Day 203 - 12 Jan 96 - Page 62


     
     1        this what you are saying -- is that you were going to give
     2        him the shove whatever he said at this performance review,
     3        whether or not he came up and he could have been a -----
     4        A.  I do not think that this implies I am going to give him
     5        the shove anyway, because this is just a warning about poor
     6        performance, which is not an irretrievable situation.  OK?
     7
     8        At no time did I wish to get rid of Ray Coton or take
     9        action which was consistent with -----
    10
    11   Q.   Well, OK, give him a verbal warning?
    12        A.  Yes.  This is to give the employee the opportunity to
    13        improve their performance.  At no time did I make it clear
    14        to anybody that I wanted to get rid of Ray Coton, although
    15        I would be lying if I said that at times it did not occur
    16        to me, that my life would be easier and the store would be
    17        run better if we had a more capable Manager running it.
    18
    19   Q.   You had it in for Ray Coton and you were going to give him
    20        a formal verbal warning after you had give him a PR review
    21        in which you dressed him down?
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It was not a formal verbal warning.
    24
    25   MS. STEEL:  That is what it says here -- formal verbal warning.
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Let me understand.  As I understand it, what
    28        you are saying is that it all came to nothing because he
    29        was away on holiday and when he came back he gave a letter
    30        of resignation.  Do I understand it correctly?  You had
    31        drafted a performance review which we are to assume was
    32        very critical; you were going to go and see him when he
    33        came back.  You say that you might have amended the terms
    34        of the performance review in the light of what he said?
    35        A.  Yes.
    36
    37   Q.   But what you were anticipating doing was handing him a
    38        performance review and a letter, giving him a formal verbal
    39        warning for his poor performance, and that 18th July
    40        letter?
    41        A.  Yes, correct.
    42
    43   Q.   And that what was in your mind was going to happen when he
    44        came back from holiday?
    45        A.  Yes, sir.
    46
    47   MS. STEEL:  That is what you decided you were going to do,
    48        without talking to Mr. Coton to find out how things were
    49        from his point of view; and you were going to do that
    50        because you had it in for Ray Coton, did you not; you did 
    51        not like him? 
    52        A.  There is lots of speculation in what you are saying.  I 
    53        mean, you are telling me what I did.  You were not there,
    54        you know.  I will -----
    55
    56   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There has been a suggestion.  She is acting
    57        as an advocate at the moment, Ms. Steel, and she is making
    58        the suggestion to you.
    59        A.  OK.  What I am saying, sir, is that Ray was aware of
    60        how I felt about his performance, how John Atherton felt

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