Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

  1. #1
    Senior Member theonewho's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2011
    Location
    that place called home
    Posts
    78
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 51 Times in 28 Posts
    My Mood
    Inspired

    Default I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    I just graduated a few months ago and thought i was lucky to land a job a few days after graduating. I had to sign a contract saying i would stay with the company for x amount of time or pay a penalty to leave early. I signed the contract after reading since the company is a well known one and have friends who work for them. Well a week or so after i started, issues started to arise. One of the male coworkers starting walking by me touching my butt, or smacking it with a newspaper. I informed him that this behavior was not acceptable. For a few days I was left alone. But then it has continued. My food was repeatly messed with or thown on floor, which has broken many food holders etc. I brushed it off as cattyiness. Another manager who helped with training, (she is female) has also been not professional to me, making comments that are innapropriate and insulting. I kept saying to myself, its because I am new blah blah blah. Well last week in the training my manager said something so out of line that i walked outside for ten minutes to regroup, went inside and told her I was leaving and needed to rethink working for this company. I didnt put notice in and I have never left a job on bad terms. Was I in the wrong for leaving how i did? I am so upset. I have danced for years and have never felt so violated as i did in those few months working for the job. Please i need some advice!!

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to theonewho For This Useful Post:


  3. #2
    Member
    Joined
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    62
    Thanks
    12
    Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    When I was in Chicago I walked off a job due to harrassment -- and it was tough, but TRUST me, there are other jobs out there. You won't be eating out a lot for a whle, but you *will* make it.

  4. #3
    God/dess LAChloe's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2007
    Location
    los angeles
    Posts
    2,107
    Thanks
    5,428
    Thanked 2,927 Times in 999 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Was there a Human Resources department at your place of employment?

  5. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to LAChloe For This Useful Post:


  6. #4
    God/dess shanna dior's Avatar
    Joined
    May 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    4,980
    Thanks
    621
    Thanked 6,894 Times in 2,672 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Quote Originally Posted by LAChloe View Post
    Was there a Human Resources department at your place of employment?
    This. The office is not a strip club - you can't just waltz into a room, say you've had enough, and quit. That's the best way to burn bridges and make career advancement incredibly difficult.

    I would recommend apologizing profusely to the manager you quit to, citing your lack of professional/office experience (you just graduated, so they might cut you some slack), and then calmly and rationally explaining your reasoning behind quitting. If there is an HR department, get in touch with them as well.

    As out of line as your colleagues have been, the way you quit was also out of line. I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted that penalty from you, honestly. But I think if you can take the high road, apologize for your reaction, and ask for your job back, it could seriously help. At the very least it'd make you look less bad in their eyes.

    In future - always go to HR or a higher up if no HR department exists, when issues like this arise. The company needs to know about problems to be able to solve them. From their perspective, you just threw a hissy fit in the middle of training and walked out - they don't know that you were being harassed.

    Quote Originally Posted by dancingdiva1 View Post
    You have a sexual harrassment lawsuit on your hands. Do you know how many attorneys would gladly take on your case free of charge? I would take the company to the cleaners if I was you.
    Possibly, but since there's no proof (documentation, going to HR), it's not going to be the easiest thing to prove - and the way the OP walked out certainly doesn't paint her in the best light either. Still, could be worth seeking some legal advice on!

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to shanna dior For This Useful Post:


  8. #5
    Senior Member theonewho's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2011
    Location
    that place called home
    Posts
    78
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 51 Times in 28 Posts
    My Mood
    Inspired

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    The craziest thing is when I called the manager to talk to him about what has been going on, he said he understood and he knew something has been going on for a few weeks. One of the other managers a few weeks ago i sat down and addressed what was going on and he pretty much blew off what i was saying. I know it was wrong for me to not give at least two weeks or a month notice, but since i was in training I felt like it would be wasteful to stay. Maybe I should call the owner and explain to him why i left the way i did. I do love the company i worked for just not the employees

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to theonewho For This Useful Post:


  10. #6
    God/dess
    Joined
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    7,964
    Thanks
    6,155
    Thanked 10,183 Times in 4,602 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    You have a legitimate reason to sue the company for sexual harassment.

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to eagle2 For This Useful Post:


  12. #7
    Moderator Miss_McKenna's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    1,892
    Thanks
    82
    Thanked 825 Times in 437 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Quote Originally Posted by dancingdiva1 View Post
    You have a sexual harrassment lawsuit on your hands. Do you know how many attorneys would gladly take on your case free of charge? I would take the company to the cleaners if I was you.
    THIS.

