I worked for Rent A Center a total tenure of nearly 3 years, thats including getting hurt on the job, being off for 8 months, and transfering between 4 different stores, and 2 states. I was delivering furniture and an account manager. Also like to add I was the only female in my store at ALL 4 stores.
I started out in Maryland (where I currently am) and transfered to Tennessee where I moved to be near my father. At this location, I broke my ankle on the job, and had to be out of work. I returned back to work on restricted job duties and had to do physical therapy, which my store manager sometimes would make me reschedule for my days off (i know they cant do that) The whole time, having my manager and co workers make fun of me and saying, jokingly they say, "your not hurt, your just trying to get a buck" and saying things like " what good are you for if you cant work" I was still in a cast and with a doctors note stating I could not do ANY deliveries, they still had me out delivering washing machines, dryers, and small items that could be dollied because it "isnt that physical".
I told my store manager that I really couldnt do this one delivery because of my ankle and he stated bluntly" If you want to get paid like a man, youll do it, or I can just cut your pay, and you can sit in the office" Even his manager, the Market Manager would joke with me.
Turned out I had to get surgery because of some serious nerve damage, and I used up all of my restricted work duties time allowed, and they sent me home, to receive workmans comp. 8 months later, I was moving back to Maryland, and when they released me back to work, I attempted to get a job with the same position here in Maryland (workmans comp said I was entitled to my job, because I had never really left the company)
It took me a few months of begging and pleading and talking to human resource managers, that they finaly hired me back at a 3rd location. Here they treated me like crap, forced me to do the hardest deliveries that we had. And when I was about to give up, the market manager here asked me to transfer across town, because the store had gone through 3 different managers, and it needed a "personable touch" he even said I would get my promotion to a sales manager once I transfered. So I agreed, even though it would be an extra 10 miles onto my commute.
When I transfered (4th store now), the new store manager advised me he couldnt give me my promotion, but would start training me. This store was worse then my last, and they sat around and talked sexually about females with me sitting right in the room! They even talked about my breasts! I still had the HARDEST deliveries. I put in a one month notice because I was going to be going to a credit card company, and the store manager stated, no, we dont need that much time, 2 weeks is good enough.
A few days before the end of my 2 weeks, I couldnt take it anymore, they were being really mean, and all sitting around eatting Pizza and watching movies as I was put out on the road 10 am-8 pm with another truck sitting at the store, and 5 men sitting around doing nothing, all of whom have the same job duties as myself.
I quit, and had left my surround sound there because it was going to be serviced at the service center, and the next day, the Market Manager threw it in the trash.
Well, I have a really good friend who still works for Rent A Center, and he has called me on numerous occasions to tell me that the guys from "both" of my last 2 stores, would sit around all day and make fat jokes about me, and how I am worthless, this that and the other. My "source" even agreed to come to court and testify that they mistreated me into quitting...
What should I do? What kind of lawsuit could I have? What kind of lawyer should I hire? And would I have to pay up front? I am a working single mother of 2, and dont have much money. If it helps any, this company had a 47 million dollar class action suite filed against them a few years ago for sexual
discrimination/harassment, and lost in a supreme court. I havnt worked there in about 3 months, am I running out of time???
If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it!
Jessica
boonsboro, Maryland
U.S.A.
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