First of all, I’m sorry about your medical issues. 2nd of all, a company has unlimited resources and can keep this going in courts indefinitely, depleting your savings. I think you should look into disability. And try to get references from some people in the company, for future jobs. And get unemployment insurance.
After one year, you don’t usually get a big severance package. I was at a company for 3 1/2 years and I got nothing. They told me it was bc I was constantly late. I had spoken to my immediate supervisor about being late. I was taking care of my invalid mother and I asked for my hours to be changed, so I can come in later, after taking care of mom in the morning. The supervisor changed the hours, but never notified HR about it. So, technically, I was late. When she fired me, along with the vice president of HR, she told me I needed to put my job before my mother. That my job should be my priority, and to hire an aide to help my mom. This was right around the time where an aide would not be covered under Medicare, but it was in discussions. (Where I could have gotten paid to take care of her.). And my mother and I could not afford an aide for 9-10 hours a day. (8 hour work day, plus an hour and a half round trip to my job.). And they told me I was lucky to be getting unemployment insurance. If I said anything, I could jeopardize the unemployment. (Hindsight, I should have done something, but I was just so glad to get out of this terrible situation. My supervisor micromanaged everyone, but especially me.) They said they would clean out my desk, and I said absolutely not to that one. I clean out my own desk. And they fired me in the middle of the day, so on my way out, I said to my coworkers, “I was just fired and was told my job should come before my mother. And I got nothing and was told I was lucky I got unemployment.” I picked up my stuff, and left. Part of my job was collections, and I wrote all my notes in my notebook, before putting it into the computer, where everyone can see it. I took that notebook, and my immediate supervisor was pissed. She thought I had something in there that would probably incriminate her. I did, but my main priority was taking care of my mom, when I left. I was just grateful I had the unemployment, so I kept my mouth shut. I had emails and witnesses that came to my defense, including the HR’s cousin, all saw how I was treated before she let me go. 3 months before this, she gave me a $.20 cent an hour raise. It was probably the minimum she could give. She would yell at me in front of co-workers for stupid reasons. One reason was my filing. Towards the end of their year, the company I was responsible for, was their biggest company. I had no more room in the files to put anything. And when I asked her if I could start putting these files away, in file boxes, she would yell at me no, and find room for it in these files. I used other drawers, and she yelled at me for that. I don’t know where I was supposed to put these files, but a manager from another dept., heard her yelling at me, as he walked by. And he asked her if that was necessary. She told him, in front of me and 2 of my co-workers, that if she didn’t yell, nothing would get done. And she told him she learned that in her management classes. I stood behind her shaking my head no. But I was desperate for the job. So I kept my mouth shut.
After I was let go, I called that manager, bc part of my job did include him. I asked him for a reference. And he gave me a very nice reference. Less than a year later, I found out that this supervisor was no longer allowed to supervise anyone. She was just allowed to do her job, with no one to supervise. She started 2 years before me, and I was her 7th employee in 2 years. The lady before me left after 2 weeks, and complained to HR about her. The person after me, lasted 3 days. So, maybe her yelling at me, when a manager was walking by, did really get me justice in the end.
I would just take the unemployment, ask for references, and leave. They have more resources than you do. Unless you have actual proof they discriminated against you, then you really can’t do much about it.
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