Interested to hear anyone’s first hand experience or general advice. If going non-anonymous route, aside from get a lawyer, what can be done to protect myself from repercussions?
9 replies (most recent on top)
agree 100 with @ivdw+15nUheU5
I'm sorry for whatever it is you're going through. A few thoughts:
- FMLA - If you're mental health is in jeopardy talk to your doctor. Nike has an awful reputation in town; healthcare providers have seen this many times before. FMLA can give you time to think through your options while still receiving financial compensation.
- Lawyers - Avoid this unless you have overwhelming evidence and documentation. This is not a fight that will leave you feeling good and in the majority of cases not lead to a positive outcome. Sad but true.
- ER/HR - They're not on your team. They're the first line of legal defense for Nike. They will not help you get to a new team, only help to gather information against the manager for future action. They do not care about you.
- Resign - Maybe not right away but this is inevitable. Start thinking about what's next and be pro-active.
Good Luck!
There's a class action lawsuit in Multnomah County that you can join if you're female. Last I heard at least one current employee was in it. OregonLive coverage has the name of the employees' lawyer. That may be a good starting point for legal advice.
Going public won't impact the brand or the individuals who are making you miserable. The brand is strong, and fans, espesh in Oregon, don't want to hear about bad things that happen behind the berm. Employees have gone public before, and that hasn't fixed anything. Goliath almost always wins; remember, he was a champion before he faced David. The class action could get some traction, though.
Retaliation for joining a lawsuit is illegal but so, I'm guessing, is the conduct that made you post here. You could get fired, but remember there are worse things than that.
I could have written the post by @ekz+15nUheU5. It really does get better. A therapist can help sort it out. Every therapist in Washington County knows how it goes. Use the EAP if money is a problem. Good luck to you.
Love the therapist recommendation and can't stress enough how much that will help. I remember my therapist literally shuddering when I told her I worked for Nike. I guess they have a bit of a reputation in the mental health community around Portland.
Get a good lawyer. David versus Goliath. Document. Be very careful on your computer, phone, physical space. They will leave no stone unturned. Get a therapist. Not kidding. You will need it. They will gaslight you.
Now is your chance - if/when they exit you, you must sign an agreement of no further action and NDA in order to get the package.
Just know that there is a big world outside of the berm and Portland in general. It might feel like Nike is everything, but it's not. I left on my own accord after a couple really bad years. I thought about whistleblowing because I was so frustrated and felt trapped, but fortunately a new job and location was enough to refocus me and make me stop obsessing about Nike and how mistreated I felt.
Make sure whatever you got meets the legal definitions of hostile work environment, discrimination, etc. and file complaints with the EEOC first. They won’t be able to fire you otherwise it would be considered retaliation
Document every scarp of evidence and correspondence in as much detail as possible. Nothing will protect you more than hard facts.