    I would write out a letter to your highest boss/HR Dept stating your reasons for leaving, including specific incidents etc, and how you felt you could no longer continue there for even a two-weeks-notice period due to the harassment. Send it certified so that there's a record of it arriving, and then take a day to call some lawyers in your city. I'm positive by the end of that day, you'll have a list of several lawyers who would love to take on and win your case. Many will probably offer that "no win, no fee" thing too. That would also have the benefit of making your claims seem legitimate to future employers. Having a sexual harassment case proven in court gives you a viable reason for leaving your last job, whereas if you do nothing, the last company might give you a bad reference for walking out and make it more difficult for you to get a new job.


  13. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Miss_McKenna For This Useful Post:


  14. #8
    Banned All Good Things's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    33
    Thanked 601 Times in 233 Posts
    My Mood
    Daring

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Quote Originally Posted by Miss_McKenna View Post
    I would write out a letter to your highest boss/HR Dept stating your reasons for leaving, including specific incidents etc, and how you felt you could no longer continue there for even a two-weeks-notice period due to the harassment. Send it certified so that there's a record of it arriving, and then take a day to call some lawyers in your city. I'm positive by the end of that day, you'll have a list of several lawyers who would love to take on and win your case. Many will probably offer that "no win, no fee" thing too. That would also have the benefit of making your claims seem legitimate to future employers. Having a sexual harassment case proven in court gives you a viable reason for leaving your last job, whereas if you do nothing, the last company might give you a bad reference for walking out and make it more difficult for you to get a new job.
    While I absolutely support the intent and objective behind what Miss McKenna has written out here, I would respectfully suggest a different order of tasks for you to take on.

    First, please ask yourself what your objective actually is. Do you want to get re-hired? Embarrass and humiliate the idiots who were bizarrely out of line? Sue the pants off a company that you admire but whose employees you hate?

    If your objective is the last one and you file an action, that could be expensive both in terms of money and time. It's worth keeping in mind that very few good attorneys take cases like this on contingency because of the immediate, up-front out-of-pocket expenses to them, which are real, and have to be paid by them whether or not they are successful. The damages awarded in the vast majority of cases like this are not enough to prompt attorneys to take the risk (the ones you see in the media are the huge and very rare exceptions.)

    The best advice in cases like this is to escalate your complaint within the company while keeping records of all interactions. Since you've quit, it leaves you with fewer options.

    I would strongly advise you against writing out details of your complaint and submitting it to your former employer. First, you don't yet know which actions were direct violations of the law or company policy or both, and hence which were actionable, so putting your version of events in writing gives the advantage to the company if you end up filing a legal suit.

    So the best advice is this: Always, always, always talk to the attorney first before you do anything else. Find out what options are available to you under the law or as a result of the company's own policies; which actions on the part of your employer were the most damaging to them -- these may in fact not be the ones you were most offended by -- and then follow the attorney's advice on how to proceed in terms of documenting whatever is not currently in writing.

    Your attorney can also advise you on what steps to take if your goal is to get re-hired and to seek redress within the company itself.

    Good luck with everything!

  15. #9
    God/dess Mr Hyde's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Tampa
    Posts
    4,035
    Thanks
    278
    Thanked 586 Times in 346 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    I hate to say this, but you messed up big time.

    You just walked out of the office in a huff and said "I quit?" In professional companies, you just don't do that.

    What you SHOULD have done is have gone to the HR department and spoken with someone there.

    Something about this story doesn't seem....all there....

  16. #10
    Senior Member theonewho's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2011
    Location
    that place called home
    Posts
    78
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 51 Times in 28 Posts
    My Mood
    Inspired

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    No i was very calm about it. My assistant manager in front of everyone told me i was written up because my haircut model didnt show up. Then she scolded me saying that i am not responsible etc. I went outside and was really upset almost in tears. Then i went back inside and pulled her aside and told her i thought it was unprofessional to say that to me in front of my other coworkers and other clients. She then proceded to raise her voice telling me i had no right to tell her that. I then told her if I was going to be treated in that manner that I needed to rethink working for the company and asked if I could go home. I told her I was going to call the head manager on my way home to talk with him about the situation. I am not sure exactly what else to include as i have pretty much told all that has happened. I know hair salons are a lot different than normal 9 to 5 jobs just with the sales aspect of it.

  17. #11
    Senior Member theonewho's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2011
    Location
    that place called home
    Posts
    78
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 51 Times in 28 Posts
    My Mood
    Inspired

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    I do not want my job back with the company, or to sue or anything. I just want them to know what has happened to me so it doesnt happen to someone else because it isnt right.

  18. #12
    Featured Member kandie_kitten's Avatar
    Joined
    May 2005
    Posts
    1,944
    Thanks
    164
    Thanked 498 Times in 218 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    The smacking you on the ass is harassment. The manager criticizing your work and calling you irresponsible is not. And quite frankly, you quitting like that made the manager look right, that was immensely irresponsible. You will be on the hook for that penalty.

