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We’d like to think we live in an inclusive society, right?

One where we’re free to air our concerns and grievances without fear of retaliation.

Well, it sounds great…

But it doesn’t always work that way.

Not by a long shot!

A man wrote the story below and explained what happened when he questioned what was going on at his company.

Check out what he had to say.

I raised discrimination and retaliation concerns. A few weeks later, my position was eliminated.

“I was heavily involved in coordinating a major first-time community event.

There wasn’t much of an established structure because it had never been done before, and I felt I was given a huge amount of responsibility without much actual leadership or direction.

Despite that, the event was successful. Hundreds of people participated, we had community partners and sponsors involved, and afterward the organization publicly celebrated it as a success.

He had some issues he was worried about.

Around this same period, I started raising concerns internally about leadership and how I was being treated.

I’m black, and one interaction that particularly bothered me involved a senior leader repeatedly questioning whether I even had a driver’s license because they had “never seen me drive.”

After I began speaking up, I felt the tone toward me changed and that I was receiving increased scrutiny. I eventually raised concerns internally about discrimination and possible retaliation.

I also started the EEOC process.

Oh, no!

A few weeks after I first started raising concerns, I was suddenly called into a meeting with very little notice and told my position was being eliminated because of budget concerns.

No HR representative was present.

One of the leaders I had previously raised concerns about was involved in the decision.

My internal HR representative later told me she had not known the decision was being made and believed she should have been present.

What makes this even more confusing is that my written position-elimination notice does not identify performance problems as the reason for eliminating my job.

I was working in a funded position and had previously been given information that led me to believe funding for my work continued well beyond my termination. I’ve since requested documentation supporting the budget explanation for eliminating my position and have not received what I’ve requested.

Here’s the rundown…

So basically:
I help successfully pull off a major first-time event despite limited leadership support.
I raise concerns about leadership and how I’m being treated.
I raise discrimination and retaliation concerns.
I start the EEOC process.
A leader involved in my complaints participates in eliminating my position.
HR isn’t present and apparently didn’t know it was happening.
I’m told it’s because of the budget.
My termination paperwork doesn’t cite performance problems.
I ask for documentation supporting the budget explanation.
And now I’m waiting.

I’ve filed external complaints and I’m speaking with employment attorneys, so I’m intentionally leaving identifying details out of this.

Maybe there’s an explanation for all of it. But when I put the entire timeline together, I have a hard time looking at it and thinking, “Yep, totally normal.”

If you’ve ever been in a situation like this, I’d genuinely like to hear how you handled it.

And seriously: document everything at work.”

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Reddit users spoke up.

This person weighed in.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an American who is confused about why they can’t use their American dollars at a Canadian grocery store.

And another reader shared their thoughts.

What is going on in this place?!?!

It sure doesn’t sound like this guy did anything wrong…

But here we are…

It definitely sounds like this guy is getting screwed over…

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Author

Matthew Gilligan