After roughly 25 years of deliberating what I want to do with my life, I think I figured it out

[TK421]

I think I finally figured it out....and the signs have been there for me all along, I just didn't pay enough attention to them, I suppose; now, I guess I have to take clues as gospel...for everything that fucking happens to me...from this point on, I guess

You know those people who fight for employee rights? the ones who go in to a business, investigate violations ( like a manager who physically manhandles a female employee in order to berate her for not being able to work a shift that isn't possible for her to work ) or ethical violations ( which are grossly underreported )I want to be that guy who comes in and brings the fucking hammer down on the head of the violator in question....and I want to see them clean out their fucking desk and fucking leave the premises....with their victims watching them do so..preferably, with a smile on their face.

I say this now, because I have had extensive retail and hospital-nursing home experience, and I myself have been witness to some rather nasty shit over the period of my working years...things that happened to other co-workers ( and myself, I'll get to that in a moment ) that I wish I had reported or taken some kind of action against on their behalf...I tried to do this years ago when I worked at Dillards Department Store in Ft.Myers Florida when some big-shit manager came in and grabbed a female employee by the arm ( squeezing hard enough to leave a bruise on her ) because she couldn't cover a shift he wanted her to. I knew this person, and she pretty much told me that she didn't think she had a fucking voice in the matter.....I don't think whoever is reading this right now realizes what feelings this brings up inside of me right now, but let's just say I want to kill...



Moving on...she DID bring this issue up to the store manager, but the store manager didn't think this was such a big deal ( after all, he was such a nice guy! and everyone else didn't seem to have a problem with him ). Now I'm going to move onto something else ( which should probably be another paragraph but fuck it )...for as long as I can remember, for some weird reason that I haven't been able to figure out yet, I have always had people come to ME with their problems...seriously, I could be sitting on a bus and the man or woman sitting next to me just feels the need to open up and tell me their life story and all their problems and ask for advice..I don't know why this is, my Mother used to get this all the time as well...my sister jokes that both me and my Mom are magnets for "mental patients" ( not my words ) and folks, let me tell you this is so...very....true!!!

I got off track, sorry....

Anyways, what do you call someone who investigates a corporation for employee abuse and punishes them for it? Can't be their human resources department...I've already figured out most of them don't care about issues like these

I want to stand up for anyone who feels like they are being treated unfairly or treated in an abusive manner and punish them for it....that pretty much sums it all up

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear TK421...

I'm not sure what you call someone with that sort of job, though I'm sure those jobs exist.

Mediator? Arbitrator?

I don't know.

Go. For. It.

I'm proud of you, I truly am.

:hug:

[TK421]

9. where do I even begin? my own life is in a fucking shambles right now

too much to talk about right now, but life has me thinking right now....and it feels like the clock is ticking

[midnight]

2. Sounds like an Employee Attorney?

[TK421]

10. perhaps, but I could never afford the cost of schooling ( not with the debt I have now )

I'm a mess right now....a bloody fucking mess right now

[bluerum]

3. An advocate. You are an advocate for employee rights. A working mans advocate.

Good on you.

Get you some legal eagles behind you and tear it up.

I am sure that there are already many such organizations should you not want to roll your own.

[Guilded Lilly]

6. Agree. Dream it, believe it...DO it!

[TK421]

13. I would have no problem working with others...after all, I'm no leader

but I'm not a follower, either. I think that is part of my problem because in this life it seems like you have to be one or the other....I am neither...I can't really put it into words, at least now

[elocs]

4. Good for you. I'm 58 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up

and frankly, I don't really care anymore.

[femrap]

12. You still care...you

have the 'V' mask as your avatar. I saw my first 'V' mask in person today. The person wearing it had a sign that said something like:

"Welcome to your new employer...The National Guard." That person stood with that sign held over his head for an entire hour.

You've grown up and you're a rebel.

[napi21]

5. Tht sounds like an attorney. Although the atty most likely would have investigators working for

him/her and the investigator would do the actual digging. When enough proof is ofound, the atty would bring charges.

