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

[DnCali]

Move on. It is not worth the time or energy.

[nursecolley, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN, EMT-P]

I'm reading this thread with great interest. I have been in this situation before and am in it now. I have put too many years in to just up and leave. At the previous employment, I spoke with the 'higher-ups', and it sounded like I could ask for my job back. Would the harassment end? Probably not, so I didn't ask to return. Now it's happening again. My manager is making up issues and complaining about inconsequential things. She sends me notices of job openings in other sectors. Do I complain, or not? Will she be told to stop? Doubtful, and the resentment would grow enormously.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but for all newbies....is there really a recourse, and at what stage do you find it?

The OP needs to hang on to her information and offer a copy to her friend to show it's not specific to whom is harassed, and will show a pattern. (It was offered to me after I left the previous job.)

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

Is rare to find a decent place to work these days. Most places have been infected with a ruthless and only see money kind of management. Welcome to corporate nursing. Leave and don't look back, there are other places but you might have to take a pay cut.

[Lindalamb8, CNA, EMT-B]

I can so relate to your situation. I was hired as an LNA on the med-surg unit with absolutely NO experience. I got the royal treatment from day one. I was accused of spending too much time on my cell and not enough time with the patients. I didn't even own a cell at the time!! I was using the hospital phone that all staff was required to carry during the shift. I was called into the unit director and she gave me my first warning. Even after trying to defend myself she took the word of the staff over me. And things went downhill from there. The third shift charge nurse would yell at me for the dumbest things like calling her by her name, which she hated. She preferred to use a nickname. Give me a break!! One time she called me into the break room and also called 2 RN's in to witness the reprimand even though they had nothing to do with the reason for the meeting. I reported her to the unit director and never got an apology or anything close to it. I was told by the unit director that many of the patients complained about me but yet I never got that impression from any of the patients. I had conversations with them, I encouraged them, I consoled them. Nobody on the staff ever approached me to tell me that certain patients did not want me to care for them. The patients were always very nice to me and I to them. I was forewarned not to take the job as that unit had a reputation. I was hoping that the the warnings were exaggerated because it was the only job offer that I had. I have found out that there is a ton of politics that goes on no matter where you work and if you don't fit in from the get go, it's not going to happen at all. Considering that I had no experience going into that job, I think I was a damn good worker and was picking up the routine quickly. But my best was not going to be good enough for these people. So I am not at all sure that based on my experience that I would be willing to recommend a hospital job. It's just too bad that people have to be like this!!!!

[I love my cat!]

I'm so sorry you experienced such a toxic workplace. You did exactly what that workplace wanted---you quit. Then, they owe you nothing. Mind you, in an at-will state, you can be fired for just about anything (except for reasons that are against federal law).

Anyway, I don't really have much to add, but this bit of advice: ALWAYS keep a journal of every shift. I learned this the hard way when there was relentless bullying and harassment in my old place of employment. When we (there were a few of us as 'targets') were approached by management and asked for specific dates, times, co-workers involved, etc., I really couldn't remember many of the details to make a strong case.

I now keep notes on everything.

[LoriLu2010]

I had the same thing happen...6mos before tenured benefits.It happened to a couple if empliyees,So stressful!Im glad to be out of that hell hole!Thats the game now so they dont have to pay benefits..Just be glad to be out of there and move on..

[Lindalamb8, CNA, EMT-B]

I did keep notes but it never seemed to matter to the unit director. I worked in a hospital on the med/surg unit. More specifically the ortho unit. Lots of hip and knee replacements. It was the according to the entire hospital staff, the worst unit to work for. But again I have to go back to the fact that it was the only unit that would hire me to be able to get even minimal experience. There was a ton of hazing from the get go and some of the RN's even admitted to it. I tried to apply to other units but was told by HR that I could not because I had a written warning and that, according to HR, prevented me from trying for another position in that hospital. I gave that job everything I had. I even stayed, off the clock to help co-workers and patients. All for not!!! As a new LNA I should have listened to the people telling me NOT to take the job. I got canned because I didn't fit in or play the game. I should have stayed as a transporter!!!!

[wrst]

Sorry to hear you went through this. I would say consult a lawyer (yea it is pricey). but I hope you'll eventually hear from one of the members with lived experience, or who can recommend a good lawyer that he/she had already hired for same reason. Also, I wish you the best in finding a new job that you love and will give you peace of mind and happiness.

You can withdraw your 401K, or keep it and let it grow or roll it into Roth IRA (I am not familiar with Roth but I heard that's a great avenue...pls don't follow my advise without consulting a reliable financial advisor). Your retirement, I think you will start getting it once u reach the "retirement age" -- again, pls consult the experts on retirement pay.

[Wuzzie]

I don't understand why everyone keeps telling the OP to contact a lawyer. We have absolutely no idea what exactly happened. We don't know the details of the situation. The OP didn't give us even a hint of the behaviors she endure other than "favoritism" and that, in itself, is pretty nebulous. It could be a case of sour grapes after all. This could be a case of someone blowing things out of proportion or it could be a systematic, egregious mental beat-down. We don't know and she clearly isn't going to come back and expand on her experience. Lawyers are expensive. Most charge for consultations. The ones that don't can be a little sketchy and likely would end up taking most if not all her winnings. I'm not sure personal satisfaction would be worth the fight and we all know that all it will do is make her previous employer be more careful on how they harass their employees if indeed it happened at all. Personally I think the OP should cut her losses and find a place that makes her happy and keep her nose out of her friend's business other than to be supportive. Making trouble for her ex-employer very likely will not end well for her.

[Lindalamb8, CNA, EMT-B]

I have one question just for my own peace of mind. Is it at all possible for the unit director to call me on multiple patient complaints when at the same time I am actually tending to these same patients in their rooms with absolutely no signs of the patients being dissatisfied with my performance or that they are in any way not comfortable with me?? How is it that I was still able to care for these patients, have a friendly rapport with them, make them feel comfortable? How is it that none of the staff ever told me that the patients "did not want me in their rooms"? Am I missing something???

[LetLoveNReasonUnite]

I am so sorry you went through this experience OP. You had to do what was right for your mental health and get out of there.

I definitely see what you were getting at by referencing the Holocaust poem. You have a desire to stand up for your friends and not let others suffer as you have suffered.

Workplace harassment is a really serious issue, and I commend you for wanting to do something now to fight it. I have experienced workplace violence myself and believe in fighting against it. Areas where workplace harassment runs rampant, are the most unsafe in my opinion. It's worth fighting against.

I would continue to consult with your union, to see if anything else can be done. I would consult with a lawyer (I have ones in my city that will from time to time offer free legal consultations - perhaps you have lawyers in your city who would do the same), as they would be the best ones to tell you if you had a leg to stand on, so to speak.

Also, my province (New Brunswick, Canada) is currently working on incorporating workplace harassment into it's occupational health and safety act. Perhaps there is something you could do to get involved in helping push legislation forward to fight workplace harassment.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I have one question just for my own peace of mind. Is it at all possible for the unit director to call me on multiple patient complaints when at the same time I am actually tending to these same patients in their rooms with absolutely no signs of the patients being dissatisfied with my performance or that they are in any way not comfortable with me?? How is it that I was still able to care for these patients, have a friendly rapport with them, make them feel comfortable? How is it that none of the staff ever told me that the patients "did not want me in their rooms"? Am I missing something???

It's the oldest one in the book, to claim that "several people complained about you". The most proactive way to deal with any criticism is to ask for more information. If there's any basis to it, you can learn from it. If it's BS, they'll have nothing to tell you. And hopefully leave you alone for five minutes.