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Double Jeporady?

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aquaholic

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?
Michigan

I have been working for a company for a short amount of time, yet in that short amount of time I have come across some serious issues.
I placed a call to my District Manager and now I am looked at a treated like garbage.

I have a past like most of us, yet unlike many mine includes a felony charge in which I served time in prison for. That has been 6 years ago and 8 since the entire case started. I have never been in trouble since, and have paid my dues.

My question is...
Is the past going to hurt me if I take on legal actions? There were no questions on my application reguarding my past, therefore I did not lie to get this job. Yet, I have in the past lied about my record. I am so ashamed of myself.
 


Beth3

Senior Member
I have been working for a company for a short amount of time, yet in that short amount of time I have come across some serious issues. I placed a call to my District Manager and now I am looked at a treated like garbage. Exactly what type of "serious issues" are you referring to. Whether you have any protection against retaliation depends upon the specifics of the situation and whether the company has acted unlawfully.

Is the past going to hurt me if I take on legal actions? There were no questions on my application reguarding my past, therefore I did not lie to get this job. Yet, I have in the past lied about my record. Lied to who? I don't see how your prior conviction is relevant but you haven't provided any specifics about the current situation that would allow anyone to offer an opinion.
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
The serious issues I am referring to are
Stealing, Drug use, Sexual Harassment, my assistant manager tells me to give him a pack of smokes and does not pay for them, yet when smokes are counted it shows up as short on my shift.
Hiring a family member and passing that member off as just another employee (my manager told me not to tell the General Manager) and this is against company policy! Writing checks and not sccanning the checks...we are required to scan and log all checks at the onset of recieving the checks, then placing the authorzation number and stamp on the check after we ring it up. The manager and her daughter's checks are never entered into the system, yet appear in my drawer and I then become responsible for them. Yet if I scan them, I am told never to do it.
My boss sells cartons of ciggeretts to a local party store, and advises me not to tell. My manager had another employee (her drug buddy) to take the phone off the hook, close the store and go pick up the assistant manager, because he has lost his license due to several drunk driving tickets...and then she takes the video and removes it from the store and goes home. The assistant manager who I filed a complaint of sexual harassment advises the other employer to smoke coke in the bathroom and not in the office where there is no camera. Because of the smell. I find weed on the counter of work, whee somebody has rolled a joint and forgot to brush the weed off.
Prior conviction....it has been impossible to locate a job due to my past conviction, I could not find a job for the longest time I had to open up a shop of my own selling used clothes and such.....I needed this second job in order to maintain an income to feed myself and pay the bills at the store. I have only been open for 9 months, profits are still a long way off.
I have told my general manager everything I have mentioned to you, and nothing was ever done. Not one write up! Not even a chance to question me and the person I claim has grinded up and down my butt, bounced off my breast and has made comments about "******S", my manager said to the jerk making these comments, to stop because she has grandchildren that are mixed...NOTHING else!!! She works on salary and is in the store 3-6 hours. I had to tell her to go home, one time last week because she was so high! I covered for her. Like I said, I need the money!!!
I swear this is not an exageration. This is a 7.00 per hour job. We were robbed over the weekend, and I would almost bet it was a inside job, they were caught so I will have to await the outcome of this to see what is up.
 

Beth3

Senior Member
Holy smokes. :eek:

Since my crystal ball is out for calibration, I can't tell you what the outcome of all this will be but if I were you, I'd be really concerned about working in that environment. (a) There are cash drawer irregularities and you're responsible for the cash drawer on your shift. If the GM or someone decides they need to do some CYA at some point, it will be very easy to point the finger at you. Unfortunately, due to your prior criminal history, you are an easy target to be the fall guy on this. (b) All the drug use is of huge concern. There may also be drug sales going on. When law enforcement gets involved (and it's only a question of when, not if, especially if drugs are being sold) you don't want to have any part of that. You could easily get caught up in the criminal charges.

If you were a friend/family member of mine, I'd advise you to quit this job immediately. Yes, I understand that you need the income but you could be in a whole lot worse difficulty down the road if you keep working there.

