All,
I will try to keep this as brief as possible so I can get the information across without losing anyone. There have been more and more instances of Supervisors having little chit-chats with controllers about things like showing up late or using sick leave in a manner the agency may not agree with. These conversations are absolutely fine for them to be having with you (preferably away from the operation). If you believe it could lead to discipline, you are entitled to representation. If you ask for a rep, they should give you the chance to get one. We pick the reps, not them. If you get any resistance to this, please let us know immediately.
LOCODs
“What is that fun new acronym?” You may be asking yourself. Well, it’s not new and it’s not exactly fun either. LOCOD stands for Letter of Confirmation of Discussion. This can be found in Article 10 Section 12 of the Slate Book. Which reads as follows:
Letters of confirmation of discussion shall not be considered disciplinary in nature, but may be used to document future disciplinary actions, provided the employee has been given a copy upon completion. If a letter of confirmation of discussion is prepared, a copy will be provided to the employee as soon as practicable after the discussion.
These are basically records that show a conversation was had. An example of the agency doing this would be if they believed you to be abusing sick leave, they would have a discussion with you about what the proper use of sick leave is. They would then document this discussion and have you sign it. Then if you continue to abuse sick leave (allegedly), they would have to give you a counseling for it. For the counseling, they would be required to notify you in advance and offer you a rep. THEN, only after that counseling happens, could they put you on a sick leave restriction letter. They are not required to offer you a rep for a LOCOD, but I would always ask for one. Your default setting for every time a supe wants to speak to you about somethign other than performance (especially if it is one on one in the offices) should be to ask for a rep.
I have reason to believe that more and more of these documented conversations will be happening in the future around here. Don’t live in fear of these, just ask for a rep.
TL;DR: Ask for a rep.
Hope everyone is having a good holiday season and staying safe!
Drew