This is going to be a long rant! I was just fired from my job for having the balls to try to stand up for me and coworker to have the human right to take care of our families.
I was hired in March with an oilfield company working in the parts department. I fully disclosed that my wife was disabled, has cancer, and a myriad of other serious heath issues that at times leave her very weak and unable to take care of herself let alone our children. I informed them that I would likely have to take off more than normal to take care of my family. They assured me that this was not a problem and that most of my job could be done remotely.
Since then they have hired a new manager who btw is 26 and is in a leadership role for the first time. It was at this time things started to turn sour.
He and the manager above him both assured me that my job was safe. That they would work with me and I could contribute from home when I needed too. I will admit I had to take off more times then I wanted to, but you never want to take off when your wife, yourself, or your kids are in the hospital. Abruptly policy changed that I could no longer contribute from home when I needed to take care of my kids or kids, despite having a company laptop and working on a Remote Desktop even when in the office. I was given no verbal warning that I was taking too much time even though I had, and still have doctors notes for the absences. One day I was written up for having to take care of my daughter who had the flu while my wife also had the flu. Even though I explained the situation and offered to contribute any way I could from home.
This was a shock to me and made me angry. I mean the Head of HR of the company, aka the bosses sister, works exclusively from home with her toddler.
A week or so after the new manager was hired they hired another person in my same position. She has teenage daughter that beat cancer as a child and was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. They had given her the same assurance they gave me but soon after started to get her in trouble for having to take care of her daughter. One day she was late for work because her daughter was having a break down about the surgery and the fact that sh again had cancer.
THE MANAGER ASKED IF THE TEEN DAUGHTER COULDN’T HAVE TAKEN CARE OF HERSELF. THE DAUGHTER WITH CANCER!
I heard it and the coworker said nothing and apologized. She wanted to quit after that but didn’t.
A few days later my wife was having a good day and deceived to bring the office burritos. When she came in she said she had burritos and and said she was sorry it took so long for her to bring some. The manager responded it was about time. My wife pleasantly responded that it was difficult having cancer.
THE MANAGER RESPONDED THAT SHE CANT KEEP USING CANCER AS AN EXCUSE OR SHE WONT GET ANYWHERE IN LIFE!!!!
To my wife who a week earlier was in the hospital on the verge of organ failed from the flu!
Not to mention my wife is amazing. Before her health decline she was a published author, ceo of several companies.
The next week I was suspended for failing to get a part on the weekend, and having a bad attitude. Even though I could not get a response from the supplier, but they never even asked me what happened. Luckily I have the texts, phone records, and emails proving I did me job in a timely manner.
I asked my coworker if she wanted to participate in a meeting with me and upper management to discuss the growingly hostile work environment. After all she was just yelled at for not leaving a note on her time sheet for having to help on weekend call outs. She declined but was scared.
I then sent an email requesting the meeting and heard nothing back. Today I was fired for harassing my coworker.
This is retaliation.
This is serfdom. If you are an hourly employee you are not human.
The system needs to change.
Please tell me I’m wrong that I was wrong that I’m asking too much. I want to contribute to society and take care of my family. I want to know what I could have done. What I should have done.