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• Wicked_Gypsy

Hey, everyone! I know it's been a long time since I've been on regularly. As some of you know from my most recent post, I'd gotten a new job at a factory in my area. In addition to dancing and my other job, that added an additional 40-70 hours a week to my work schedule, so I was pulling roughly 65 - 95 working hours each week. The money was pretty great, but it was absolutely ludicrous for me to think I could actually pull it off while still maintaining to keep what little sanity I had left. As of this past Saturday (November 14th), I am no longer employed at the factory, and I felt the need to tell you all my story because of how ridiculous it is.

Sexual harassment is usually a huge deal, right? Whether the level of harassment is mildly inappropriate comments or full-fledged sexual assault, these situations are typically met with severe repercussions for the offender which may include arrest, incarceration, and perhaps a permanent sexual offender status. The victim may be offered some sort of settlement (in or out of court), reimbursement or compensation for having been put in such a position, and sometimes an apology from the company for having provided an unsafe workplace. Nope! Evidently, it was wrong of me to make these assumptions.

In my initial interview with this company, I listed the club as a current employer because I'd been there about 2 and a half years, and I felt as though my manager could provide a good business reference, which he did. Before I was even hired, it was understood who I was and what I did. Plus, I saw no sense in hiding anything. If they were going to have dismissed me for that, then so be it. I was hired on the spot and started working the following week.

If I had to work at the factory on a Saturday or Sunday morning, I would often leave the club and go straight there. I would usually be leaving the club around 4:30a-5a, and was expected to clock at the factory in by 6a. This was never an issue. Obviously, not having time to go home between jobs, I would come in still wearing my makeup and perfume, which was also never an issue. This past Saturday morning, just as any other morning, I was standing in the cafeteria with all the other employees attending our daily startup meeting. I just so happened to be standing by a young man by the name of Tay, who I've never even really talked to before. He was friends with a few other employees around our age, who I'd become friends with as well. Mostly everyone there knew I was a dancer and some of them had even come to the club to see me. Again, this was never an issue with myself or anyone there. Normal questions were asked: Where do you work? How do you like it? How long have you been dancing? What are the prices? Nothing I wouldn't expect from any other regular person, in or out of work.

When startup finished and we were leaving the cafeteria to go into the workzone, Tay asked if I had worked at the club that morning. This was a question I got asked most weekend mornings, so I thought nothing of it. I said yes, and he replied with, "Oh, cause you still smell like whore.". I was a little taken aback, but I thought that was just his style of humor so I just continued walking to my work station. Everyone got on the floor around 6:15, and for the next 3 hours I continued to receive nothing but vulgar and slanderous comments from Tay. He was asking how much "extras" are, how far he could get with which dancer, what times they would be available to meet him somewhere. He made remarks to my behavior at work (I was usually upbeat, social, and sometimes would dance around in my work station to pass time while my machines were running) and said that I acted like I was high on something. I told him that I don't offer extras, nor does anyone I work with, and that I'm not a drug user, I just enjoy my job and coworkers (hence putting me in a good mood). He came back with something to effect of, "Nah that's not what it's about. All strippers are sluts and junkies and you're no different you self-righteous bitch, get off your high horse and accept it." I ignored most of his comments, trying my hardest to pretend he didn't exist and avoiding being in the same area as he was when it was possible.

For all intents and purposes, this is the hierarchy of the company:
All HR and Office Employees > Supervisor > Master Lead > Lead > Trainer/Permanent Employee > Seasonal Employee (I was seasonal)

I asked my lead and supervisor numerous times that morning if I could move to a different work station because I was having an issue with another employee in my area. I didn't leave any specific details, but it should have been enough for me to have had asked twice. Both requests had been denied. As I approached my lead for the 3rd and final time, I started to mention to her what was going on. Tay was standing behind her, making faces at me (seriously, this kid is like 20 years old), and I expressed to her that if nothing was done, I was going straight to the Human Resource Office. She told me that I needed to wait until my next scheduled break so that I was still completing my work during the required time, or a disciplinary report would be filed against me and I would be sent home for "not following the rules". I had already dealt with this for 3 hours, and I was expected to deal with it for another 3 hours to do something about it? I'm sorry but I don't feel like that was right. I went back to my work station, set all of my 3 machines to run while I was away, and walked to the office. Just as I got into the HR department, both my lead and supervisor were hot on my tail.

Myself, the lead, the supervisor and the head of HR started an open discussion about the incidences of that morning. Shortly after the issue was addressed, they called Tay to the office, as well. He denied everything (of course), and started telling them that I was using racial slurs and offensive amounts of profanity, both directly to him, and to other employees in regards to him. Anyone that knows me personally, knows that I'm not prejudiced against anyone for their race, religion, etc. Numerous times that week, my pod mate had been a young black kid, roughly the same age as Tay - one of his friends, in fact - and he and I got along great. I have no problem working with anyone who treats me respectably and does their job the way they're supposed to. What I do have a problem with, however, is when someone is making derogatory remarks to or about me for no good reason.

At one point during our little meeting, Tay had said something along the lines of, "She's a stripper, she's used to dealing with stuff like that anyways so I don't see what her problem is. She needs to get over it.", and everyone else just looked at each other as though they were in agreement with him, almost justifying what he had done. Yes, I put myself in situations where I'm going to be hit on, possibly groped, where guys are going to solicit me, and I understand that - at the club, when I'm half-naked and giving lap dances. It's a common occurrence for these types of things to happen - at the club. Perhaps even if I were just a bartender at a regular bar, I could see something like that happening (not that I'm justifying that in any way, shape, or form, but you know what I mean).

In a nutshell: I was sexually harassed. I dealt with it in the most professional way (I felt) I possibly could. The offender's actions were justified because of my choice of profession.

When all was said and done, we were both terminated; the reason being, "If they can't properly function and interact with other employees in a working environment, then we don't need either of them in this company.". I spoke to the corporate office on Monday and their records show that I was fired for not meeting productivity quota. I have spoken to 2 separate legal consultants and was told that I don't have much to go on in the way of any sort of settlement. There is no physical evidence of what occurred, just two twenty-somethings playing the "he said, she said" game.

So that's that, I guess! You guys are welcome to express your opinion on the whole thing, and I'm open for advice if anyone has any to offer. Given the nature of it all, I felt the need to express it to the TUSCL community. I'm expecting a call from HR sometime between now and Monday in regards to filing a sexual harassment claim, so that it can at least go on record. I still don't feel as if anything further can be done, but at least I can take solace in the fact that it's going to be addressed, and that Tay was fired, too.