I Need Help Please!!!!

[Principito]

I need help. My husband works at Home Depot at night his overnight manager is taking several liberties with his employees to the point of being boderline abusive. Unfortunately, his stays just within the great area so that nothing can really be proven. He has taken away the overnight employees breaks. We also think that he has rascist tendencies. FYI, he is black and predominantly white people. My husband and the others have a direct supervisor which is under the overnight manager. The supervisor unfortunately is powerless against the manager. My husband and the other employees cannot go to the store manager, since she turns a blind eye towards the overnight employees. I would like to know if someone knows of a complaint hotline that we can call. The reason being that any and all company related information is segretated from Home Depot emplyees. My husband works at Home Depot at the Orlando Area. Please can someone help us!!!! :(

TIA

[buttrfli]

I'm not up to date on the law, but don't workers HAVE to have a break after so many ours of work?

I'd call managers and supervisors and keep going over everyones head until you get someone to listen. If you think that your hubby has been discriminated against, there are a million laws out there somewhere and I am sure an attorney would love to give you a free consultation.

Sorry I am not much help.. hopefully someone here is more literate of work law than I am.

Good luck!

[Amyjean]

That is a very uncomfortable and hostile environment in which to work. It is illegal to discriminate in any term of employment (hiring, benefits, work assignments, etc.) against employees based on a number of protected categories such as race, gender, etc. The overnight manager can have racist tendencies but if he has actually harassed people based on these categories (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age) then the employees can file a complaint. My suggestion is that even if the employees cannot quite nail the overnight manager on discrimination, they should file a complaint. There will be an investigation and the charges might be unfounded, but the manager will be on alert. It's a big deal to have charges filed against you. The company could stand to lose a lot of money and credibility. At the very least, Home Depot should send the manager to training in supervision. And if the charges are unfounded, and the manager retaliates by being nasty and abusive, then he can have charges filed against him for retaliation. Your husband and other employees should keep track of the overnight manager's comments and behavior so there is supportive documentation. Good luck!

The United States Office of Equal Employment Opportunity:
http://eeoc.gov/

Local EEO offices:
http://eeoc.gov/miami/index.html

Office of Human Relations in Orlando:
http://www.cityoforlando.net/executive/ohr/index.htm

Also, I see that Home Depot has an EEO policy:
http://careers.homedepot.com/diversity
"The Home Depot does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law."

[jen-ron]

Yes there is a law about breaks. 15 mins for every 4 hrs worked. The place I work only allows us 10 min breaks though. :(

[MamaFairal]

mini tape recorder :)

[cleaningla]

Yes there is a law about breaks. 15 mins for every 4 hrs worked. The place I work only allows us 10 min breaks though. :(

Aparently not in Florida.

PDF

http://www.generalcounseladvisors.com/pdf/NL_12_MealBreaks.pdf#search='florida%20employee%20 breaks'
link (http://www.generalcounseladvisors.com/pdf/NL_12_MealBreaks.pdf#search='florida%20employee%20 breaks')

[Johnslambchop]

Well I"m doing some research from you - I agree that a small hidden tape recorder is a good idea. They make small inexpensive ones that run on AAs - got one at Staples very reasonably.

Corporate Contact Information:
Mailing address 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta GEORGIA 30339
Office address 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta GEORGIA 30339
Phone number 770-433-8211
Fax number 770-384-2337

This may be customer service contact but maybe they can get you to someone at the Corporate level if the manager isn't going to help.

If there is racism involved couldn't you get the ACLU involved -
maybe call a local paper and have a reporter do a story???

[buglebe]

Alabama nursing policy 15 min every 4 hrs work permitting

[renagade]

All I can say is good luck. I had the same problem at sears and couldn't get any help anywhere. I had to finally quit before I had a nervous breakdown.

[Victorious]

Tell me which store...I will go in there when I get a chance... then call about how rude he is to the customers and employees. lol

Sorry he is having troubles! I would go to the district manager. Tell them the store manager isn't doing anything to help.

[LuvBigRip]

Check with the laws in your state regarding taping of conversations without consent. In many states, not only is it inadmissable, but it is illegal. Contact the local Labor Board. Document incidents. Get corroborating witnesses. Call the corporate office, they won't want a lawsuit.

[nightrider127]

One word: DOCUMENT. What the employees need to do is get a notebook and make up a log. Everytime something happens, they will need to write the day, the time and what happened in the notebook. When they feel like they have enough in it, they will need to take it to someone who will do something about it. If they feel that the store manager is not listening to them, they can go right over her head to a higher up. She may do something if she thinks that it will go over her head if she don't. Bosses don't like someone going over their heads for something they should have done something about.

I think it may be law here in Ohio to get one 15 minute break for every 8 hours worked. It could be different in your state though.

[Surfergal]

Yes there is a law about breaks. 15 mins for every 4 hrs worked. The place I work only allows us 10 min breaks though. :(

my state law did not include overtime in this policy. A long time ago I was put on 12 hour days 6 days a week. we had a 15 minute break after 2 hours then 1/2 hour lunch, then an afternoon break after 2 hours. the last 6 hours no breaks. the company said there was no state rule for overtime breaks, just regular work breaks, i hated that job, you had to raise your hand to go to the bathroom outside of break time, and only once per week...you could not talk to any other workers during work time. yikes...

[Principito]

Thanks to all that have replied. The thing is we don't want to bring a lawsuit against anyone (not saying he may not deserve it lol). Just don't want to go thru the hassle right now. Yes I know that sounds wrong but we can't "deal" with that right now. However, what we really want is a way to contact higher at district level but not at corporate level...not just yet anyway. The problem about going over the store mamanger's head is that all information regarding store admin stuff is cloistered. Regular workers do not have free access to information of that level without given the third degree. This is done in my husbands belief (as well as mine) so that management can warn district level of possible problematic employees. If anyone has any ideas of how to get this info ,short of breaking and entering LOL, that would benefit more. And yes we both believe just bringing up an investigation would scare the bejesus out of him and straighten him up. Again thanks all and I hope you are doing better than us.

[Victorious]

Why don't you or someone you know call the store and ask for the district managers name and number.
If they ask what the problem is just say that you have a problem about a manager and want the persons name and number at the district level.

If that doesn't work call the nearest store and explain that you are trying to get the DM's name and number for such and such store and the other store refused to give it to you.

Best Wishes!