PamelaLois
ILL-INI
So, yesterday I was talking to one of my co-workers. We were discussing my former place of employment, which is also her almost former place of employment (she gave her 2 weeks notice). She was recruited to work with me at my current place of employment, on my recommendation, because she is an amazing groomer with a lot of potential.
So, we were talking about our former manager and some of the rotten things he's been doing lately, like telling her she is not allowed to use her break time for one of her daily prayers (she is Muslim). Religion is a serious problem for this guy, he is a rabid fundamentalist Christian. In the past, he has been disciplined for pressuring his subordinates about religion, at one point he told us that we had to watch the TV preacher with him on Sunday mornings. I called our corporate care line on this issue, and he was disciplined. Another time, my co-worker and I were in the lunch room and she was eating some Jamaican food. When he came in the room, he looked at her meal and said, not in a joking manner, "Is that colored people's food?" He had no idea that calling an AA woman "colored" was offensive, and he is very lucky she just fluffed it off as him being ignorant.
There have been many many other issues, calling a young male employee "Jizzman", taking another manager's car and having a stereo installed in it without her permission, telling sexist jokes at morning meetings, I can't even remember it all.
So, to get back to the story, my friend C and I were talking about the manager, and she said to me "You know, when I started, T took me aside and told me that there were people in the store I needed to stay away from because they are evil and dangerous. The worship satan, do voodoo and put hexes on people. The worship Harry Potter and the devil, and you should be careful around them." He named me and one of the managers by name. C told me that he was dead serious, and that she was afraid of me and the manager until she got to know us and realized T was an idiot.
At first, I thought this was kinda funny, I mean, seriously, worshipping Harry Potter and putting voodoo hexes on people! But as the day went on, and I thought about it, I realized that what she said explained a LOT of things that had happened over the year and a half I worked in the store. Odd behaviour of new employees to myself and the manager, things overheard. I believe he not only told C this, but he must have been telling a lot of new employees this.
As I thought more about it, the angrier I got. I know I am no longer employed by this idiot, but I feel that he crossed a legal line in telling employees that I was dangerous and evil. I feel that he slandered me and damaged my reputation. I couldn't let it go unreported, so I called the care line and told them the story, C gave me permission to give her name as a witness, and also that I am considering legal action against the store manager, the district manager for not firing the guy for all the OTHER stuff people complained about, and the company itself for allowing this man to perpetuate a hostile workplace. I should mention that she also called the care line to report this issue and others that she is dealing with.
I left this job solely because of how this man treated me. He made it impossible for me to work there. Fortunately, I found a new job with people who appreciate me and provide a wonderful, encouraging environment. But I am still really really angry and I can't seem to let it go. I just want to do something, anything to feel better and I don't know what. When the problems were just between me and him, I just blew it off and ignored him, but to find out that he was lying to people about me really upsets me.
One other thing, I don't know if it would be right of me to tell the manager, a really nice woman, what her immediate superiour is telling people about her.
Thanks for listening, any suggestions would be appreciated, as would any legal advice.
So, we were talking about our former manager and some of the rotten things he's been doing lately, like telling her she is not allowed to use her break time for one of her daily prayers (she is Muslim). Religion is a serious problem for this guy, he is a rabid fundamentalist Christian. In the past, he has been disciplined for pressuring his subordinates about religion, at one point he told us that we had to watch the TV preacher with him on Sunday mornings. I called our corporate care line on this issue, and he was disciplined. Another time, my co-worker and I were in the lunch room and she was eating some Jamaican food. When he came in the room, he looked at her meal and said, not in a joking manner, "Is that colored people's food?" He had no idea that calling an AA woman "colored" was offensive, and he is very lucky she just fluffed it off as him being ignorant.
There have been many many other issues, calling a young male employee "Jizzman", taking another manager's car and having a stereo installed in it without her permission, telling sexist jokes at morning meetings, I can't even remember it all.
So, to get back to the story, my friend C and I were talking about the manager, and she said to me "You know, when I started, T took me aside and told me that there were people in the store I needed to stay away from because they are evil and dangerous. The worship satan, do voodoo and put hexes on people. The worship Harry Potter and the devil, and you should be careful around them." He named me and one of the managers by name. C told me that he was dead serious, and that she was afraid of me and the manager until she got to know us and realized T was an idiot.
At first, I thought this was kinda funny, I mean, seriously, worshipping Harry Potter and putting voodoo hexes on people! But as the day went on, and I thought about it, I realized that what she said explained a LOT of things that had happened over the year and a half I worked in the store. Odd behaviour of new employees to myself and the manager, things overheard. I believe he not only told C this, but he must have been telling a lot of new employees this.
As I thought more about it, the angrier I got. I know I am no longer employed by this idiot, but I feel that he crossed a legal line in telling employees that I was dangerous and evil. I feel that he slandered me and damaged my reputation. I couldn't let it go unreported, so I called the care line and told them the story, C gave me permission to give her name as a witness, and also that I am considering legal action against the store manager, the district manager for not firing the guy for all the OTHER stuff people complained about, and the company itself for allowing this man to perpetuate a hostile workplace. I should mention that she also called the care line to report this issue and others that she is dealing with.
I left this job solely because of how this man treated me. He made it impossible for me to work there. Fortunately, I found a new job with people who appreciate me and provide a wonderful, encouraging environment. But I am still really really angry and I can't seem to let it go. I just want to do something, anything to feel better and I don't know what. When the problems were just between me and him, I just blew it off and ignored him, but to find out that he was lying to people about me really upsets me.
One other thing, I don't know if it would be right of me to tell the manager, a really nice woman, what her immediate superiour is telling people about her.
Thanks for listening, any suggestions would be appreciated, as would any legal advice.
