Need advice on county workplace harassment.

[ThatGatorGuy]

I'm not sure if anyone can help me here but i don't really know where else to go.

I've been working for my county animal shelter for about 7 years now. I absolutely love working with the animals. The problems with my job started about 4 years ago. We had a management change as our director had left to take another position with another county.

Since then they hired a new manager and a new director to replace the last director. This new management is, really awful, for lack of a better phrase.

First off our turnover rate has skyrocketed. We literally can not keep employees. Not because the job is difficult but because of how toxic and abusive management is. Management loves to start and spread drama and gossip. They have this little clique where the rules only apply when they feel like it and to who they feel like it. One example is that my daughter had volunteered at the shelter for years, and when the time came for her to find a job she applied for the shelter. Despite the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near my department, she was told she couldn't have the job because i would be working to closely to her. We both accepted that as it made sense. However, shortly after that they hired the son of one of the other ladies who works with them in the front office and hired a kennel staffs aunt to be the lead Animal Control Officer and then allowed that same kennel staff member to transfer so that he would work directly under his own aunt.

I have overheard management laughing and joking about piling extra work onto employees they don't like in order to make them quit so they wouldn't get unemployment benefits.

I have been told on multiple occasions "that's a mans job" and made to unload truckloads of heavy cat litter despite having a back injury i sustained while working at the shelter that required surgery to fix.

When i was going through PT for my back injury i was openly called "broken and useless" to my face by my female supervisor because i was not able to lift anything over 15 pounds.

They've attempted to bully and peer pressure employees to get them to work during their lunch breaks to the point that we went months without getting an actual lunch break.

They asked one kennel staff member to pick up donations from a volunteers house on her day off, only to then accuse her of stealing those donations when she brought them to the shelter the next day, in order to fire her.

We also had one kennel staff member threaten to stab a co worker. Management was told about the threat. Told the co worker who was threatened to just avoid the kennel staff member, and did nothing about the kennel staff member who made the threat.

I've walked in on the manager asleep at her desk multiple times.

They allow untrained people to euthanize animals. Just today i walked in to see the kennel staff member and his aunt euthanizing a dog. They waited until after the dog was dead to check its file in our system and found that no one had attempted to contact the dogs owner and then scanned the dog for a microchip to make sure they had the right dog AFTER the dog was already gone. This same kennel staff member has never been certified to euthanize and animal, and does not wait to confirm death before he is bagging the animal up and putting it in the freezer. I have brought this up to management multiple times and they do nothing about it.

My wife had been involved in a bad car accident that almost killed her a few years back. I went to HR and applied for and received FMLA, so that i would be able to take her to her appointments with her surgeon. Management tried to get me fired for using my FMLA. I had to go into HR and have an awkward meeting where they accused me of just calling out one day a week for several weeks.

I can continue, as i have years of this stuff written down, but i guess what I'm hoping for here is some advice. A phone number to contact. A law i can use to my advantage. Something. Anything. I used to love working with the animals, but now I'm on multiple anxiety/depression medications and i have panic attacks every morning as I'm getting ready for work. Everyone tells me to just find another job, but I've been here for so long and i make good money here and have great benefits so its hard to just throw that away when i got a family to support and start over. I've tried HR, but the last time i brought anything to their attention they told my management what i said about them and then i had weeks of dealing with managements vindictiveness.

Please, I really need help here.

 

[quincy]

I'm not sure if anyone can help me here but i don't really know where else to go.

I've been working for my county animal shelter for about 7 years now. I absolutely love working with the animals. The problems with my job started about 4 years ago. We had a management change as our director had left to take another position with another county.

Since then they hired a new manager and a new director to replace the last director. This new management is, really awful, for lack of a better phrase.

First off our turnover rate has skyrocketed. We literally can not keep employees. Not because the job is difficult but because of how toxic and abusive management is. Management loves to start and spread drama and gossip. They have this little clique where the rules only apply when they feel like it and to who they feel like it. One example is that my daughter had volunteered at the shelter for years, and when the time came for her to find a job she applied for the shelter. Despite the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near my department, she was told she couldn't have the job because i would be working to closely to her. We both accepted that as it made sense. However, shortly after that they hired the son of one of the other ladies who works with them in the front office and hired a kennel staffs aunt to be the lead Animal Control Officer and then allowed that same kennel staff member to transfer so that he would work directly under his own aunt.

I have overheard management laughing and joking about piling extra work onto employees they don't like in order to make them quit so they wouldn't get unemployment benefits.

