Employee assists in the firing of malicious executive, now faces retaliation when the same executive tries to block employee from being hired at a different organization

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Aug 22, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

When you're an employee at a company that is run by malicious, ill-mannered executives, it's understandable and welcomed that you report them to HR. You are not supposed to withstand workplace mistreatment under any circumstances, but we all know that there is some degree of getting 'pushed around' that is unfortunately normalized.

If you work under belittling C-suite folks, your best bet is to take the issue to HR and figure out the best way forward. If the issue at hand is a recurring event, this executive might end up getting fired. But tread carefully. The world is small enough that the same person who unleashed their wrath on you is just around the corner waiting to do it again…

The employee in this story reported an executive who would constantly practice managing others by ways of intimidation tactics and threats. After multiple accounts of this repetitive behavior, he was asked to resign. Rightfully so. The employee (OP) leaves the company for a bit but eventually comes back to apply for a different division, which falls directly under the now-rehired executive. OP's application is immediately denied by the executive, and the rest of management is dumbfounded because OP's resume and qualifications are spot-on for the job.

OP is wondering if this is considered retaliation. What do you think? Scroll to read the entire story.

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  • 01
    [PA] Executive got fired due to multiple HR complaints, was brought back, now scrutinizing new management for my return.
    via JoshInWv
  • 02
    I worked for a company for 5 years as both a software and infrastructure lead dev. In this time, I worked in a department that was highly micro-managed by (let's call him X) who was looking to outsource the department overseas. I was
    via JoshInWv
  • 03
    threatened on multiple occasions by a c-suite executive because I stood up for my team, pushed back on the crazy demands with logic, timelines, and facts, and would not throw my team under the bus. X brought us all into
    via JoshInWv
  • 04
    multiple meetings telling my team how terrible they were, how much they embarassed X, and X was gonna fire us all, that it was just a matter of time because the team sucked.
    via JoshInWv
  • 05
    So when X brought us into the last group meeting (4 years ago) I attended and started the belittling, berating and threats again, I stood up (as both the team lead and tech lead of both
    via JoshInWv
  • 06
    teams) and said that changes were on the horizon. I told the team members who didn't want to be a part of the new direction, that I would gladly give references to any and all who wanted to leave, but my
    via JoshInWv
  • 07
    expectations were, for those staying, get on board and step to it. Apparently this was a huge mistake to X, who saw this as challenging his authority and he lost his ever loving mind on all of us.
    via JoshInWv
  • 08
    It ended up getting so bad that myself and multiple people (including 2 levels of management) complained to HR multiple times over the threats, lies, intimidation tactics, and
    via JoshInWv
  • 09
    duress we were under. As a person of my word, I held out 6 months, doing the work, giving references to people who were bouncing, and then I bounced to another team myself.
    via JoshInWv
  • 10
    In this time, X was asked to resign because of all the complaints on him. Somehow, in 6 months, they brought him back to another division and he's an executive over there.
    via JoshInWv
  • 11
    I also left the company for another, and now came back. Unbeknownst to me, the team I'm, on as a contractor, falls under X's org.
    via JoshInWv
  • 12
    About 3 months ago, I applied to another job (under his org) and knew the team and management, they all loved my experience (I worked with all these guys and
    via JoshInWv
  • 13
    trained some of them mybfirst time around). Got to X's desk, and was denied, to which I was told he threatened the new manager for bringing my resume across his desk.
    via JoshInWv
  • 14
    Ffwd, I recently took a CTH position at this org, looking to come back, and found out that I now fall under X's org, and because the managers liked me, they extended me the opportunity. However, my new managers are getting his "full attention" over this decision.
    via JoshInWv
  • 15
    This morning, they pulled me into a meeting, cornered me, and asked what the deal was. They could see nothing in my file that would indicate any issue and the people they reached out too all
    via JoshInWv
  • 16
    had awesome things to say about me. So I explained the past, everything they wanted to know I answered honestly and candidly. No speculation, no anything, just the raw facts.
    via JoshInWv
  • 17
    My new managers said to try flying under the radar, keeping my head down, (quote) grow a beard and change your appearance when you come in, and sit in the back. (/quote).
    via JoshInWv
  • 18
    Idk if this is possible, but would this be a case of retaliation? How can I protect myself? Since I started (literally a week ago) would it be poor taste to just leave the department for a full
    via JoshInWv
  • 19
    time endeavor in another? (I've literally been offered 4 different positions in the week that I've came back. I don't like to brag, but I'm good at my job, and managers and former co-workers respect and like me.)
    via JoshInWv
  • 20
    TL;DR - an executive that was asked to resign and had HR called on him by myself and our old team multiple times has both blocked me from coming back and is now scrutinizing my current management for them hiring me. How can I protect myself since I'm the only source of income for the family and am I being potentially retaliated against?
    via JoshInWv

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workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace hiring manager tales-from-the-workplace work upper management retaliation askreddit askhr reddit story horrible-management c-suite hiring workplace Horrible Bosses reddit thread executive red flag job interview interview entitled people toxic-work-environment
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