Discrimination?

[curious61]

I live in the state of Florida.
To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to find out if I am being discriminated against at my place of work. Before I came along, they had a part-time bookkeeper and a full-time (with full benefits) receptionist/admin. support person (we'll call her S). The part-time bookkeeper left and what this place did was replace her with the receptionist while keeping this person at full time with her full benefits. They then needed to replace the receptionist/admin. support person. They did so with me. But they changed the job to being part-time with only partial benefits (no medical, just paid holidays and sick days). So now I am doing what used to be a full time, fully benefitted job for "S," only at part time. So they now have a full time bookkeeper, which I've never seen before, just so that "S" could maintain her full time status. This is obviously favoritism but I am not sure it is discrimination for them to re-arrange job descriptions with the sole purpose of keeping a particular person at optimal working conditons. Also, "S" has no qualifications for being a bookkeeper. She only has a HS diploma and she started this job as a maintenance worker/janitor. They gradually pushed this woman up the "ladder" so to speak. It it steeped in unfairness but are they allowed to do this? Thanks for your help!
Sincerely,
curious61 (Lynne)

I should add: When they hired me, they told me I'd be answering phones plus one other menial task, so I asked for a salary that I thought was appropriate for this kind of work. After I started working, the dam broke loose and I was bombarded with all kinds of additional work I was not made aware of beforehand. It was soon after that that I found out "S" used to do this at full-time.

[pattytx]

There are many types of "discrimination". The great majority of them are not illegal, including all the ones you mentioned. Illegal discrimination occurs when disparate treatment is based on a Title VII (federal) protected characteristic, such as race, gender, religion, national origin, etc.

[Hot Topic]

Your problem is that you're jealous of S, and were positions reversed, I'm sure you would feel that your climb up the ladder was entirely due to your own merit.

I seriously doubt that when you were hired, you were told that you'd be answering phones and doing "one other menial task."

Why don't you quit and find a job that will showcase your enormous talents?

[commentator]

Find that new job before you quit, because you probably won't get to draw unemployment if you leave the job for the reason you describe. You did accept the job, for the hours and pay that they specified. So if you do not want to do what all is involved for these wages and benefits, you have the option to quit and get another job. That's it.

[cyjeff]

For what it is worth... Bill Gates only has a high school diploma.

[curious61]

Originally Posted by pattytx

There are many types of "discrimination". The great majority of them are not illegal, including all the ones you mentioned. Illegal discrimination occurs when disparate treatment is based on a Title VII (federal) protected characteristic, such as race, gender, religion, national origin, etc.

Thank you, pattytx for your advice.

[curious61]

Originally Posted by Hot Topic

Your problem is that you're jealous of S, and were positions reversed, I'm sure you would feel that your climb up the ladder was entirely due to your own merit.

I seriously doubt that when you were hired, you were told that you'd be answering phones and doing "one other menial task."

Why don't you quit and find a job that will showcase your enormous talents?

First of all, I am not jealous of S. She's a drug addict and recovering alcoholic and does a lousy job at bookkeeping. The administrator constantly has to correct her work. The reason she gets to keep her job is because she's a personal favorite of the director. Geez, she didn't even do a good job at the previous job she had before her undeserved promotion. She can't spell, is crass on the phone, makes mistakes that I have to correct, does sloppy work, chats on her Facebook most of the time and really should have never quit cleaning toilets for a living. Sorry to be sarcastic, but I do detect some sarcasm in your reply to me. As for whether they used the words "menial task" upon hiring me, of course they didn't! They said I'd be doing A and B. I am now doing A through Z and then some. They lied to me. And lastly, as for my "enormous talents," sarcasm again? Well I have a college degree and I am a published research scientist/technician. I just can't find a decent job in this area and in this wonderful economic situation we're in. Thanks anyway.

