Dayum. I’ve read of all the troubles you’ve been having over the past year, but until now Dr. Boss has mostly just been this absent, negligent dude who doesn’t really give a damn if the lab implodes. But apparently he’s an absent, negligent dude who doesn’t really give a damn if the lab implodes and he’s a chauvinist asshole. Sadly, if this Old Boys Club exists beyond him your complaints might just end up being filed under “contentious, whiny ex-employee.” (Also known as the “round file.”)
It’s a shame it all blew up like this, but good on you standing up to the asshat like that. I don’t like burning bridges either, but there are just some times when it just has to be done, and some people who really need to be standing on it when you do.
Goodbye and good riddance to him, I say. Whatever comes of it, you’re better off without him and that whole lousy situation.
Thirded. Don’t let him get away with this crap. We’d live in a very different (and, IMO, much better) world if chauvinists got called on it every time they say or do something like this.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
I don’t think you have to worry about burning bridges, either- “You’re useless to me” sounds like Dr. Boss already burned that bridge for you.
Fourthed. File whatever complaints may be available (HR, ethics, EEOC, etc…) and make sure you don’t get screwed out of any of your sick time, vacation, etc. The phrase “hostile work environment” really applies to this one.
Just… take care of the Mouseling too. But this may be the best way. I keep thinking of a friend, who has all the right in the world to take her building inspector and designer (whose incompetence threatens her half-completed house) to a hearing before the Ministry of Housing, but the stress of that hearing would put her over the edge. Justice is good, but you have to be strong enough to withstand the process as well.
Now, I admit I’ve followed this saga in a train wreck sort of way, and I have little sympathy for the situation, but I think this attitude is, well, realistic if you’re talking about one little person. Okay, fine, but what if everyone stood up for their rights against the old boy network? Well, one day it would be a thing of the past!
Meh. He made a chauvinistic comment. Big deal. He’s a turd. So what, she was quitting anyway.
She didn’t get fired because the guy didn’t like women. Hell, she wasn’t even passed over for a promotion. He made a comment about her being pregnant. That’s it. End of story.
he probably did it to provoke her into quitting, saving himself some money and avoiding some legal jeopardy. He’s got a huge karmic debt to pay, but asshats don’t care about karmic debt.
She may not beat the whole old boy network. But as Caricci and Flea both say, it’s NEVER going to be beat if everyone takes this attitude.
Litigation is a useful and necessary thing and it’s the only way for some of us to bring a situation to light. Yes, there are stupid lawsuits; this is not one of them.
FTR, the McDonald’s one wasn’t stupid either. They were proven to have their coffee at ridiculously high temperatures.
Optimistically, sure. But realistically? I don’t see it. Too many people are overly concerned with their agendas; if aligning with others of the same ilk protects that personal agenda, then the network remains connected.
Dr. Boss made a potentially illegal statement about Mouse Maven’s fitness for work, in a subject area directly addressed by the EEOC. I support filing a complaint with the EEOC and the state’s equivalent; their contact information is on the labor law poster that is supposed to be prominently displayed, usually in the break or mail room. And there’s bonus points here because Dr. Boss made the statement in front of witnesses, if I read the OP correctly.
Actually, see my previous post. IANAL, but I’m pretty certain there needs to be more than a disparaging remark about one’s pregnancy for a suit to be filed. Especially when an action didn’t follow – termination, demotion, decrease in wage, etc. All he did was make a lame comment.