A father-to-be has been sacked after receiving a sick and hurtful “secret santa” present - a book titled "how not to kill your baby".

A complaint was made to his manager about the inappropriate present. Two weeks later no disciplinary action had been taken against the colleague to gave the book and laughing and joking was continuing to happen in the work place about the gift.

After work the father to be saw the gifter of the book walking home and wanted to stop and ask for an apology and for an end to be put to the laughing and joking. He drove up a dropped curb out of the way of traffic, but was told by his pregnant girlfriend and another work colleague this wasn’t a good idea, so drove along the curb a couple of meters to the next drop curb and continued his journey home.

The next day at work the father to be and the other colleague in the car get suspended pending investigation of a “serious allegation made against them”. The pregnant girlfriend who also works at the company and was in the passenger’s seat was not suspended.

A week later the father to be was invited for a meeting at work to give his statement and told he was still suspended and under investigation. The other colleague who was suspended has the allegations dropped was not interviewed and could return to work.

A couple of days later he was asked to attend another meeting where the allegations were finally explained, that the person who gave the secret santa had felt threatened “by a car speeding towards him and mounting the curb” to run him over. The father to be then had the chance to reply to these allegations. Still no decision was made and was sent home suspended again.

A further couple of days (10 days after the incident) and the father-to-be was called into work again for a formal disciplinary meeting, in which he was dismissed from work under the grounds of gross misconduct for his “violent and aggressive behaviour"

The father-to-be did some research and felt his dismissal was unfair and wanted to appeal it due to the following points.

• He was not told in writing what or why he was being suspended – a statutory right during the dismissal process.
• He was suspended for more than 5 days. – a recommended timescale set by acas
• It was his first offence and had received no first or final warning prior to this
• Still no action had been taken about the original complaint of the secret santa.
• No harm was intended throughout the incident yet he’s been branded violent.
• The incident happened outside of working hours and away from the work premises.

The father to be attended an appeal meeting to explain his case further and ask for the dismissal to be reversed.

The finance director wrote a letter stating the appeal was not successful and that she would not be reversing the dismissal.

Both he and his girlfriend have been diagnosed with stress, anxiety and depression by the doctor, due to all of this. Their baby is due in 13 weeks time are now facing the financial worry over how they are going to provide for themselves and their new arrival.

Please sign and support this petition, all advice and comments are welcome. and appreciated.