Here's the story:
I am currently on unemployment. I have had trouble finding full time work, so I accepted a part time position at a retailer that specializes in buying and selling used DVDs. They are owned by a "company", but that company actually appears to just be a person who registered himself as a company and owns other, similar stores (just different names).
I began work in April. When I was first told I was hired, I informed them that I also work as a freelance writer online, and that I had a convention to go to that was already paid for so I would be out the weekend before I started work, and would also be gone for 2 days of the following week because I had a court date for a ticket to take care of almost 4 hours away. My assistant manager told me this was not a problem as he hadn't made the schedule yet.
3 weeks later, I became very ill (vomiting, could barely stand) while at work. I stayed at work, and my assistant manager had me do simple tasks. He said if I needed to call in the next day, I just needed to get someone to cover my shift. I called in the next day, got the phone numbers for fellow employees, but was having little luck. When I called back and talked to my manager, he said it wasn't a big deal because I had a middle shift, and not to worry about it.
A few weeks later, I had a slightly injured toe. No big deal, but I was slightly limping. I didn't make mention of it, but my co-workers and assistant manager noticed. They inquired, and I told them what happened. I never asked to leave early or tried to call in. I came to work and performed my tasks.
The next day, I came to work wearing a wrist brace. My thumb had been hurting before I got the job, and my mom (a nurse) told me I had sprained it, but due to continual strenuous use of my thumb at work, it wasn't healing. I bought a brace with a thumb holster and splint in it. Once again, I arrived at work and made no mention of the brace. I didn't want it to be a big deal. When they inquired, I let them know that I had sprained my thumb and it was causing some pain in my thumb and wrist, but it was fine. I continued work as normal.
This week, I started feeling like I was coming down with pink eye (I've had it several times before and know what it feels like). I called on Tuesday prior to my shift to let my assistant manager know that I wasn't calling in or anything, but that I had pink eye. I just wanted to inform them of this, and asked what I should do. He said to go ahead and come in, and if my eye continued to bother me and give me difficulty, I could leave early. When I got in, he informed me that if I was still having issues come Thursday (my next scheduled shift), I could call in, but I'd need a doctor's note. Another employee professed himself to be a "germaphobe" and was scared of my possible pink eye. He was then allowed to leave three hours early.
I left early on Tuesday (after my assistant manager left, and 3 hours after my 5 hour shift began). I went to the Optometrist on Wednesday, and she declared that it might be pink eye, but it was too early to tell, but she also suspected a corneal dystrophy, which can cause inflammation and - in some cases - infection. She asked me to come in on Friday for a second opinion. She gave me a doctor's note.
This morning (Thursday), I called to let them know my eye was still bothering me and I had a doctor's note. My assistant manager told me to come in anyway. I went in with some gauze and medical tape over my eye to prevent any leakage from being unsightly and to help keep the possible infection at bay. I'm still not sure if it is pink eye or just a similar-feeling infection from corneal dystrophy (a rare genetic disease that progressively gets worse, usually requires a corneal transplant, and can lead to blindness).
My assistant manager asked me to come to back and talk to him. He sat me down and said that we had a problem. He told me that the manager told him to fire me before I even started working officially because I asked for days off right off the bat. He told me that the manager told him to fire me when I called in during my stomach illness. He was also told by the manager to fire me after I showed up to work limping and wearing a wrist brace. My assistant manager said that the wrist brace is a distraction to customers and employees. He said that when I called Tuesday to tell them I had pink eye, the manager told him to fire me then, and the manager also recommended my termination on Wednesday after he found out I left early on Tuesday. My assistant manager asserted that he did not approve me leaving early. I reminded him that he did, over the phone, and he said that he only said that to "get you to come in to work". Assistant manager then told me that when I called in this morning, even with a doctor's note, that the manager told him to fire me this afternoon. He said, "You aren't even supposed to be here right now. I was supposed to fire you today." He proceeded to tell me that he didn't have much of a problem with me, and he has been doing everything not to fire me because, in his words, "We need a girl working here." I am the only female employee. To wrap up this conversation, he told me to shape up or I would indeed be fired.
In our manual, it says that employees are given one verbal warning and then they are fired. I suppose this is my one verbal warning?
I'm not sure if this constitutes discrimination, but I can assure you that after this conversation, I feel terrorized, degraded, and very upset. I cried for the next two hours. If I am fired, I lose my unemployment benefits, and I will have to go a long way to prove discrimination or unfair dismissal in an appeals process. My managers and fellow employees also engage knowingly and willfully in the purchase of large amounts (30-80 at a time) of illegal DVDs and Blu-ray discs from a man who steals these products from Wal-Mart, and brings them in still wrapped with the Wal-Mart stickers on them. He admits openly that he steals them from Wal-Mart and that he's trying to get his heroin business back off the ground. Unfortunately, even though at least one cop is on to him, they can't do anything until he is caught red-handed while stealing these products. I am told to accept the stolen goods and give him a lower dollar amount for them so as not to "encourage it too much, but we don't want to lose his business."
I hope someone has some insight to help guide me on what I can/should do in this situation. I feel stuck and helpless. Thanks for your time.
