On the 27th of July, i clocked into work at an Eskaton Assisted Living and Memory Care facility. There is supposed to be two med techs, one for MC one for AL, and two caregivers on each side. For the last two years it has been 1 med tech on both sides (a position that requires about two hours overtime) and either three total caregivers instead of four or someone doing a double. I worked about 60 hours each week. One of my caregiver coworkers worked six doubles in a row with a twenty hour shift in the middle. She slept in her car in the parking lot.
My supervisor (whom I like, and will call A) was on leave to get married. She was only going to be gone three days, then she had a medical emergency and took another two weeks off, leaving us with the administrator (the big boss, I'll call E) to handle the nursing department. She does not like us.
I clocked in and the receptionist said “let me tell E you're here” i said okay, and she came out and said “i am permanently demoting you to caregiver. You are untrustworthy and unlikable. Your coworkers want you gone, if i were you, I'd quit. But i can't fire you for being unlikable and A isn't here to protect you”. This is not the first time she's said something like this. She likes to tell us we are not liked to try to get us to quit because A's approval is required to fire someone from her department. But with her on medical leave, all bets are off. I say okay and go to text my secondary supervisor to tell him he will need to fill the med tech position for this shift.
She walks away but walks back in to me talking to the previous med tech (not even about work) and starts yelling at me saying I'm a pain in her ass and she and everyone else can't stand me and she wants me out. I say “am i fired?” because, like i said, this is not my first rodeo with her. She says “yes, now get out of my building”. I go to take off my apron and grab my bag to leave. She grabs my arm and tries to physically force me out of the door. (She's about 4'10″ and I am 5' 7″ and 175lbs). I pull my arm back and look down at her and say “Do not fucking touch me, you crazy bitch.”
She screams for another manager and yells at her to call the police. The maintenance/security guy escorts me out before they get there. He says i didn't say anything she didn't deserve and he will miss me. Over the next 24 hours i receive a text from almost all of my coworkers saying they loved me and i will be missed. Several said they would also quit. I was one of four nursing staff members fired by E within the first week my supervisor went on medical leave. I was the only one she touched and the only one who had the police called on me.
My family and friends had been begging me to leave for the last year due to poor treatment by E mostly, but also the culture E fostered with residents families led them to feel entitled to yell at and physically harass us. There were two instances where a residents family member put their hands on me and both times i was reprimanded. Along with the injuries that come from lifting people and taking assaults from memory care residents. It wears on you.
After being fired, I attempted to contact the facility's business office for my last paycheck (in my state, the paycheck must be made available immediately if fired or laid off without notice). E intercepted this and told me i would not be paid until i came in for a meeting with her. I refused and contacted corporate and told them i wanted my paycheck immediately. They complied real fast with all the legal leverage i have here.
Now, I am doing much better. I have a better job with better pay and i finally have enough time to have a relationship and spend time with my family. I wouldn't leave on my own and eventually i had no choice.
I do see this as an ultimately positive outcome. I cannot afford to sue and i don't want to. I want to be done with this. I've already taken half their staff with me when i left and i have no interest in going after corporate, only E. But i can't because she was acting on behalf of the company and even then, i still can't afford it.