Have you tried registering at any termporary staffing agencies in your area? Many of them are a lot more forgiving of conviction records than direct employers are and it's often a good way to get your foot in the door and end up being hired by a solid employer.

Good luck.
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
I knew that was going to be the advice I would get, I have been getting this advice since the second week on the job. I refuse to sign the back of any register paper that confirms it was my drawer unless, I was the only one in it that day. Need I say, I signed it only twice. The sad thing is you are right, yet the reality of it is I am sick of being judged on my past. The conviction I suffered, was because I did not roll over on my then husband in a arson and insurance scam he committed with a friend. I contacted the police prior to the fire with photos of me beaten to a pulp and the allegations he made that he ws going to torch the place. I was able to get my name removed from the house and insurance forms...but it did not matter, because for some reason the file was lost....
I cannot stress to you how difficult the last 8 years of my life have been, but I have overcome most of these hurtles. I am just so tired. When does doing the right thing matter? When can a person stand up for what is right and be respected (not neccessarily liked) for it?
Every time I found employment it was due to lying on the application, and one job I landed for a little over a year and was dismissed once the new policy of background checks went into effect.
I want to fight back, because I KNOW I am a good person, and I would do nothing to jepordize my freedom ever again.
Perhaps I am feeling sorry for myself, I have done that before, so here I go again.....
Since I have never been written up for cash stortages, I do not fear that, or eles it would have already been brought to my attention. To have been written up for wanting to leave my shift one hour early and the wrong PLU number is BullS*&%#!
To me the real crime in all of this is that they will continue firing people that don't do drugs and won't look the other way. And need to feed their babies and support their family. It is crap...pure and simple!
Another person has indeed complained that the woman manager is indeed trading cartons of smokes for vicodan.

I wish I could get involved in this matter, on the right side of the law....but taking a stand in this small city concerns my well being. How about just blowing the whistle and going to the press and then walking away? I am determined to be heard. It is seldom that I am right, some might say, this is my chance.
I asked.......
******Yet, I have in the past lied about my record.
You commented.....
******Lied to who? I don't see how your prior conviction is relevant but you haven't provided any specifics about the current situation that would allow anyone to offer an opinion.*****
It really does matter doesn't it. :confused: :eek:
 

Beth3

Senior Member
How about just blowing the whistle and going to the press and then walking away? The problem with that (assuming you could even interest the press in the situation) is that you have no control over what they write and not all reporters do a good job. The story could end up being about the ex-con convicted of arson and an insurance scam who was selling drugs at a local convenience store. (Do you not think that the people working at the store are going to accuse you of their misdeeds in an effort to protect themselves?)

I truly sympathize with your situation but it certainly appears possible (in fact likely) that you are going to wish you quit this job when you had the chance before you become wrongfully implicated in the the criminal activities going on in your workplace. I think you're kidding yourself by believing that refusing to sign the register paper provides some sort of protection/defense if you are accused of something relative to the cash draw irregularities. And of course the much bigger concern is all the drug activity.

I'm in a neighboring State and I can think of several non-profit women's centers in larger metropolitan areas that are specifically run to assist women such as yourself - provide career counseling, job and housing assistance, etc. I would be surprised if there aren't similar organizations in your State although likely in the larger cities. Some internet research could result in your finding an organization that can give you a helping hand in getting things back on track for yourself.
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
I know you are right, and I respect your opinion. I am such a stubborn person...yet I will walk from this experience and try to find in my heart the belief that good does conquer evil, and the truth never sets you free. :D

Yet before I do....I spoke with the General Manager yesterday and he has agreed to allow me to file a grievence, could you please help me understand the important parts to mention.

If you could only understand how hard I try to do the right thing in everything I do!! I mean everything, including apologizing when I am wrong.

It took me months to find this job, the job market in this city is really horrible. I have two kids (16 and 19) and I live with a man that makes me feel as if I am no good. I so badly just wanted to bank some money to get a place of my own and once again start over in my 42 years of life for the 3rd time...this is getting so old.

I do have an entire semi truck full of really nice resale clothing, and I cannot afford the deposit on the new building. This has really messed me up in so many ways.