I have been told on multiple occasions "that's a mans job" and made to unload truckloads of heavy cat litter despite having a back injury i sustained while working at the shelter that required surgery to fix.

When i was going through PT for my back injury i was openly called "broken and useless" to my face by my female supervisor because i was not able to lift anything over 15 pounds.

They've attempted to bully and peer pressure employees to get them to work during their lunch breaks to the point that we went months without getting an actual lunch break.

They asked one kennel staff member to pick up donations from a volunteers house on her day off, only to then accuse her of stealing those donations when she brought them to the shelter the next day, in order to fire her.

We also had one kennel staff member threaten to stab a co worker. Management was told about the threat. Told the co worker who was threatened to just avoid the kennel staff member, and did nothing about the kennel staff member who made the threat.

I've walked in on the manager asleep at her desk multiple times.

They allow untrained people to euthanize animals. Just today i walked in to see the kennel staff member and his aunt euthanizing a dog. They waited until after the dog was dead to check its file in our system and found that no one had attempted to contact the dogs owner and then scanned the dog for a microchip to make sure they had the right dog AFTER the dog was already gone. This same kennel staff member has never been certified to euthanize and animal, and does not wait to confirm death before he is bagging the animal up and putting it in the freezer. I have brought this up to management multiple times and they do nothing about it.

My wife had been involved in a bad car accident that almost killed her a few years back. I went to HR and applied for and received FMLA, so that i would be able to take her to her appointments with her surgeon. Management tried to get me fired for using my FMLA. I had to go into HR and have an awkward meeting where they accused me of just calling out one day a week for several weeks.

I can continue, as i have years of this stuff written down, but i guess what I'm hoping for here is some advice. A phone number to contact. A law i can use to my advantage. Something. Anything. I used to love working with the animals, but now I'm on multiple anxiety/depression medications and i have panic attacks every morning as I'm getting ready for work. Everyone tells me to just find another job, but I've been here for so long and i make good money here and have great benefits so its hard to just throw that away when i got a family to support and start over. I've tried HR, but the last time i brought anything to their attention they told my management what i said about them and then i had weeks of dealing with managements vindictiveness.

Please, I really need help here.

What is the name of your state? Florida?

 

[ThatGatorGuy]

What is the name of your state? Florida?

Yes, Florida.

 

[adjusterjack]

I've been here for so long and i make good money here and have great benefits so its hard to just throw that away when i got a family to support and start over.

Then you will die from the stress. Seriously, you keep working under those conditions and it's all over.

Trouble is, there is nothing about what you describe that is illegal and no one or place you can call for help.

Sorry to be so blunt but you are your own worst enemy if you stay there.

 

[ThatGatorGuy]

Then you will die from the stress. Seriously, you keep working under those conditions and it's all over.

Trouble is, there is nothing about what you describe that is illegal and no one or place you can call for help.

Sorry to be so blunt but you are your own worst enemy if you stay there.

I was really worried about that. It's hard to just uproot and leave. Like i said i make a lot of money and benefits that support my family which is why I'm still there.

I know this stress will eventually kill me, but at this point i kind of welcome it. I've gone to therapy. I've taken every SSRI on the market. I don't know what more to do here.

 

[cbg]

First off our turnover rate has skyrocketed. We literally can not keep employees. Not because the job is difficult but because of how toxic and abusive management is. Management loves to start and spread drama and gossip. They have this little clique where the rules only apply when they feel like it and to who they feel like it. One example is that my daughter had volunteered at the shelter for years, and when the time came for her to find a job she applied for the shelter. Despite the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near my department, she was told she couldn't have the job because i would be working to closely to her. We both accepted that as it made sense. However, shortly after that they hired the son of one of the other ladies who works with them in the front office and hired a kennel staffs aunt to be the lead Animal Control Officer and then allowed that same kennel staff member to transfer so that he would work directly under his own aunt. Not illegal unless who is and who is not held to the rule violates Title VII and related laws. (Race, religion, national origin etc.)

I have overheard management laughing and joking about piling extra work onto employees they don't like in order to make them quit so they wouldn't get unemployment benefits. Not illegal. Not very nice, but not illegal.

I have been told on multiple occasions "that's a mans job" and made to unload truckloads of heavy cat litter despite having a back injury i sustained while working at the shelter that required surgery to fix. You might be able to scrape a weak gender discrimination case out of this but quite honestly I don't know that it would be worth the trouble.

When i was going through PT for my back injury i was openly called "broken and useless" to my face by my female supervisor because i was not able to lift anything over 15 pounds. Certainly rude and unprofessional but not in violation of any laws.

