In between gigs, I accepted a contract position for a local non-profit, processing applications for the low-income home energy assistance program. Things were going well, although I did not enjoy the work. My supervisor (AR) offered a full-time position and I told her I would consider it. Fast forward a month. I befriended the receptionist (TJ), he was bored like myself and I needed someone to vent to about my unprofessional coworkers. TJ was a strange dude, but I did not judge. He came into the office at least twice completely $hitfaced. I just figured he was having a rough time and did not thinkg much of it. TJ and I went out a couple of times for drinks after our shift and BS'd with one another in the office. I did not realize it at the time, but TJ was an old family friend with AR. Turns out AR had been sexually harassing TJ for months, even though he was gay. TJ had been keeping a diary of events for months. For some reason, AR learned TJ and I had been hanging out and was quite upset by this.
Meanwhile, AR once again offered me a full-time position, and I conditionally accepted. During that same week, AR witnessed TJ and I chatting in the office a few times. On Friday of that week, TJ texted me asking if I had quit and bailed early. “Nope, left at my usual time.” On the following Monday, it was business as usual, nothing weird going on. AR gave me a few applications to expeditiously process. Then I received a phone call from the contract agency informing me the job was being cut and I was terminated immediately. WTF?! I was just offered a job, there was plenty of work, no slowing down. I cleaned up my desk and put my belongings in a box, told TJ what happened and left. TJ and I went out to dinner that night and he shared a few more details about his peculiar relationship with AR, and he mentioned he was planning on filing a lawsuit against the company and asked if I would write a statement. Of course I would, without hesitation. We made plans to go out again and I went back to searching for a full-time job which suited my background.
TJ started to ghost me, slowly returning texts. A couple of weeks after my termination, he texted someone filled my old position. Then ghosting was completed, no more text or email replies. I could not figure out what happened. With extra time to think, I started running the series of events through my mind, trying to figure out who I pissed off. Then I had an epiphany. The owner of the company must have received notice of the lawsuit filed by TJ, talked to AR, and suspected I knew the details. I was supposed to have been terminated on the Friday, which TJ knew, but the contract agency did not contact me until Monday. TJ decided to cut ties with me, even though he is still with the company.
Moral of the Story – Choose your work friends wisely.