I started working for a Financial Advisor for a popular financial planning company on January 10th. I am currently an “assistant” for this person. I took this role because in our discussions during interviews he informed me that this would be the stepping stone into becoming an FA (Financial Advisor) that I’ve been looking for. He said I wouldn’t have to make any cold calls, that my job would be to assist him in other ways of growing his business and in about a year/year-and-a-half I could then contend for the FA training program.
The first month was a lot of training and doing tasks here and there but mostly learning the ropes of the business.
Month 2 is when I started to realize who this guy really is. By this time it was clear that he wanted me to be a cold call machine. I would make hundreds of cold calls a day, something that my role in the company is not permitted to do per compliance regulations. Then came the daily logs. He wanted me to begin listing all my activities each day. In his words: “a tool for you to gain a perspective on your own productivity”. Fast forward a week and I’m turning them in for his review. He finds one day where there is a 15 min gap before lunch. He asked me what I was doing and I could not accurately recall. This pissed him off. Arguments ensued on the legitimacy of this process.
Then came name calling. At first, it was colloquial, joking: “whats up you son of a bitch”. At first, I tolerated it. Then eventually I deemed it was disrespectful and I asked him to stop. A few days later he called me an SOB again.
Im not the only one. Other employees have expressed that they think this guy has a “serious lack of empathy”. One other assistant who briefly worked with him eventually had to stop because he had brought her to tears.
Last week after a conversation with him regarding my grievances (which I recorded) I had had enough. I called HR after things escalated and asked if it was okay to leave this hostile work environment. They gave me permission. This was Tuesday of last week.
Since then I have been in contact with another HR Rep specific to one-on-one scenarios and I have detailed my experience thus far. After consideration, her response was I should go back to the office and seek a resolution with him. Even after I explicitly said I do not feel comfortable going back there. Either that, or I take a temp position with the company and lose some of my benefits. Hold on wait, did I do something wrong here? Why am I being punished.
Today, after not receiving a response from two emails sent to HR and being pushed to voicemail I decided enough was enough. I wrote out a carefully worded and meticulous email to the Chief Human Resources Officer of this company. Explaining my situation and asking for support.
I feel as if I am unheard and disregarded. What else can I do in this situation. Im 24 years old I don’t know how the fuck to get a lawyer, let alone can I afford one. I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place and at the end of the day, HR is going to protect the guy who brings in assets to the company. Albeit, minimal assets.