Okay, I am going to step in and tell you what I'm going through. Trust me, this is not easy for me to speak about so bear with me.
My cell phone charger was taken off my desk and I was going to charge it as I worked up at the front desk. I was expecting a call from my doctor but had only vibrate on. No problem but my new office manager stated "no cell phones on the desk" although my was hidden, I was expecting that call and couldn't just leave my desk to take the call. I wasn't going to discuss my medication over the other phone so I hid my cell phone where no one could see it if it were on my desk. However, I told my manager that I was expecting this call and they could call any time as my meds were changing.
I got an email from the office manager and she closed the door to the room. She yelled and screamed at me and then THREW my charger at me, hitting me in the chest saying I wasn't supposed to have this at my desk, blah blah blah. To say the least, I was horrified and the first call was to the ombudsman and I skipped HR here (they kiss you know what) and guess what? She was reprimanded (if you can call it that) by getting a promotion while I was taken from my front desk to the middle of the office to be ignored. Many assignments were taken from me and no one comes to visit with me to this day.
Oh it gets worse. I told HR that I went through a workplace violence issue 13 years ago where two of my best friends were shot to death, one was videotaped being shot in the head on TV with a 9 mm while the man's wife held the camera. Unfortunately, a workplace violence seminar came up and we ALL had to go no matter what unless it was work related and you were not going to be in the office. HR KNEW THIS but yet I still had to go and boy, the triggers hit me like wrecking ball!! I kept asking the speaker questions on why our office doesn't have the proper entry points as anyone could walk in and shoot everyone, why this and that as I was a former security guard. Worse yet, I felt that the whole issue with my office manager was not dealt with as that was workplace violence. I asked about workplace violence to the speaker, who to me has never been through such things like I have, and I guess the upper management took offense that I said something about the charger incident.
I got written up.
I got written up for 1) calling upper management incompetent (WRONG), 2) poor work performance, and 3) disruptive during a meeting. I got a 6 month probation because of this and well, I went to the EEOC and filed a discrimination report along with a harassment, slander, and God knows whatever else is going on. I mean, they KNEW I went through the workplace violence issue but said NOTHING about this to upper management and I am NOT going to question upper management on whether or not not to go to a seminar because of this. The investigator should call me sometime this week or next and everyone is going to interviewed, files are going to be investigated, and people are going to be in deep doo-doo because of this.
I fought back because they were wrong. The triggers from the shootings were brought back and I have a memorial in my office for my friend Nik who was shot in the head. He was a beautiful soul. Trust me, you can do this. If I can, you can. You be honest, you bring your proof, you bring your facts, and you bring up the fact that since you had to be placed on this leave, you are requesting back pay due to her negligence and her treatment of you. Make sure that you protect yourself like I did.
Everyone is going to be interviewing, not just me. People are going to say something now because the workplace I work now is horrid to say the least. Be pleasant, be cordial but hold something in your hand to keep the triggers from getting worse. You can do this....