They've attempted to bully and peer pressure employees to get them to work during their lunch breaks to the point that we went months without getting an actual lunch break. Neither Federal nor Florida law requires that you get a lunch break. I disagree with this philosophy but it is what it is.

They asked one kennel staff member to pick up donations from a volunteers house on her day off, only to then accuse her of stealing those donations when she brought them to the shelter the next day, in order to fire her. Again, not illegal, at least not under employment law. And not necessary, either; they don't have to have a reason to fire her in an at-will state (which is every state except Montana, and even includes Montana in some circumstances. Quincy will probably have something to say on the subject of libel and slander laws, but employment law is not affected here.

We also had one kennel staff member threaten to stab a co worker. Management was told about the threat. Told the co worker who was threatened to just avoid the kennel staff member, and did nothing about the kennel staff member who made the threat. Again, not a violation of any employment law.

I've walked in on the manager asleep at her desk multiple times. If management chooses to allow this, that's all she wrote.

They allow untrained people to euthanize animals. Just today i walked in to see the kennel staff member and his aunt euthanizing a dog. They waited until after the dog was dead to check its file in our system and found that no one had attempted to contact the dogs owner and then scanned the dog for a microchip to make sure they had the right dog AFTER the dog was already gone. This same kennel staff member has never been certified to euthanize and animal, and does not wait to confirm death before he is bagging the animal up and putting it in the freezer. I have brought this up to management multiple times and they do nothing about it. This does not violate any employment law that I know of, but then I don't know your industry. You might want to run this one by whatever Florida agency licenses the kennel.

My wife had been involved in a bad car accident that almost killed her a few years back. I went to HR and applied for and received FMLA, so that i would be able to take her to her appointments with her surgeon. Management tried to get me fired for using my FMLA. I had to go into HR and have an awkward meeting where they accused me of just calling out one day a week for several weeks. When all the dust settled, had you actually suffered any damages? Did you get demoted? Have your wage decreased? ACTUALLY (as opposed to threatened with) disciplined? If so, please clarify. If not, you've got nothing here, I'm sorry. (I hope your wife is all right now.)

It truly does sound like a dreadful place to work and I'm sorry you have to go through this. I'm not in the least unsympathetic, but you don't really have anything the law can do for you except where noted. Sometimes you really do have to vote with your feet and find alternate employment.

 

[ThatGatorGuy]

In what US state is this?

Florida.

 

[Just Blue]

In what US state is this?

Florida

 

[cbg]

Florida.

Florida

Yes, I saw that after the fact. I removed the question and answered the OP. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[quincy]

I was really worried about that. It's hard to just uproot and leave. Like i said i make a lot of money and benefits that support my family which is why I'm still there.

I know this stress will eventually kill me, but at this point i kind of welcome it. I've gone to therapy. I've taken every SSRI on the market. I don't know what more to do here.

I suggest you keep your ears closed to all of the negative nonsense swirling around you in the workplace, put away for now your long list of grievances from the past, do the work you were hired to do to the best of your ability, and take comfort from the animals under your care.

The only incident that you mentioned that I see as a reportable offense would be unqualified staff members euthanizing dogs. I think I would skip reporting to the current management and instead report any violation directly to the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) at https://arff.org/report-abuse

 

[ThatGatorGuy]

I suggest you keep your ears closed to all of the negative nonsense swirling around you in the workplace, put away for now your long list of grievances from the past, do the work you were hired to do to the best of your ability, and take comfort from the animals under your care.

The only incident that you mentioned that I see as a reportable offense would be unqualified staff members euthanizing dogs. I think I would skip reporting to the current management and instead report any violation directly to the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) at https://arff.org/report-abuse

I'll look into that link more but when i checked out my counties link it just directed me right to my counties website which leads me back to the HR department that I've already gone through.

I'm just out of ideas and from what ive read from the responses, i pretty much have nothing i can do. Thank you for your time and help.

 

[quincy]

I'll look into that link more but when i checked out my counties link it just directed me right to my counties website which leads me back to the HR department that I've already gone through.

I'm just out of ideas and from what ive read from the responses, i pretty much have nothing i can do. Thank you for your time and help.

The best solution, of course, would be to find another job - but I understand that the income and benefits you currently enjoy might be hard to match elsewhere. Good luck.

 

[Taxing Matters]

You work for a government agency, the county animal shelter. And while Florida law offers almost no help to employees of private firms and not a whole lot more to state and local employees, there are some things government managers may not do. You might want to discuss your experience with the new management with an attorney who handles employment law matters for government employees. You probably can find one or more that will give you a free initial consultation. There might be something you didn't mention here that would help you get better treatment from your management.

