Verizon Steals From Employees
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
United States
January 13, 2008 9:36pm CST
Recently, my neighbor was fired from her job with Verizon as a telemarketer. She was too sick to go to work and didn't have the money to even get bus fare to go to a free clinic to get a doctor's excuse and was too embarrassed to ask me for it. She got sick because Verizon has been working her 10 hours a day, six days a week and not paying her overtime, which is illegal. When she filed for Unemployment, Verizon lied and so her claim has been denied and she has no way to pay the rent and is now being threatened with eviction.
She's afraid to go to the Labor Board because she doesn't want her complaint to follow her to her next employer and she has other factors against her in looking for work. She's 57 years old and has moderate education and a criminal record that's eleven years old. If something doesn't happen quickly, she will have to go live at the Los Angeles Mission, which is no fun, believe me.
Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'm almost at a point that I'm going to call the Labor Board and report Verizon. I just don't know how much my complaint will do since I haven't been employed by them.
Maybe I should contact the local news stations and papers and see if any of them will do an investigation. I'm just not sure what to do to help her. I don't want to see her be evicted and I'm taking her application in to my employer tomorrow to see if my boss will hire her.
If you have any ideas, please let me know quickly! I'd really like to find a way to keep her and her daughter from being evicted. Thanks for any help...
2 people like this
8 responses
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
14 Jan 08
I hate to be the one to say this, but it sounds like it is time for your neighbor to grow up. She may be your friend, but she is not your problem, she is full of excuses. First of all, she should have made copies of her time card if they were having her do something illegal.
Secondly, if she was so sick that she could not go to work, she should not let her pride get in the way of asking you or someone else for bus fare. When you are sick enough, you will do whatever you have to. I have called the ambulance many time, when I did not even have a job. Sick is sick, you can worry about the bills later. The reason she does not want to contact the labor board is because she is lying for sympathy. Everyone wants justice when they have been wronged. I could see if she was an illegal allien.
My advice to you is to stay all the way out of it. You may get involved and think that you are helping out and mess up her little game.
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
15 Jan 08
I am more compassionate than you could ever imagine. But, you don't seem to get that because I DON'T know this woman, all I can do is speak from the facts that you have written down. I am not heartless, I am a realist. And trying hard to learn not to be so gullible. This is a place of debate, so why would you get so upset about my opinion? Why are you taking it so personally.
If you are so compassionate, why should she have to face being homeless. My mother and her three girls lived in a very tiny two bedroom duplex. We were on welfare because my mother was too sick with cancer to work. One of her friends became homeless with five children.
My mother made room for her and her children and made sure we all got enough to eat. If you knew me, you would know that I am exactly like my mother. I am in therapy for being too nice.
1 person likes this
@hugsandkisses (54)
• United States
14 Jan 08
There are always two sides of a story. None of us can say Verizon is mistreating their employees or that your friend has just a lot of things going on in her life and issues she is keeping from you.
The best way to do is support your neighbor in whatever she believes is right for her. It is still her life and thus, she is the one who should be in control. I feel sorry for her and that she has some criminal records but if she is innocent this time and that she believes she has the right to sue the company, then she should do it. She may be fazed and what you can do is keep her hopes up.
Media can be helpful but sometimes they just want the story that can earn them money. So be careful. Verizon is a big company. Going to the Labor Board is a good idea since they have advisers who know what steps to take.
So long as your neighbor tells the truth and has enough evidence, versus the company, then she should have a big chance of winning the case.
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
15 Jan 08
I think you are naive in your estimation. People are discriminated against every day for old prison records and people who have been in trouble with the law as she has have been taught to fear and mistrust authorities. I know someone else who had a great job and was a supervisor and doing very well in her job and then one of her co-workers who didn't like that she was made supervisor got hold of her SS# and did a search on her and found out she had been in prison several years ago and spread it around the office and she got fired for it. He ultimately got fired as well and she is suing him and two others involved but she's still out of work now and since she works in a very close knit business, her criminal background is now public knowledge to everyone in the industry and she can't get a job doing what she has most experience in.
It's just not easy overcoming the past when you've been in jail or prison. People have certain pre-conceived ideas and even though they aren't supposed to hold it against them, they do and there's very little someone in that position can do about it.
I do intend to call the local labor board and see what can be done for my neighbor. And, hopefully, someone in the local media will decide to investigate the story.
