Work Related Issues

[allmc2008]

I have been employed at a grocery store but I haven't received hours since Christmas eve.
I was hired last April and from April to June I was getting consistent hours. I then handed them my papers regarding my learning disability and my hours were cut to 3 hours a month. They told me it was because of the "Summer Slump".
When the winter came they said they never recovered yet they are still getting new employees and everyone is getting consistent hours still.
I check every Thursday.

Last time I checked with them on hours was a month ago. I asked my boss, if we could talk about them. We set up a date and the day I was supposed to meet with her when I arrived 30 minutes early. Anyway, she was at the cash register and I acknowledge my presence and she told me she would be with me shortly. 30 minutes later she still wasn't there.
I then came down to see if she was still there and she was and she told me just a few more minutes. 30 minutes passed again.

Oh, I was up in the break room on the top floor. There are two stair cases to the upstairs. One goes into the open-area office and the other directly into the break room. Both rooms are separated by a door way.

Anyway, I saw her through the doorway coming up into the open office area. She was holding her coat, car keys, and purse. She began to talk to some other people there but it appeared she was leaving so I slowly walked to the door way. She then accused me of eavesdropping then ran to the door and slammed it in my face as I was standing on the threshold.
I was stunned.
I waited yet another 30 minutes then someone came from the office area and I noticed nobody was in the office when the person opened the door. I asked another manager if my boss was still here as we had an appointment and and the manager called her cell and she told me that "[your boss] said she completely forgot about the meeting. She said call her tomorrow around 9".
I didn't and it has been a month. I don't want to quit because I feel there is an injustice.
I have voice recordings of all of our meetings and I recorded that incident as well. You can clearly here her slamming the door in my face.
I haven't done anything because I don't know what I can do. A friend told me recently that recording don't hold up in court. Is there a way I can do a recording that can? or a way to justify them?

I need some advice, SON family

[jcar03]

You may want to investigate a possible Equal Opportunity Employment complaint: http://www.eeoc.gov/ if you think it has anything to do with your learning disability papers.

In some states you need two party consent to tape any conversations, so if your state is a two party consent and you did not ask for permission that recording couldn't be used as evidence if you file a complaint or lawsuit. There are even some states that you could end up the one in a lot of trouble since recording without the other parties knowledge is considered a crime.

I would refrain from using identifying information about the place you work or the individuals involved on any website or social media because it could be used against you in the end.

[Mr. Vixen]

I'm sorry that happened. You should file a complaint. But you probably do no work here anymore.

[allmc2008]

Oh, I am still working there. I just don't know what I should do about the situation. I am afraid this may happen to someone else.

[Soapsuds]

LOL at the part I bolded. What grocery chain has a summer slump?? Please....my local grocery chain is always packed every freakin single day and even during summertime.

[Eric83]

Lol....agreed. people need groceries all year round that reasoning was complete bullsh-t

[Mr. Vixen]

If they haven't put you on the schedule since December, they probably have no intention of ever putting you on the schedule again. So no, you don't really work there...

[Cheap21]

Sorry but LOL. QFT

Back to the topic. Its just a job at a grocery store; its not a career. Its been 5 months since you've worked there. Have you not been doing anything else? I'd move on and find a new job. Thats what you should have been doing in this time instead of waiting for something that doesnt look like will pan out. Unless you were like some manager or had some great position with amazing benefits (which it doesnt sound like is the case), its not even worth pursuing anymore. You are young. 10 years from now when you look back on this, it will be a small blip on the radar. Take this as a lesson learned

[robbwolff]

The center I work for deals with the issue of disability employment and your story, sadly, is not unusual. It happens quite frequently. And it will continue to happen unless people speak up. For instance, change is happening now in the way websites and PDFs must be created because people with disabilities spoke up, through complaints and through litigation.

As mentioned above, reach out to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Also, reach out to the department of disability affairs in the state where you live. If I recall correctly, you're in Texas so this link may provide resources:

http://www.twc.state.tx.us/crd/disability-discrimination.html

[allmc2008]

Exactly, when they said that I was like "Bull-[!@#$%^&*]!". Also, they have been getting MORE people there during the summer not to mention that most of the people are underaged high school students. I could be getting the hours they can't work during the non-summer months!!

[SFK]

Exactly.

Your boss is not the type of person you need to be working under. As far as I'm concerned, her brushing you off for over an hour for a conversation that could have taken a few minutes, slamming the door in your face after accusing you of eavesdropping, heading home for the day after "forgetting" your meeting... those are three last straws for you right there. That would have been the last time she EVER saw me, but she would certainly receive a phone call where I told her in no uncertain terms that she could kiss the darkest part of my yella ass.

Spend the time and energy you'd spend pursuing this on looking for a new job.

And don't make a habit of recording people without their knowledge. It makes you look like a calculating creep. Which we don't want. As Judge Judy pointed out in a recent case, people who are doing the recording will measure what they say at an advantage over others being recorded, which doesn't really work in your favor. Even if you've made them aware of the fact that you're recording. Meanwhile, if you walk up to people telling them that you'd like to record your conversation, you are most likely going to get an emphatic, "Hell no." Witnesses are better, go through human relations.

Best of luck to you!

[ChitHappens]

This sounds like some AJ/Sean Kanan sh!t here.

Allmc, it's time to move on. It's just a grocery store, no big loss. The 3 hours/month was the beginning of the end.

You are a very smart young man, and it is time for you to get yourself out there and find work with an employer that can appreciate what you can do! I have confidence in you.

[allmc2008]

I am getting ready to file a complaint, actually. I really don't want this to happen to someone else. Trust me, I NEVER want to work there again. Let alone go there to shop.

Thanks Chit!

I am currently working at a seasonal job I have had for 3 years. It is an amusement park, to be exact. It is only a weekend thing as my body can't take being out in the heat for 8 hours/7 days per week. The management is nice for the most part but because this is Texas they have the right not to give workers breaks so they dont. That said, I would much rather work 8 hours with no break in 102 degree weather than working at that grocery store.

[Chris B]

You live in Texas? What part? I'm in San Antonio. I would recommend looking into a hotel job. They have a huge range of types of jobs you could do that might work for you. Plus there are endless hotels so it wouldn't be difficult to find a job.

[Soapsuds]

I believe he is in the Austin/San Antonio area....I could be wrong...if not its Dallas....I remember him mentioning it a while back.