Q: After graduating college in New York, I started a jewelry-making class and discovered it was my passion. My mother knew the owner of a fine jewelry store and set up an internship there for me. He told her it would be great because I would learn so much. I was promised training and to be able to work as a bench jeweler.
I wore a nice black dress my first day. The first thing he told me was to go home and change into a white shirt and black pants. I was annoyed, but I did it. When I returned, he told me to straighten up things in the back of the store and to start cleaning so I would learn where things were. The back of the store was a complete mess, with books and boxes stacked all over. He had two bench workers setting stones, resizing rings and soldering. Instead of working with them, I had to clean the store while wearing my nice white shirt. He also told me not to talk to the bench workers. I cleaned for four days, threw away garbage and put things in order. He was upset and said I did everything wrong. It was the first time he could see the floor.
On the fifth day, he told me to greet people as they entered the store. I greeted everyone, but no matter what I did, it was wrong. After everything I did to clean and organize things, he never thanked me. After one more insult, I said, "I can't intern for you because you are verbally abusive." He looked confused and said he thought everything was fine. He also looked worried because I had used the word "abusive" and he knew my father was a lawyer. I then quit.
It's good to have contacts, but that doesn't mean it is going to work out. How do I make sure this never happens again?
A: It won't happen again. You recognized his abusive personality when he sent you home to change clothing the first day and insisted you clean his store while wearing white. You were far more tolerant than most, probably because your mother had arranged the internship. His cruel behavior is part of his personality, and nothing will change it.
If you want a true internship in making jewelry, make the contact yourself, and conduct a two-way interview. Ask direct questions on what skills the owner needs from a bench worker. Tell about the work you completed in your jewelry-making course. And explain what you ultimately see yourself doing in the field. Being honest in an interview means taking the risk that you would not be a good fit for a position, but it is better to find out early so you can move on to the next opportunity to find the perfect fit.
Employee Discrimination: Race or Workers' Compensation Case?
Q: I have worked in the health field for five years, and I love what I do. However, I have not been promoted, and I have applied for nearly every job that suits my background. I have two degrees and a lot of office experience, yet people with less education and less work experience have been hired for all the posted openings. My director has it out for me and has accused me of things she knows not to be true just so she could write me up. I am the only black employee at this time, and she told some white employees to let her know about anything I say. I also filed a workers' compensation claim against the company, so that may be another problem.
A: Discrimination for race or for filing a workers' compensation claim is illegal. Meet with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigator to discuss the facts. Bring a list of the posted jobs and qualifications, descriptions of the backgrounds of people hired, and your resume. Also, bring the documents pertaining to your workers' compensation claim. The representative will review the facts and decide on whether either or both of these situations justify discrimination charges.
========
What is the hardest topic to discuss at work? E-mail Lindsey Novak atLindseyNovak@yahoo.com with all your workplace questions. She answers all e-mails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
I wore a nice black dress my first day. The first thing he told me was to go home and change into a white shirt and black pants. I was annoyed, but I did it. When I returned, he told me to straighten up things in the back of the store and to start cleaning so I would learn where things were. The back of the store was a complete mess, with books and boxes stacked all over. He had two bench workers setting stones, resizing rings and soldering. Instead of working with them, I had to clean the store while wearing my nice white shirt. He also told me not to talk to the bench workers. I cleaned for four days, threw away garbage and put things in order. He was upset and said I did everything wrong. It was the first time he could see the floor.
On the fifth day, he told me to greet people as they entered the store. I greeted everyone, but no matter what I did, it was wrong. After everything I did to clean and organize things, he never thanked me. After one more insult, I said, "I can't intern for you because you are verbally abusive." He looked confused and said he thought everything was fine. He also looked worried because I had used the word "abusive" and he knew my father was a lawyer. I then quit.
It's good to have contacts, but that doesn't mean it is going to work out. How do I make sure this never happens again?
A: It won't happen again. You recognized his abusive personality when he sent you home to change clothing the first day and insisted you clean his store while wearing white. You were far more tolerant than most, probably because your mother had arranged the internship. His cruel behavior is part of his personality, and nothing will change it.
If you want a true internship in making jewelry, make the contact yourself, and conduct a two-way interview. Ask direct questions on what skills the owner needs from a bench worker. Tell about the work you completed in your jewelry-making course. And explain what you ultimately see yourself doing in the field. Being honest in an interview means taking the risk that you would not be a good fit for a position, but it is better to find out early so you can move on to the next opportunity to find the perfect fit.
Employee Discrimination: Race or Workers' Compensation Case?
Q: I have worked in the health field for five years, and I love what I do. However, I have not been promoted, and I have applied for nearly every job that suits my background. I have two degrees and a lot of office experience, yet people with less education and less work experience have been hired for all the posted openings. My director has it out for me and has accused me of things she knows not to be true just so she could write me up. I am the only black employee at this time, and she told some white employees to let her know about anything I say. I also filed a workers' compensation claim against the company, so that may be another problem.
A: Discrimination for race or for filing a workers' compensation claim is illegal. Meet with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigator to discuss the facts. Bring a list of the posted jobs and qualifications, descriptions of the backgrounds of people hired, and your resume. Also, bring the documents pertaining to your workers' compensation claim. The representative will review the facts and decide on whether either or both of these situations justify discrimination charges.
========
What is the hardest topic to discuss at work? E-mail Lindsey Novak atLindseyNovak@yahoo.com with all your workplace questions. She answers all e-mails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий