Legal Question in Employment Law in Florida

workplace intimidation

I am a 54-year-old Caucasian woman. Recently, a co-worker, a large, young Black man began to intimidate and harass me at work. It began with him threatening to damage a pick-up truck that I had just purchased, and he also threatened to “throw me under the bus” on several occasions. Last week, he cussed me out vehemently, calling me MF several times and other profanity. When I told my manager about it, she made me feel that I had done something to deserve it. I resigned, but when I was leaving, I saw him standing by my vehicle, glaring at me. I was afraid that his verbal threats might escalate into a physical attack. I feel that the verbal abuse was due to my age, gender, and jealousy that I was the top producer on the team. As far as I know, he has not even been reprimanded for his actions. I am now out of work, without health insurance, under severe mental distress and ineligible for unemployment. Do I have any legal recourse over this treatment? And how can I get out of the No-Compete Agreement?


Asked on 5/19/09, 12:47 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Alan Wagner Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore P.A.

Re: workplace intimidation

You were not fired. You resigned -- which was a mistake. Your problem was with a coworker, not a supervisor and you did not give the employer any opportunity to address the situation before resigninging in a huff (another mistake). I don't see a way out of the non-compete given your resignation. What happened by your car was after your resignation and is irrelevant. You have a very very tough, if not downright impossible, case -- depending on what you said to the employer and what, specifically, the supervisor said to you before you resigned.

Read more
Answered on 5/22/09, 7:45 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Labor and Employment Law questions and answers in Florida