COX FIRED ME UNFAIRLY AND I NEED YOUR HELP
YARRRGGGHHH
I need help with COX COMMUNICATIONS
My name is Russ Lindquist.
I was unfairly discriminated against, and fired, by COX COMMUNICATIONS.
On 3/20/02 a manager (Toni Savoy) approached me saying that certain styles
of dress were not appropriate in our work atmosphere. Toni cited the shirt I
was wearing. Ironically, she had on practically the same shirt. I mentioned
the similarity because I assumed there were guidelines her attire met that,
in some way, mine did not. However, when I pointed out that our clothes were
similar, Toni became incredulous and actually degraded my appearance (she
called the bracelets I was wearing dog collars; then said I look like a dog
when wearing them). Toni told me I could not wear sleeveless shirts. She (a
manager) was wearing a sleeveless shirt as she explained that they are not
allowed). She specified-"you cannot wear sleeveless shirts, you are a man"
(verbatim). I was being confronted, not out of gender discrimination, but on
the grounds that my appearance was unprofessional for our call center, she
assured me. I reminded her that, she cited gender as the reason she could
wear what I could not.
The atmosphere for COX COMMUNICATIONS' San Diego call center is very
casual, as we deal with customers only over the phone. There are people
working in the call center that have facial piercings; others have brightly
colored hair (e.g. blue, red.); people wear tank tops, spaghetti-strapped
shirts and even halter-tops. Besides shorts, people in the call center dress
however they want.
I was not overly-casual for the call center. I was being picked at by
Toni who, turns out, is renowned (in what is my former dept.) for belittling
and intimidating her 'subordinates'. To me, Toni was regularly
inappropriate verbally, and physically. When she behaved inappropriately,
she would act as if 'we were buds.we are comfortable with each other'. I did
not like that. When I brought up that she was overly-casual in a way that
was offensive to me, she threatened me for it. She said she liked being
casual and that I, also, would prefer it over her being overly-strict and
writing me up for all the little things I do. I said I didn't believe I did
anything to warrant disciplinary actions. She told me, my telling her the
way she interacted with me was inappropriate was insubordinate of me and
that I could get 'written up' for that. After that exchange I made it a
point to deal with any manager but Toni, whenever possible.
It was after having worked at COX COMMUNICATIONS 2 months that I was
approached by Toni. She was nothing short of hostile and rude. She attacked
my choice of clothes; it was because of my gender, she said I was not
allowed to wear sleeveless shirts. I believe it's important that I mention
COX HAS NO DRESS CODE (When I was hired, 1/11/02, my class was told there
was no dress code for the call center, except that no one was allowed to
wear shorts).
I did not work directly under Toni Savoy by that time. For that
reason (and because her attitude is embarrassingly negative), I went to my
manager, Jackie Eckert, and asked if she'd clarify the dress code.
Initially, she said we had no dress code. However, when I mentioned Toni's
comments, Jackie quickly re-worded her position, to coincide with the
arbitrariness of Toni.
I reported to Jackie the degrading remarks made to me by Toni (that
Toni pretty much said I looked like a dog that day); my manager did
nothing .absolutely nothing. Toni lingered at my manager's cubicle as I
recounted the experience I had with her (Toni), to my manager. When I
mentioned Toni's degrading verbal assaults and threats Toni actually hit me
right in front of Jackie (not violently-much like you might hit a friend
when you're being playful); and said something along the lines that she
(Toni) and I are buds and we kid each other. I was not Toni's friend and
never encouraged her to treat me improperly physically or otherwise. Jackie
never asked Toni to leave or to act more appropriately.
Neither Toni nor Jackie was the least bit reserved in telling me that
they believed there is an unspoken rule that men are held to a higher
standard of professionalism in clothing. They each bullied me verbally and
warned me against "pushing the issue".
The next day my situation was escalated to higher managers-not for the
sake of my being explained our company's policies on dress; rather I was to
be reprimanded for my insubordination (Based on my not following Toni's
orders). The orders were arbitrarily-given, blatantly-unfair, and
sexually-discriminatory. I related to many different supervisors, how I was
being treated. Managers I spoke with from then on dismissed the situation as
unimportant. Some managers agreed with me but said I ought to 'choose my
battles'. I was nothing short of being constantly threatened by a handful of
managers to not continue my inquiries into the dress code and into (what I
considered was) Toni's harassment of me. One manager (Peter Lily) gawked
when I said I only wanted to be treated with fairness. Peter (the head of
the dept.) said, "This isn't any kind of social issue", and "It's not likely
a man could be sexually discriminated against over clothes".
I made several attempts to appeal to higher supervisors; to all my
attempts I received no response-at best.
I am now unemployed, having been terminated from COX on the grounds
of improper dress and defiant actions. I followed the steps of appeal
exactly as outlined in the COX company protocol prior to being fired, and
never received any responses. Additionally, I was fired during the appeal
process-which lasts 3 weeks at the most (when honored); being fired during
an appeal process is expressly prohibited in the COX HUMAN RESOURCES
GUIDELINES.
