Workplace Harassment forced me to resign

[Drgnfy13]

Hello,

I just don't know what to do, I'm hoping someone out there has been in a similar situation and can lend me advice.

I have just resigned from my job. I lost a pension, matched 401K, my health benefits, top pay hands down and a job I love, well used to love anyway.

I was experiencing blatant harassment and witness to favoritism in 2016. All began when there was a overhaul in Management and our director of the Home Health Agency "resigned' and there was a shift with the new Clinical Director who came in from another field office.

Everything went down from there. It got so bad that I went out on Stress Leave to avoid a complete mental breakdown. Yes we were unionized and yes I worked with my union rep.

But in the end, the intimidation by Management and a couple coworkers got the better of me and I took the easy way out.

Now my old coworker is experiencing the very same treatment I did and I feel that I need to do something.

I'm no longer an employee, just resigned on Monday of this week. I have written proof of some of the harassment as well as detailed descriptions of what occurred and when. Most of which was never formally revealed to Management or upper management

Does anyone know if I have a leg to stand on at this juncture if for nothing else but to support my coworker and keep her from having the same fate?

FYI- I worked for a very large Corp, with a lot of money and known to not support their nurses.

thank you in advance,

Rnpeds13

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Talk to your friend. Does she want to pursue it? If so, let her know that you are willing to testify your experience and give her your documentation.

[DeeAngel]

Why? Workplace harassment is wrong and turning a blind eye allows abuse to continue. If the employees before me had spoken up and resisted the intimidation (and their were several) then maybe this wouldn't have happened to me. maybe wont happen to you in your career..

what happened to nurses standing together?

If you are still so unhappy then hire a lawyer and sue for hostile work environment. Do that or let it go.

[Daisy4RN]

I don't think there is much you can do to change a workplace that is hostile, or shows favoritism or harassment. It usually is not going to work well for an employee to attempt to confront and change unless it is very severe and you have very good documentation, not usually worth the effort. I would concentrate my energy/efforts in getting a new job. It is nice that you want to try to help your former coworker but she/he will be in the same boat you were. Also, you need the reference of your former employer so I don't know that causing problems for them is the right way to go.

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

If this has happened to a few of the nurses, maybe you can group together with an attorney and see if there is any legal things to be done.

Otherwise, let it go. I know it sucks, and it is still raw and real, but there are better places out there. I too once worked for a magnet hospital, high profile, best of the best hospitals, and thought it was my dream job, (mega bucks, great benefits), only to have management treat nurses horribly. I quit and that stung for a while, but I am over now and so much better for it. You will be too.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Why? Workplace harassment is wrong and turning a blind eye allows abuse to continue. If the employees before me had spoken up and resisted the intimidation (and their were several) then maybe this wouldn't have happened to me. maybe wont happen to you in your career..

what happened to nurses standing together?

Quoting from you:

But in the end, the intimidation by Management and a couple coworkers got the better of me and I took the easy way out.

You didn't stand up for yourself, and I see no indication that you reported anything, but you're digging in for a former coworker after you left the agency? This makes no sense to me at all. I also did not see any specific examples of what you are calling harassment, only your statement that it happened. There was a change in management and a change in direction for your agency. With it, I am sure that it brought some different ways of doing things. That in and of itself does not constitute harassment. As an upper level manager I am sensitive to allegations like this, because I have seen people allege harassment when all that happened was that they were reminded to adhere to newly-changed policies and procedures, or they were counseled about making mistakes.

I don't see how you can make a case for harassment when you left willingly on your own. You gave no indication that anyone forced you out, or that you ever reported anything to your employer - only that you got tired of the situation and left.

I also understand your intention in printing the poem, but making a parallel between a workplace situation and the Holocaust is so far over the top that I don't even know where to start.

[RNperdiem, RN]

What if you reframed this like a bad relationship. You got out of a bad relationship to save your mental health. Leaving this unhealthy relationship which involved intimidation cost you something financially but the stress was getting to you.

You can't change a person.

If this was a bad breakup, you won't get the other person to admit wrong, change their ways or offer an apology.

You can vote with your feet and walk away.

Is this fair? No, but resentment is drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

If you are still so unhappy then hire a lawyer and sue for hostile work environment. Do that or let it go.

Exactly. OP made an emotional decision. She still has plenty of recourse. The right attorney CAN get her damages and get that corporate machine thinking.

