Jeaninesecret55
New Member
I need advice on what my rights are. I was suspended yesterday from work (Assistant Manager-retail) based upon false allegations made that I had made a discriminatory comment (the n word) to an employee about guests that were in the store after a Loss Prevention issue. First off let me state that I am half black, am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, don't swear, and have never been accused of being racist or discriminitory in all of my employment history up until recently.
I have been accused of stating to my general manager and another party who I am unaware of, that I admitted to making the comment. Also, within the month I was accused of discrimination by an employee who stated that I was reducing her hours based upon the fact she was studying to be a witness any more. I had defending myself to the HR manager that the payroll budget went from over 300 down to 255 with the manager eating up 185 at least. So all the other hours had to be distributed accordingly. The week she called HR, it was also the week of her 21st Birthday and was trying to be thoughtful, but to no avail apparently. This same employee was reported as saying to another manager that she wanted to slap me and couldn't stand me, and that she called HR once and she may have to do it again. She was terminated shortly after the incident, which started due to me asking her to ring a guest up.
In regards to my suspension, my general manager is one of my accussers. She has been trying for years to get me out of the store. To explain, about a year ago she accused me of purchasing salon hair color without her knowlege. Even though she either rang me up for the product or was present when I purchased. I found out by LP that purchasing salon hair color was not allowed which I had been told otherwise by prior salon managers. Since my conversation with the LP manager, I haven't purchased salon supplies. She lied about the incident.
This time she is claiming I told her that I had said this remark in my admition to her, though the only conversation I recall is repeating a comment that I had made to the associate, which was about me, and that "the black girl in me almost came out" which is a comment often made to me by my friends in regards to the fact I can be overly animated when I'm mad, excited, or annoyed. (Not negative) After I said it to the employee I did try to explain what I meant by it and that I didn't mean any offense by it. The only reference I made to the shoplifters after they left is that "I hated shoplifters and that they needed to stay home." Keep in mind the shoplifters (8 of them) weren't all of black race, 3 were white, 6 were black. There were 3 different groups that came in at the same time, all took at least one piece of merchandise and left. One group I had approached, I actually was able to retrieve some merchandise from their bag before they left, since I saw one of the white females put product in her purse.
The three accusers weren't there, at no point did I have a conversation about the n word or any other negative racial comment other than the comment I made about myself which I did try to apoligize for any confusion made by the comment to the associate, who by the way...hasn't come foward yet with a statement. And this associate is a former Jehovah's Witness who is friends with the newly terminated associate. So I am unsure if she will honest when speaking with HR, or if my GM will coherse her into lying.
There is more to the GM saga...
I have been accused of stating to my general manager and another party who I am unaware of, that I admitted to making the comment. Also, within the month I was accused of discrimination by an employee who stated that I was reducing her hours based upon the fact she was studying to be a witness any more. I had defending myself to the HR manager that the payroll budget went from over 300 down to 255 with the manager eating up 185 at least. So all the other hours had to be distributed accordingly. The week she called HR, it was also the week of her 21st Birthday and was trying to be thoughtful, but to no avail apparently. This same employee was reported as saying to another manager that she wanted to slap me and couldn't stand me, and that she called HR once and she may have to do it again. She was terminated shortly after the incident, which started due to me asking her to ring a guest up.
In regards to my suspension, my general manager is one of my accussers. She has been trying for years to get me out of the store. To explain, about a year ago she accused me of purchasing salon hair color without her knowlege. Even though she either rang me up for the product or was present when I purchased. I found out by LP that purchasing salon hair color was not allowed which I had been told otherwise by prior salon managers. Since my conversation with the LP manager, I haven't purchased salon supplies. She lied about the incident.
This time she is claiming I told her that I had said this remark in my admition to her, though the only conversation I recall is repeating a comment that I had made to the associate, which was about me, and that "the black girl in me almost came out" which is a comment often made to me by my friends in regards to the fact I can be overly animated when I'm mad, excited, or annoyed. (Not negative) After I said it to the employee I did try to explain what I meant by it and that I didn't mean any offense by it. The only reference I made to the shoplifters after they left is that "I hated shoplifters and that they needed to stay home." Keep in mind the shoplifters (8 of them) weren't all of black race, 3 were white, 6 were black. There were 3 different groups that came in at the same time, all took at least one piece of merchandise and left. One group I had approached, I actually was able to retrieve some merchandise from their bag before they left, since I saw one of the white females put product in her purse.
The three accusers weren't there, at no point did I have a conversation about the n word or any other negative racial comment other than the comment I made about myself which I did try to apoligize for any confusion made by the comment to the associate, who by the way...hasn't come foward yet with a statement. And this associate is a former Jehovah's Witness who is friends with the newly terminated associate. So I am unsure if she will honest when speaking with HR, or if my GM will coherse her into lying.
There is more to the GM saga...
