Please Help! My mom is being treated like a dog at work

[alebella 3]

Hi everyone,

I am asking for any help I can get. My mother, is working at a Hospital as a housekeeper and is being treated like a dog, well if even that and I want to explain it.

My mother has been working as a housekeeper for more than ten years and started a new job as a housekeeper at Memorial Hospital but works under a company inside the hospital. One of her supervisors, has been bothering her since she started working there since July 2012. It's hard to explain but things are so bad there that the HR Director from the hospital had a meeting to discuss the issues since more than 500 workers signed a petition. That's how bad it is.

My grandmother passed away on Dec, 12 2012 and my mother told her supervisor that she had to leave early because of my grandmothers death that took place at night and her supervisor told her "It's your choice i dont care". Now how wrong is that?So my mother left and spoke to the manager but he also didnt care. My mother didnt quit because she takes care of my lil bro and sister and sick father. So last week when the meeting was held, my mother went and told the HR Director everything. She was told it was going to take 2 weeks to figure something out. That's it nothing else..nothing but bullshit.

Now the next day my mom was called to the office to speak with her Supervisor and manager and got yelled at for going to the meeting. Her manager told her "why are you going around lying that no one helps you?! I feel you dont like working here so if you don't like it here then leave and I'm not begging you at all and here is you 3day check that you don't even deserve(idk what they call the 3 days but you get them when a family member dies)" It took a month for them to pay my mom because at first they didnt want to. My mom got really upset and left crying. I don't know but I really want to help my mom. I just don't know how. It's just unfair for them to get away with all that they do.

[Darnell 8,478]

if this is work in the USA, there's a lot of legal stuff that can happen.

What country is your Mom in, for this job ?

[alebella 3]

if this is work in the USA, there's a lot of legal stuff that can happen.

What country is your Mom in, for this job ?

We reside in Houston, Texas. She is a U.S Resident with a clean record and has never been fired. What can she do?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I don't understand your post.

What is the petition you talked about that 500 people signed?

What is the HR director meeting you're talking about?

Your mother is working with mean people, it happens but as long as they're not breaking the law (and from your post it doesn't seem they are, they're just being rude) then it's legal.

They let her leave due to the passing of her mother. They don't have to care that her mother passed, but legally she's allowed to go (it's called FMLA - Family Medical Leave Act). They paid her for it, legally that's correct as well.

She's spoken to the HR Director and been told it will take 2 weeks to come up with a solution. I have no idea what she told the HR Director. She could be going to be transferred to another department or something. Could be they'll be reprimanded and nothing else.

Honestly her best choice is to find another job. Get away from the bad people and when she leaves, leave a scathing report on her supervisors and everyone else and send it to (or give it to) ALL the top people at her job (not just HR). She could try suing them for making it a bad workplace but I wouldn't bother personally.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

p.s. My first job here in the US was awful. Truly truly awful emotionally for me. Paid better than were I work now, had better benefits, it wasn't worth the stress to me or my husband.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Tell her to start looking for another job and quit the second she finds another. Your mother can do better.

[SAT 9,609]

To the OP, there's many labor laws in place to protect the worker in the us, as well as laws in your own state.

If your moms boss yelled at her for going to HR, that may be borderlining on retaliation. And retaliation is outright illegal. If she feels that she has been discriminated against, she can file a complaint with EEOC.

In fact if you go to EEOC.gov, you can arm yourself with knowledge. Read up on the laws and know your rights.

Look up the laws section in there, pay attention to retaliation.

[SAT 9,609]

I just looked at the EEOC website, the retaliation section is under "types of discrimination"

[alebella 3]

To the OP, there's many labor laws in place to protect the worker in the us, as well as laws in your own state.

If your moms boss yelled at her for going to HR, that may be borderlining on retaliation. And retaliation is outright illegal. If she feels that she has been discriminated against, she can file a complaint with EEOC.

In fact if you go to EEOC.gov, you can arm yourself with knowledge. Read up on the laws and know your rights.