[TK421]

22. Those are pretty much the lines I was going across.....some legal background

I just can't afford schooling at this point...not with the debt I have over my head

[napi21]

35. Do you know any Attys? If you do, call them and ask what you

need todo to become an investigator? The other suggestion I have is to tune into Norman Goldman's program on the radio or via the net. The link to his site is Normangoldman.com

He's an atty who has his own talk show. Try calling him or send an email to him and ask HIM about investigators and how you get to be one. Norm is not on the radio in my area either but I listen to him every day via streaming radio out of KPOJ in Oregon. He's on from 6PM to 9 PM EST. His show is accessable via many sreamsing stations, via the radio if its in your area, also cellphone and many other sources he has listed on his site.

Silly as this may sound, I know many investigators were former police officers. Did you ver think of applying to the police academy in your area? Stick with the job for a few years and if you still preferr investigation, you'll have a background and training.

[femrap]

7. You are an

anti-corporatist. So am I. I have yet to figure out how to make a living at it unless you can hack or work w/ Assange.

I want someone to teach me how to hack corporate records and give light to all of their lies.

Maybe you could unionize corporate employees? Tough job, given the economy. Our citizenry is lazy and prone to consumerism and admiration of silly celebrities.

[Thunderstruck]

8. TK421 you are describing the man who brought me into the union I've now

been a member of for more than a dozen years. He was my local's organizer in those days. Now he's the president of my local and he's a workers' advocate. If someone in some other trade (even non-union) is being treated badly by their employer and he finds out about it, he becomes a bulldog and has all the ins and all the contacts in all the right places, including the NLRB, to bring the hammer down with.

Indeed, he is one of the people I admire and respect most in my life for all he does and has done for me and many, many others.

[TK421]

14. I don't know where to start

[Shagbark Hickory]

11. Sounds like you either want to go to law school or be a security guard.

Both very fine professions. One pays a little better than the other.

[TK421]

15. Funny you mention that...I'm a security guard right now

and I hate it......with every fiber of my being, I hate the stares of disdain from the mall-walkers that see me riding the segway every day, thinking I'm lazy because I ride it...not knowing that I am REQUIRED to ride it ( true, we HAVE to ride it..company policy or some such nonsense )

School is so far away from me right now....I'm 35 and have credit card debt to the tune of $9000.00 that I can't even settle on ( that may not seem like much, but it is to me with what I make at this job I have now ).

[Shagbark Hickory]

18. Well law school is very expensive but I've heard that thanks to some of the

bills passed in the past couple of years under OBama that there's more incentives to go to school. I know of one person who left their job to go to law school. I should also say that I know there's a lot of law school graduates looking for work and also a lot that don't particularly enjoy what they are doing now that they are lawyers.

Maybe the private investigator suggestion that someone made is worth exploring.
That line of work always appealed to me. I'd probably be doing that right now had I taken a different path.

[lunatica]

20. Have you looked into bankruptcy?

I was forced to declare bankruptcy and it turned out to be the best thing I could have done.

With the credit card company off your back forever you have a chance of making a life for yourself. Otherwise you will always owe that money and they'll always hound you.

[TK421]

24. From what I've been told, my credit rating is good ( around 700 ) and I don't

want to screw it up, since I've been working on it since I had my first card with Capital One back in 1999 ( now, Capital One wants to sue me, so to speak, for past due amounts ) long story, that one

[lunatica]

29. If they sue you your credit rating is going to hell rapidly

But it's a very personal decision which every person has to make for themselves.

[TK421]

31. so they claim...but from what I've heard from several others it is just a threat n/t

[Shagbark Hickory]

44. IT SUCKS THAT SOMEONE hijacked my subthread to suggest you declare bankruptcy over $9k

This doesn't make any sense AT ALL.
Declaring bankruptcy over $9k?

Are you freaking kidding me?!?!

$9k is a manageable debt. I'm not surprised they won't help you any directly but you may look into credit counselors who will be able to negotiate with the card issuers.

