Harrassment/discrimination

[LeslieDawdy]

What is the name of your state? Illinois

I am a Family Nurse Practitioner that took a job one year ago. At the final interview an agreement was made that because I was a new graduate I would be allowed the first six months of my employment to see about 2 patients per hour in order to remain safe and learn my job. About one month after my hire date, the CEO approached me and stated, "we have to talk about your numbers" I was seeing about 1.5 patients per hour with language barriers, and 1 support staff person who was pulled between me and the front desk. I felt that I had been doing the best that I could. This statement angered me... so I walked away and stated that I would talk to him later. He followed me and told me, "I am your employer... you do not walk away from me... if you were a secretary I would fire you." Of course, no one was there to witness him saying this. I then became pregnant in March. I have high risk pregnancies and was genuinely concerned about what effect this might have on my job. I told him immediately. He told me don't worry about it, it will just be a medical leave of absence. The subject was not broached again until 24 weeks into my pregnancy. He knew that this was the highest risk time of my pregnancy. He then told me that if I went over my allowed sick and vacation time over the next eight weeks that he would have to start looking for another provider. I had no choice - work or lose my job (he told me he could do this because his organization has less than 10 employees). So, I worked my butt off with my baby hanging on - against MD orders. During this time, I had several comments made to me... "in six months you won't be here." "If you can't just roll with it, we'll have to make other arrangements." He wouldn't buy me business cards... until I said, "what is wrong... why don't you want to buy my business cards? He had no answer and then simply bought them. It really got ugly when I came back from having my baby (two weeks later) because I couldn't afford to take unpaid time off. One of the physicians reviewed my files and told me "he would be looking very close at them." During my annual review, the CEO felt the need to tell me that one of the physicians said that I was resistant to change and the he should consider his options. This upset me, and I felt I was not being treated with respect. He then put in his employee related notes that he never said this. I resigned verbally out of anger and disgust to the CEO in front of the CFO... they then did not offer me a collaborative agreement with the oncoming physician (because my collaborating physician resigned one day earlier) and so even though I never put the resignation in writing I was sent home with full pay through my last day.... They pushed me out... I know it is not right.. but is it legal? He has lied several times... although I probably can't prove it.

 

[Beth3]

Leslie, I don't care what job you have - when the CEO approaches you to discuss something, you do NOT get angry and announce "I'll talk to you later" and walk away. You got off to a very bad start on your new job and if you continued on with this type of attitude during your time there, it's not a surprise they were unhappy with you. You complain that you do not feel you were being treated with respect but it does not appear you were treating senior management there with respect. The physicians you were working with had every right and the responsibility to evaluate your performance and pass their thoughts along to line management.

As far as I can tell, your pegnancy had nothing to do with the situation. They were unhappy with your job performance and attitude and rather than listen to what they had to say, you resigned on the spot. That was your choice. I don't remotely see that your employer has violated any laws.

 

[LeslieDawdy]

Beth - I did not resign on the spot... there were tons of things that usually are not an issue. I have been a nurse for eight years and never have I been treated with such disrespect. It started with an agreement that management seemed to not remember. I have found out that my position was decided to be eliminated over one month ago because they don't want Nurse practitioners in the clinic. They want all MD's. They pushed me and played head games until I resigned - because they don't pay into unemployment and they didn't want to get sued for it. By the way, the chief medical officer that was my collaborating physician resigned as well. I don't think that me leaving has anything to do with my pregnancy - but I think he tried to use it by telling me I had to keep working in the hopes that I would resign. You are right, I should not have walked away from him - but at that moment I thought it would be better than what I had to say. What upsets me about all of the events over the past year is that because the organization employs less than 10 employees he is not obligated to honor FMLA, COBRA or basically any of the other Federal laws that are designed to protect us. Is there anything I am missing?

 

[Beth3]

If they treated you badly in order to get you to resign because they no longer wanted nurse practitioners, that was not illegal. You are correct that at that size, the employer is not subject to the great majority of employment regulations including the two you mention.

 

[hmmbrdzz]

You should know -- being an FNP -- that you aren't widely accepted in some medical facilities by the docs or the patients. You've got to choose your place to work. What kind of facility were you at where you were only assigned (or seeing) 1.5 patients per hour? That should have been a warning right there. With your education, why aren't you working with a decent group of MD's with a decent practice? And with your education, why would you be attempting to do something about the way you were treated at this other practice? You'll never get anywhere, and you will blow your entire career even thinking about it another second. You're going to get treated like crap by some docs, and if you're working in a decent place, you can say (angrily if you feel like it) "I'm walking away right now from this conversation" to the CEO, to another doc, to a surgeon, to whoever you want to because if you're in the right and worth your weight in salt, you have that authority to. Of course this place used your pregnancy. You were apparently in a crap of a place to work. This is what you're missing.

hmmbrdzz

 

[LeslieDawdy]

Here! HERE!

 

[hmmbrdzz]

Now I liked that one second!

Good luck in your future endeavors.

hmmbrdzz

 

[Beth3]

Angrily telling a CEO or anybody else in management that you are walking away from the conversation is an excellent way to get fired on the spot. You are free to do it of course if you're prepared to experience the consequences. Nor would I count on a favorable reference when you attempt to find new employment.

 

[LeslieDawdy]

Listen, I've already said that I should not have walked away from him... that's a given. Now, some people do well in positions of power and others abuse that power. I don't want to work for someone who makes a statement about, "if you were a secretary," what difference does that make? If he felt that I shouldn't have walked away - then by all means... fire me. You are right, it did not get off to a good start... but then again, it's sad that almost every professional and clerical alike that has had any amount of interaction with this person, does not want to work for him... so would it have been that big of a loss? As for the reference, the collaborating physician is all I need. The board that appointed this person... made a mistake because the clinic is not a happy place to be.