Look up the laws section in there, pay attention to retaliation.

Thanks so much I am going to look at the website right now but do you think she should go tomorrow to the HR Director and let him know of what happened although they know the supervisors are being dicks? and the petition was signed to do lack of respect for the workers. they make them work longer and cut their lunch short and only make the hispanic workers do most of the job. The supervisor is african american and favors mostly his kind. He makes many of the employees who lack in the english language do alot. Also, the supervisor gave my mother a paper once saying I love you. She told him to ###### off and ever since hes been very mean to my mom. I believe she still has the little sheet of paper where he wrote it

[Golden Gate 530]

Thanks so much I am going to look at the website right now but do you think she should go tomorrow to the HR Director and let him know of what happened although they know the supervisors are being dicks? and the petition was signed to do lack of respect for the workers. they make them work longer and cut their lunch short and only make the hispanic workers do most of the job. The supervisor is african american and favors mostly his kind. He makes many of the employees who lack in the english language do alot. Also, the supervisor gave my mother a paper once saying I love you. She told him to ###### off and ever since hes been very mean to my mom. I believe she still has the little sheet of paper where he wrote it

That is harassment right there.

[Darnell 8,478]

There's a Harris County EEOC office. I suggest your mother file a complaint with them, whether she decides to stay at that job or no.

[SAT 9,609]

Thanks so much I am going to look at the website right now but do you think she should go tomorrow to the HR Director and let him know of what happened although they know the supervisors are being dicks? and the petition was signed to do lack of respect for the workers. they make them work longer and cut their lunch short and only make the hispanic workers do most of the job. The supervisor is african american and favors mostly his kind. He makes many of the employees who lack in the english language do alot. Also, the supervisor gave my mother a paper once saying I love you. She told him to ###### off and ever since hes been very mean to my mom. I believe she still has the little sheet of paper where he wrote it

If your mom's boss yelled at her causing her alarm, or left her notes not pertaining to work, that's harassment. And if she feels that she was harassed because she made a complaint or participated in a job action, that's retaliation. Both of which are illegal. From this board I can't advise you on what to do. But you can file a complaint directly with the EEOC.

[alebella 3]

If your mom's boss yelled at her causing her alarm, or left her notes not pertaining to work, that's harassment. And if she feels that she was harassed because she made a complaint or participated in a job action, that's retaliation. Both of which are illegal. From this board I can't advise you on what to do. But you can file a complaint directly with the EEOC.

Hi Steve,

I spoke with the HR Director today and explained everything, from the love note to the retaliation and he said it was an urgent matter and what they did what was wrong and he is going to call me today to follow up. He did ask me what outcome my mom wanted from this situation and he asked if my mother wanted an apology and I told him no. Both supervisors have had several complaints against them but nothing is ever done. So what should I say and what should I tell him I expect because in my opinion both should be fired. I also left out that an HR employee was in the office and did nothing knowing what was being done to my mother was wrong. So i told the HR director that she needs to be put in her place because she does nothing. Never and when we went to the hospital today she was in the office and just stared by suprise. So how do I go from here?

and thanks to everyone for all the help.

[LSnBigBear 61]

As an employer that has investigated many different work related items here is a simple checklist your mother should follow:

1) Keep personalities and emotions out of this

2) Gain as much information on her said harrasement claim prior to going to HR

3) Obtain written statements from anyone that has been involved that can vouch for your mothers side in all of this. Honestly this a biggie as most co-workers go along with one side until they are asked to put their name and signature on a statement they write.

4) Once she has the above sit down and write the complaints she is filing.

5) Sit down with HR to review the complaints she has.

6) Keep copies of everything.

Once it has been filed my guess is some sort of meeting will transpire at which a decision for the future will take place.

I am assuming your mother is over 40 and female ( )which enables her to file a age and sexual orientation claim. Once someone hits age 40 or above employers must make sure their ducks are in a row etc. for any claims.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

sounds like a hostile work environment.