Re: Harrasement in the Work Place/ Hostile Work Inviroment

About 2 years into my employment with E-con Inc. my boss (owner) Gary Utech made sexual advances toward me. It went on for about 1 1/2 year. I didn't know how to end it. I am a single mom with 2 kids and just got off AFDC and I wanted to be successful so I really needed my job.

Cable Constructors, Inc. bought the assets of E-Con March of 2002. After about 6 months I felt comfortable enough that I thought I could tell the new company and permanently end it. I was hoping for a fresh start with the new company. I told the accountant (Ken Maes) because I had delt with him the most and felt it would be handled appropriately. Nothing was done. A few weeks later I told my bosses' boss (Dana Trempe). He told me he'd have to talk to Gary about the acusation. he did. We were asked if we could continue to work together in a proffesional relationship. I said I could. Suddenly Gary completely started to treat me in a different way. I believe he was retailiating against me because I told. He continued to make my work life very difficult that I couldn't stand it. I addressed my feelings with him and he told me I seemed to have no remorse for ruining his life. (I thought we were going to move on and work professionaly.) His rude and hostile treatment continued. I tried to talk to his boss and was forced to apologize. I filed a complaint with the Human Resources Dept. and nothing changed. I felt I had exhausted all my avenues and no one was going to help give my relief from his actions.

The day I quit. I had asked him the week ending the week before I quit if I could adjust my schedule so that I might be able to leave around 2:00 on Thursday and Friday because my kids were off of school those to days and I wanted to get home earlier to spend time with them. (Keep in mind that the 4 estimators in the office had just had anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks off for hunting.) (Also these guys can stay late or work on a Saturday or Sunday no questions asked.) I asked Gary if I could come in for a few hours on Saturday to try to get as close to my 40 hrs as possible because I couldn't afford to loose the hours. He stated that he wasn't going to pay me overtime for Saturday. I told him I wasn't looking for that. I just wanted to get as close to my 40 as possible. He had to take a call and the subject was dropped. Early the next week I made a time copy of a time card and wrote some hours on it. Attached was a note that stated, "Could we work something out like the hours I have projected on this time card so I can be home earlier with my kids?" I didn't receive any response. When Gary left Wednesday evening at 5:00 and I was the only one left in the office he didn't say anything to me so I figured it was okay. I worked until 7:00 pm. The next morning I asked Dale (E-Con Division Accountant) if Gary had mentioned me leaving early that day. He said yes but that he wasn't happy. I asked why. He stated that Gary said he felt he was pushed into it, not asked. I went to Gary's office and asked him if it was okay for me to leave early that day and he chewed me out. He was very angry and said why am I asking now when I allready worked until 7:00 pm the night before. I explained that I had tried to talk to him about it twice but he interrupted me saying It's your responsibility as an employee to come to me if you need to change your hours. I tried to tell him again that I tried to make an attempt verbally and in writing but he interupted me again repeating very hostily that it was my responsibility as an employee to come to him if I needed to change my hours. At that point I felt like this person is going to continue to make my life as difficult as possible and is not going to work with me and I have no one else to look to for support. I said I quit. I really didn't want to but I was so hurt and fustrated that after 4 1/2 yrs and I my hard work I was being treated more rudely than any of the men would have been (and they had only been in the office a year.)

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: About 2 years into my employment with E-con Inc. my boss (owner) Gary Utech made sexual advances toward me. It went on for about 1 1/2 year. I didn't know how to end it. I am a single mom with 2 kids and just got off AFDC and I wanted to be successful so I really needed my job.

: Cable Constructors, Inc. bought the assets of E-Con March of 2002. After about 6 months I felt comfortable enough that I thought I could tell the new company and permanently end it. I was hoping for a fresh start with the new company. I told the accountant (Ken Maes) because I had delt with him the most and felt it would be handled appropriately. Nothing was done. A few weeks later I told my bosses' boss (Dana Trempe). He told me he'd have to talk to Gary about the acusation. he did. We were asked if we could continue to work together in a proffesional relationship. I said I could. Suddenly Gary completely started to treat me in a different way. I believe he was retailiating against me because I told. He continued to make my work life very difficult that I couldn't stand it. I addressed my feelings with him and he told me I seemed to have no remorse for ruining his life. (I thought we were going to move on and work professionaly.) His rude and hostile treatment continued. I tried to talk to his boss and was forced to apologize. I filed a complaint with the Human Resources Dept. and nothing changed. I felt I had exhausted all my avenues and no one was going to help give my relief from his actions.

: The day I quit. I had asked him the week ending the week before I quit if I could adjust my schedule so that I might be able to leave around 2:00 on Thursday and Friday because my kids were off of school those to days and I wanted to get home earlier to spend time with them. (Keep in mind that the 4 estimators in the office had just had anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks off for hunting.) (Also these guys can stay late or work on a Saturday or Sunday no questions asked.) I asked Gary if I could come in for a few hours on Saturday to try to get as close to my 40 hrs as possible because I couldn't afford to loose the hours. He stated that he wasn't going to pay me overtime for Saturday. I told him I wasn't looking for that. I just wanted to get as  close to my 40 as possible. He had to take a call and the subject was dropped. Early the next week I made a time copy of a time card and wrote some hours on it. Attached was a note that stated, "Could we work something out like the hours I have projected on this time card so I can be home earlier with my kids?" I didn't receive any response. When Gary left Wednesday evening at 5:00 and I was the only one left in the office he didn't say anything to me so I figured it was okay. I worked until 7:00 pm. The next morning I asked Dale (E-Con Division Accountant) if Gary had mentioned me leaving early that day. He said yes but that he wasn't happy. I asked why. He stated that Gary said he felt he was pushed into it, not asked. I went to Gary's office and asked him if it was okay for me to leave early that day and he chewed me out. He was very angry and said why am I asking now when I allready worked until 7:00 pm the night before. I explained that I had tried to talk to him about it twice but he interrupted me saying It's your responsibility as an employee to come to me if you need to change your hours. I tried to tell him again that I tried to make an attempt verbally and in writing but he interupted me again repeating very hostily that it was my responsibility as an employee to come to him if I needed to change my hours. At that point I felt like this person is going to continue to make my life as difficult as possible and is not going to work with me and I have no one else to look to for support. I said I quit. I really didn't want to but I was so hurt and fustrated that after 4 1/2 yrs and I my hard work I was being treated more rudely than any of the men would have been (and they had only been in the office a year.)