So all in all, the past will dictate my future. Sometimes I just want to scream!!!!

Thank you so much for your time and your opinions are right on! Doesn't mean I have to like it.

WOE IS ME!!!!!! :mad:

If I was not an exfelon, would that matter?
 

Beth3

Senior Member
Yet before I do....I spoke with the General Manager yesterday and he has agreed to allow me to file a grievence, could you please help me understand the important parts to mention. I expect all the GM means by grievance is that he's allowing you the opportunity to put your complaints and concerns in writing. I seriously doubt there is a formal internal grievance system. Before you do this, I suggest you speak to the GM again and ask him to please explain what the grievance process IS and why it's necessary for you to put your concerns in writing. Your having TOLD the GM what you've observed taking place ought to be sufficient for him to investigate.

I'm not saying being told you can file a grievance is a bad thing; I'm just not getting why it's necessary.


If you could only understand how hard I try to do the right thing in everything I do!! I mean everything, including apologizing when I am wrong. I believe you.

It took me months to find this job, the job market in this city is really horrible. I have two kids (16 and 19) and I live with a man that makes me feel as if I am no good. I so badly just wanted to bank some money to get a place of my own and once again start over in my 42 years of life for the 3rd time...this is getting so old. If your partner is abusive (emotionally, physically, and/or sexually), then contact your community's crisis/counseling center that assists victims of domestic violence. They really can help you, up to and including helping you with the fresh start you're looking for.

I do have an entire semi truck full of really nice resale clothing, and I cannot afford the deposit on the new building. This has really messed me up in so many ways. Have you talked to any local retailers? They might be interested in your inventory and/or going into a partnership with you.

So all in all, the past will dictate my future. Sometimes I just want to scream!!!!

Thank you so much for your time and your opinions are right on! Doesn't mean I have to like it.

WOE IS ME!!!!!!

If I was not an exfelon, would that matter?
I'd be kidding you if I said that having a felony conviction in your past isn't going to make some things more difficult however it's not insurmountable. The larger problems you have to deal with are (1) a really lousy job market in your community; (2) a boyfriend who's keeping you down; and (3) a job in a workplace that could land you back in legal trouble.

While I understand your kids are a consideration, moving to a new area - and one that's large enough to offer you the kind of support and services you need - may be something worth considering.

Good luck to you.
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
This GM was told a month or so of all this crap, and when the policy says ZERO tolerance for sexual harassment, I am dumbfounded of what ZERO means. I was hoping we would have to face each other and have it out. He is still employed as the assist. manager so it really did me no good. Perhaps that is the leson I need to learn. The GM and I set a date and time for the grievence meeting which is tomorrow at 1:00 where? I do not know. We lost connection and he never even took the time to call me back...it does break my spirit that anything will be done. The GM would be looking pretty bad had he not made record of my complaint, so I cannot see him doing much if showing up at all.

I refuse to call him back, and just talking with you seems to have mellowed my anger.

You know, enough is enough.
I hope there is a place that I can find temporary placement in this community, this place is extremly small. When I was getting battered when I was married, I felt as if I was still being punished when I had to find a place to sleep which was my car and go without food. I sent my kids to leave with their father.

As I have mentioned I have an entire semi full of cllothing, racks etc... and some do not even belong to me! I do consignment! It won't surprize me a bit if this man that I am with now, keeps the entire trailer. He is a truck-driver and can move this trailer to Fla or anywhere else. When it rains it pours...hey?

This is so F'in crazy! I cannot believe what is happening. I cannot take this **** anymore! I hate men and why is it always me that has to leave? I sit here crying knowing I am powerless, pathtic and oh so stupid for having said anything. I got to the point I would not wear make-up dress in frumpy clothes to advoid unwanted attention.

I will take no more of your time, and as I sign off I must say the real crime in ALL of this is them getting away with this. Not to mention the poor souls that will follow in my footsteps.

Again thanks and best of luck to you in all you do.
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
Can I go back?

If there is anybody that might recall my problem, could I ask one more question?
I am a convicted felon, and finally found employment that either;

A did not do a background check.
B did one, yet never said nothing about it.
c found an employer that does not mind.