[Merlot]

33. "What yo think of me is none of m business"

That's what you say to yourself when you see someone looking at you riding the segway.

You never know, they could be thinking "how, cool, I'd love to ride a segway..."

That's what' I'd be thinking! ; )

[TK421]

36. heh...people approach me all the time asking me "How does that thing work"?

or "How fast can it go" or "Do you get to run people over with it"? or "What is that"?

In that order:

"You just lean your body in a forward motion to get it to accelerate...and to stop it, you just lean back" ( to learn the proper mechanics of it, you really have to have training on it, but they are really easy to ride, but can also be dangerous ).

"It can go as fast as 12.8 mph"


"No, we would be fired for that, they just get us to where we need to go much faster than on foot"


"It's a mobile unit"

[snooper2]

37. Or maybe OSHA

[udbcrzy2]

16. That's sounds like a wonderful profession

I would call that job an inspector or possibly a disability advocate.

[TK421]

19. Thank you..but I'm not sure what I'm cut out to be right now...when most people are

sure where they are sure they want to be in their lives, it kind of feels to me like this is something that should have been decided long ago...and that is wasted time, which is killing me right now,at this moment

[lunatica]

17. Why don't you look for work in a union

Believe me there's plenty to do. Thousands of details are involved, and staff are right in the middle of things and learn about everything that's going on. It would be a great place to start. Tell them what you wrote here and how you want to be involved in justice and fairness. Unions need people like you.

[TK421]

21. I don't mean to sound crass, but with my living expenses the way they are

how do they pay? right now, I am living on ramen noodles and my roommate just had to cover my rent this month ( my portion was late...won't have it until March 4th..getting paid bi-weekly sucks )

[lunatica]

28. They're unions. They pay well and include pensions and benefits

My union pays them as well as we're paid.

[TK421]

32. alright...I've just never had any working experience with unions

I just didn't know how they operated is all...

[eilen]

23. My son thinks he wants to be a labor attorney

or maybe Leon Trotsky...

You can look for a job with the EOC, the state Dept. of Labor. From NYS:

The Department of Labor has two offices engaged in legal functions: Counsel's Office and the Administrative Adjudications Unit. Both of these offices act independently of one another.

The Counsel's Office provides legal advice and counsel to the Commissioner of Labor and to programs within the Department. Attorneys in Counsel's Office represent the Commissioner in administrative hearings relating to underpayments of wages and overtime, safety and health violations, license suspension or revocation, and other matters. The Counsel's Office is also responsible for promulgating regulations on behalf of the Department. It coordinates the Department's legislative program, developing Departmental legislation and working with the Governor's Office and the Legislature on bills that will impact the Department and working men and women in the State.

The Administrative Adjudications Unit schedules hearings and provides hearing officers, court reporters and translators for the administrative proceedings initiated by the Department’s Counsel’s Office. During these hearings, which can involve the underpayment of wages and supplements, asbestos law violations and other matters, hearing officers act in a quasi-judicial capacity, ruling on procedural matters and establishing an evidentiary record. Upon the conclusion of a hearing, a hearing officer submits a report and recommendation to the Commissioner of Labor. The Commissioner then provides all parties with a final Order.

[TK421]

25. I have read what you wrote there, and will take this into consideration..thank you for your reply

I hope your son pursues his dream and am sure he will make a fine attorney....I'm not sure I am in the position to pursue a law degree right now, I have a lot of shit to contend with at this moment in my life

Maybe it's just me holding myself back...which is pretty much what I have gathered from family and friends right now

[TK421]

26. Since the editing time has expired for this OP, I would like to talk more about ethical violations

this is such a broad term...could be translated from many things by others, but it can be summed up in a number of ways:

1) Employees belittled because they can't perform their assigned duties due to physical or mental limitations, and jokes are made about it in the office ( some people can't understand that other employees are around to hear this shit going on...and this is part of what I want to stop! )

2) This is the big one with me, folks...inter-office politics...you come into work to do your job and there is one...ALWAYS ONE person who brings their personal life/problems into work with them, which interfere and bring down the morale of the rest of the personnel..THIS is something I have had plenty of experience with, and this behavior has been allowed to stand. Good people ( who show up on time, do their jobs, etc.. ) have been made or PUSHED to quit because certain changes to personnel would not be made...because of that one person on staff that seems to have dedicated their whole life to the company, regardless of the fact that he shows up to work drunk most of the time...ohh...nevermind that!!! he's DEDICATED!!!!!!

