My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: WASHINGTON
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read through my story.
I was working since late last year with a local media organization. There had been issues from the start. Being hired on the word of the co-owner on the job duties and responsibilities, my job started to change every 2 weeks with the organization. Until 6-8 weeks in they moved my position from graphic production with some sales to no production and sales with no bonus or commission structure. With the new minimum wage law upping the minimum wage to $11, I was only making 50cents over minimum with no commission/bonus structure. In addition, in my attempts to rectify the issues, a contract proposal was even offered to make me an independent contractor, with no such luck. Any attempts to talk about a job description was ignored. We were trying to work things out. I had also mentioned when it was stated to me that I would be sales, that I would need a commission bonus structure. We agreed to give it a month for him to gather that information and he did not provide in the months time.
I had pre-approved, at the beginning of January, a family trip in Mid-February. Prior to my leaving, due to my new job duties of sales for special sections, I didn't have work until Mid-March as the special sections didn't run every month. I left it with the owner that I would return then. He mentioned at that time, that would be good because he could have the time to do updates to my computer at my desk. I had one email interaction with the owner after my work was done, I wasn't attending work on a daily basis, he wasn't satisfied with my work. This was brought to my attention 1 week after my last in office working day and 5 days after the effected publication date. I reminded him in my response that I was still in town and available for questions and that it could have been resolved swiftly (Nothing he accused me of was done wrong, he didn't have the computer knowledge to complete the task and laid the issue on me as it was somehow my responsibility, but that like many other duties where changing on a weekly basis.). I returned home from my travels and had still not heard from the owner. I received an email on the 24th Friday in a very snooty email... "thought you would have remembered to send us your time sheet". I on the 25th, the date I had always been told to send in my time sheet, sent over my timesheet expressing that I had the 25th in my mind not the Friday before the 25th. There was no other contact except for a on the night of the 27th/28th that my paycheck was cut. I went in on the 28th, picked up my check, didn't say anything to the owner at that time. 2 hours later, on the 28th, my phone received a notification that my work email account had been deleted.
I have already heard from staff, still at the company, they are saying I quit. That I just walked out. I also found out that before the contact email prior to my trip, they had already given all of my job duties to another gal on staff, who makes 50cents less than I did, has never done sales (wouldn't know to ask for commissions) and was originally hired to be the accountant. My concern is, I thought I was doing everything right and now they are slandering me. They too are the only print media in the area, if I have legal proceedings that require legal notices, can they decline to print if it's required for print in my county?
I think I've been fired? I'm not sure. But, that is the only thing I can conclude. I haven't contacted the owner as I have found verbal communication with him is a non-reliable form of communication.
The big question is how do I protect myself and make sure they can't continue to do this to others?
Thanks for any light you can shed!
Best,
Carson
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read through my story.
I was working since late last year with a local media organization. There had been issues from the start. Being hired on the word of the co-owner on the job duties and responsibilities, my job started to change every 2 weeks with the organization. Until 6-8 weeks in they moved my position from graphic production with some sales to no production and sales with no bonus or commission structure. With the new minimum wage law upping the minimum wage to $11, I was only making 50cents over minimum with no commission/bonus structure. In addition, in my attempts to rectify the issues, a contract proposal was even offered to make me an independent contractor, with no such luck. Any attempts to talk about a job description was ignored. We were trying to work things out. I had also mentioned when it was stated to me that I would be sales, that I would need a commission bonus structure. We agreed to give it a month for him to gather that information and he did not provide in the months time.
I had pre-approved, at the beginning of January, a family trip in Mid-February. Prior to my leaving, due to my new job duties of sales for special sections, I didn't have work until Mid-March as the special sections didn't run every month. I left it with the owner that I would return then. He mentioned at that time, that would be good because he could have the time to do updates to my computer at my desk. I had one email interaction with the owner after my work was done, I wasn't attending work on a daily basis, he wasn't satisfied with my work. This was brought to my attention 1 week after my last in office working day and 5 days after the effected publication date. I reminded him in my response that I was still in town and available for questions and that it could have been resolved swiftly (Nothing he accused me of was done wrong, he didn't have the computer knowledge to complete the task and laid the issue on me as it was somehow my responsibility, but that like many other duties where changing on a weekly basis.). I returned home from my travels and had still not heard from the owner. I received an email on the 24th Friday in a very snooty email... "thought you would have remembered to send us your time sheet". I on the 25th, the date I had always been told to send in my time sheet, sent over my timesheet expressing that I had the 25th in my mind not the Friday before the 25th. There was no other contact except for a on the night of the 27th/28th that my paycheck was cut. I went in on the 28th, picked up my check, didn't say anything to the owner at that time. 2 hours later, on the 28th, my phone received a notification that my work email account had been deleted.
I have already heard from staff, still at the company, they are saying I quit. That I just walked out. I also found out that before the contact email prior to my trip, they had already given all of my job duties to another gal on staff, who makes 50cents less than I did, has never done sales (wouldn't know to ask for commissions) and was originally hired to be the accountant. My concern is, I thought I was doing everything right and now they are slandering me. They too are the only print media in the area, if I have legal proceedings that require legal notices, can they decline to print if it's required for print in my county?
I think I've been fired? I'm not sure. But, that is the only thing I can conclude. I haven't contacted the owner as I have found verbal communication with him is a non-reliable form of communication.
The big question is how do I protect myself and make sure they can't continue to do this to others?
Thanks for any light you can shed!
Best,
Carson
Getting Fired: Wrongful Termination and Possible Slander
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