Posted on 12/03/2005 7:34:34 AM PST by aikido2kyu
Wanting to know if there are legal actions I can take.
To give you a little background first, my coworker and I are software engineers, contracting through an agency to a very large company in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Coworker and I sit by the doorway into the hallway. It gets very very loud at times in the hallway with people talking and laughing.
There are times that Coworker and I cannot hear someone on the phone because it is that loud. We can't even talk to each other.
Coworker sent out an email asking if he and I could be moved away from the doorway. We haven't heard anything, so Mike printed up a couple of signs that said "Quiet please...people at work"
This afternoon, some guy that Coworker and I have never seen before comes over to the signs, and very angrily starts to tear the signs off. He comes over to us, stops at Coworker's desk, and asked, "Did you put these up?" Coworker says yes, he did, and starts to explain to this guy why he did it.
The guy interupts Coworker and says, "Don't do this again, we don't do these things here" in a very threatening tone of voice, while waving the signs in Coworker's face. Coworker again tries to explain that he sent out an email, that it gets loud, and the guy says "who gets loud?"
I answer him by saying "anyone who is standing by the doorway talking gets loud". The whole time, I just sat in my chair, and this sentance is the only thing I said.
Then Coworker again starts to tell him that the signs are just so that people realize that we are working and to try and keep it down. The guy then repeats, angrily, "talk to your supervisor about it, don't do this again, we don't do this here" He then walks away.
A few of the people around us come over and said things like, "oh my god, I can't believe how that guy acted."
About 20 minutes later, our Supervisor walks over and says, "I heard you had a confrontation". Coworker tells him what happened. Our Supervisor says that the guy is the head of security, told us that he had a bad temper, and that he was informed to get our badges and escort us out of the building.
I asked, "for tomorrow, or for good?" Our Supervisor said for good. He then said that he was going to have a meeting tomorrow after this guy had a chance to calm down to talk to him. He said that Coworker and I were doing good and important work for them, and that he would try to get us back on. I then left. This head of security treated us like children being scolded, never said who he was, and treated us in the most unprofessional manner that I've ever been treated.
The meeting was held, and the company said no, we can't come back to work.
Maybe you're better off not working in a company with a jackbooted thug as the chief of security. It sounds like his own company is scared of him. If you were reinstated you can bet the guy would make it his mission to make your lives miserable.
Your agency would have to be the one to do it as they are the one's who actually have a contract with the company. Your contract is with the agency.
But I am not a lawyer nor did I stay at a holiday inn last night.
In general, unless your employment is pursuant to a contract with the employer, or you are represented by a union, you can be terminated for any reason or no reason at all.
It sounds as if you were hired by a stupid company and fired by a stupid company. Stupid companies eventually go out of business because capitalism does not reward stupidity.
I would have first tried active noise-cancelling headsets.
Listen to silence or tunes most of the time, and phone
calls as they arise.
I've worked where such signs are allowed, and had a cube
right outside the cafeteria - the signs don't work, and
are hardly worth losing your job over.
You are contracted / temp workers .... they can get rid of you because they do not like the color of your tie.
Seek an attorney. Even if you are re-hired, would you want to work in such a violent and threatening environment?
Your better off..Agreed. What a jackass company.
I hope you have other opportunities available.
I certainly wouldn't want to work for jerks like you describe. Say good riddance and move on. Good luck.
Thanks for the replies. I already have 3 interviews set up for next week. I've been contracting for a few years now, and know the drill. Was just curious to see if there was any legal action I could take.
OK here is what I would do, File an EEOC complaint Sue the Company for not providing you with a proper work environment AND go towork for a Proper Software Company.
Usually, it is your supervisor that fires you, and SECURITY escorts you out.
Your company has security fire you, and the supervisor takes your badges?
You and your co-worker are lucky to be out of there. You could talk with a lawyer about suing, but if you were not a bona fide employee I doubt there is much that can be done. Count your blessings, something better will come along. Crazy people are to be avoided at all costs.
Then the super is a chicken you know what and not a super.
You obviously haven't worked for some of the people I've worked for.
Should have got your TPR reports in on time.....
In the future, assess carefully whether you can work where they want to put you. If it will be too noisy, say so and insist on better placement. Once you sit down and accept bad conditions, you have given up most of your power and redress is very difficult.
You have no recourse. Ohio is a Right-To-Work state, which means you can be fired for any reason, or no reason at all - same is true on the flip side - you can walk out for any reason, or no reason at all.
You're better off - really. I used to work for an insurance broker in the Akron, OH area that was completely INSANE. Screamed at the employees over the intercom, brought his 15 little ankle-biting dogs to work with him every day, threw temper-tantrums on a regular basis, threatened his employees on a regular basis, screwed his employees out of promised raises and pay, etc...... Working there was a nightmare. Bottom line was that, short of suing him for "holstil work enviornment" in a civil suit, noting could be done about the way the company was run. Not even Dept of Labor or OSHA had an impact or recourse (impotent beurocrats - all of them).
The best thing I ever did was find another job and walk out on the boss. I left him "high and dry". Not to worry though, I won't need him for a reference. I have been with my new company for over a year, now, and life is great!
Moral - when things start getting bad, get out. You can't change things. Inevitable, if the behavior is detrimental to the company, someonw will develop the backbone, or common sense to weed out the stupidity.
I'd spend the money to take out a half page ad to explain your situation.
I'd bet that Security thug was one of the recent loud mouths in the hallway, and that's why he asked "who was talking loud".
In the ad, name the company, the content of the sign, the actions of the security thug (don't use his name), and the fact of your termination, along with an editorial such as, "Who'd want to work for these clowns?"
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