I AM SO ANGRY I COULD SPIT NAILS!

[SallyG]

Well, as you know, my husband and I moved down to South Florida the end of August. He was recruited for a position as an executive chef with a very exclusive country club. He has 35+ years of experience cheffing and specializes in country clubs.

The club was in a disastrous state, not having proper management for several years, as well as having terrible food. A member, who is a close friend of my husband, made some calls and got him an interview and food tasting and they were thrilled with his talents. An offer of a very good salary, plus bonuses was made and he accepted.

He began the middle of October and has been working his butt off trying to get things going in a direction that will enable him to implement the necessary changes. However, the wait staff is another story, and not under his jurisdiction. They are woefully inferior, can't take orders correctly, despite having been there for many years, and many can't speak English sufficiently to even take an order. The first big dinner of the season was held last Wednesday and while the food was outstanding, the wait service was atrocious.

On to yesterday. My husband came home an hour early and told me to sit down, he had some bad news. He said he had been relieved of his duties because the general manager, who has been there about 4 months, a 35 year old woman, had decided that culinarily, things were not where she expected them to be at this point in time.

Now, my husband has won various awards for his culinary skill, has been on television, etc. He has a portfolio of hundreds of references letters from satisfied customers who were thrilled with his food. And bear in mind, for the past three years at that club, the food was so bad, members were ashamed to bring guests.

So we were both at a loss...3 weeks and things were not running smoothly??? It would take several months of concentrated effort and a team effort with the general manager, food and beverage director, and the chef to make it happen. I was speechless.

After a couple of drinks, my husband confided that the general manager had, over the past 3 weeks, made some inappropriate comments to him....telling him how handsome he was, etc. He politely responded "my WIFE thinks so, too!". Not one to be a dummy, I began to put 2 and 2 together and it definitely equaled 4!!

I am convinced that this bimbo...yes, BIMBO...was trying to come on to him and when she was not successful, her pride was wounded and she wanted him OUT. She brought in a guy who worked there for a month and was totally unsuited for the job. My husband kept telling me "hey, I'm not Michael Douglas, ya know....why would she be interested in ME?"

The entire place is in an uproar over his dismissal and who knows what will happen....but I am totally PO'd over everything. We gave up everything to come down here for this opportunity and now he's out because some freaking bimbo could not get the time of day from him.

Sorry to rant, but this is a totally intolerable situation. We have already spoken to an attorney, who is a friend, and he said unfortunately, sexual harrassement is very hard to prove.

Personally, I'd love to go over to the club and claw her eyes out! She was the one who made the decision to fire him, and talked the members of the board of directors into it.

ARGGGGG!!!

[Anna]

I would be outraged to, and shall I come over to cheer you on???? You hang in there, things will somehow get better from this I just know it in my heart!

HUGS (and give one to hubby as well for standing his ground with that "boss" of his)

[Minis On The Edge]

Sally, I am so sorry to hear about this! I really am. Be proud of your husband. He is really a Wonderful Man! It may be tough there for a bit but hang in there. Good things really do come to those who wait. Maybe that was a stepping stone to get you down there for another purpose. Maybe there is a better job waiting to be found.

Sending Hugs your way and sending you both warm and loving wishes for the best!

[wenlaine]

I'm so sorry this has happened, Sally. I would be just as irate in that situation.

It would be interesting to find out if there had been others before your DH who might also have lost their positions because of this woman.

[Abunai]

I want to claw her eyes out for you! I know sexual harassment is hard to prove, but it certainly helps a wrongful termination case! Sheesh, stories like this make me ill! I hope it turns around, and keep us informed! I will be sending some very bad juju her way!

[Rhonda from the Bluegrass]

I have felt for some time that our country is in a sad state of affairs . . . the morality seems to be gone, and this is just a prime example of that. God bless you and your husband for being the kind of people our country NEEDS to be made of. I know that this situation was totally unfair, and that you must now regroup and find a solution (I am doubly angry since this ridiculous "boss" did this to your family right here at the Holidays). I know, though, that from what I have read of your postings, you and your family are upstanding, decent people. I believe that your decency will prevail, and you will find the solution you need.

