ANOTHER LOST MONTH--KARL AND KROGER #581
It has been another thirty days since I last wrote about this mess and nothing has changed. Two months ago, Karl was suspended without pay and told he would be terminated in a couple of days because of a claim of “sexual harassment.” What was the crime? Documenting by long distance photograph across the store an employee who was once again working off the clock and out of uniform. That was it!
Obviously, that action WAS NOT sexual harassment, it was NOT even harassment. Not only was he cleared the next day of that allegation by the Union it was also blatantly obvious to all that it was nothing. The Union informed store management that the charge was false, that the employee had made a false allegation, and that Karl should be returned to work immediately. Yet, while those involved who lied and deliberately trashed his reputation with false allegations and malicious smears are somehow still working and getting paid, Karl is still home on unpaid leave and has no idea when he will finally be allowed to return to work.
Because of their lies which have been repeatedly proven demonstrably false, we can’t even go in at Kroger #581 to go shopping. Instead, we have to go an additional distance from our home to another Kroger store to go shopping. A huge and unnecessary hassle and yet until the case is finally resolved one way or another something I have to do since I am the only one able to drive in the family.
After nearly two months of doing nothing, last Thursday Karl was ordered to report to the District Manager’s store the next day for a meeting to resolve the situation. Karl was told that if he didn’t show for the hastily scheduled meeting at time and place of the District Manager’s choosing, it would be grounds to terminate him. Considering what we have going on here with Sandi’s cancer and her treatment deal, I thought the attitude expressed was very callous but very symptomatic of what had been going on the nearly eight weeks this has dragged on.
Like Karl, I expected the meeting to be a total waste of time because for some reason that no doubt will be very clear to one and all later, those involved still have not been disciplined for their actions. All along the focus has seemed to be on making Karl, a very good employee with numerous commendations and no history of problems, go away--- one way or another. Repeatedly documenting and exposing wrong doing by others, being a whistleblower, can get you in trouble and it certainly has for Karl. Unfortunately, as I expected, the meeting was a complete epic failure and total waste of time. Not only do they still not have a single shred of evidence against him for anything at any time, they have no case, and they know it.
I spent a good part of the weekend when I was not dealing with insurance screw-ups, on his behalf updating the situation for the Texas Workforce Administration, his case manager at Social Security because he is disabled, EEOC, and other governmental agencies awaiting the final results of this situation. All have cleared him of any wrongdoing but needed updated statements on the case due to the meeting. Like us, they are all awaiting a final determination by Kroger before pursing civil and criminal cases against those involved as Karl has been completely cleared by them.
Because Karl has not gotten a paycheck for nearly two months and as a result has had no income, his small business at http://www.amazon.com/shops/thundercatsnyy is nearly destroyed. Kind of hard to do things like buy and sell video games and such, advertise, invest in inventory, etc., when you don’t have any money from your employer and your bank account has been hammered by fees and over draft notices as a result. So, not only have those involved have virtually destroyed his career with Kroger, destroyed our ability to shop in the store closest to our home (something critically important right now as Sandi is very sick) they have also managed to destroy his private business that had nothing at all to do with Kroger.
I had thought that by now calmer heads on behalf of Kroger would have taken over the case. To this point it simply has not happened. Hopefully that will happen when the case finally moves on in the next stage of the grievance process to the corporate headquarters in Cincinnati. That means everyone involved here at the local level will be under intense scrutiny as their actions that created the problems are reviewed. While Karl can stand up to such scrutiny and can share additional evidence of various types and forms when asked, I don’t think those who caused the mess and have continued it on can say the same. As the meeting last Friday again showed, there is not a single shred of evidence against him for anything at any time, they have no case, and they know it.
The only positive aspect of this is that he has been home to help me with Sandi. Not only help me with her and things around here, but he has also been able to spend time with his Mom. It is just incredibly sad and extremely outrageous that those involved have caused it at such a huge cost for Karl and for all of us.
Kevin
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