My Husbands Supervisor Is Intentionally Tyring to Get Him Fired...?

I am sorry you are going through this, how stressful! I did think of one thing which may or may not work. Could he document by email what his instructions are from his direct supervisor? Copying the "big boss"? I don't know if it would work. HOpefully some others will respond with some good ideas too.

Anytime there is any direction given to your husband by this supervisor, he needs to shoot an email back, this will be your 'documentation' and reiterate what it was that they discussed and what the conclusions or action is.

For example:

Dear Boss,

Thanks for discussing the over time policy with me today. As I understand it from you, no over time is required this week.

Sincerely,
Devoted Employee of the Month

This short and simple communication helps keep the records straight and there is no confusion later on and this avoids any "he said" this. Later the details and story can obviously be forgotten, covered up, or mis-interpreted. Even by your own husband.

It's quite possible there is a communication difference, and your husband needs to get to the root of it, as in figuring out what his contribution to the mis-directions are.

You mention the Union membership....is the supervisor not unionized? And there is an inherent grudge between the two?

GL!

So when his supervisor tells him something that is a deviation from the norm he needs to go to, or at least email, his "big boss" and verify it is accurate. Sorry but doing nothing proactive on his end is akin to shrugging his shoulders as well.

We have a supervisor who is very hard to pin down on anything-- different situation than your hubby, but the solution might be the same. We email her about EVERYTHING, CCing the manager, and sometimes each other if it's something that effects us all, and we KEEP IT in case it needs refered to later!

I learned from bad experience that all it takes is one bad boss to screw up your career or job.

In some states, like California, secretly recording conversations is illegal. Find out what the law is in your state.

If e-mail is part of your husband's job, then I would e-mail what the boss told him to do that was wrong to the boss. Not calling the boss wrong, but telling him,"I was under the impression that over time was manditory this week. I was glad to find out from you today at 11:15 am that overtime is voluntary". Then send a copy to your file and print it off, and send a copy tothe "big" boss, the union rep and a friendly co worker. (You print a copy off because they will go in your e-mail file and delete any incriminating evidence if they choose to fire you.) I would make the copies to everyone but the boss blind copies so the boss doesn't know you sent anything to anyone but him, unless of course the people you sent copies to tell the boss. You can't prevent that.

I tried to take my case to several lawyers and all of them looked at me and said they wouldn't take my case. I asked all of them why. Only one would tell me. He said, "You're a white male. Discrimination laws don't protect white males. They protect everyone else."

Good luck to you and yours.

Is your husband getting in trouble for working the overtime or NOT working the overtime?

Sorry, from your post it's hard to tell. Maybe your husband should try doing the opposite of what his supervisor tells him if he's getting in trouble. :)

Seriously, at the very least, he should be able to see his work schedule in writing. We provide that to all of our employees plus have online access for them so they can see exactly what hours they are to work. Overtime is pre-approved. If something comes up like having to cover a shift, that goes immediately into the schedule. Every week, our employees are provided their assigned hours and actual hours worked along with their paychecks.

If there is confusion, your husband should request, in writing, a copy of his schedule, in writing, so that he can show he's making an effort on his part to correct the problem.
That's not a ridiculous request and I'd think that no one would have a problem providing such a thing.
We should all have a right to know what hours we are scheduled for and expected to work.

Someone in Human resources should be able to get him his schedule. If he works what's on it, and there's nothing noted about his hours changing, I don't see how he can be on the hook.

Just a suggestion.

Best wishes.

Wear a wire? Get a lie on record if possible. If he is even slightly in doubt about anything the man says, ask someone else. He of course, needs to really be honest with himself about anything he may have done to make the guy not like him. If he can fix anything in himself, he needs to. Pray, definitely. There are evil people in the world. But if you have God on your side, it either works out where you are at, or he has something better for you.

