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Fired -- friction between employees and a boss's girlfriend

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giraffe2

Junior Member
California

Please help...we do not know what to do with our 60-yr-old company vice president's 22-yr-old girlfriend who works in the same company.

Long story short, and we don't really know what her status in the company is, she comes and goes anytime she wants, reports to work only to shop online, do her nails, text, etc., is hated by everyone because of her obnoxious, arrogant, prima donna personality. Seriously, nobody talks to her.

But she is the girlfriend of the 2nd in command. Or everybody says mistress even, can't confirm. She is some sort of an "untouchable", meaning, nobody can fire her even if she's not bringing in sales, she has no talent and everybody knows it. Like literally, a slap to our hard-working-scared-every-minute-of-getting-fired-if-not-velcroed-on-our-chairs kinda faces.

So anyways...i recently confronted her, in a nice way of course knowing her "status", that the smell of her nail polish gives me allergies and that I had to open the door and put on the electric fan to get rid of the smell. And now she's throwing tantrums, bitchy-er than ever and would not say Hi back. So now I'm afraid that I'm gonna get fired because of stories she might fabricate against me to her boyfriend. She affects my job because it's a creative environment and I can't concentrate with her everyday behavior.

So, should I just continue shutting up? If they fire me for the above reason, would that be legal? Please helppppp!
 
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Antigone*

Senior Member
California

Please help...we do not know what to do with our 60-yr-old company vice president's 22-yr-old girlfriend who works in the same company.

Long story short, and we don't really know what her status in the company is, she comes and goes anytime she wants, reports to work only to shop online, do her nails, text, etc., is hated by everyone because of her obnoxious, arrogant, prima donna personality. Seriously, nobody talks to her.

But she is the girlfriend of the 2nd in command. Or everybody says mistress even, can't confirm. She is some sort of an "untouchable", meaning, nobody can fire her even if she's not bringing in sales, she has no talent and everybody knows it. Like literally, a slap to our hard-working-scared-every-minute-of-getting-fired-if-not-velcroed-on-our-chairs kinda faces.

So anyways...i recently confronted her, in a nice way of course knowing her "status", that the smell of her nail polish gives me allergies and that I had to open the door and put on the electric fan to get rid of the smell. And now she's throwing tantrums, bitchy-er than ever and would not say Hi back. So now I'm afraid that I'm gonna get fired because of stories she might fabricate against me to her boyfriend. She affects my job because it's a creative environment and I can't concentrate with her everyday behavior.

So, should I just continue shutting up? If they fire me for the above reason, would that be legal? Please helppppp!

Yes, it would be perfectly legal.

You don't have to continue shutting up, or you could look for another job.
 

Banned_Princess

Senior Member
If they fire you for any reason other then your protected qualities (think sex, race, religion, disability)


Maybe you will speak up to the president. if your going to get fired anyway...
 

giraffe2

Junior Member
so then, getting fired at any time without just cause is legal? wowww it tears me apart how easy and simple that is, with this economic situation and all.
 
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Betty

Senior Member
You can be terminated at any time for any reason except a reason prohibited by law (ie age, religion, gender) or unless you have a binding employment contract or CBA to the contrary.

That's at-will employment - they can terminate you at any time & you can quit at any time. It works both ways.
 

Beth3

Senior Member
i recently confronted her, in a nice way of course knowing her "status", that the smell of her nail polish gives me allergies and that I had to open the door and put on the electric fan to get rid of the smell.

Unless she's giving herself a manicure right in the office, I can't imagine what you're talking about. Once nail polish is dry, it has no smell. :confused:
 

Betty

Senior Member
I have a question (opinions). See my post above.

Does anyone think the employer "might" have to make a reasonable accommodation for employee's fragrance sensitivity/allergies re nail polish smell? This is Ca. & just about everything qualifies as a disability.

Thanks. (The situation is "unusual" in that gf is putting on nail polish at work (don't know how often) along with everything else that is going on such as OP being concerned about possibly being fired as it is. She has a fan & opened door though that may not always be possible.)

I don't know - just wondering.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Maybe, maybe not. But if she can open the door and turn on the fan at will, and if that is sufficient to solve the problem, that's probably all the accomodation that's needed.

In any case, she would need to identify herself as disabled by fragrance sensitivity and provide medical verification before the ADA would apply, even in CA.
 

commentator

Senior Member
I had a co-worker who was so designated. The workers who shared office space with her were asked not to wear colognes or scents of any kind, she sat with a small fan behind her, blowing out toward the front of her desk to keep away the scents. But this was truly an extreme case, a couple of anaphylactic reactions convinced me, she had medical documentation out the wazoo.

I think our OP just has a big case of resentment at the idea this employer can actually sit a young chick down in plain sight of them working diligently, let her read her email and do her nails, and pay her a salary. And strange but true, as long as it's his business, he certainly can. And fire the rest of the workers if she doesn't like them or they aren't nice to her. As I say, people believe they've got more rights on the job than they do. Of course, if the company fired her for not being beloved by the girlfriend, she would probably be able to get unemployment insurance while looking for another job.
 
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Betty

Senior Member
Thanks "guys." I agree with what you said. I was just wondering if it "might" be a disability that an accommodation would have to be made for - I know medical verification is required etc. I noted she does have a fan & can open the door though maybe not always. It's probably best she didn't make any waves of any sort anyway in her case.

Betty
 

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