I am currently on unemployment. I have had trouble finding full time work, so I accepted a part time position at a retailer that specializes in buying and selling used DVDs. They are owned by a "company", but that company actually appears to just be a person who registered himself as a company and owns other, similar stores (just different names).
I began work in April. When I was first told I was hired, I informed them that I also work as a freelance writer online, and that I had a convention to go to that was already paid for so I would be out the weekend before I started work, and would also be gone for 2 days of the following week because I had a court date for a ticket to take care of almost 4 hours away. My assistant manager told me this was not a problem as he hadn't made the schedule yet.
3 weeks later, I became very ill (vomiting, could barely stand) while at work. I stayed at work, and my assistant manager had me do simple tasks. He said if I needed to call in the next day, I just needed to get someone to cover my shift. I called in the next day, got the phone numbers for fellow employees, but was having little luck. When I called back and talked to my manager, he said it wasn't a big deal because I had a middle shift, and not to worry about it.
A few weeks later, I had a slightly injured toe. No big deal, but I was slightly limping. I didn't make mention of it, but my co-workers and assistant manager noticed. They inquired, and I told them what happened. I never asked to leave early or tried to call in. I came to work and performed my tasks.
The next day, I came to work wearing a wrist brace. My thumb had been hurting before I got the job, and my mom (a nurse) told me I had sprained it, but due to continual strenuous use of my thumb at work, it wasn't healing. I bought a brace with a thumb holster and splint in it. Once again, I arrived at work and made no mention of the brace. I didn't want it to be a big deal. When they inquired, I let them know that I had sprained my thumb and it was causing some pain in my thumb and wrist, but it was fine. I continued work as normal.
This week, I started feeling like I was coming down with pink eye (I've had it several times before and know what it feels like). I called on Tuesday prior to my shift to let my assistant manager know that I wasn't calling in or anything, but that I had pink eye. I just wanted to inform them of this, and asked what I should do. He said to go ahead and come in, and if my eye continued to bother me and give me difficulty, I could leave early. When I got in, he informed me that if I was still having issues come Thursday (my next scheduled shift), I could call in, but I'd need a doctor's note. Another employee professed himself to be a "germaphobe" and was scared of my possible pink eye. He was then allowed to leave three hours early.
I left early on Tuesday (after my assistant manager left, and 3 hours after my 5 hour shift began). I went to the Optometrist on Wednesday, and she declared that it might be pink eye, but it was too early to tell, but she also suspected a corneal dystrophy, which can cause inflammation and - in some cases - infection. She asked me to come in on Friday for a second opinion. She gave me a doctor's note.
This morning (Thursday), I called to let them know my eye was still bothering me and I had a doctor's note. My assistant manager told me to come in anyway. I went in with some gauze and medical tape over my eye to prevent any leakage from being unsightly and to help keep the possible infection at bay. I'm still not sure if it is pink eye or just a similar-feeling infection from corneal dystrophy (a rare genetic disease that progressively gets worse, usually requires a corneal transplant, and can lead to blindness).
My assistant manager asked me to come to back and talk to him. He sat me down and said that we had a problem. He told me that the manager told him to fire me before I even started working officially because I asked for days off right off the bat. He told me that the manager told him to fire me when I called in during my stomach illness. He was also told by the manager to fire me after I showed up to work limping and wearing a wrist brace. My assistant manager said that the wrist brace is a distraction to customers and employees. He said that when I called Tuesday to tell them I had pink eye, the manager told him to fire me then, and the manager also recommended my termination on Wednesday after he found out I left early on Tuesday. My assistant manager asserted that he did not approve me leaving early. I reminded him that he did, over the phone, and he said that he only said that to "get you to come in to work". Assistant manager then told me that when I called in this morning, even with a doctor's note, that the manager told him to fire me this afternoon. He said, "You aren't even supposed to be here right now. I was supposed to fire you today." He proceeded to tell me that he didn't have much of a problem with me, and he has been doing everything not to fire me because, in his words, "We need a girl working here." I am the only female employee. To wrap up this conversation, he told me to shape up or I would indeed be fired.
In our manual, it says that employees are given one verbal warning and then they are fired. I suppose this is my one verbal warning?
I'm not sure if this constitutes discrimination, but I can assure you that after this conversation, I feel terrorized, degraded, and very upset. I cried for the next two hours. If I am fired, I lose my unemployment benefits, and I will have to go a long way to prove discrimination or unfair dismissal in an appeals process. My managers and fellow employees also engage knowingly and willfully in the purchase of large amounts (30-80 at a time) of illegal DVDs and Blu-ray discs from a man who steals these products from Wal-Mart, and brings them in still wrapped with the Wal-Mart stickers on them. He admits openly that he steals them from Wal-Mart and that he's trying to get his heroin business back off the ground. Unfortunately, even though at least one cop is on to him, they can't do anything until he is caught red-handed while stealing these products. I am told to accept the stolen goods and give him a lower dollar amount for them so as not to "encourage it too much, but we don't want to lose his business."
I hope someone has some insight to help guide me on what I can/should do in this situation. I feel stuck and helpless. Thanks for your time.
