My husband's boss is trying to make him quit

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After beating prostate cancer and switching meds & all that goes with that, my husband was able to return to his job of over 20 years. Now his boss is making his life at work so stressful that he nearly seized last nite and is jerky today. She is constantly undercutting his work, making up stupid lists w/priorties and then giving him other work to do so he can't get the lists done or even his actual job. We think she is trying to force him to quit, but he can't - we are so deep in the hole from all the other stuff, and he's 50 years old, it's not like he can just bounce out there and pick up on any old job-he knows construction, was a tiler in his younger days, but thats work for a younger guy. She has him so paranoid, he can't talk to anyone about how she treats him on the threat of dismissal. Does anyone know of anything we can do to stop her. I'm sure it's because of his epilepsy, he's started having seizures again after none for about 13 yrs, 2 at work. They pay his health insurance and I think they want to get out of that as well. Any suggestions would really help, we are at our wits end, and every seizure (gran mal) he has takes more of him away from me, & I don't know how many more he can take, it's taking longer & longer for him to come back.

Comments

Re: Re: My husband's boss is trying to make him quit

Submitted by kathyc on Thu, 2007-08-30 - 12:35

Thanks Jesse, Both for the information, advice and heads up email! We have actually been waiting to see how it would go with a meeting that was yesterday. It was a bit ambiguous, there were things said but not said, "oh, he's going to talk to you about that" kind of remarks, and "yes, we need to talk" was another. One of the problems is she has stuck herself to my husband like glue, so there are no opportunities for board/committee members to talk to him. Well, there is, but apparently they either have no clue that she works for THEM-and they can just say go away we want to have a meeting with him,-- or they have no balls. I'm not sure which way I am leaning....personally, I don't find her that intimidating, but she's got these people buffaloed... However, I will check out the information you suggested, I do appreciate the time you took, all of you, to help me figure out this situation. Frankly, since she tried to chew him out and told him I was inappropriate in contacting a board/committee member, their relationship is different. He told her he didn't like the way he is treated, that she has gone after him since the day she was hired, and that she has no right to tell me what I can or cannot do. I have a feeling that the board member did not tell her what she told my husband, but she turned it around to make it seem that we were the ones at fault. She is so far out of line, I don't understand how they don't see it--in fact she is putting on an event there that hasn't even gone before the board. He never gets phone messages, she reads all his email, he is to cc all his outgoing email to her, he is to recieve no email other than what pertains to the workplace, and she drills people who come into see him as to what they are seeing him about. It's a bizarre situation, especially for the area where we live..it's not a big metropolis--it's a small town, where people go to the post office and think, hey, haven't seen whats new with so & so, and they drop by different places of business just to say Hi. Sorry to go on so long! Again, thank you and I will follow up, as I have a strong feeling some things may be coming to a head here soon, and it doesn't hurt to have as much ammo as I can!

Re: Re: Re: My husband's boss is trying to make him quit

Submitted by DAWWN on Sun, 2007-09-02 - 21:31

Disability Advocacy Work With Networking (DAWWN) http://home.earthlink.net/~dawwnHi Kathy and all, I would not necessarily expect much from high level positioned people (bd/cmte members) or even other managers. The abiguities sound like they do not want to take responsibility. It might happen, hard to say since I cannot fully evaluate it from here. The small town picture offers two totally opposite scenarios. One, a community support from others you can deal with in the workplace. The other is a greater ignorance and fear factor. You wrote about the phone messages, emails, drilling of others, etc. That is what needs FULL documentation. If it is difficult to speak to these co-workers on the job follow up after or on lunch breaks. It is a small town and they might be easily contacted for possible face to face discussions in the evening -- arranged by phone call. Also, on that point. Does anyone do the same or in way similar job? Are there phone calls, emails, etc. that any others have a different situation with? Doing ANY job? If so, this is something that can be a very possible path to clear discrimiation. The employer (not the supervisor) must take responsibility for not providing a situation with equality based on disability. Title I of the ADA specifically states what is involved pertaining to a employers with 15 or more employees. You said something about there being only 2 full time. How many part time? How many supervisors? Any others in a completely different work area? Even if the 15 employees do not total up there is still legal coverage for discrimination. Work with that P&A I told you about. They will be your best source. Where do you live (state if not city)? If you are comfortable stating it. If you want, I will help you with some of this from the advocacy (legal) end of it, as well, from here. If so, you can email me and we can get in more direct contact, including an 800# I have. peace, jw

Hi Jesse, The thing is that

Submitted by kathyc on Fri, 2007-09-07 - 14:56

Hi Jesse, The thing is that the board and committee members are one and the same. The person they hired as my husband's boss thinks she is running a corporation. It isn't. My husband and she are the only full timers,(and I'm pretty sure that she doesn't put in her full hours) there are 3 part-timers. A gardener, bookkeeper and cleaning lady. As "boss", she has no experience in this area, whereas my husband has over 25 years. There is no human resources and she lies about what she says to him, unless there is email, in which case we save that. No, there is no one who does what my husband does or knows. That is why he is consulted by other museums regarding similar items in their collections. Oh sure there are some people who "restore" pieces, but not in the way that he does, as close to original as he can, even fabricating parts if need be, nor with the same knowledge as in the museum setting. I am not sure what you mean by the 15 employee thing. We are fairly certain no one else has to account for their time use the way he does. Oh, and in regard to "high level positions"....she is the only one who thinks she is a high level employee. So, there it is. You mentioned emailing you, but you aren't accepting emails, so if ther is more info you feel you want to share with me, you may email me, if you like. Thanks for your interest and advice, Kathy