Posted on 03/10/2021 3:05:39 PM PST by BenLurkin
According to the recent lawsuit, the seminar held by Alive Seminars in 2019 “quickly devolved into psychological abuse,” with instructors yelling and belittling attendees.
Cellphone use was prohibited, there was no clock in the room, and the doors and windows were covered with black cloth during the seminar...
One activity required participants to pretend they were on a sinking ship, where only four would survive.
On July 13, the seminar’s third day, Spargifiore was made to strip down to her underwear in front of strangers and coworkers as part of what was billed as a trust-building exercise...
... taking turns yelling about “their inner struggles until everyone else in the group ‘believed’ them,”...
By that afternoon, Spargifiore had had enough and called her mother to pick her up...
Ramirez described the seminar as “really traumatic,” with people vomiting “left and right.”
“That’s the kind of thing that happened because of tremendous psychological pressure,” he added.
Panda Restaurant Group, the chain’s parent company, said in a statement it was taking the allegations “very seriously” and conducting an investigation.
The company said that it had no ownership stake in Alive Seminars and had never required employees to participate in the workshops or used them as an ultimatum for promotion.
Spargifiore is also the sole named plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Panda Restaurant Group, filed in December 2019.
Kitty Szeto, a plaintiffs’ attorney in the class action, said the Alive seminars were required to advance in the company.
“You had to do the training and basically, if you survived it, you would be considered for a promotion,” she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
How does one get forced to strip at a meeting?
I would taught her to say NO, and walk out.
After the fact.............
What if you were related to this young woman in some way? Would you still be proud of mocking? Let’s hope she’s not a Freeper.
Some of the activities might have some merit, but there’s no way intimidating people to remove clothing and hug each other in an undressed state (while being recorded) makes any sense at all, unless the recordings were going to be used as blackmail or to be sold to porn sites. All of the participants should’ve balked at that and stormed the door to get out, but fear of losing a job can be a strong incentive to do stupid things. I can see why the event-holders took the cell phones.
I believe it. I’ve known people in cults who were subjected to hellish seminars like this, it can really screw you up!
I believe her. Some well known companies still do crazy stuff.
She did eventually say no mas. You apparently do not understand the agenda of peer pressure whcihshe was under, by design of the twisted seminar leadership.
Last time I dined at Panda Express, they specifically asked me not to remove any clothing.
Was she wearing her mask?
Was she allowed to take a leak?
Article says she was “made to” or “forced to” do disrobe. Words have meaning, and those imply the employee had no choice in the matter. So what sort of force was used?
In any event, the idiots who ran this program deserve having to pay big damages, no matter how weak the “force”. What in heck were they thinking?
A co-worker tried to get me to sign up for EST. Sounded intriguing, but I said no. THANK GOD.
General Cho, maybe, but NOT General Tsao.
Did she have to apologize for being white? Kneel before anyone?
Would you say the EST seminars in the show “The Americans” are an accurate portrayal?
I understand it, but would simply walk out and get another job.
Before the fact.
She would have left BEFORE it happened, and I’d sue the living shit out of the company. Count on it.
Let’s say your daughter did NOT leave BEFORE it happened...
Would you call your daughter an idiot as you did this girl???
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