My boss is replacing all his employees with Jehovah's Witnesses

[Quagmire]

Documentation will be difficult because he is a terrible book-keeper. Everything is illegibly scribbled on sticky notes and torn scraps of paper, half of which travel around in his pockets until they are lost. The only person here who keeps detailed and easily located records on anything is me.

He has been sued before for violations of labour standards and it cost him thousands, but he doesn't pay his debts. I've won thousands in court before from an insane landlord and she never paid up. I wonder if it's worth the headache.

What I really want to do is open a competing music store with the other guy who works here and put this fool out of business. He has a wicked location though, which is how he manages to still be within $10,000 of "the black" - a pretty manageable debt load, especially since I sold over $2000 worth of instruments in a single day yesterday.

I could probably speed the collapse of his business by not showing up any more and not training my replacement. Then we could grab his location, which is rented.

I don't always scheme, but when I do I scheme big.

:yes: :clap

 

[javajo]

Sue him if he lets you go. The JW organization is very powerful with ties to Freemasonry, so be careful.

 

[freethinker44]

Should I sue him or just quit? If I quit, should I do it in a fit of rage and cussing or should I properly train the JW who he has apparently pegged to replace me first?

Why not do both? Sue him AND quit. Take yourself out of a negative environment and slap him in the face with some good old moral consequence.

 

[Alceste]

It's tricky. You're allowed to hire whoever you want. You're not allowed however to fire someone to replace them on grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation. It's also not allowed to deny a whole group of people employment for those reasons either.
You need proof though, so document all you can.

It does seem dumb that your boss thinks he can get away with this however. He wouldn't get away with putting up a sign that says "No Atheists or Devil Worshipers need apply" for example.

My boss is dumb. I mean, REALLY dumb. I have never met a dumber person in my entire life. For example, when sales are slow he raises his prices, thinking "If I make more money off each sale that will make up for the shortfall in sales!"

 

[Alceste]

Alceste owning a business?
Oh, joy!
We could all watch your transmogrification from commie firebrand to fellow running dog of capitalism.
I'll teach you our secret handshake.

Actually it would be my second business. This job (and two others) is funding the start-up of my first.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

My boss is dumb. I mean, REALLY dumb. I have never met a dumber person in my entire life. For example, when sales are slow he raises his prices, thinking "If I make more money off each sale that will make up for the shortfall in sales!"

He didn't work for Pets.com by any chance, did he?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It's tricky. You're allowed to hire whoever you want. You're not allowed however to fire someone to replace them on grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation.

FYI - this sounds to me like US-specific advice that may not be directly applicable to Alceste's situation.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Documentation will be difficult because he is a terrible book-keeper. Everything is illegibly scribbled on sticky notes and torn scraps of paper, half of which travel around in his pockets until they are lost. The only person here who keeps detailed and easily located records on anything is me.

He has been sued before for violations of labour standards and it cost him thousands, but he doesn't pay his debts. I've won thousands in court before from an insane landlord and she never paid up. I wonder if it's worth the headache.

Your Human Rights Commission may be able to order him to give you your job back rather than (or in addition to) a monetary award... though I don't know how enjoyable it would be to continue working there after that.

 

[Alceste]

Your Human Rights Commission may be able to order him to give you your job back rather than (or in addition to) a monetary award... though I don't know how enjoyable it would be to continue working there after that.

It's not very enjoyable now, to be honest. He "promoted" me to store manager without a raise when the last girl left, but rejects all my ideas. So I can't improve anything, but I get all the accountability when things go wrong and complaints come in, as they do on a daily basis. I'm already looking for other jobs. Ideally, I want one full time job instead of 3 part time jobs.

 

[Alceste]

FYI - this sounds to me like US-specific advice that may not be directly applicable to Alceste's situation.

I'd probably be better off complaining about there being no breaks. Easier to prove. The trouble is, he won't outright fire me, I don't think. He will happily whittle down my regular hours until they are gone, but call me at the last minute to cover all the shifts he forgot to schedule an employee for.

The other awkward thing is that I have about 10 music students here and I would like to keep teaching. I can't teach at home and the gas and time are a pain when I teach people in their own homes - it's a pretty rural area.

 

[Skwim]

Take a look at THIS. I didn't read any of it but it may give you the answer you're looking for.

Just as a tactic, if you and your co-worker are let go, I'd wait and see if he hires a JW to replace you. It also may pay to have a voice recorder on hand. Secretly of course. There may be big $$ in this.

 

[Alceste]

(You don't filch fries from his poutine, do you?)
I know it's an odd approach, but I'd suggest being candid.
Explain what you see & ask what's going on.
If a civil discussion is possible, then you'll know where you stand, & can better decide what to do next.

Otherwise, join his flock.
On the plus side, it'll give you something new to proselytize about.

It's impossible to talk to this person. Any conversation about the business, no matter how simple, results in an unstoppable tirade of excuses, arguments and defensive self-justifications. I've tried to persuade him not to jerk around the other non-JW employee with his hours so much because he's a very competent worker and an excellent salesperson with a wife and a kid to support. I've tried to explain that the guy will probably leave if he can't plan his schedule from one day to the next or get a rough idea of how much he will earn in any given month. The owner's attitude is "I'm not a charity - he can do whatever he wants".

