I'm the night shift manager for a major company's site in the UK. I work in what has historically always been a male-dominated industry, There are a few women working in this part of the company, and for the most part, are every bit as good at their jobs as any man I've encountered. About Ten months ago I had to carry out interviews for a position on the night shift which had been highly sought after by quite a few people. After carrying out the interviews and liaising with the site manager, it was decided that the job be given to a woman who I'll call "Jane"

Now the position "Jane" had just acquired, meant that she would have to be trained how to operate an extremely large item of machinery, which on the face of it looks fairly easy, but which anybody who operates them on a daily basis will know, is quite difficult to master.

After more than eight weeks of intense training, during which she seriously struggled, mostly because she thought she was always right and just wouldn't listen to the good advice she was being given, by those who were seriously more experienced than her. She came into my office quite upset that the guys had basically given up having anything to do with her.

She had at one point caused one of the guys a minor injury because she was operating the machine incorrectly, and rather than apologizing decided to berate the guy she'd injured and issued a mild threat to him.

It was at this point she came into the office, quite upset, and I tried to calm her down merely by telling her that she was new to the position and that to get better at it, it would just take time and patience.

The next week, she failed to show up for work and has not been back since, but unbeknownst to me, she'd decided to put in a grievance against me, which when I and seven other employees were quizzed by the two female HR staff from head office, claimed I had made inappropriate comments to her. Fortunately for me, the day she was referring to, the comments she claims I had made were witnessed by three other individuals, who when interviewed, prior to me, had all confirmed that what she had said was completely false.

At this moment in time, her "Sicknote" is supposed to expire in two weeks time, at which point she is expected to return. I have told my boss, that I am not happy with the way she has played her privilege cards, and the way I have been treated by the company. If I'm honest, the way she has pissed off not only her work colleagues on the night shift but nearly everybody on-site, I'll be surprised if she returns at all.