Second week in new job in California and want to quit…I work for a HANIBAL LECHTER!

by Anonymous

(California)

Hi,

I worked a long term, temporary position in Los Angeles for almost 2 years. I was laid off due to a company restructuring. The day I was laid off, April 30th, I filed for Unemployment online. Since, I knew the lay off was coming I had been interviewing for another job. On May 1st (the day after being laid off), I was given a job offer and accepted…desperate.

After taking a drug test, they asked me to report to the office on May 6th and the following week, my boss told me he wanted me to work in the field to get a taste for the company. So, i had to drive over 120 miles the first week to see these various employees. I was never told I was going to have to do this and one of the main reasons I took the job was due to it’s proximity to my home. Even though I did not want to do all of this driving, I did as my boss directed me.

It has been a little over 2 weeks and my boss speaks to me on a continuous basis like I’m a VILLAGE IDIOT. He is belittling and condescending for no reason. He said he knows I’m new and I need to learn their procedures, but this has not stopped him from almost bringing me to tears in the first week by his rudeness. When I discussed this with my coworker who is training me to take over her position, she said for over a year he has ruined her health with his rude and demeaning remarks…to which i have witnessed. She is currently seeing a therapist soley due to the stress of dealing with him.

There are only 3 people working in the office. And when the woman training me leaves in two days, I don’t know how to handle him. The man literally frightens me. I am not sleeping now because I need to resolve this for my peace of mind. The only person above him is the CEO of the company. Should I go discuss this with the CEO?

My boss does not scream or throw things and I feel like if i quit I might have to forfeit my Unemployment, but I feel very threatened, demeaned and stressed by him…and it’s only the SECOND WEEK!

I can’t go look for another job while employed with this company because my boss does not take a lunch break and sits across from me thru out the business day. So, interviewing M-F, 8-5 would be out. Unless, the interview was very close.

I have completed one Unemployment Claim form and listed this company as my employer. I put that I worked for a week and a half. Can I quit and get Unemployment since this man is a BULLY? If I quit, and they deny me, can the woman who had the job for over a year be my witness to his verbal abuse?

Thanks for the help!

Hi Anonymous,

Great title .. LOL

It’s a dilemma .. isn’t it?

You are right to be concerned though about your ability to retain unemployment benefits if you quit because after a week and a half you’ve come to the conclusion your boss is .. ahhh .. different and it will suck if you have to incur the cost of a therapist in order to show good cause for quitting.

You will either need to prove the job is “unsuitable” or that you had “good cause to quit”. Leaving the job WILL raise an eligibility issue and I’m sure the state will investigate.

So I went to the California Unemployment Benefits Determination Guide. The guide is extremely helpful .. I think every state should be “required” to have one.

The only thing you mentioned that prompted me to investigate whether the work is suitable was your comment about having to drive 120 miles, but it seems this condition has passed .. and you acquiesced anyway.

So onto good cause for voluntary quitting due to the fact your boss is creepy to the point that you compare him with an infamous movie serial killer:)

The first paragraph on on this page has a possible argument for you if in fact the person you are replacing has had discussions with you about your boss and has told you she made attempts with the CEO to correct the situation. This would probably be a situation that you would want her to be a witness for you. Speaking to the CEO can only add weight to your position.

I do not offer a guarantee this will work, but I always think an individual should explore the possibilities of extricating them self from a bad employment corner they have painted their self into.

By the way, even if you hadn’t already completed a claim notifying the state you were now working. They could find out. Most states and now the federal government require employers to report new hires. It’s just one way they combat unemployment fraud.