OTOH, when he cut my hours from 20/week to 4/week a month ago, he was shocked and injured that I immediately went out and got another job to cover the gap, and spent the next two months pleading with me to cover shifts (my old shifts) he had forgotten to schedule an employee for.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'd probably be better off complaining about there being no breaks. Easier to prove. The trouble is, he won't outright fire me, I don't think. He will happily whittle down my regular hours until they are gone, but call me at the last minute to cover all the shifts he forgot to schedule an employee for.

You don't necessarily have to be terminated outright to have a case. Work reduction for improper reasons can be actionable, too.

Also, if he creates a work environment that's so intolerable that you effectively have no choice but to leave, you may have a case for constructive dismissal.

But the nitty-gritty of all this gets tricky and is stuff that a lawyer should probably be the one to advise you about.

The other awkward thing is that I have about 10 music students here and I would like to keep teaching. I can't teach at home and the gas and time are a pain when I teach people in their own homes - it's a pretty rural area.

You might have slim pickings in a rural area, but are there other music schools in the area that might take you in?

 

[james2ko]

It's impossible to talk to this person. Any conversation about the business, no matter how simple, results in an unstoppable tirade of excuses, arguments and defensive self-justifications. I've tried to persuade him not to jerk around the other non-JW employee with his hours so much because he's a very competent worker and an excellent salesperson with a wife and a kid to support. I've tried to explain that the guy will probably leave if he can't plan his schedule from one day to the next or get a rough idea of how much he will earn in any given month. The owner's attitude is "I'm not a charity - he can do whatever he wants".

OTOH, when he cut my hours from 20/week to 4/week a month ago, he was shocked and injured that I immediately went out and got another job to cover the gap, and spent the next two months pleading with me to cover shifts (my old shifts) he had forgotten to schedule an employee for.

I had issues with my employer regarding the Sabbath. I filed a complaint with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) who threatened to fine them. It scared them straight. If the EEOC feels they have a strong enough case, they will sue on your behalf. Although, your scenario is different, it may be worth trying the free route before paying an attorney.

Here's the link to their religious discrimination page:
Religious Discrimination

 

[Otherright]

My boss is a JW. A little while back he let go a long time employee and hired a JW to replace her. Then he hired another person who I met today. Turns out she is also a JW. Meanwhile he is making all kinds of noises to the two of us who are not JW that he needs to cut back on our hours "to save a few bucks", but I can't help but notice every shift we get shaved off our schedules is going to these JWs, who get paid the same as we do (I know, because I do the books).

Should I sue him or just quit? If I quit, should I do it in a fit of rage and cussing or should I properly train the JW who he has apparently pegged to replace me first?

Alceste, if I knew where you were, I may be able to advise you better. Unfortunately, if you are in the US, there may not be a great deal you can do, especially if this is a small company that has eight employees or less, as federal discriminatory laws don't apply to them.

The discrimination may be obvious, but unlike a movie, it is almost impossible to prove. That's why we make movies about true stories where someone prove discrimination, because it blows everyone's mind that they were able to prove it.

Sorry to break it to you, but if your employer decided to get rid of you, he could cite anything from insubordination to lack of work, and you'd be gone. Any claim you made afterward would be secondary in court, and would only damage your credibility to a court.

 

[Otherright]

I had issues with my employer regarding the Sabbath. I filed a complaint with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) who threatened to fine them. It scared them straight. If the EEOC feels they have a strong enough case, they will sue on your behalf. Although, your scenario is different, it may be worth trying the free route before paying an attorney.

Here's the link to their religious discrimination page:
Religious Discrimination

Wow. I'm surprised that you were able to pull that off. Do you work a fixed shift?

 

[Otherright]

Take a look at THIS. I didn't read any of it but it may give you the answer you're looking for.

Just as a tactic, if you and your co-worker are let go, I'd wait and see if he hires a JW to replace you. It also may pay to have a voice recorder on hand. Secretly of course. There may be big $$ in this.

No! Don't use a voice recorder. It will be inadmissible unless you tell him beforehand that you are going to record the conversation.

 

[Otherright]

As long as they don't do so BECAUSE of religion, gender, race etc.

Unless they have 8 or less employees. I just worked a case study on this very thing @ about 2 o'clock this morning.

 

[james2ko]

Wow. I'm surprised that you were able to pull that off. Do you work a fixed shift?

No. Our shifts are staggered.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Alceste, if I knew where you were, I may be able to advise you better. Unfortunately, if you are in the US, there may not be a great deal you can do, especially if this is a small company that has eight employees or less, as federal discriminatory laws don't apply to them.

Since she mentioned it recently, I hope Alceste doesn't mind me saying that she's in Canada. That "8 employees or less" rule doesn't generally apply here... not in Ontario, anyhow. I'm not sure if there's provincial legislation to similar effect where Alceste is.

No! Don't use a voice recorder. It will be inadmissible unless you tell him beforehand that you are going to record the conversation.

Again, this is a point of difference in law between Canada and the US. In Canada, it's legal for a participant in a conversation to record it, even without the permission or knowledge of the other participants.

Is it legal to record a private conversation? Wiretapping and the one party consent exception to the rule against interception | LegalTree.ca