[Wuzzie]

If you are still so unhappy then hire a lawyer and sue for hostile work environment. Do that or let it go.

There's a common misconception about "hostile" work environments. Unless one is in a protected class (the list is quite short) and the abuse was related to that which makes one "protected" there is absolutely no legal grounds for suing anybody or any entity. You can't sue someone for being mean and making your life miserable. You could probably find some dirt-bag lawyer to take the case but you'll never win.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

You should have stayed and fought on the harassing soil.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

There's a common misconception about "hostile" work environments. Unless one is in a protected class (the list is quite short) and the abuse was related to that which makes one "protected" there is absolutely no legal grounds for suing anybody or any entity

Not completely correct:

Can an RN sue her nurse manager for defamation? | Nurse.com Blog

(please note that is is not some money-hungry lawyer blog but a place which provides CE for RNs).

I do not say that it is easy thing to do. But, yes, under certain circumstances defamation can be made into legal case.

[Wuzzie]

Not completely correct:

Can an RN sue her nurse manager for defamation? | Nurse.com Blog

(please note that is is not some money-hungry lawyer blog but a place which provides CE for RNs).

I do not say that it is easy thing to do. But, yes, under certain circumstances defamation can be made into legal case.

Yes if the behavior met the legal definition of defamation of course you would have a case, but you cannot sue someone for playing favorites or being mean because it becomes a she said/she said situation. It's extremely difficult and expensive to prove. We have no details as to what exactly constituted the harassment the OP complained about but I don't believe defamation was mentioned. I was in a horrible employment situation once but there was nothing I could legally do because I am not in a protected class and it was not sexual. Trust me I investigated this subject thoroughly.

"Legally speaking, harassment is a form of discrimination. It is illegal only if it is based on one of the characteristics protected by federal or state antidiscrimination laws. Under federal law, these characteristics include race, color, national origin, gender, pregnancy, religion, disability, age (over 40), and genetic information. State law often protects additional traits, such as gender identity, marital status, and sexual orientation.

If your boss was singling out only women or Latinos for the screaming treatment, that might constitute harassment. However, a boss who yells at everyone -- what you might call an "equal opportunity harasser" -- is not discriminating against a particular group. Being a jerk isn't against the law. Inappropriate workplace behavior crosses the line into harassment only if it is based on a protected trait."

[JKL33]

Again, I apologize for the misinterpretation of the my reference to the poem.

Of course my situation is nothing like Holocaust survivors, that's simply ridiculous not to mention deplorable.

Please understand that I was referring to the general/broader message as I read it-

that if you wait for wrong doing to become personal before you speak up then you will find yourself all alone with no one to stand up or speak up for you.

That's all I meant by posting the poem.

Your right, you do not know me and your assumptions about my motives as well as my character couldn't be further from the truth.

I don't seek revenge, that's not in my nature just as neither is seeking or creating Drama.

I experienced a wrong doing, I stood up and fought. I lost. Instead of getting back up again for round 3, I opted to step down for personal reasons including self care.

In hindsight now that I see the same wrong doing happening to another, I feel terrible that I didn't fight harder and stay, but I can't do anything About that except try to see if I can be of support from where I am now.

I mistakenly thought I could come here to the nurses forum and get some advice from fellow nurses.

Thank you for your thoughts

Replying to what I believe is your reply to me. I actually did not make any assumptions about you, and if you re-read you will see that I tried to choose words carefully in order to indicate that I wasn't trying to make any judgments about your character. Some of your portrayal about the situation made me wonder about a couple of things, and that's exactly what I wrote.

Secondly, I brought up the idea of asking yourself whether revenge is any part of your desire to become re-involved ONLY because I think it's truly a worthy question we all should ask ourselves when in a situation where we might naturally feel resentment. I have asked myself the same question in smaller matters; it's part of personal growth and learning how to make wise choices in difficult and personally-hurtful situations. If you took my words to mean that I was accusing you of being a generally vengeful person, that is truly unfortunate and I would still advise examining the issue.

For what it's worth at this point, from what you have told us here I don't fault you ONE BIT for resigning. Sometimes it is the only way an abusive situation will cease. The question is, what is the best way for you to recover and grow from this? That's an important question and it's the only reason I was asking about revenge, conflict management etc. Although we all have our opinions about whether you can or should help your friend, only you can answer.

Best wishes ~