In my situation it seems that all of the above occured.
I was unaware that the company knew about my past, nothing was ever said, except for lines about felons, leaving the state and other comments about ex-cons, as though somebody had dirt on me, to discourage me from ever mentioninga SH or any other complaint. yet in the middle (actually, toward the end) of a grievence meeting, the GM told me that ex-felons were not employable. Which I TOTALLY understand.
Yet, as we continued with the grivence meeting we left on iffy terms, with me unsatisfied with him not addressing the Sexual harassment information accurately, honestly and without a shred of professionalism.
I got a call an 1 later, if that asking if I wanted to come back to work, which at the time was all I ever wanted, which was a job, and respect.
I asked to be placed back into my old store, which took him a day to respond to as NO, but I did get a transfer opproutuity.
I now, am unsure what to do before going back to the same job, when I know they do not accept ex felons, and nobody likes a Nark.
Am I being set up? Or is this a way to play nice, after the GM failed to report this to the higher ups, because NOBODY was written up or dismissed on a Zero tolerance of SH. I am so confused!!!
I just want to protect myself from the boomarang thing.......
 

Beth3

Senior Member
I can only guess that offering you a job back and at another location is the store's attempt to minimize their legal risk for having so miserably handled your SH complaint. Perhaps between the time you left the grievance meeting and the time you received the phone call, the employer wisely decided to consult with an attorney who advised them to immediately offer to reinstate you.

Whether you SHOULD go back, given everything you described as taking place, is up to you. Perhaps things are different at other locations. If they rehire you and then turn around and fire you because you're a felon, it would appear they'd be handing you everything you'd need to sue for SH and prohibited retaliation. The only people they'd be setting up is themselves.
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
Thank you Beth for getting back to me.
I am going to go back, I hope soon. I just talked to a Civil Rights Lawyer, who stated what you said.
So the choice is mine and I really do need the job. I so much apprieciate your time and concern with this issue.
I was just worried about why they are hiring me back, when he clearly stated they do not do that.
I came to the same conclusion as you, but after all this stuff...I was beginning to trust my mind and thought I was being paranoid.
I will not give them a valid reason to fire me. I am a hard and honest worker. Even my old boss, left me a message inside my last paycheck saying thanks for everything.
I was also informed that my manager has been fired, and I have no clue whatever happened to the man involved in this nightmare. The Civil rights lawyer, has offered to request a reinstatement for my wages I missed. I am going to attempt to do that on my own, so they do not think I once again went above them. If it does not work, gosh knows what then.
But, perhaps they will realize that my intentions were not to hurt the company, but get their attention on some serious going ons around that place.
I could be a very valuable player, if they would only allow me to work with them instead of for them.....Got a lot to learn, but I am getting there.
Again thank-you so much Beth!! :eek:
Chalk up one for the little guy!
 

aquaholic

Junior Member
Can you believe it?