[LynnieEP]

Sally, I'd look at it this way...it's the country club's loss not your husband's. They'll see in time that the mistake they made was keeping HER on and firing your husband. Also, had he not been fired he probably would have had to endure the inappropriate comments, etc. from the "Bimboss" everyday. That makes for an uncomfortable working situation. Being in the legal profession, sexual harrassement is hard to prove...his word against hers and because she got the Board over on her side, hubby doesn't have any allies.

I know this doesn't make things any better or get his job back but there is another executive chef position out there with his name on it. His credentials are waaaaay too good to be passed up.

Lynne

[heidiiiii]

I look at it this way...he is away from HER. He was fired so he can collect unemployment until he finds another position (not that it is alot of money but it will help)..The Country Club Members may decide that they do not want to spend their hard earned money on club fees and dues if the food was good and now it sucks!

I will be praying that he gets an even BETTER kitchen to work in!

[SallyG]

Thank you, everyone. I just posted his resume on Monster.com and if we have to relocate again, so be it. Florida has been a disaster since the minute we crossed the line in the middle of a hurricane (can't remember which one it was at the end of August). Ant and bee infestations in the house, and so on and so forth.

At this point in time, I'd rather be in Maine in the middle of a blizzard!!

My husband is a fine, upstanding, morally decent man. And he does not deserve this type of underhanded game playing. I know without a doubt there is something better out there for him, and I know he will find it. He is not letting this make him question his abilities.

I've been the victim of sexual harrassment about 12 years ago myself and I know how horrible it can be, and how difficult to prove. There are some people who have no business having any type of authority over others.

Luckily, he was given 2 months severance pay, in accordance with his 3 year contract (3 year contract..what a JOKE!!!)

[jeninky]

I hate to hear this and I am sure that something more wonderful will be in store..

[Kalygirl]

At this point in time, I'd rather be in Maine in the middle of a blizzard!!

Awww, cmon, it isn't THAT bad here during a blizzard, I promise! And if you did come to Maine (at least the Bangor area), we have a big enough house to fit y'all comfortably! All my DH would ask would be a few cooking lessons!

On the serious side, I am sorry this happened to your family, and I wish I could offer a positive solution....in the meantime, my best wishes will be with you all. Please keep us updated!

[Esther]

Sally, I'm sorry this happened to you and your husband. It used to be if someone noticed a wedding ring, they would back off, but nowadays it seems it doesn't matter. I'm sure he will find something better without the headaches of a bad waitstaff and a bimbo boss. {{{hugs}}}

[SallyG]

It seems these days that a wedding ring is an invitation or a challenge to a bimbo. My husband and I have both been cheated on in past relationships and know the heartache it brings, and would never even think of doing it to each other. The wedding rings MEAN committment and faithfulness to each of us.

Anyway, we are enthusiastically following tonights big dinner at the club. The chef that has taken his place, nicknamed "Frankenchef", has been working all day, racing around like a chicken with his head cut off, huffing and puffiing, leaning against the tables like he's ready to keel over. The sous chef, who is my husbands buddy, "accidently" threw away my husband's premade crab-base...he uses it to mix with crabmeat to make the best crab cakes you've ever tasted. It's a mixture of his own recipe...he had made a batch for tonights dinner yesterday. Anyway, that was "taken care of" earlier...and around 3pm, my husband got a hushed call from his sous chef that Frankenchef was making crab cakes...shredding lovely jumbo lump crabmeat and putting hunks of red and green pepper in them. If anyone knows crabmeat, shredding lump crabmeat is a "crime".

Anyway, we can't wait to hear the end of night report. The food and beverage director, who adores my husband, is so furious, he won't even speak to the general manager....

