So up until recently I worked at a small mom and pop BBQ place, I worked there for over 2 years. They recently bought a new location and we spent the better part of last winter and spring working out of a food truck while we got the new kitchen ready.
I could tell from the get go that the new kitchen was going to be miserable. The new building had no AC, poor insulation, and a lot of commercial cooking equipment that puts off a lot of heat during a Texas Summer. I told the mom and pop for months leading up to the opening that we were going to be absolutely miserable especially if they insisted on fixing and running a commercial oven they bought. Keep in mind we only “needed” this oven for baked potatoes and we only sold about 2 a day. Well, they insisted on running said oven anyway.
So the temperature in the kitchen rises to 120 degrees plus, and I get a heat stroke. I inform my bosses that I can't keep working in this heat, to which I am immediately told “quit bitching of get out this is how its gonna be deal with it.” So I put In my two weeks, as one of only 2 employees there they diddnt expect that and were quite shocked at my response.
Well the next day at the end of my shift they tell me not to bother finishing off my two weeks they don't even want me there if I'm not gonna stay. Called that bluff again and said okay then, bye. Thought I was finally over this abusive job, and then I get a call from my girl about a facebook post.
My ex employer decided to plaster all over Facebook that I keyed one of thier vehicles on my way out (you're just gonna have to trust me here when I say I absolutely did not.) She proceeds to trash me in the comments to everyone and even claims she has a video of me doing it. Her cousin is my roommate, so immediately correspondence between them about it begins and my roommate repeatedly pleads to see or get sent said video. The video is never seen my anyone, because it doesn't exist. Now I've had to send a cease and desist to my employer to attempt to get them to stop slandering me, but I've already lost several catering jobs I've had set up because they continue to black ball and trash talk me in the small town we live in. And I'm getting married in 2 months, with no way to find work locally me and my new wife will HAVE to leave town because we cannot afford to live on her salary alone and nobody in town will hire me.
And I can't even take my old bosses to court for libel because you can't sue for slander in small claims in Texas, I can't afford a lawyer, and even if I could I'd be worried I'd get fucked over worse because they paid me under the table so my tax payments are all fucked. 2 years wasted and I diddnt even get sick days or benefits.