Staten.Islander
Junior Member
I originally posted in Wage & Salary Issues, but was advised that this might be Worker's Compensation related, so I'm posting here.
I'm not sure about any legal recourse I might have because I've received conflicting information about this, but my employer has apparently been trying to get me to quit.
I'm an armed security officer here in New York and I've worked for my present employer since 2001.
I hurt my back while at work July 14th 2009, and this subsequently led to a blood clot and hospital stay. When I attempted to return to work 1-1/2 months later it became obvious that through certain actions and treatment from the front office that the company I work for didn't want to take me back. I took a friend's advice and decided to push for Worker's Compensation, which apparently made my employer unhappy. I also had no choice but to file for unemployment.
During this time my employer also refused to give my salary info to the hospital medicaid officer when I was attempting to get financial aid.
Finally on October 26th I was given a different position/location at a lower salary.(I'd been told that my previous position was no longer available and that it was company policy to transfer an employee who filed for worker's compensation).
My employer challenged my worker's compensation claim, but I won it at the beginning of 2010. But during that year my employer lowered my work hours multiple times and despite my complaints let my gun license lapse at which time my employer only let me work 15 hours a week as an unarmed security guard. Thanks to the company custodian I received my license back within a month as opposed to the normal 6 to 8 months it usually takes. But I had to file for partial unemployment at this time also.
Outside of less than subtle hints that my employer wanted me to quit, my employer has refused to give me my earned vacation pay, which I put in for in 2010.(Though all the officers I worked with did receive their pay). And at the beginning of March I am supposed to be eligible for my next vacation(or pay). But even before I had been hurt there were quite a few times I was refused the pay owed me. (From shorted works hours to birthday pay when it was policy for everyone else).
In December, a week before Christmas, my employer transferred me out of the location I was at and has refused to give me an assignment since.
I again have filed for unemployment, but since unemployment is based on your previous salary the amount is now far below the amount I need to pay my bills and I don't even know how I'll pay my rent for March. (My employer will no longer return my calls).
Just before I was hurt in 2009, I was working toward saving up toward getting something done about my hearing problem before it got to the point where it would affect my job, but my subsequent financial hardship brought on by my continuing low and intermittent employment has now put me in a very bad situation.
I touched on just the basics of my experiences with my present employer who I've been with for 10 years, but it seems obvious I've been black-listed and since the lowered salary didn't get me to quit they have now just completely stopped giving me work.
I was initially told that employers can drop your pay whenever they feel like it and was even told by the Worker's Compensation paralegals that there was nothing I could do, but now I'm hearing something different.
Over the last year and a half my hearing has gotten even worse, and I probably couldn't even get through a job interview, so I'm hoping someone has answers for me in regard to anything I can do.
Any help would be appreciated.
I'm not sure about any legal recourse I might have because I've received conflicting information about this, but my employer has apparently been trying to get me to quit.
I'm an armed security officer here in New York and I've worked for my present employer since 2001.
I hurt my back while at work July 14th 2009, and this subsequently led to a blood clot and hospital stay. When I attempted to return to work 1-1/2 months later it became obvious that through certain actions and treatment from the front office that the company I work for didn't want to take me back. I took a friend's advice and decided to push for Worker's Compensation, which apparently made my employer unhappy. I also had no choice but to file for unemployment.
During this time my employer also refused to give my salary info to the hospital medicaid officer when I was attempting to get financial aid.
Finally on October 26th I was given a different position/location at a lower salary.(I'd been told that my previous position was no longer available and that it was company policy to transfer an employee who filed for worker's compensation).
My employer challenged my worker's compensation claim, but I won it at the beginning of 2010. But during that year my employer lowered my work hours multiple times and despite my complaints let my gun license lapse at which time my employer only let me work 15 hours a week as an unarmed security guard. Thanks to the company custodian I received my license back within a month as opposed to the normal 6 to 8 months it usually takes. But I had to file for partial unemployment at this time also.
Outside of less than subtle hints that my employer wanted me to quit, my employer has refused to give me my earned vacation pay, which I put in for in 2010.(Though all the officers I worked with did receive their pay). And at the beginning of March I am supposed to be eligible for my next vacation(or pay). But even before I had been hurt there were quite a few times I was refused the pay owed me. (From shorted works hours to birthday pay when it was policy for everyone else).
In December, a week before Christmas, my employer transferred me out of the location I was at and has refused to give me an assignment since.
I again have filed for unemployment, but since unemployment is based on your previous salary the amount is now far below the amount I need to pay my bills and I don't even know how I'll pay my rent for March. (My employer will no longer return my calls).
Just before I was hurt in 2009, I was working toward saving up toward getting something done about my hearing problem before it got to the point where it would affect my job, but my subsequent financial hardship brought on by my continuing low and intermittent employment has now put me in a very bad situation.
I touched on just the basics of my experiences with my present employer who I've been with for 10 years, but it seems obvious I've been black-listed and since the lowered salary didn't get me to quit they have now just completely stopped giving me work.
I was initially told that employers can drop your pay whenever they feel like it and was even told by the Worker's Compensation paralegals that there was nothing I could do, but now I'm hearing something different.
Over the last year and a half my hearing has gotten even worse, and I probably couldn't even get through a job interview, so I'm hoping someone has answers for me in regard to anything I can do.
Any help would be appreciated.