You may also support candidates for county commissioners and other positions who will take a stand against this kind of unprofessional and demeaning management behavior. Get those persons interested in the issue and the managers will at the very least feel the heat and may try to improve their behavior. Or they may just get shown the door.

If you do leave employment there, you are free to tell anyone and everyone how bad the management was, their lack of care or standards for euthanizing animals and poor controls to make sure they were putting down the right animals and not someone's pet who just hadn't had the chance to come in and claim the pet. Most people love pets and having a lot of pet animal supporters show up at a county commissioners meeting or two might provide the right jolt to those managers to clean up their act.

 

[commentator]

I do truly understand where you are coming from. In my job with unemployment, I heard things like this very frequently. And sadly, I worked in places that were similar to what you describe here, for very bad supervisors who had their pets and cliques and did things wrong and then blamed the stafff.
However, altogether, it does not sound like you are ready to give it up and leave. It does not sounds like you hate the work, just the actual situation with the supervisor and her minions.

So my advice to you. First of all, do your research. Find out exactly how much power this person does have over you. Please do not give her the power to break your health or ruin the rest of your life. If needed, talk to a trusted friend or counselor, mental health professional, but do not let this person destroy your joy, simply because for a part of your day, you have to go work for a jerk who is trying to make you miserable.

And do your research on the facts of the matter. Study up on the county's HR policies, regulations, etc. and find out what it is legal for her to do as far as telling you what to do, not allowing lunch breaks (a big no no, I'd suspect! Private industry doesn't worry much about this, but counties are somewhere that people could be working unauthorized overtime for which they could end up having to be paid) and things like this.

Put out of your head that she has to speak nicely to you, cannot say mean things to you, must not act like a jerk, show favoritism, etc. That is all legal, no one is forced to be nice or positive or good. You may want to speak to someone in HR, or someone you know who is knowledgeable about workplace issues. I agree, the only illegal thing I hear is that putting down animals outside procedure, and you very well may want to take that up with someone outside. They'll fire me! you worrry? Hey, they're already trying to do that, how much worse do you think they can treat you? Trying to fire a long term employee who reports something against the rules is not a strong position for a supervisor to be in.

What you mentioned about her trying to make someone miserable enough to quit is perfectly legal, done all the time, and is very likely what they'd love to do to you. DO NOT LET THEM. For one thing, set your intentions every time you walk in there not to let them get to you, to be as positive as you can be and to keep yourself on the sunny side of the benefits of your work. Being around animals, you know that they can feel how you feel, make sure you give them positive vibes, in spite of the supervisor trying to grind you down with less than positive experiences. Have you seen that old saw about "Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to!"

But In fact, do keep a careful record. Each time she shows her bottom, acts ugly, calls you in "for a meeting" about something you did wrong, document that and keep these records where they can't get them. If they ever do try to take some sort of action against you, you'll have a record of what they have said and done and documentation of the way you have been treated.

DO NOT QUIT. Make them fire you outright if they want to get rid of you. As I said, doesn't matter what they say to you, threaten, order you to do, etc. Just do your job as you have for many years, to the best of your abilities. Try to forget that they didn't hire your relative and they did hire someone else's. Why would you want your family member to have to be subject to this situation? Hopefully they did you a favor, as the person got something else. Eventually you may be able to call the county's attention to this situation, the constant turnover, the failure to follow procedures. But in the meantime, don't worry about how you're being treated. You're an Army of One and your job is to keep your job, which this person is trying to make an unhappy experience for you and possibly take away from you. Don't let it happen. If they flaming fire you, file at once for unemployment insurance and talk to someone about possible issues with the county. There likely won't be any, as FLorida is such a wild west no rights state, but do not let them get rid of you and take away your livelihood simply because it is legal for them to be mean.

Else think about moving on, leaving and being very ready, once you're gone, to tell the people higher up in the county exaactly why you had to go.

 

[quincy]

If you do leave employment there, you are free to tell anyone and everyone how bad the management was, their lack of care or standards for euthanizing animals and poor controls to make sure they were putting down the right animals and not someone's pet who just hadn't had the chance to come in and claim the pet. Most people love pets and having a lot of pet animal supporters show up at a county commissioners meeting or two might provide the right jolt to those managers to clean up their act.

What I have bolded above needs a qualifier. When you speak of identified or identifiable individuals, you must state only provable facts or pure opinion (opinion that does not state or imply false facts). You do not want to be sued for defamation.