Bill Gorden – Page 2 – Ask the Workplace Doctors

Fired for a Racist Remark

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about a racist remark:

I was accused of making a racist remark to someone at work. When this person was called in to discuss it, he kept saying that I made a racist remark since he was Hispanic. When he was told my last name, he immediately changed his story and said that I was just disrespecting him. I was told this by HR as they were terminating me. I was never told when this occurred, where this occurred or who made the complaint against. They just terminated me without ever letting me speak to anyone about this. While both my supervisor and my boss assured me that they did not believe I had made a racist remark, I was concerned that there were other people at work who might believe I had done so. What should I do? Thank you very much.

Music in a Manufacturing Plant is TOO LOUD!

May 4, 2019May 4, 2019 Bill Gorden

Question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about loud music in a manufacturing area:

I did a quick search and didn’t see an answer to what I was looking for. I work in a manufacturing environment in Connecticut. Several times I have mentioned to my immediate supervisor and HR that I find people playing music loudly is a distraction to me. I have yet to receive a satisfactory response from my supervisor or HR. At a job where music is not a requirement to perform your job, do I have a right to voice my concerns about loud music and am I entitled to help from my employer? Signed–Too Loud

Crush Leave Me Tortured Where I Work

May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 Bill Gorden

Question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about being attracted to one’s boss:

Hey so I don’t typically do this but I could really use advice and I hope I won’t be judged for feeling the way I do..

SO.. a couple months ago I started a new job. I am a openly gay male btw. So I was hired and I loved the job ( I’m a restaurant server). I’ve been doing everything that has been asked of me and not to toot my own horn but I’m a GREAT server. So to speed things up My GM at my store is gay as well but more discreet about it. I had my eye on him when I first saw him (my second interview), but assumed he was straight and of course my potential boss so i didn’t think anything more. a couple days later I saw him on jack’d. Once i got the confirmation he was gay. I started crushing on him. Noo.. I didn’t bring it up at work that I saw him or even message him. As I worked with him more though the interest i had in him started to grow.

How Do I Handle An Employee Who Has A Grudge Against Me?

April 4, 2019April 8, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about a grudge:

I work with someone who seems to have a grudge against me because I forgot to put their name down on the RSVP for a party we recently had for our department. Our entire company also had a party around the same time. This person told me that they would not be at the “staff party” because of other commitments. In her words, she meant the company-wide party but I interpreted it as she wouldn’t be able to attend the department party so I didn’t write her name down. She showed up and noticed her name wasn’t on the list but still attended. I got busy so I didn’t interact with her at all during the party.

Blackballed After Blowing the Whistle

March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about not b being hired after whistleblowing:

I was employed by the University of California and left in 2008 after being a whistleblower reporting a crazy situation in my department that was investigated and found to be a major threat to patient safety, and in fact, likely had resulted in patient deaths. I am now working in research and academics, with the UC system ( UCI, UCLA, UCSD), being a predominate employer. They are always vigorously recruiting, yet when I answered in the affirmative to the question (Have you ever been a UC employee?) I have found utter silence, despite being ridiculously qualified.

Accuses Me Of Having A Bad Attitude

March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about bad attitude:

I am facing a situation where I don’t know where to start. My manager has been accusing me of having bad attitude, saying I fail to control my behaviour and it is now affecting the team. I am not aware of any behavioural issues from my side; she even calls me at 20:00 to ask me what is my problem. I have had a meeting with her to discuss the matter, so I told her that I feel that I am under surveillance and can she highlight immediately when she picks up that attitude or behaviour problem.

Subject of Redundancy Results in Feeling Incredibly Unsure

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about redundancy in the UK:

A couple of months ago, I got a new job, in a jump-before-being-pushed situation during a redundancy process. I was also one of the Union Reps negotiating the redundancy (this is the UK), which continued briefly while I was in my new job.

There were red flags at the start — I was concerned that the person my new employer saw wasn’t sure who I am (i.e. she kept calling me, ‘creative’ in a way that seemed a euphemism for not being solid or sensible.)

Is Being an Only English Speaking Office Manager in a Farsi-Speaking Start-Up Discrimination?

February 22, 2019March 26, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about being an only English speaking Office Manager/Controller:

I am the Office Manager/Controller/a little bit of everything position in a small startup company in California. There are 4 individuals in the office, The CEO/Founder, Production Manager, Sales Manager and myself. There are also about 10-15 outside sales reps., but the issue I am having doesn’t concern them at all. In the office, each of us has about the same level of responsibility, (other then CEO obviously) and work on 75% of the projects together. However, I am the only female, and the only, white, American born, English-only speaking individual out of us 4. The CEO/Founder, and my two co-workers, are Persian and speak Farsi. They speak Farsi in the office almost all of the time, for business, personal, jokes, lunch, everything. I have asked on MULTIPLE occasions that we speak English for work related things as I do not speak Farsi and am getting left out of conversations.

New Manager Is Not as Helpful As Old

February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about getting help from new manager:

I work at an upper scale restaurant as a host. My responsibilities include things such as, greeting guests, and walking them over to a table that best fits their needs and requests, I also check coats for guests and am in charge of taking to-go orders and ringing them in and giving it to the guests, and many other things. As I do have quite a few tasks to be fulfilled throughout my shift, it can get rather busy and stressful. Especially on a Saturday night whenever we got busy like that, our old general manager would come over and check on us very periodically to make sure I and the other host didn’t need any help. And if we were very busy, he would stay with us during the rush to make sure everything was flowing smoothly.

Future Surgery But Asked to Come to Work

February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 Bill Gorden

A question to Ask the Workplace Doctors about future surgery and being asked to come to work:

I have rotator cuff surgery coming up next week. I was asked to come to work anyway even though my doctor wrote me out as to not further irritate my shoulder. I was asked to come in and train a new person. I am afraid something will happen while on the manager’s watch knowing I have been written out. Could the manager get in trouble? Could I and be refused medical services?

Signed–Could I