@hugsandkisses (54)
• United States
15 Jan 08
I'm sorry you think that way. I'm not American. But I worked for some American companies in the past and they were fair. So it is hard for me to believe that a prestigious company such as Verizon can be so cruel to an employee.
I understand what you mean about criminal records. But companies should try to see what crimes the person committed in the past before they conclude that this person is going to do something nasty again.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
14 Jan 08
What I would do is appeal the unemployment decision and call a local news station. I know many new stations focus on stories such as this and help people get their issues resolved. I know it seems a bit drastic, but someone needs to find out what Verizon is doing to their employees.
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
14 Jan 08
I'd think that all she would have to do is contact an attorney. I know that costs money though. Your ideas seem to be good ones. She also can file an appeal with unemployment. Has she went to the local organizations to try to get help with her rent and food? That is where I would start so she doesn't end up homeless! I'll keep her in my prayers and wish her the best. Your a great friend for trying to help her out!
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
15 Jan 08
Thank you for the suggestions and support. She has been going to various organizations. She just hasn't found anyone to help so far. I went through similar issues when I was out of work but fortunately I have a family and friends who were able to help me. I wish I could help her but the most I've been able to do is buy a few groceries and pay for cat food to keep her cats fed. I have to start looking for homes for her cats if she is evicted. Since I helped her get the cats, I feel somewhat responsible for them and I have contacts in the rescue business that she doesn't. And, I have internet access and she doesn't.
Anyway, thanks for the compassionate attitude.
1 person likes this
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
17 Jan 08
Is there a Salvation Army or the trustee or someone that could help out with the rent so she won't get evicted? Does she go to a church? Maybe they could help. I really wish her the best. And it's really great of you to stand by her and try to help her out. Let us know what happens. Try to have a great day :-)
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
15 Jan 08
Oh I would most definetly call the labor board and report them!! This poor lady is in such dire straits that she's gotta do something and now. She's been such a loyal and faithful employee for so long and to be treated in such a way is one heck of a slap in the face! They need that slap returned in a hurry! I'll say a prayer on her behalf. May God bless her!!
@LouieWpHs04 (4555)
• United States
15 Jan 08
You cant really win. It's like a hobo picking a fight with a warehouse guy that's been in the warehousing buisness for years. Verizon has an endless amount of money & with an endless amount of money means an endless amount of lawyers. So for every couple lawyers you have, Verizon will have about 100. The best thing to do as others have mentioned would probably be some sort of publicity stunt. Whether it be going to a local tv or radio station, or running around outside their buildings holding up signs about how unfair they are. In Court though, you'll never win. Unless you suddenly strike it rich tomorrow, and by rich. I mean Millions. Not just a few. Did you also consider that maybe your friend was overexaggerating or left out key details as to what was really going on?
@whimsystoryteller (1743)
• United States
15 Jan 08
Boy, do you have a negative attitude. It's a good thing you weren't around during the time this country was founded because you would probably have been in favor of letting the British stay in control.
The way you think you'll never accomplish anything. You need to get a new attitude if you ever hope to succeed in life.
She doesn't need to fight Verizon in court. She just needs the labor board to force them to pay up which I plan to look into tomorrow.
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
14 Jan 08
I'm not surprised, Verizon is in no way a company that cares for it's customers either. They have harassed myself and a friend with bills over $800 that are not ours. They will not help you nor give you documentation stating why you owe the money and in our cases when it is identity theft, they still report it on your credit (which isn't legal) and just don't care. When a company treats it's customers that bad, you can imagine they wouldn't be any nicer to their employees either.
Your friend can file an appeal for her unemployment, in which case she and verizon go before a judge. My friend did this with her old employer who did the same thing to her. She can call the unemployment office and tell them she would like to appeal the denile based on the fact that Verizon was untruthful in their filing of her paperwork. She might also want to look into temporary work agencies, they might have jobs that she could start right away and some of them help out with transportation too. And often times that can lead into a permanent position.
And last she can check with local churches, a lot of them will help you out with things like rent, food, transportation, and utilities. It doesn't matter if she is a member or not of that church. That might be what helps her out the most in avoiding that eviction.
@graedragon (329)
• United States
14 Jan 08
Your thoght of going to the local news is a great idea. verioz is a big company and they don't want to have bad publicity. This may be a good course of action because if you have the news behind you then verion will have to talk about it. They will have to publicy tell why or it will look really bad on their part.
