Humiliated at the hand of her supervisor

[mimi1026]

Jurisdiction

Georgia

I have a former employee that still works for Kroger and is 62 years old. About a week ago she was getting ready to clock out and her deli manager called her back to the Department the bakery manager was standing there with a pie pan full of cake icing said she was totally caught off guard when they smashed in her face. They were customers everywhere even another employee in the deli yelled she got it on video. Now it really upsets me because as a manager we don't behave that way. I know this woman was previously abused mentally verbally and physically from husband and he constantly embarrassed her in public. She said all she could do was cry and walk away. Store management and Deli Bakery managers are good friends so the only reprimand that happened was an apology. Is that not putting your hands on another employee and grounds for termination. What's sad is we are a union company. And Union was involved and still this is all that happened. I think she has a lawsuit

 

[mimi1026]

All I can think about does God help someone if this was my mother

 

[adjusterjack]

A lawsuit is useless if she wasn't actually injured or suffered monetary damages.

Still, it's a crime and the woman needs to report the assault and battery to the police or she may well just have to accept her humiliation without any recourse.

I don't think her age has anything to do with it. I'm 70 and if somebody did that to me my instinctive response would be to punch them in the face.

Unless, of course, I was attending a Three Stooges or Soupy Sales festival.

 

[cbg]

Here's the thing.

Yes, it is grounds for termination. However, nothing in the law says that someone who commits an offense that is worthy of termination must be terminated.

What happened was appalling. How long ago did this happen? Did she report what happened to HR? To the police?

 

[Betty3]

It seems as if the union isn't doing much. It should have been reported to the police. It's the employer's decision whether to terminate.

I don't see a lawsuit.

 

[cbg]

I'd still like the answers to my questions.

 

[mimi1026]

It happened Dec 30th. And she did contact HR. Waiting on a response but the police no .She didn't report to them. I hàve since written a letter to our senior president and am also waiting on a response

 

[mimi1026]

I know she can sue the union for misrepresentation but that's not really relavent and I'm just thinking it's made it a hostile work environment

 

[Betty3]

She will have to wait & see what HR/Sr. Vice Pres. says. I don't see a lawsuit if she suffered no "damages."


How to Know If You Have a Hostile Work Environment

 

[cbg]

A hostile work environment has a very specific meaning under the law, Unless there is much more to the story this is not one.

If I may say so, Mimi, you're not really doing your friend any favors by writing letters on her behalf unless you are her union representative or her licensed attorney. It does not make an employee look good to have someone else writing on her behalf. I'm saying this as a long time HR person - I'd be much more inclined to pay attention to a letter that she herself wrote about the incident than that someone else wrote for her. MAYBE if the person was an actual witness to the event. But you have no standing to be complaining on her behalf as a former employer. It makes you like you're interfering and it makes her look like a whiner, when she actually has a very good reason to be making a complaint.

If you really want to help her, and I'm saying this as someone who would have fired everyone involved if they'd pulled that trick on someone who worked for me, you'll be as supportive as you can and help her behind the scenes all you like (including talking to law sites - that's perfectly fine IMO) but when it comes to making complaints internally, SHE needs to be writing the letters and making the complaints.