Q–I work nights at a bank as part of a team of six, four of whom have become a close-knit group and take advantage of the rest of us. They arrive late, leave early, blast music and talk and laugh loudly.
A girl from another team complained to the supervisor about them and they made her life so miserable she had to take several days off. How do I make a case against them? Because the group uses intimidation, it’s unlikely others who share my feelings will help me.
A–Management must be made aware of what’s going on. Persuade the girl from the other team who was victimized by this gang to speak to management with you. If the bank refuses to act, call the Illinois Department of Human Rights (312-814-6200), the Chicago Commission on Human Relations (312-744-4111) and the Cook County Commision on Human Rights (312-443-3456). You may be able to file complaints against the bank if it doesn’t do anything to protect its workers from a hostile work environment.
Q–My son’s supervisor at the small, close-knit company where they work, pays all the company bills, and, he says, charges personal expenses on company accounts. She sometimes reimburses the company, but only after he brings the charges to her attention. Other large charges remain unreimbursed. The only one to mention this to is the owner, but it’s his word vs. hers, and when push comes to shove, it’s the clerk, not the supervisor, who is usually the one left filing for unemployment. Any suggestions?
A–If your son does not report this to the company owner, both he and his supervisor could be considered guilty of theft. If the unreimbursed items are discovered, the owner may think that he was in on it and was covering for his supervisor. He should make a list of all the unreimbursed personal charges he knows of and give it to his supervisor as a reminder. If she does not pay them within a couple of weeks, he should privately give the list to the owner, explaining the situation and asking how to handle it.
Q: I live in a city where the people are not used to working with minorities. I recently quit two jobs because of distrust and unfair treatment. Now that I’m interviewing, the favorite question is, “Why did you leave?” I only worked for four months for the employer that would give me a bad reference. Should I leave the company off my resume? I’m a part-time student, and I’m also thinking of moving to another city.
A: You could leave it off your resume since it was only a short time and you are still a student. I agree that moving to another city is a good idea. Life is difficult enough. It doesn’t make sense to live where you’re uncomfortable.
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Problems on the job? Write to Lindsey Novak, At Work, Financial Department, 4th Floor, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611, or, via e-mail: AtWorkbyLN@aol.com. No phone calls, please.
