Abuse at last job.

[Freddyt]

Having realized that there was a fair amount of abuse at my last job, especially at the end. My T and I did some work in my last session and I have recovered some memories of how horribly I was treated at the end. I realize now I was very deeply affected by my PTSD at that time. Really pretty much the last year I was so affected it finally drove me to look for other answers for what was wrong.

At the end they extended benefits and pay if I would sign an agreement not to take legal action against them. I now realize that is pretty much toilet paper as there is no way I could understand it at the time. Knowing what I do about legal stuff I at least realized that no matter what I signed I can still go after them for anything they did illegally.

So where to next? Write a letter to their HR department first? Talk to my local human rights group?

Anybody else dealt with this?

 

[somerandomguy]

Don't deal with their HR. They're not on your side; they're there to protect the company, not you. If it was me I'd find an employment lawyer and go over my options with them.

 

[whiteraven]

I'm sorry you have had to deal with this. I'm not sure what kind of abuse you had to endure - it only matters, I think, in how yand if you plan to go forward with legal action.

I endured psychological abuse at my last job which resulted in an extreme exacerbation of my PTSD and my neurological issues. I ended up quitting because I knew if I didn't, I would end up either killing myself or dying from the physical issues.

What would you benefit from pursuing action? I think one of the things to consider is how it would affect you; legal (or other) action against an employer is often long and drawn out and creates a lot of havoc in the life of the employee. I could have pursued legal action - some of what my employer did was illegal - and, in fact, could have pursued legal action against the job before this one (both committed federal offenses), but after considering all it would mean to me and my life, I decided to let it go.

Was that easy? No, not at all. But...I am in a MUCH better place because of it.

I agree with @somerandomguy about getting an employment attorney if you decide to pursue it.

 

[Freddyt]

Don't deal with their HR. They're not on your side; they're there to protect the company, not you. If it was me I'd find an employment lawyer and go over my options with them.

That's what I was thinking. Thank god mom used to be a legal secretary - lots of ties to that community already.

I'm going to bet the very best way through may actually be with the local human rights commission. Here in Canada they have been all over employers for dismissing employees with PTSD. Once they cite them for a violation it's just a negotiation. Mind you laws on lawsuits are way different here. There's a thing called cost of court and at any point from discovery on if you are on the winning side you can move for costs and the other party has to pay your lawyer bills. It really cuts down on frivolous lawsuits

It's all just a little much at the moment as there is more crap going on in my life than that. What sucks is I can't say anything until its over. It has to do with my dads estate and trust me when the story breaks it will be big - really, really big. From whats been happening in the last week it looks like its near endgame.