Possible Harassment

[de_novo]

Curious as to whether or not this constitutes harassment in the workplace.

My part-time employer has been constantly asking for new availabilities to not only me, but numerous co-workers. When a sheet of availability is submitted and it does not like the hours, it asks for a new one and specifically states that it needs us to work longer hours. We all have full-time jobs that we must work at in the morning and it wants us to stay until 11pm and midnight. Yesterday the HR woman said that if we were unable to increase our availability, we might not have jobs. I understand that the employer can ask to increase the hours we are available, but is constant pressure to do so with threats of termination illegal? If so, would I have to contact the Labor Law Bureau or EEOC?

 

[mlane58]

Nothing you have posted remotely suggests that your employer is violating any laws. Unless you or your co-workers are being asked increase your availability becuase of a protected characteristic, then you don't have a case that your DOL or the EEOC would be concerned about.

 

[de_novo]

yeah, i didn't think that anything they were doing violated any type of employment law, but was unsure. Thanks for the reply.

 

[cbg]

I understand that the employer can ask to increase the hours we are available, but is constant pressure to do so with threats of termination illegal?

Not even remotely. What's more, if you are terminated for not increasing your hours, that's completely legal too.

 

[de_novo]

I can understand that it is legal, just feels wrong to be under intimidation every day to do so after stating that I am unable to due to my full-time job and other responsiblities.

 

[cbg]

I don't mean this to be as harsh as I know it will sound, I really don't.

But your other job and your other responsibilities are not her problem.

She has a business to run, and the economy is poor. There's a good likelihood that they cannot afford to increase their headcount. I understand that you are feeling pressured, but your employer is under pressure too; to keep the business going at the lowest possible cost. If the business goes under, that's not good for any of you.

 

[de_novo]

oh, absolutely. I understand that very well, and I'm pretty sure that they are trying to cut overhead costs by any means necessary, even if that means replacing workers with higher wages with those for fewer. I'm not really worried about the job since I am only there for a few months more anyway and I don't really need it. I'm mostly posting this for other co-workers who actually need it. But thanks a lot to eveyone who posted.