Posted: 4/22/2004 10:57:38 AM EDT
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I've been hanging around these boards for months, but just have not yet posted ... so, I guess this is my first post. Anyways, I found out first hand this last week how paranoid some corporations are, especially the one I work at. Without any specifics, I work for a large corporation as a computer tech, and I laugh now, but I almost lost my job last week over some gross paranioa. The offense that I commited? I brought a scope in because a friend at work was going to buy it from me. That's right, a scope. Now usually you have to actually break a rule before you find yourself in the hotseat ... but I guess my scope was super extra evil looking. After being pulled into my boss' office he informed me that he was concerned about "discussions about firearms" and wanted to know why I was bringing in "gun accessories" into work. I reminded my boss that I broke no rules, as the rule book only states that I am prohibited from bringing in "dangerous materials, which include firearms or explosives". I let him know that A: my scope is not explosive B: is not a component of the gun if it's not attached to it, because in reality, I guess you could use it to birdwatch and other things. My boss then went on to say that if I had brought in an Afghan rug that I knitted at home that it would be a different story and that because of "the seriousness of the situation" that I was going to have a statement made up and inserted in my file, after I signed it of course. Well, that kind of pissed me off, not only because I have never talked about firearms in a manner which would be considered harassing, but because instead of coming up and talking to me he decided to start right off with a paper trail. Turns out someone here just does'nt like me, and decided he would try to get me in trouble or something (I know he was'nt offended by the scope, he is former military). Pretty lame to run to your boss and bitch because someone has a scope in a case at his desk. So after cooling down for a few days, I wrote a nice little letter up to the corporate HR department spelling out what happened and how I am prepared to get an attorney if they want to try to force me to sign anything stating guilt to breaking a rule that does'nt exsist. They have pretty much just left me along this week. They did make up a statement, but it pretty vague and I have a whole page to comment on my own on it. I still have'nt signed anything ... Lol, it was just my luck ... but I'm a good sport, so, yesterday, I decided to be extra productive and made this little flash animation and sent it around the building. binary-freedom.org/flash/scope.html In other words ... The peeps at my job really need to relax. |
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The sad fact today is that many employers are looking to whack staff rather than lay them off. If your company is struggling, there may be a management policy of 'get'em while you can' to reduce the size or even prevent staff cuts. This is extra serious if you have been targeted by a powerful person. This sometimes will get them into the wrongful termination legal area, but you have not been fired...yet. I suspect they will say that you bringing an 'optical gunsight' to work contributed to a hostile work environment, and was worthy of a written warning. You've got to be a dudly-do-right from now on... |
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I am definitly on some Sh*tlists right now because of the situation, but other then that I had never been written up here ... I even, a week before, developed a tool for the company that helps out some of the folks here a ton ... I just thought it was crazy, that despite all the extra stuff I do here, that they were so hellbent on nailing me on something so assnine. |
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Is this Xerox!? This sounds just like the crap that goes on at Xerox. The problem is, places like that are overrun by a bunch of girls.(I am not talking about women either) These pussy corportations are run by and for pussies. Fuck'em in the ear with a mattocks handle! Bilster |
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What insanity! An assemblage of aluminum tubing and ground glass is getting you written up. There is NO WAY IN HELL that I would sign such a document. You're admitting wrongdoing when you DID NOTHING WRONG. I'd flat out refuse to sign. What's the worst that can happen? They can fire you? Well, they can do that with ease ONCE YOU'VE SIGNED THE DOCUMENT or they can find any number of reasons (real and created) to get rid of you if that's the goal. Fuck them. If you don't have the option of changing jobs then you are essentially a slave (or at least an indentured servant). Always keep that in mind when dealing with employment issues. |
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They have backed down considerably since I wrote a letter to the corporate office ... The last thing I would do is sign something that would be an admission of guilt, no job is worth that to me. Oh, and blister, I agree with you completly, and I was the first one to let everyone know that the reason I was in the boss' office that day, was because some pussy had a problem with a scope. Hell, the pen I use to write notes with at work is more dangerous then that scope. Unfortunatly too, Florida is a 'right to work' state, which means an employer can fire you for any reason they want, they don't even have to have one. Discrimination is a seperate issue, I just did'nt think I had any legal recourse ... maybe with the whole 'if you brought in a rug' comment ... I don't know. |
You misspelled Comrade, Comrade! 
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