|
(2)
When applying for a job,
take the time to Google the company to find out what they do
and how they do it and to learn something of their history.
Never go to a job interview ignorant of the company and how
you can add to their bottom line with your skills set. If
you can't do that, do not apply for the job!
(3)
Know the dress culture of
your potential employer. You do not go to a plumbing
interview wearing an Armani suit and you do not go to a
managerial job wear jeans and a see through blouse and
perfume that you can smell a mile away. Gag! Gag! Get with
it and if you are clueless, ask someone who dresses to go to
work and ask them to check you out before you make a clown
of yourself by
dressing inappropriately for the job.
(4)
I know it is a small issue
but when you interview for a job, always make pleasant eye
contact with the interviewer and always provide a firm
handshake before and after the interview and whatever you
do, do not chew gum during the interview
or have your cell phone go off during the interview. Loser!
(5)
If you are hired, arrive a
few minutes ahead of time to get your orientation and to be
at your work station or desk or machine before the job
begins.
(6)
In Ohio, you can be discharged for any reason, good bad or
indifferent except if you can prove age, race, sex, gender,
religious, harassment or disability discrimination.
You are especially vulnerable to being discharged during a
probationary period, so make sure that during your
probationary period, you are an exemplary employee,
regardless of what the other employees may say or do. Watch
out for Number One!
(7)
If you are subject to
performance evaluations and disagree with the evaluation,
politely ask to speak to someone in Human Relations and
politely voice your concerns about what was said about your
performance. Don't start cussing and shouting, "Black Lives
Matter!" The operative word here is – calmness – along with
a concerned inquiry because you want to improve your
ratings.
(8)
If you believe that you
are being targeted for a wrongful termination and are being
unfairly singled out for hostile treatment, document,
document and document some more as to: date, time, incident,
who was present and what was said.
Don't go ballistic and overreact. Get smart...not mad.
(9)
To prove discrimination,
you must compare apples with apples which means you must
show by factual evidence that John Doe was not treated the
way you were treated and you are both similarly situated as
to job title or job duties and that the only difference in
treatment appears to be your age, race, sex, gender,
nationality, etc...etc.
(10)
Whatever you do, do not see "race" under every statement and
act by a white actor but wait and evaluate and make sure
that you can prove what your eyes
see and ears hear.
(11)
If you are a member of a union, you may be required by the
collective bargaining agreement (CBE) to exhaust your
internal remedies before you can seek outside legal counsel.
If in doubt, call me for an opinion. In my 39 years of legal
work and doing discrimination cases, it has been my sad
experience that most unions are good for no more than
collecting your dues and when you need them to slug it out
with management, they become marshmallows and run for cover
or give you woefully inadequate representation at your
grievance hearings.
(12)
If you see wrongdoing
happening or your employer is "cheating" on a contract
or is defrauding the government, you can become what is
known as a "whistleblower" and file charges against them and
if the offended party prevails, you can get a sizeable
monetary reward for your efforts.
13)
Assume for all practicable
purposes that while you are on your job, there is a camera
somewhere that is recording and that can be used against you
if needed by management. So, watch your conduct and your
speech because you might just see yourself on a tape when
you are complaining about negative conduct and you are the
one doing the negative conduct!
(14)
If things go "south" at
your job and you are asked to sign a "Last Chance Agreement"
do NOT sign unless and until you have had a seasoned
attorney review it first to make sure that you are not being
"played" and that the contents are factually correct. Never
sign such a document under pressure. Once you sign it, it is
too late to
revoke it.
(15)
If you are short on funds but need legal assistance,
consider contacting the Ohio Civil Rights Commission located
in the One Government Center Building in downtown Toledo.
They can do an interview with you and make an investigation
and if there is probable cause to believe that you have been
wronged, they can attempt a mediation and, if that fails,
they can bring in the Ohio Attorney General to assist you.
Of course, you can at any time hired a private attorney to
sue for job harassment or discrimination.
(16)
If you are facing regular
acts of job hostility or discrimination, when you get home
or to a safe spot (break room or restroom) write down the
events that just transpired so you can have a paper trail of
what happened over a period of time.
(17)
Sometimes, when you want
to get some quick relief and you do not mind staying on the
job and weathering out the hostility, consider having a
letter sent by your attorney to Human Relations, your
supervisor or manager and the company headquarters about
what is transpiring on the job.
Those letters can be magical because management does not
want adverse publicity and wants to keep everything in house
and it puts your managers on notice that if they continue to
mess with you, you are not afraid and will report them.
Don't let a bully succeed!
(18)
Lastly....keep calm and
carry on knowing that right beats might!
Contact Lafe Tolliver at
tolliver@juno.com
|
