W
wrongedinfl
Guest
What is the name of your state? Florida
I am currently employed with JCPenney in Florida. About a year ago I began talking to a loss prevention associate in the store who was separated from his wife. The associate went back to his wife and ended our friendship. In August I found out that he was separated from his wife again and I approached him to inquire about the situation. He freaked out because he didn't want to be seen talking to me. He was afraid that his wife would assume that he was dating someone and would use it against him in the divorce. He went to our store manager and said that he felt harrassed by me (simply by me approaching him ONE time to ask about something). I was written up and made to watch a sexual harrassment tape. I was also told to not call up to the loss prevention office. The incident is on my record as a corrective interview. I signed the interview, but in the space where i was allowed to comment I stated that I did not feel I was guilty of harrassment because I approached him to talk ONE time...it wasn't like I was told to leave him alone and persisted to try to communicate with him, therefore I don't see it as harrassment. I was told that if any more complaints were given against me it would indicate a pattern and I would have to be let go.
About a week ago one of my coworkers approached another loss prevention associate that we will refer to as J and asked him if he was single. She told him that her friend, me, thought he was cute and wanted to know. I was mortified that this happened because I did not ask her to approach J in any way and I thought that it was inappropriate. However, the next time that I saw him he came up to me and we talked and flirted a bit and he was all smiles. I then worked up the courage to call him and ask him what his thoughts were on what my coworker told him, about me thinking he was cute. J said, "I am not supposed to go out with people from work, but I like to have fun and just go with the flow. We can go out sometime if you like. Do you drive?", and we agreed to discuss this at a later time because he was busy. I did not feel it was appropriate to talk to him at work because he could get fired over it, so I called him during my lunch break on Saturday to ask if he had a person number where i can talk to him. He said that he didn't because he just moved to the area and is having everything transfered. He said that he'd get back to me when he had a chance. I called back to ask him something and one of the other offices, W, answered. I asked for J and he asked who was calling. Instead of handing the phone to J, he handed the phone to N, an associate who was there during the August incident and is biased against me. N went off on me telling me not to call again if it wasn't work related. He then had J write a note against me and give it to one of the managers. I was in shock. The manager asked me if it was true that I had asked J for a personal number and I said that it was, but I explained that I ONLY asked him for a number outside of work where we could talk because we had agreed to go out sometime. He said that the store manager would talk to me when I was back at work.
Now I am depressed and terrified that I will be fired because of this complaint. I was told that if there were any more complaints about me it would appear to be a pattern and they would have no choice but to let me go. I honestly feel like I have been baited. One minute J was all flirtateous and all smiles saying that we could go out sometime, and then the second that I call him I got written up. I am floored. I feel like there is bias against me because no other employee would be in trouble for calling loss prevention for personal reasons as I have gotten in trouble. However, I feel that it is important that I point out to my store manager that I was OFF THE CLOCK on my lunch break when I called J. Can I be held accountable and fired for a phone call that I placed while I was on my own time? Do you think I will be fired? If so, should I beat them to the punch and turn in my resignation, or should I ask for an attorney and tell them that I don't feel they have any legal ground for firing me over something that I did while I was off the clock, not to mention the fact that I feel I was baited.
I am currently employed with JCPenney in Florida. About a year ago I began talking to a loss prevention associate in the store who was separated from his wife. The associate went back to his wife and ended our friendship. In August I found out that he was separated from his wife again and I approached him to inquire about the situation. He freaked out because he didn't want to be seen talking to me. He was afraid that his wife would assume that he was dating someone and would use it against him in the divorce. He went to our store manager and said that he felt harrassed by me (simply by me approaching him ONE time to ask about something). I was written up and made to watch a sexual harrassment tape. I was also told to not call up to the loss prevention office. The incident is on my record as a corrective interview. I signed the interview, but in the space where i was allowed to comment I stated that I did not feel I was guilty of harrassment because I approached him to talk ONE time...it wasn't like I was told to leave him alone and persisted to try to communicate with him, therefore I don't see it as harrassment. I was told that if any more complaints were given against me it would indicate a pattern and I would have to be let go.
About a week ago one of my coworkers approached another loss prevention associate that we will refer to as J and asked him if he was single. She told him that her friend, me, thought he was cute and wanted to know. I was mortified that this happened because I did not ask her to approach J in any way and I thought that it was inappropriate. However, the next time that I saw him he came up to me and we talked and flirted a bit and he was all smiles. I then worked up the courage to call him and ask him what his thoughts were on what my coworker told him, about me thinking he was cute. J said, "I am not supposed to go out with people from work, but I like to have fun and just go with the flow. We can go out sometime if you like. Do you drive?", and we agreed to discuss this at a later time because he was busy. I did not feel it was appropriate to talk to him at work because he could get fired over it, so I called him during my lunch break on Saturday to ask if he had a person number where i can talk to him. He said that he didn't because he just moved to the area and is having everything transfered. He said that he'd get back to me when he had a chance. I called back to ask him something and one of the other offices, W, answered. I asked for J and he asked who was calling. Instead of handing the phone to J, he handed the phone to N, an associate who was there during the August incident and is biased against me. N went off on me telling me not to call again if it wasn't work related. He then had J write a note against me and give it to one of the managers. I was in shock. The manager asked me if it was true that I had asked J for a personal number and I said that it was, but I explained that I ONLY asked him for a number outside of work where we could talk because we had agreed to go out sometime. He said that the store manager would talk to me when I was back at work.
Now I am depressed and terrified that I will be fired because of this complaint. I was told that if there were any more complaints about me it would appear to be a pattern and they would have no choice but to let me go. I honestly feel like I have been baited. One minute J was all flirtateous and all smiles saying that we could go out sometime, and then the second that I call him I got written up. I am floored. I feel like there is bias against me because no other employee would be in trouble for calling loss prevention for personal reasons as I have gotten in trouble. However, I feel that it is important that I point out to my store manager that I was OFF THE CLOCK on my lunch break when I called J. Can I be held accountable and fired for a phone call that I placed while I was on my own time? Do you think I will be fired? If so, should I beat them to the punch and turn in my resignation, or should I ask for an attorney and tell them that I don't feel they have any legal ground for firing me over something that I did while I was off the clock, not to mention the fact that I feel I was baited.