This is going to be a long one. I'm on mobile
TL;DR- I was accused of many things with no evidence, I demanded the evidence that had to be provided. Corp lady threatens to fire me so I go to HR, and find out I have actually been targeted for reasons I was not told.
Corporate Policies listed at end.
Background: I am “Young” for my field (6 years between myself and the next person) and I am a trans man who has been on T for 9 months, but still look very gender neutral (which people assume is female). I have been here for 6 months where as everyone else here has been here for 2-13 years. My Office manager got fired without any word one day, so our Corporate Office Coordinator has been substituting. We have 4 daily workers, with 8 rotating doctors who bring 1 technician with them. I'm a daily Tech.
I have a problem where it takes me 3-4 months to feel I fit in with a new work group. However, I have always felt I have been treated differently/not like everyone else since I started at this location. I assumed it was because I was new, but I knew the only other male here treated me differently because I was trans. He is cordial, and civil, but not like that to everyone else. “Karen” is a literal Karen and won't speak to me unless I speak to her. Not even a good morning. No idea why.
I hit my 6 month mark on a Tuesday which is the busiest day in our office. We finally get to lunch which is only 15 minutes because we had gotten so backed up. I'm actually feeling really good and confident in my position. I'm getting patients through just as fast as the others. Corp. office coordinator, will be COC, is there. She's a lovely person but has a very intimidating aura. Right before I go to lunch she pulls me aside to our conference room.
She, and my lead tech who well call Mel, are sitting with me in this quiet quiet room. COC hands me and Mel a paper, and keeps one herself.
“So, you're being given a 1st verbal warning for the reasons listed on the paper.”
I'm completely blind sided. By every policy in our book I was operating to a Tee, so I have no idea why this is happening. Nobody had said anything to me for a whole month about anything. I was actively asking too! I had no fuck-ups to my knowledge, other than an incident completely out of my control in my first week of working here.
The reasons listed were
Tardiness
Long Lunches/Extra Breaks
Effiency/Speed
Hygiene
Communication
Cherry Picking Charts
Late Day Protocol
Where the fuck did 7 things come from in a month from when my manager got fired/my annual review (the following Monday)??? Is all that's going through my head. I was angry, sad, and flat out disgusted. I love this job, and I do my hardest. To suddenly be slapped in the face, and told “Im literally never here and I don't know a single spec of your job but tough luck, Kid.”
We then talked ONLY about how I am to fix these things. So we go over it for 15minutes. My lunch. Gone. Patients are waiting. How everything was worded, and not a single thing came out of my mouth except “uhh” and “uh-huh” and head nods. I know that room is recorded. I was not going to openly incriminate myself like that, especially as my emotions just grew and got more angry and upset.
She then said she would take the weekend to type it all up, send it to me and Mel, and I would have to sign it and send it back.
That's when I stopped her.
“Mel knows I communicate everything. When I need help, when I'm good, what patient I'm taking to what room. I work as fast as I can, but you expect me to be as fast as [Only other male] who has been here for 5 years? I just had my review and, COC, we literally just talked about how I need to gain experience before I can achieve such things. The only damper on my review is I show up at 8:05 VERY infrequently mind you. COC you approve my timecard EVERY WEEK! You would have to know if I was taking late lunches. Not to mention, I have done everything Mel has told me to do. Whether it be late day protocol, or only takin the first chart that is up. So I have NO idea where any of this is coming from. I won't be signing it because, frankly, I feel targeted.” My hands were folded on the table.
Mel even backed me up on every single thing except one: Hygiene.
COC: Well, any tardiness is bad. Every minute counts and you should be here at 8 or before. And I mean in the door, grabbing-a-chart ready. I don't know but I see you smoking in your car on your lunches, so how am I to know you're not clocking in/out in your car and coming back in. Or stepping out right before patients start. You've been here for six months, how long are your exam times even?”
Me and Mel at the same time “20 minutes, Cat is 45″ which is average.”
COC: “Patients have complained about how dirty your fingernails are and how it looks like you don't shower with your colored hair being streaky. Ever since I've met you, you have had a quiet voice so maybe you telling someone you're stepping out and they don't hear you. And Maybe you should stay a little later to ensure all equipment is properly turned off. It only takes a click and to wait until it's completely shut down. Maybe you just click and go. I will be typing up this paper and sending it to you. You sign it, or your fired [DEADNAME].”
I got up and said “Since you've wasted my lunch, I'm taking one now because I'm working a 9 hour shift and OSHA says I get one.” And left. Sat in the parking lot for 20minutes, are my food. Cried. Smoked half a cigarette, and completed the day as normal as possible. 2 people asked if something was wrong, and both times Mel would answer for me. The answer was “no.” These are the only 2 people who treat me like I'm an equal.