And this, people, is the fucking bullshit I want to stamp the fuck OUT!!!!!!!!!

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

27. Feelin' ya TK

I'm a smart guy with lots of education but a sporadic work history due to health issues and economic circumstances. I grew up in an alcoholic household and by the time I was finishing my degree in economics, got sidetracked by our family intervention. The treatment center my dad was in offered education classes for family members. I learned so much about myself. It was a total epiphany and Eureka moment! I entered the workforce with two minds. I got hired right away as an economic analyst, then went to grad school after a year. But withing 6 months, I had a manic break followed by severe depression. I had to dropout of school. Then got manic again and re-enrolled, but this time in family studies, because, you see, I had left for grad school with two minds. Again, I was paralyzed by depression following this second manic episode, and again, I dropped out of grad school. I moved to Chicago (grew up in the SF Bay Area) and ultimately wound up alone then in a psychiatric hospital where I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. So I took what I could handle, I tried waiting tables, but that is really hard! I wound up taking temp jobs in accounting and finance. But I was never satisfied. I went back to school to get a 2 yr degree in mental health and substance abuse because that's how I was introduced to my true self. I left finance and worked as a case worker for a year, but that didn't go well. I worked at the "Cadillac" of treatment centers of it's sort (this is not a 28 day, Hazeldon); I'm talking about an 8 day "treatment" program for really low-functioning addicts. It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous, but that's the industry standard. I wound up conflicted and returning to finance. Then when the economy collapsed, I got laid off. Naturally, I couldn't find work in that field, so I got a degree at a trade school. I had several interviews after I finished, but for whatever reason, I was never offered a job. Actually, I think the reasons are pretty obvious, but they are out of my control. So now I'm applying for a job. Caseworker. Financial temp. Technician. Delivery driver. Like I said, I'm a smart, capable guy, but I'm not a career driven person and that shows on my resume. I'd love to get a real degree in psychology, but I don't think education is my ally at this point (3 degrees, 3.5 to 4.0 GPAs all). And I dread debt. Without gainful employment, I racked up bills on top of my student loans (which I could deffer) that I could not pay, including a 21 day hospitalization. I filed for bankruptcy ten years ago this month. I finally paid off my student loans when I turned 41. I'm 44 now. I've been unemployed (on and off) for 3 years and 2 months. I'll be what I have to be. It really doesn't matter much to me. I'm a man of simple means. I know how to live. I just need a living wage.

[TK421]

30. sounds like you and I should probably get together for a few beers

and just...talk...about things.

I had an offer, but it was working at a hospital where you had to handle dead bodies...I don't know about that shit...kind of creepy! :(

[Swede]

34. TK421,why aren't you at your post?

Sorry,I guess I'm just a star wars nerd.

[TK421]

38. Actually, Swede...I was waiting for you to type that!

just don't want to hear anything positive about that new shit from Luca$$


Han shot first, btw....Luca$$ can't ever change that one

[Swede]

40. Yeah,he'd fuck up the Lord's Prayer,if he knew it.

:toast:

[TK421]

39. thanks to all who replied...I need to get to bed ( got to be up early tomorrow )

everyone have a good night!!

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

41. You call them a Dept of Labor investigator n/t

[Vinca]

42. I think that's the person who owns the business. Money is power.

At least in this country. You could, of course, go on a mission to publicize abuses. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant" and all that happy BS. Maybe you could start a web site so screwed over employees can tell their stories.

[Mopar151]

43. Part of the picture for sure

Another could be a consulting business to show business owners and executives how employee mistreatment and mismanagement costs them huge money (which it does).