Looking for advice..PLEASE HELP

[Yvonne 711]

Hi

Last week I was called into my supervisors' office and was asked by my supervisor :
1. Do you like your job?
2. Do you want to keep your job?

Question... is this format legal? I felt as if my job were being threatened

She then asks me " Are you another JANE DOE? We've been hearing rumors that you've been bad mouthing myself and Brian" actual name of former employee I won't print because of obvious reasons, but she was terminated by the company in July 2005... Brian is her boss who just sat there and let her speak to me that way.

[COLOR=DarkRed]Question.... Is this defamation of character to Jane Doe in the form of slander ? Can Jane Doe sue the company?[/COLOR]

I then stood up and said " Don't ever compare me to another employee and when you tell me what I am accused of saying then I will answer your question" I walked out of the office feeling insulted and angered.

Question...should I have stayed in the office? I felt as if they were ganging up on me with no actual formal complaint or statement.

When I walked out of the office a co worker asked me what happened so I said what happened and then the supervisor comes out and says " Look how unprofessional you're behaving" ..so I said " unprofessional? You've just compared me to Jane Doe, you owe me an apology " and to this date I believe she still owes me an apology.

This incident happened at 1 pm and by 330pm I was suspended, and the letter said for an "incident" that occured today.

Question....Can they suspend me without a charge? What can I do to defend myself/ I feel as if I were provoked twice. PLEASE HELP

Thanks for your help.
Yvonne from NY

[Beth3]

1. Yes, those are legal questions.

2. No, that is not defamation or slander.

3. Yes, they can suspend you for what your boss believes was unprofessional behavior.

[Yvonne 711]

Thanks for your response Beth3

I have more questions

[COLOR=DarkRed]Can I put in a formal complaint against my supervisor for comparing me to another emplyee who was terminated ?

(I have an excellent work record however, I think they want to keep me quiet or make me afraid to speak because I speak up at meetings without fear ... Lately I've been speaking up about excessive mandations, we work 40 hrs a week and are being mandated 2x/week for the full 8 hours, it's been ongong for 2 months now.

Is there a certain amount of hours that an employee can be mandated per week? What happens if we go over the 16 hours per day? Is it reportable? If so to whom?

If it is found that I was wrongfully suspended can I demand an apology from this supervisor ?

[COLOR=Purple]What is defamation of character ? Why can't Jane Doe sue? Can I sue? I am proud of my my work ethics, I don't spread rumors and I am confident of my work performance. I don't seek praise I just like to work and do it to the best of my ability.

My flaw is speaking up when I see something wrong, like being compard to another employee, excessive mandations etc etc. Sometimes I think it may be better to keep your mouth shut, but then again things will never change if employees are not allowed to speak up.

[Beth3]

1. Can I put in a formal complaint against my supervisor for comparing me to another emplyee who was terminated ? Sure, if your employer's policy allows you to do so. Whether that's a good idea is another matter. The only thing you may achieve is making a bad situation worse. I definitely think you're on the verge of making a mountain out of a molehill.

2. If it is found that I was wrongfully suspended can I demand an apology from this supervisor ? Demand? Hell, no. Even asking for an apology would be extremely ill-advised on your part. By the by, you were not "wrongfully" suspended, if you are using that word in the proper context which means it was illegal. Whether your boss exercised good judgment is a different matter entirely than whether it was wrongful.

3. My flaw is speaking up when I see something wrong, like being compard to another employee, excessive mandations etc etc. Sometimes I think it may be better to keep your mouth shut, but then again things will never change if employees are not allowed to speak up. You need to use discretion and judgment as to when to speak up and what issues are appropriate to do so. If you "speak up" over every little thing, then management is going to get very tired of listening to you and when an important issue actually does come along, they won't pay a bit of attention to anything you have to say because you will have worn out your welcome.

[Yvonne 711]

So Beth 3
what do you recommend?