I go home and stare at that paper for a long time ranting to my roommate about how I got wrote up for a bunch of shit I don't/didn't do. Then I notice in smaller text that it says “(include specific incident(s), detail, and documentation)” I didn't get ANY of that which means this is completely invalidated. So, my roommate helped me write a very passive aggressive email to COC and Mel asking for said incidents, details, documentation, complaints, everything, because nobody had said a word to me about any of it. We have two stand in managers, but neither said a word. Half of the “reasons” would come from one and the other half come from another, and communication comes from both.
COC didn't reply to me for 5 days. All it was was “I have dropped all of the other incidents except for tardiness and effiency since we spoke of it in your review recently. Will be sending the paper over to you shortly to sign.
I had already talked to HR who had NO IDEA where this was coming from. She was confused and didn't understand because half of those “complaints” should've been sent to her. COC emails me with the write up. I ask everyone if they had gotten written up since I started. Everyone said no.
The next day Myself, COC, Mel, “Karen”, company CEO, HR, and Corp HR are seated in the same conference room. And it literally starts with CEO saying:
“So, James, you feel you're being targeted?” Which I only said to COC and Mel not to HR.
And I am the one to talk to them telling them I didn't understand why all of this was suddenly brought up. Why I was being accused without any evidence, and when I ask for it it's suddenly “dropped.” I know multiple people in the office who were actually breaking policies and doing the things I was accused of, but I wouldn't say names or how because that was not the time and no appropriate.
COC butt in with “So why do you feel targeted?”
“Because I was the only one written up, for several things I simply don't do. Look at the camera, check out charting program, listen to the tape of COC and Mel giving me the write up! COC literally deadnamed me. It's suddenly a hostile work place, and frankly it's made me look for another job.”
After talking more in detail about each one, they realize I work with concrete. Hair is supposed to look like this when it's not freshly dyed. The incident my first week which I only told my first Office manager upon being written up. And they asked me to leave the room. I went to working with patients and about my day.
2hours later COC essentially ran out red-faced, Karen's makeup was messed up, and Mel gave me a first bump without saying anything.
CEO, HR and HR stayed until after everyone left for the day.
It's been a week, and if I wasn't going to hear back I was ready to hand in my two weeks today. When I came in Karen wasn't there. She opens, so I'm wondering what happened. COC is also supposed to be here because it's one of her days in this office. I just keep going until lunch HR pulls me from the floor.
Conversation very paraphrased was “We watched and listened, and you have very clearly been targeted by a couple of people here. You were accused of many things without evidence, and then told you had to sign or get fired which we don't do here. I'm glad you emailed COC and came to talk to me. COC and Karen no longer work for [Parent company], and we've already spoken to others about treating people properly. I'm pretty sure should would have just fired you if you didn't speak up/defend yourself. If you would like to transfer or quit, we understand, but we will fight for you to be treated right and not have anything like that happen to anyone else. It's made us question a lot of write up similar to yours, and we're in an investigation. You are still being written up for tardiness/absence, but it will only be your initial because that ALSO shouldn't have happened in the first place. Office manager should've have understood and given you the pass, but we're looking into that too.” She provided the time cards I was actually late.
I'm still on the rocks about quitting. And I'm glad it ended well. Many people don't get this ending, and end up being booted anyways. I'm glad some people are my company actually care, but I've worked for so many that don't give a shite. But seriously, dudes. I'm still sitting here wondering “What the fuck”
Attendance Policy: 3 call offs result in a initial write up, every call off after that is another write up. If a person goes without incident for 6 months the initial falls off. (nothing about tardiness)
We have a No Smoking Policy that states I will not smoke on company time, and cannot smell of smoke at all. I'm a smoker who is quitting.
Lunches: Every person is permitted a 30 minute lunch per 5 hours of shift. There are no 15 minutes breaks. Lunches must be punched out for. You must be back by the first appointment time after lunch break hour. (So if they're supposed to be here at 1, you have to be on the floor at 1 not when they get there.)
Late day protocol: Every weekday has a designated person who stays until the last patient has left regardless of time. This Tech much ensure all rooms are completely shut down, covered, and stocked. All instruments and equipment must be shut down and covered. All lights must me off. Front door and side door must be locked by closing check out assistant, but techs may also lock doors if permitted.
Chart Pulling Protocol: all charts must be pulled by which ever patient arrives first regardless of appointment time unless it exceeds 2 hours early. Pulling specific charts for any reason is prohibited.
Cherry picking charts is when you specifically grab charts not for you assigned doctor but rather based on the procedure being done with patient whether it be long or short. You are permitted to grab charts only for your specific doctor on Mondays, Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays you must pull from the front.
There is no hygiene policy.
There is no Communication policy.