[Zigner]

Originally Posted by curious61

First of all, I am not jealous of S. She's a drug addict and recovering alcoholic and does a lousy job at bookkeeping. The administrator constantly has to correct her work. The reason she gets to keep her job is because she's a personal favorite of the director. Geez, she didn't even do a good job at the previous job she had before her undeserved promotion. She can't spell, is crass on the phone, makes mistakes that I have to correct, does sloppy work, chats on her Facebook most of the time and really should have never quit cleaning toilets for a living. Sorry to be sarcastic, but I do detect some sarcasm in your reply to me. As for whether they used the words "menial task" upon hiring me, of course they didn't! They said I'd be doing A and B. I am now doing A through Z and then some. They lied to me. And lastly, as for my "enormous talents," sarcasm again? Well I have a college degree and I am a published research scientist/technician. I just can't find a decent job in this area and in this wonderful economic situation we're in. Thanks anyway.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification...now we KNOW you are jealous of the fact that this illiterate drug-addict has a better job than you do.

[curious61]

Originally Posted by Zigner

Ahh, thanks for the clarification...now we KNOW you are jealous of the fact that this illiterate drug-addict has a better job than you do.

What kind of site is this anyway? I thought it was at least going to give me SOME kind of legitimate advice, even though it is free. Seems like anyone, including wise-cracking adolescents can give "advice" on this site. Well, as they say, you get what you pay for. I'll go elsewhere, thanks again.

[Country Living]

Originally Posted by curious61

What kind of site is this anyway? I thought it was at least going to give me SOME kind of legitimate advice, even though it is free. Seems like anyone, including wise-cracking adolescents can give "advice" on this site. Well, as they say, you get what you pay for. I'll go elsewhere, thanks again.

You were the one who said

Originally Posted by curious61

First of all, I am not jealous of S. She's a drug addict and recovering alcoholic and does a lousy job at bookkeeping. The administrator constantly has to correct her work. The reason she gets to keep her job is because she's a personal favorite of the director. Geez, she didn't even do a good job at the previous job she had before her undeserved promotion. She can't spell, is crass on the phone, makes mistakes that I have to correct, does sloppy work, chats on her Facebook most of the time and really should have never quit cleaning toilets for a living. Sorry to be sarcastic, but I do detect some sarcasm in your reply to me. As for whether they used the words "menial task" upon hiring me, of course they didn't! They said I'd be doing A and B. I am now doing A through Z and then some. They lied to me. And lastly, as for my "enormous talents," sarcasm again? Well I have a college degree and I am a published research scientist/technician. I just can't find a decent job in this area and in this wonderful economic situation we're in. Thanks anyway.

Who's being petty? Oh, that would be you. You're the one who settled for a job you feel is beneath you. I really hate whining.

[Hot Topic]

And may I add, is obsessed with S to the point that she's posting certain things about S that could be considered actionable if untrue

[eerelations]

Originally Posted by curious61

I'll go elsewhere, thanks again.

Why would you go elsewhere? You've already been given accurate legal advice, which I'll paraphrase here:

Unless you can prove that the discrimination you're experiencing is a direct result of things like your race, religion, age (if you're over 40), or disability, then the discrimination you're experiencing isn't illegal discrimination.

Going elsewhere isn't going to change that.

[MsL]

People are not looking for someone to be belittle them. They are looking for answers to their situations. They are not looking for someone to correct their grammar or someone to give them information about what is going on with their own emotions. This is the first day I have even been on a website such as this. It doesn't take long to see that the world is full of people who are ready to go for the throat. Why not do something extraordinary and give answers or advice in a caring way?

[cbg]

Tell you what, MsL. How about you try this.

1.) Volunteer your time to respond here.

2.) Spend your own time, unpaid, answering and researching the answers to people's questions.

3.) Take note of the number of times you answer the same questions, over and over, because everyone thinks their situation is unique and the answers we've given other people can't possibly apply to them.

4.) Get flamed regularly because the legal answer to the question is not the answer the poster wants to hear and they'd rather shoot the messenger than accept that they don't get to have things the way they want.

5.) After doing this for several years, come back and tell us again how wrong we are to occasionally get frustrated with the posters.

[pattytx]

Nice job on that one, cbg.