After a conversation with a peer counselor, Kessie, a health care clinic manager, shared her experience with us about how she’d reached out when she didn’t know where else to turn. 

“Empower Work helped me process the situation so that I could act in a responsible way,” she said.

Recently, she contacted us with a follow up:

I spoke to a lawyer and from what he told me, the situation here is even worse than I realized. He advised me to get out before they have a  chance to fire me. He said I could absolutely sue them for wrongful termination if they did, but that it would be easier to get a different job while I'm still employed.

I learned about some patient mistreatment that troubles me ethically–and seems illegal. One patient even said that she asked not to have a treatment done and it was done anyway without her consent. To top it off, apparently the way they have things structured around here financially would get us in trouble with the IRS.

After I sent the letter to HR, my boss and I were put into mediation. My boss made a racial slur against me during the session, and the only thing to come out of that meeting is that they are further limiting my access to meetings and speaking with other staff members, and that in turn is making it harder for me to do my job and to protect the patients from all of this nonsense.

I reported the racial discrimination concern to the U.S. Office of Civil Rights about a month ago but haven’t heard back. And I filed a general complaint with the state office that issues doctors’ licenses. They have already assigned a team to investigate the matter so hopefully that will result in some changes.

It's all really sad and makes me tired. My job, my license, and my professional reputation are at stake. I am even worried if I could be arrested or fined personally for following the orders I am getting. I’m also concerned for my staff and vulnerable patients. I’m thankful Empower Work was there when I needed someone to support me in sorting through all this with me and gaining perspective. 

I don’t know how this will all work out, but I feel good that I’m doing all I can. No job is worth this level of drama.

*Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplace challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions. If you believe you were discriminated against in violation of the law, we recommend you seek legal advice.