I worked as an Admissions Representative for the Torrance, CA campus for 2 years before I finally saw the light of day. During this time I was lied mislead regarding performance standards for promotion, denied a promotion that I had earned, and treated poorly for being a mother.
Shortly after graduating my bachelors degree, I interviewed to be a Representative in Admissions at ITT Tech. During the interview, I was repeatedly asked by the Admissions Manager and Director of the school (once by each person) whether or not I was married or had kids. I didn't have kids at the time, and thought it was strange that they were asking.
This is clearly in violation of fair hiring practices, as my family status had nothing to do with the details of the job. However, I really needed the money and they seemed so excited to hire me that I took the offer. Little did I also know that they had offered me a rock bottom salary, which they made seem very reasonable. Later I found out that I was the lowest paid person in nearly the entire campus.
Only 2 months after I started, I found out that I was pregnant. Unfortunatly, I showed very easily, and word spread like wild fire. Most of the time, people were really sympathetic and nice, especially the students. Yet I began to receive comments like "you look like you're going to have that baby any day now".
My boss (a male) even once told me that "I looked like I was going to pop." I was also harranged by this boss before taking a week long paid vacation which I was told that I had to take before the end of the year or lose. I was also continually Before my last month of pregnancy, the director of the school asked me when I would be going out on maternity leave.
The baby was due on the 11th, and we had a quarter starting less than 2 weeks before (Yet we often held open enrollment up to 2 weeks after the start date.) Ridiculously, She indicated that she did not wish for me to go on leave before the quarter start date. This made me feel intimidated from leaving earlier than the if I was feeling terrible. On the day of the start, I felt so worn out that I got a doctor's note and left only 4 days before my scheduled leave began. When I showed the note to my boss, he pretended to throw it in the trash, and I had to argue with him as to why I needed an earlier leave. I ended up having the baby less than a week later.
Due to financial reasons, I returned after materity leave. Our department was given a class schedule of days and times before each quarter, and told to tell the students we enrolled that this is what their schedule would look like. I had a student whose class schedule was changed from morning to evening the second quarter and he complained because he had to change jobs. My superiors told me that he needed to plan on an evening schedule for the rest of his time at the school, so this is what I told him.
Again, the schedule changed, this time back to morning, and he was in a tough situation. When I showed my superiors documentation indicating they had told me this, nothing was done. No apologies were given to the student or to me for the incorrect information. I felt sorry for the student and apologized profusely, but there was nothing I could do.
The administration also did many other last minute changes like changing the ways we could receive credit for enrollments and students sitting in class that left us literally scrambling and panicking to get things done at the last minute. I have also been told to tell students that 60 percent of the training is hands-on when it isn't, and that they will be able to pay off their financial aid after graduating, which isn't necessarily true either.
Towards the end of my second ITT Tech year, I was shown a promotional compensation scale based on performace. It indicated that if I earned a certain number of sits during the year, I could receive promotion to a higher level and thus, better pay. I was so close to meeting my numbers that my bosses pumped me up saying that I would get promoted and get more money if I just worked a bit harder.
So I did. I exceeded the numbers I needed for promotion. Yet when my review came up, I was denied a promotion because our school's campus retention score was low. I later found out that another female was in the same dilemma. Yet a male worker here earned his promotion from entry level to the highest level of representative. I was furious and did my research.
I found out that I was pulling the same production as other workers who had a bit more experience, yet I was earning way less. They were also hiring on new reps at higher pay than I began with and refused to adjust me on the pay scale. I emailed the company ombusdmen and left her a voice mail message and have received no reply. My boss has told me that headquarters won't do anything, anyways.
I ended up finding a different job and am leaving ITT Tech. But I have also endured verbal harranging from my boss for leaving work to care for my infant son when he was sick "why can't your husband go?" My husband works over 2 hours away and I am much closer. The other female coworker who was denied promotion (and has children) has endured the same problem. We have also been bothered by this same boss for taking our vacation which was approved by him in advance.
I would warn any female not to work at ITT Tech, unless you want to have your family status be a factor in whether or not you get promoted. Many of the employees there are decent, even great people, but the management's games and the way corporate does not care for it's workers has made me leave. If anyone from corporate at ITT reads this, please realize that your company needs to change things or you will lose all your workers eventually. I am a great recruiter and your company will no longer profit from my skills.
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