“I worked as a wax specialist at a well-known waxing franchise. The bullying began after I supported a coworker with her discrimination complaint and shared our employee handbook with her.
From that point on, I was targeted. My manager and district manager held private meetings with me filled with false accusations and gaslighting. She would lie about what was said in those meetings, spread rumors about me to other coworkers, and use microaggressions and gossip to turn the team against each other. She even used one employee to spy on my conversations.
Eventually, I was pulled into an impromptu meeting during my shift. My manager accused me of “expressing myself too much,” questioned why others felt comfortable confiding in me, and was upset that I spoke honestly when the owner asked me a question in passing. She told me not to speak to him anymore, forced me to apologize for talking about her—even in work-related discussions—and then, unbelievably, forced me to pinky swear I wouldn’t talk about her again.
There was no HR contact or process made available to us, so we had no formal way to report what was happening. I felt bullied, harassed, and trapped.
Eventually, I was wrongfully terminated in clear retaliation for filing a complaint with the EEOC. My manager had a pattern of labeling Black women or Afro-Latina women as “aggressive,” and always had tense, negative interactions with us. This bias was a recurring part of the workplace culture.
Just days before I was fired, I had to be hospitalized due to heart palpitations brought on by anxiety. I also began working with a therapist to deal with the emotional toll.
That workplace continues to have high turnover, problematic management, and a pattern of losing high performers because of the toxic environment. Nothing changes.
This is why workplace bullying legislation matters. Without accountability, employees like me are punished for standing up and speaking out. We need legal protections to create truly safe and respectful workplaces.”