common any decent attorney could thousands of these occurrences.

I will add this caveat. I have seen this used dishonorably. A driver hated a stop, but had delivered there before and coded a DEX03 the following week. As long as the intention isn't for personal gain or pure laziness, then this seems incredibly over the top.

 

[DontThrowPackages]

After reading the policy on GFT, I have to be available for the meeting on the process in Memphis, TN. I can not afford to go there. And, Cactus, I agree with you....HR did have their mind made up.

HR is only worried if the people who sign their checks are in the wrong. BUt You should go to HR and tell them management told you GFT would take place in Memphis so you need for them to move the meeting to your station or give you a jumpseat ticket to Memphis. Its sucks because before smart phones, I may have done this too because the address wasn't on the Thomas guide I used so if I don't see it on the map then I how do I know its a correct address? Don't wait too long, if you want your job back. If you don't, then I happy for you. Hope things turn out for the best.