So, we shall see. I told him by the end of the week, they may be begging him to come back!!!

[Val]

Sally I am so sorry to hear this. But they lost a good man. Thigs will lokk up soon I am sure. Hang in there.

Val

[ilovecats]

Sally, I'm so sorry to hear about this. I hope things work out for you both very quickly.

[Intrinsicat]

My fingers are crossed that she has to apologize and offer him his job back! I think it's wonderful that in the short time you've been there, you've created enough rapport with others at the country club to at least get to hear how things are crashing down around them! I especially LOVE the crab cake mix "accidentally" getting tossed out... honestly, that's only appropriate since it's his special recipe anyway, IMHO - but I'm all for any passive aggression in the face of blatant abuse of power.

But honestly, with so many people in his corner, if you don't hear from them soon - did your attorney friend by any chance mention if just a suit for wrongful firing would be an option? I mean I know at my office they won't let ANYONE go unless they have a bundle of documentation as to the why's for the dismissal!

I'm thinking about you!

[pdlnpeabody]

I hate to say it, but this sounds all too familiar. When I was a kid my dad had a co-worker who didn't have a master's degree like my dad, so instead of furthering her education, she told his subordinates to do things wrong saying that it was my dad who "told her to tell them." He didn't get fired, but demoted. A few years later she walked into his office at his new job for an interview. She tried to pull the same stunt on someone more cut-throat than her and lost her job. Obviously, my dad didn't give her a job. He said when she walked into his office she looked like she saw a ghost!

Now, 21 years later a payroll clerk who was sleeping her way into promotions within the city government tried to seduce him, and he wasn't biting. I guess she was upset about being spurned so she slept with my dad's boss. 2 weeks later she's moving into my dad's office as director of parks and he's moving into a cubicle in volunteer services. A week later his old boss resigns after being questioned as to why he would remove an internationally known horticulturist with a master's degree and replace him with a woman who has a GED. He still has his new position, and she's turned the cities parks into run-down spots for junkies to get high at.

I guess in Florida the way to the top is in the backseat of a car. There are some nice resturants in Florida, but many of them have taken the cheap way out and hired Mexican imigrants to run the kitchens instead of professionals like your husband. Hope things work out soon.

[miniwendy]

Wow, what's the world coming to?? Sorry the bimbo pulled such a cheap shot!!

[chesterfieldzoo]

Is there any way to get a private meeting with the board? How about any info on the GM's former employment? If she hasn't been there that long, it shouldn't be too hard. Maybe ask someone there to send a letter of her conduct and if they had any issues.

[Wolfie]

What a tragedy. Moving and all, and now the job situation. What a turnaround. Nasty stuff sexual harrassment. It never ends!

Keep your spirits up and you will find something much better!

[SallyG]

My husband was worried about doing something to mess us his severance pay, which is coming weekly for 2 months instead of a lump sum. I got out his contract and it was in the contract about the severance, so he has it in WRITING...no way they can weasel out of that.

This is not over by a long shot. My husband has never dealt with a situation like this and actually feels very embarrassed by it. I am definitely going to pursue this matter further...if I have to contact the president of the board of directors. He may not get his job back, but it's going to be known what she was doing.

[lili]

Well I wish you the best of luck and I sincerly hope that the bimbo gets whats coming to her.

I'm sending you a hug from California.

[twilight1000]

Sally, this whole thing is just so awful! The loss of job, the harrassment, worrying about the future is bad enough. But you pulled up your roots and moved to a whole new lifestyle to accept this job. I feel so bad for both you and your husband. I'd be spitting nails, too! But it sounds like you're going to take some action and follow up on this. Good for you! This bimbo should not be allowed to wreak havoc with people's lives.

[tcmorrison]

Keep going Sally...we are all behind you.

Terri

[Corwin]

And your only spiting nails? Yo have a might of iron girl. Sending prayers and warm thoughts.

Corwin