by Wronged Military Veteran
I too just had an appeals hearing. The appealing party was the employer. I was initially granted unemployment compensation after being terminated from my position as a social worker in a mental health agency.
There had been NO verbal warning OR written documentation about any problems with my performance, absenteeism (I had to take time to recover from a lifesaving surgery) or any other issue before my employer handed me an EXIT INTERVIEW one page document telling me that I was being let go “for performance related issues”.
The appeals hearing was a nightmare! First of all it consisted of the office manager (an individual with a bachelor’s degree in Business) AND the owner (a Licensed Professional Counselor) each testifying individually. The office manager spent a whole hour of the Judge’s time defaming me in any which way she could both professionally and personally.
It was EXTREMELY painful to hear one lie after another told against me. I couldn’t believe how much HATE this woman had for me! For the life of me I could not figure out what I had done so wrong that she would be so ugly.
I was just SO GRATEFUL that David (the rep Chris referred me to) was there objecting, cross examining doing everything he could to discredit her.
Well it was taking so long they had to adjourn until later that morning. Then the owner came and told his own set of lies. The final insult made was the grossest of lies stating that I had called the office manager a Nazi c— (bad word referring to the female genitalia). The thing is the OFFICE MANAGER was the one who was constantly cursing and using profanities in the front office. Finding it offensive, I asked to speak to the owner. Surprisingly he took her side after telling me I was not the first to complain about her conduct to him. He himself referred to her as being “rude, crude, a Yankee and a Nazi” (I live in Georgia but I am a Navy veteran and former military wife myself and raised in Michigan).
The owner, of course, denied anything he had said negative about her. Now it FEELS like two against one. Thank God David really proved he was worth his salt when he pointed out that on the Exit Interview there was nothing in there about me calling the office manager any kind of name.
The owner acted self righteous that he was “such a good guy he couldn’t just put such a horrible thing on a document.” He also stated under cross examination that he had had NO INTENTION of firing me that day and only did so after I allegedly admitted that I called the office manager that name!
David questioned the credibility of such an action, again right on target!