Beth
You cannot even if you tried to forget my miserble exsistence, I am already without a job AGAIN!
I agreed to transfer to another location, and I did not even make 1 day or 1 hour before I lost the job. I went in after being without for a week, and I woke up scared and affriad of what others were going to say blah blah blah, but I stood tall and made it in the door, without crying!! And I met with the Assist. manager, and requested that I switch a day so that I may go have my taxes looked at, she said no problem there were actually too many people on the schdule as it was. She gave me a Friday for that day (Monday to compensate my hours) I shook her hand THANKED her time and again and literally skipped out the door thinking this IS going to work!!
Get this, the very next morning, I wake up and go to my car and the passenger door is open. I look to make sure there is no broken windows and nothing stolen and everything else seemed okay. I turn the ignition and NOTHING!! The lights from the car door being opened all night drained my battery! I do not have any reason to think I left it open, for I do not use the passenger door for NOTHING! SO this HAD to be intentional! I go into the house and call the GM, I have yet to meet my "new" manager and when I went in the day before she was not even expected in until 6 or so. I leave a message on the GM machine of my problem and await his call........NOTHING.
I figuire here we go, they are deliberetly sabbotaging my efforts to go to work. YES< I do consider this a personal attact. I did not call the police, this has nevver happened before, nothing was even stolen! So the next day I await to hear from the GM, NOTHING again. I call the station and the manager has already left for the day, I ask for her home number get it call it, and she told me she had talked to the GM and I havve been terminated.
I call the Headquarters and explain to Angie, that this is what happened and she now is accusing me of being a ex-employer with an axe to grind. As if all the issues I brought fouth were rumors. I explain to her that the allegations that I made were made long before I was termoinated, and if I knew to do follow company policy on how and to who to check into with I would have. I never met my manager, therefore I did not feel comfortable explaining to her that I feel as if I am being targeted. Nor, did I know you have to call somebody other then the man I had been dealing with to explain what was happening. I hadffered the GM to listen in on a call I was going to make with my manager so that he could hear that these allegations were not rumors but in fact REAL!
I took a recorder to my grievence meeting, and on tape I hear the GM say to me that my manager was to have gone over this so called employee manual with me and explained the things I was unaware of. That was one of the reasons she was finally fored. So on tape I have a GM, telling me that the manager failed to give me a copy of this handbook, and it was not my fault that I did not know to call in advance if I wanted time off. I had asked another employer to relieve me of my shift 1 hour early, the day before I was written up.
Yet, now I have the Headquarters telling me that since I did not comply to these policies when phoning in, I was terminated. I never got the freakin policy!!!!!
I know you know this was never going to end peacefully, yet I thought I could get in a few more months before goiving them a 2 weeks notice and returning to my life as a store owner.
So here I am, in worse shape then ever. Beth, I really cannot believe what is happening. Why, in the world would I consuult you as well as a Civil Rights lawyer about all this to just quit the job, before ever working one day? The civil lawyer, stated he could possibly get me the wages for the time I lost, yet I asked him not to, since I had to go back to work there, I would ask the GM myself, when the dust settled. I have since informed him of all that has taken place and have not heard from him.
Beth, am I crazy? How can a person that steals, misuses his power, sexually harasses and speaks nothing but trash and racial slurs, drink on the job still have a job, and I am without one? I did not know this policy he has had at least a year or more time on this job to know what not to do, if in the event common sense fails to tell him you do not grinned your penis up against a female employer which happens to be me, tell me that all I need is a good FU_K, he can make my Titties hard, physically bounce of my breast, call people that come in the store NIG%%ers, and he is better equip then them blackasses,etc....tells me what a CU&T my manager was/is, and tell another employer to smoke the Cocaine not in the backroom, but in the bathroom!! Make me givve him smokes he did not pay for, cash in coupons that he saves from the papers for cash...blame the employees that have come and gone for stealing smoikes in which just happen to be the smokes he smokes. They tried this on me already too. And more. I did not follow procedure and I am without a job? I never called in a sick day, I came in running at 5 in the morning to allow my manager to go home and get stoned. I even relieved my manager because she was so stoned she could not run the register.
What should I do? PLEASE do not tell me to go on...forget it, it is only a 7.00 job, for me it was so much more than that! It was my independence, my childrens food and clothes money, my store rent IT WAS MY WAY OF MAKING MY WRONGS RIGHT! I was not always so passionate about truth and justice, I have a passion deep in me to do the right thing. I cannot quit now. Beth, I am not failing to not say something nor am I exxagerratting. This is all so very true. I swear it is. PLEASE from one girl to another HELP ME PLEASE! I literally cried myself to sleep for two nights now, knowing I allowed that man to treat me like ****, to look me up and down as if I was nothing but a piece of flesh, because I needed money for my bills, I complained and it got me nowhere, I asked for help in resolving this situation, where nobody would have to loose their job, just have to respect one another for a few hours a day while we were in the same building together. To know he lost nothing, makes me so sick. What more could I have done? I might as well as sold my A$$ in a strip joint.

I am going to find out what laws I have to follow in order to pickett in front of the building...allowing others to know that this business allows Sexual Harassment, Drug use, Theif and racial slurs yet won't do a damn thing about it, except fire the one that exposes their errors to the community.
 
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