Document, document, document and talk to the ACLU. Tell them he is being descriminated against and harrassed. I am so sorry your family is going through this! Talk to HR every day if he has to to tell them what this supervisor has said, what he is doing etc. Find a lawyer. HTH

M

Your husband needs to start playing his game. If he says something to him, he needs to make sure he gets it in an email & make sure that the managers see the emails, as well. Unless there is a paper trail, your DH will probably be the one to be held to the fire, I'm afraid. Sometimes when people are unhappy or feel threatened by someone, they will resort to behavior like you are describing.

Other than that, I would say it's time for him to look for another job. Are you working? If not, have you thought of going back to work? I know if it were us, and my DH were that miserable & the only breadwinner, I would work to take some of the burden off of DH until he found a better job, even if my working was temporary.

Communicate with the supervisor with a tape recorder in his hand? Sigh... what a mess.

Time to go find another job...

Why does this guy have it in for your husband?

I'm sorry,
Dawn

If I were him I would NOT listen to the supervisor if he tells him something that could potentially get him fired. I'd be respectful to the supervisor and then I'd run all directions through his boss' boss that way it will look like he's being proactive in trying to fix the problem. It sounds nuts that the union rep isn't even taking it seriously. I'd even go so far as to carry a recorder on me, most smart phones has a voice notes feature so he can get his boss on tape. Maybe him even pulling his supervisor aside and say "It seems there have been some misunderstandings between us so from now on when you give me instructions I'm going to run them by your boss so that I'm not accidentally doing the wrong thing".. don't be accusatory just come off like you're trying to solve the problem and don't blame him.. Good luck!

Please define "big trouble"

-Find another job.
-Get an Attorney.
-Call the ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union). But this is for mainly "discrimination" violations.
-Document everything.
-Tell HR.
Those are some of the things he can do.
BUT... the problem is: even if you get legal help and have documentation... it all boils down to this:
1) his supervisor and others are lying and playing dumb about it.
2) thus even if you have documentation... he cannot corroborate the allegations or have witnesses or testimony of others who will back him up. Because they probably don't want to get into trouble either.
3) hence, he will be, getting this bad treatment, still.
4) Hence, no one will help or tell the truth or say, that this is happening.
And thus, your Husband will look like he has no basis to stand on.

5) and the bottom line is also, he needs to have PROOF of these allegations. Even if it is true... you need proof, to make a legal case of it.
Hearsay, will not help.
And, everyone is lying about it and denying it... when your Husband tries to get help or report it.

It is very hard... to prove allegations like this.
And it needs to fall into discrimination parameters... for it to be legally sound, in pursuing it and PROVING it, even if the ACLU gets involved or tries to investigate for your Husband.

This is really sad, yes.
He can keep trying.... it is terrible what they are doing.
BUT your Husband has to be able... to PROVE it.
And with everyone lying about it and denying it... that will be hard to do.
And then it will only be... his word against theirs.
Cases like that... are very hard to prove.

And, in most States, employment is "at will."

Obviously, everyone (his Supervisor and the Union Chairman) are in cahoots together.. since they are both, lying and denying that they said that. And ignoring the situation is merely playing dumb.
When people lie, it is very hard to prove a case, unless your Husband has PROOF, this is happening and documentation etc. or people who will back him up that this is happening.

Sarah is right, copy everything!!!
Sadly, in this world there are more and more people trying to get others fired. Sometimes to pay less to temporary workers or not give insurance, sometimes to hire the boss's nephew. good luck!

That happened to my husband two years ago. We are praying right now that he can get that job back since it is 5 minutes from home.

I put 75% of the blame on his old boss (who was at one time a good friend of ours) and the rest on my husband. He could have taken more steps to prevent it from happening, and he didn't. He was without work for 5 months and we won't pay off the debt we built up while he was off until next fall - hopefully.

Your husband needs to do what he knows is right. If the people he is talking to aren't listening he needs ot go higher. He needs to stand up for himself and not depend on others to do it for him. I can tell you this from experience.