    Your move should have been to go to HR. As it is, the best thing you can do now is to call HR, eat humble pie, apologize for your behavior, then explain the actual harassment-not the scolding you for being irresponsible. But you'll still be liable for the penalty.

  19. #13
    Member
    Joined
    Jan 2012
    Location
    East Bay, CA
    Posts
    53
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Quote Originally Posted by theonewho View Post
    I do not want my job back with the company, or to sue or anything. I just want them to know what has happened to me so it doesnt happen to someone else because it isnt right.
    While I can understand not wanting to get involved in a lawsuit, the best way you can make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else is to make as much noise as possible about this. Given what you've described, I'd say the culture has existed for a while and that other girls have been chased off who also didn't speak up. I don't know anything about employment at a hair salon, but you were definitely sexually harrassed.

    As others have said, you should have went to the HR representative as soon as the first incident occured and kept on escalating. Don't make excuses for the actions of others. You don't need random internet stranger to tell you the world is a cold, cold place. Companies take harrassment claims extremely seriously because of the lawsuit liabilities.

    I don't know if you called the manager yet, but it really sounds like you threw a fit and walked out for the day, but not necessarily off the job. When you do call the manager, I would definitely tell him about the harrassment. At any respectable company, they have to investigate. At the same time, you need to document that you reported it. If you do call him and he indicates you quit and owe the penalty, you'll probably need to follow All Good Things advice and line of reasoning.

    As for your original question, you left inappropriately. I think we all dream about walking off a job at the worst possible moment for your company to prove your worth and telling your boss to shove it, but there's a reason its a dream. It should never happen. You're young, emotional and under stress, but that doesn't excuse your actions and won't excuse them in the future. While we can tell in your mind that the reason you're leaving is interconnected with the harrassment, others won't see it that way. A calm meeting with a formal letter of resignation date that is 2 weeks out is generally the industry-accepted way to leave a position.

  20. #14
    God/dess Trem's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    2,958
    Thanks
    1,714
    Thanked 3,253 Times in 1,343 Posts
    My Mood
    Angelic

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Quote Originally Posted by theonewho View Post
    I do not want my job back with the company, or to sue or anything. I just want them to know what has happened to me so it doesnt happen to someone else because it isnt right.
    If there are no repercussions for that kind of behavior then it is pretty much guaranteed to happen again. You want it to stop happening then sue the fuck out of them, hell the second someone touched your ass in a work place you should have marched straight to a lawyer.
    "Well done. Here are the test results: You are a horrible person. I'm serious, that's what it says: 'A horrible person.' We weren't even testing for that."

  21. #15
    Banned
    Joined
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    11,037
    Thanks
    1,891
    Thanked 5,124 Times in 3,086 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    First off what you encountered with the manager smacking your ass is harassment. However, I'm not saying you did this, but sometimes new employees dress inappropriately or do something that will cause coworkers to feel this way. I only say that because it seems like a few people hated you which makes me wonder. If however you were not to blame (and I'm sure you were not)HR would have been a good choice and if not them, I would have gone to EEOC.

    However, walking out without 2 weeks notice wasn't good, but since I've done it myself I can't blame you for having had enough. This might though be a big issue if you were able to sue because they could say you were to blame.

    Being a hair salon though I'm sure you will find something better for you but next time make sure to take notes on anything that you feel is wrong.

  22. #16
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Regardless of the right or wrong of this particular situation, the facts are that virtually every incident involved a 'he said, she said' situation with hard evidence being severely lacking. In combination with your 'walking out' without giving notice, and without discussing any of the details of the situation with corporate HR, it is unfortunate but likely that any official review will probably give heavy weight to 'he said' and very little weight to 'she said'.

    From a real world standpoint, under the circumstances perhaps the best move is to simply try to forget this entire incident and move forward ... which unfortunately may now be hindered by a bad reference from this former employer.

  23. #17
    Member
    Joined
    May 2012
    Posts
    66
    Thanks
    40
    Thanked 55 Times in 30 Posts

    Default Re: I quit my day job bc of harassment...what to do

    Report everything to HR person AND head of the company thru email. Dates, times, specific incidences. Ask for a copy back and also ask for a copy of the companies sexual harrassment policy. This may get their attention.

Similar Threads

  1. I quit my day job... Should i dance again?
    By spartaca in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 12-07-2008, 05:56 PM
  2. So, I quit my job
    By AudreyLeigh in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 31
    Last Post: 03-07-2008, 02:56 PM
  3. quit day job to dance?
    By kmm79 in forum Stripping (was Stripping General)
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 07-25-2007, 04:50 AM
  4. The Best Way to Quit A Job
    By Prester_John in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 03-17-2007, 03:16 AM
  5. should I quit my day job?
    By Emily in forum Dollar Den
    Replies: 44
    Last Post: 03-28-2005, 11:59 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •