I am writing this post to share my story and seek support from those who understand the pain of being betrayed by an employer. I worked as an environmental engineer for a small company for over a year, and what started as a promising opportunity turned into a living nightmare.
This company had a total of 11 employees, where the junior engineers were all young females and the senior engineers were much older men. I was eager to learn and grow in my field, so I put in long hours and taught myself everything I could, as the senior engineers were unwilling to properly train me. Despite my hard work and dedication, I was met with constant negativity and discrimination.
I was made to feel guilty for taking my 5 vacation days, and was given a performance review where they demanded more from me without any clear explanation of what they wanted. One of the senior engineers belittled me and made sexist comments, and the company culture was toxic, with the senior engineers making racist Chinese remarks and even accusing me of having inappropriate relationships with field engineers.
The icing on the cake was when the CEO pushed me out a day before my last day. He berated me in front of everyone and demanded that I leave on the spot. He told me not to touch any of his property and to get out. I tried to clear the computer for them and all, but he wouldn't even let me do that.
However, even after quitting, the betrayal continued. My final paycheck was docked for not giving them the company laptop and iPhone password. The reason I didn't give the password was because my employment had ended, and I saw no reason to comply with their requests after the way I was treated.
I have contacted the Department of Labor, but I am still unsure of what to do. The thought of reliving this experience and fighting for what is rightfully mine is overwhelming, and I feel defeated and helpless.
I am reaching out to this community to inquire about what my next steps should be. Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you have any questions or need any clarifications, I am willing to give you more details.