Some Legal Advice Please

That's scary and it really sucks. I knew labour laws in the US were a lot more in favour of the employer than they are here in Canada, but that sounds seriously out of whack. Will definitely keep this in mind should I ever consider moving to the US.

--splitimage

The ironic thing is that companies pull all of these things to make sure they're earning a profit, then wonder why employees don't feel loyal to the company that they're working for.

The company that hubby works for used to be one of the best around. The founder of the company retired to consultant status a couple of years ago and everything had gone down hill from there.

The ironic thing is that they hired additional office staff to find out why they're not as productive anymore. Since they do a lot of business with Japan they are required to participate in Kaizen (program designed for efficient business). All employees were required to participate in the program...the first thing they teach you jobs like office personal are not profit producing jobs. They hired an accountant and three payroll clerks but still outsource payroll.

I say go back to common sense, pay your employees a decent wage and give them the benefits that they used to have and your production will increase. They really do not see that production decreased when they cut breaks, froze wages, and decreased benefits like health care.

Not only that AAAAA, but also the companies provide"extra services" for their employees, like a gym in teh building. NOT to give them a chance to recuperate, but to keep them IN the corporate building even during their breaktime.

If a person actually leaves the building, they are tracked on a gps system and your email systesm automatically send a second copy of your personal email to the employer so they can read your email.

Benefits packages and other services are provided as long as you work full-time which includes a certian number of hours. They hire people for that time frame...less an hour or two so they do not have to pay you benefits.

Labour laws are so vague in their application to worker's rights. There is always a loophole that can get a company out of its restrictions, especially so in restaurant and hospitality or retial work.
Labour Laws are horrendous here in Canada as well. For certain sectors, the labour laws are wonderful! Those usually include mathematical, scientific and technological career paths. Social Sciences receive much less support in teh system because they are considered SOFT jobs....little direct connection to production and technology.

Well I have an appt. for next Tuesday in the afternoon. Now when we had a bad ice storm the other day (my driveway and the streets were completely a glare) I couldn't make it in to work. Now the office is deciding if they will dock me for it because I didn't make my 45 hour quota for the week - I was at 37.

I am also supposed to have two days off per week. Nowhere does it say in my paperwork that isn't so. I have an assistant manager who is hourly and makes good money.....esp. when he gets overtime. I, as salary, am just a mess. Anyway, he has had to work yesterday from open to close because someone called in. I had plans and couldn't. Today someone did the same thing. He calls my District Manager and complains about how "being taken advantage of he feels" and everything because no one will call him back. Welcome to my world!!! Anyway, my boss calls me and tells me that I had better do something to make him happy because we can't lose another manager from my store. Now when I was working open to closes and covering shifts and working tons of hours, no one worried about me or if I would leave. So now tomorrow, on my second day off, I have to go in and work so he doesn't have to.

I am so angry and disillusioned with the company I work for.

Mary Alice

(((((Mary Alice))))) I'm so sorry that things are so frustrating for you now.

It just got better, AAAAA. Today I was terminated. My boss told me it was because of a couple of things: on Sunday I couldn't go in because of the bad ice and I didn't get his okay to not be there, then we had a grill fire the other day and he blamed me, and lastly, because one of my employees didn't clean behind the grill, he now has lost confidence in me.

I refused to sign the termination paperwork and demanded copies. I called unemployment today and started that, so hopefully I will be able to receive that soon. I can't believe he made me come in, work an entire shift and then tells me this on my way out the door to parent teacher conferences!

I am very upset.

Mary Alice

I'm so sorry Mary Alice, but the upside is that if it goes to court, the court does not look kindly on employers like this. One of my former co-workers was terminated for attendence (actually it was justified, this man was a career drinker and would call in once a week at least with a hangover). I'm not sure if it was the proceeding for his unemployment or if he actually took them to labor court but the judge determined that the attendance policy was vague and therefore he was unjustly terminated. The down side is they may be required to give you your job back (to avoid settlement) but they'll make you're life a living hell.

i hope you get a chance to train for another type of work, or at least, find the best employer around in the field you are presently in IF you still like it.

If you don't, you might try learning to do something different, like massage therapy (work in a spa or start your own business), or become a computer tech, or a medical assistant, or try a nursing program, or para-legal, that is if you are interested in re-training, because it may be available through a federal program while you are on unemployment.

There are many things you can do w/o working for lousy employers who exploit their workers.

You might want to do something like start your own business, or go back to school.
Why not do it now, while you are unemployed?

If the job situation is this bad, I'd write local and state political leaders and tell them to wake up and look into the exploitation of workers in their districts on their watch.

The employment scene will change for you when you work for yourself or enter the professional arena, like a hospital or somewhere a workers human rights are respected and protected.

If you need to get more skills to get away from the lousy guys, there is nothing to it - but to do it!

Good luck to you and a better future.

Peace,
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