P
phyllialobster
Guest
What is the name of your state? Illinois
I would like to know if the following is considered as working in a "hostile work environment."
Place: Religious Institution.
Person: Not of the same denomination as the religious institution or the majority of the non-denominational employees hired there.
Position: Receptionist/Office Assistant since October 2001.
Situation: Employee states that these actions are unwarranted/unfounded and making her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. She is told, “It’s a straightforward question” “Lighten up. We’re just joking” “You’re just being too sensitive” “That’s only how you feel” “It’s all in your mind” “Are you paranoid?”
A 'few' of the situations are:
1. Only she is questioned daily as to why she comes in early/stays late. Other employees will eat lunch together or whenever they choose, but she ends up eating lunch by herself, because she is needed “to watch the phones so that we have phone coverage while the others go out to lunch.”
2. Employees are allowed to actually thumb their noses, give the finger, make kicking/karate motions, accuse her of stealing/going through their mail/faxes, and is mocked while she is talking on the phone. She has been made fun of by the entire staff if they think she mispronounces the last name of a congregant and is forced to repeat the name until they feel she gets it right, while her own last name is mispronounced/misspelled by the staff/congregants. Someone even made the comment that “Someone should slap you” twice while a slapping motion was made to her face.
3. She is constantly monitored while sorting the mail, ordering supplies, counting money, taking care of the lost & found items, talking on the phone, greeting the congregants, where she parks her car (even as to what she has in her car), what she is carrying in her bag/purse, why she reads her Bible/puzzle books, why she has a name open on her Rolodex, why she has someone’s name written down, etc.
4. Other employees claim that they are overworked. She asks for more work duties so she can help out and feel more involved with the events that are going on. Instead, they state that they will do their own work. Comments are made to make it look as if she is incapable of handling even the simplest of tasks and are told to her in a first grade teachers sing song voice. “If you don’t want to do it/If you’re too busy, I’ll do it” “You get too overwhelmed when you have too much to do” “You’ll get too confused.” This causes her workload to be reduced constantly and others to grow.
She was literally told that she was “going to be watched” and “I don’t know how long your job is going to last” by the Maintenance Director. He even goes out of his way as if he’s wants to catch her stealing or in a lie. The other employees/staff also react in a similar manner that makes her look like she’s a thief or just plain stupid.
What’s so funny is that she was given a $3000 raise and is ‘praised’ as being a good employee, but yet these ‘funny’ comments are nonstop. More so than the praises. Jokes are made between the others, but not as extreme as the ones that are made to her.
She has been documenting these actions, but what can that prove if they deny doing anything wrong? What if she wants to go to another job and this is all that is remembered about her?
I would like to know if the following is considered as working in a "hostile work environment."
Place: Religious Institution.
Person: Not of the same denomination as the religious institution or the majority of the non-denominational employees hired there.
Position: Receptionist/Office Assistant since October 2001.
Situation: Employee states that these actions are unwarranted/unfounded and making her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. She is told, “It’s a straightforward question” “Lighten up. We’re just joking” “You’re just being too sensitive” “That’s only how you feel” “It’s all in your mind” “Are you paranoid?”
A 'few' of the situations are:
1. Only she is questioned daily as to why she comes in early/stays late. Other employees will eat lunch together or whenever they choose, but she ends up eating lunch by herself, because she is needed “to watch the phones so that we have phone coverage while the others go out to lunch.”
2. Employees are allowed to actually thumb their noses, give the finger, make kicking/karate motions, accuse her of stealing/going through their mail/faxes, and is mocked while she is talking on the phone. She has been made fun of by the entire staff if they think she mispronounces the last name of a congregant and is forced to repeat the name until they feel she gets it right, while her own last name is mispronounced/misspelled by the staff/congregants. Someone even made the comment that “Someone should slap you” twice while a slapping motion was made to her face.
3. She is constantly monitored while sorting the mail, ordering supplies, counting money, taking care of the lost & found items, talking on the phone, greeting the congregants, where she parks her car (even as to what she has in her car), what she is carrying in her bag/purse, why she reads her Bible/puzzle books, why she has a name open on her Rolodex, why she has someone’s name written down, etc.
4. Other employees claim that they are overworked. She asks for more work duties so she can help out and feel more involved with the events that are going on. Instead, they state that they will do their own work. Comments are made to make it look as if she is incapable of handling even the simplest of tasks and are told to her in a first grade teachers sing song voice. “If you don’t want to do it/If you’re too busy, I’ll do it” “You get too overwhelmed when you have too much to do” “You’ll get too confused.” This causes her workload to be reduced constantly and others to grow.
She was literally told that she was “going to be watched” and “I don’t know how long your job is going to last” by the Maintenance Director. He even goes out of his way as if he’s wants to catch her stealing or in a lie. The other employees/staff also react in a similar manner that makes her look like she’s a thief or just plain stupid.
What’s so funny is that she was given a $3000 raise and is ‘praised’ as being a good employee, but yet these ‘funny’ comments are nonstop. More so than the praises. Jokes are made between the others, but not as extreme as the ones that are made to her.
She has been documenting these actions, but what can that prove if they deny doing anything wrong? What if she wants to go to another job and this is all that is remembered about her?
