Dear Evil HR Lady,
In my last temporary assignment, we were required not to work above 40 hours, but our assignment company made it difficult to complete the increasing workload within that time period. I arrived early as a courtesy, although we were told not to work above 40 hours. I was also given more work with an advanced specialized position without an increase in pay. My recruiter told me to alert her of position changes, so I can be compensated; nothing was ever done to compensate me. I also told my recruiter about the toxic work environment and workload.
The assignment company was a state agency, and due to cuts and lean staff, I was overworked, bullied and sabotaged. As a temp, I couldn’t report the abuse to human resources at the state agency, so I reported my experience to my recruiter. My agency’s recruiter cared more about keeping contracts with this company, and did nothing to protect me. The assignment company with the abusive staff wanted to hire me, but entrap me in a position with less pay and more specialized work. I ended my assignment due to an onset illness, and at the advice of the recruiter, who retracted her suggestion when I decided to leave. I also documented this abuse and onset illness in my exit interview for the temp agency.
I discovered 14 months after I left the assignment that the recruiter placed a termination mark on my record and banned me from working with the company. It was evident in the few call backs I received for work. I had to seek legal counsel and send information to senior human resources management at the temp agency to get the “termination” and “banned record” removed. It was removed and I could work at the agency, but the damage was done.
I experienced a case of slander and defamation from my recruiter; bullying and sneaky workload time abuse from the assignment company. I believe my experience ran past the statutes of limitations.
What can I do avoid explaining this false termination?
To read the answer click here: My temporary boss was abusive
I would like to point out that no only did the OP not get paid what she was due, but the temp agency also lost income. I would report the recruiter to the branch manager. This impacts the branch’s income.
You know, that’s a good point. I hadn’t thought about that. Of course, if you tick off a client you lose the income altogether. But, the OP has nothing to lose by reporting it to the manager. Or the district office.
I’m the OP.
I reported the recruiter to the senior management, who removed the “termination” from my record.
The former recruiter posted in the notes that I left abruptly, but I left at her suggestion. She told me to “look for other work.” And the time of my departure came when the assignment company wanted to hire me. The recruiter would have to release me anyway, because of this offer. (Some temp contracts must be extended every three months.) During the poor economy, my performance was the reason why this agency was getting so many requisitions for temps in my former department.
It was another case of a temp being abused for something outside of their control, a bad economy. The poor economy intensified the toxic environment at the assignment company, and forced my recruiter to renege on her words.
I let it go a year ago. It resurfaced 14 months later when the same agency tried to hire me in another division, and the new recruiter saw the termination on my account.
The situation described is often way too common. Temporary agencies are designed to fulfill the clients needs. They are therefore likely to ear on the sign of caution when dealing with clients in order to ensure that the money vines are still flowing. Even normal protections under the law become confused when you have the company, the temp agency and the employee maintaining different opinions. In the end the temporary agency will likely side with the employer. Good luck!