In the course of only 3 business days I was harassed, threatened, and
fired. In the end there was no one else to whom I could bring my situation.
The supervisors to whom I made attempts for an appeal ignored me completely;
and the highest supervisors available to me were the same people that had so
thoroughly mistreated me.
I worked specifically with the first conversion COX went through. Now I've
been swept under the rug if I don't get my situation out to enough cox
customers. Please do what you can. I'll be in
COX.INTERNET.COMMUNITY.SANDIEGO news group.
Someone
They or a lawyer are the only ones that can help you.
Sorry
"YARRRGGGHHH" <ru...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:yg2B8.20714$v32.1...@news1.west.cox.net...
PrimeTrouble
FUCK YOU...take a flying fuck you shit eating retard
Do you think ANYONE cares you are a spinless piece of shit??
This is the Las Vegas group and I can assure you you wouldn't last a
second here. Take your faggot whining ass outa here and work on
getting a life as that last post was nothing short of PUKE!
Can anyone believe their are actually people like this ALIVE??
PrimeT
Tom Jaszewski
<comput...@lvcm.com> wrote:
>Can anyone believe their are actually people like this ALIVE??
get a grip
Regards,
Tom
Successful gardening is doing what has to be done when it has to be done
the way it ought to be done whether you want to do it or not.
Grizz
personally i hope you take COX for as much as you can!
GOOD LUCK!
"YARRRGGGHHH" <ru...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:yg2B8.20714$v32.1...@news1.west.cox.net...
>
Blob
like all the other beanheads in this country this way our rates go up.
Right, you are smart. You might be pissed at COX and the world, but you
don't need to do it by raising our rates in the process. I already pay
enough for this stuff.
Frivelous lawsuits cost America over 200 billion a year which is about equal
to our gross national product. This is rediculous. Much of this money is
from unjustified medical claims. This information is from Forbes magazine.
If you should be pissed at any one person for each company look to the
stupid asshole CEO's and their tight little knit group of grab asses and
penis suckers at the top level. Those are the people you should focus your
hate and attention on. This is where the American people should and will in
the future focus their hate and attention on. They are the ones who take
everything from the company and they are the ones who still profit when
things turn to shit. If you're looking for someone to flame, just about
every CEO on a public traded company is a slime fuck nose beanhead.
"Grizz" <gr...@lvcm.com> wrote in message
news:udajpj1...@corp.supernews.com...
Tom Jaszewski
>If you're looking for someone to flame, just about
>every CEO on a public traded company is a slime fuck nose beanhead.
Dad?
Blob
"Tom Jaszewski" <to...@xxxlvcm.com> wrote in message
news:bc1bducqt7fd7hi7l...@4ax.com...
Grizz
"Blob" <bl...@blobo.com> wrote in message
news:VKeB8.30466$9c5.1...@news2.west.cox.net...
> You hope this person can receive an unjustified multi million dollar
lawsuit
> like all the other beanheads in this country this way our rates go up.
> Right, you are smart. You might be pissed at COX and the world, but you
> don't need to do it by raising our rates in the process. I already pay
> enough for this stuff.
not pissed at the worlsd...just cox. besides i pay alot too!
> Frivelous lawsuits cost America over 200 billion a year which is about
equal
> to our gross national product. This is rediculous. Much of this money is
> from unjustified medical claims. This information is from Forbes
magazine.
frivelous to who? it may be to you but not to someone else
> If you should be pissed at any one person for each company look to the
> stupid asshole CEO's and their tight little knit group of grab asses and
> penis suckers at the top level. Those are the people you should focus
your
> hate and attention on. This is where the American people should and will
in
> the future focus their hate and attention on. They are the ones who take
> everything from the company and they are the ones who still profit when
> things turn to shit. If you're looking for someone to flame, just about
> every CEO on a public traded company is a slime fuck nose beanhead.
as long as we let them they will abuse us, either finacially or otherwise
Daniel Koury
"LostVegan" <NO.JUNKl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3qj9ducd7pj9pvda5...@4ax.com...
> >
> >FUCK YOU...take a flying fuck you shit eating retard
> >
> >Do you think ANYONE cares you are a spinless piece of shit??
> >
> >This is the Las Vegas group and I can assure you you wouldn't last a
> >second here. Take your faggot whining ass outa here and work on
> >getting a life as that last post was nothing short of PUKE!
> >
> >Can anyone believe their are actually people like this ALIVE??
> >
> >PrimeT
>
> feelings with us?
lmao!
>
> As for the original poster -- while I sympathize with your plight -- I
> too worked in call centers doing collections for three years --
> there's little that we can do for you here. California may have
> better employee-friendly laws than Nevada, a blatant pimp for
> corporate whores. As another poster suggested, you may have an EEOC
> case and you might want to consult with an attorney. Good luck.
> --
> Marty (to respond via email, remove NO.JUNK from email address)
>
> "to be yourself, in a world that tries, night and day, to make
> you just like everybody else - is to fight the greatest battle
> there ever is to fight, and never stop fighting" -- e.e. cummings
