Employee leaves workplace after being investigated for ‘unprofessional conduct’, 5 years later they are contacted by former HR: ‘Do I have something to worry about?’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Sep 30, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

When one leaves a place of work, especially when they are unhappy in said workplace, they usually hope to leave everything about it behind. Nobody wants to be reminded of unpleasant bosses, or frustrating challenges they had to deal with as an employee, all people want to do is to move on and aim for a better place in the future.

If an employee quits their job after they were wrongfully investigated for 'unprofessional conduct', you can be absolutely sure they do not wish to reopen that can of worms years later, which is what the person who wrote this Reddit story was forced to do. 5 years after OP (original poster) quit, their former HR contacts them via email and asks to schedule a talk regarding 'something related to their employment'. OP was not thrilled to receive this email and turned to Reddit to ask what they should do. 

Keep scrolling to read the rest of the story. Up next, the story of an employee whose hours were cut in half without an explanation.

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  • 01
    "At this point, I am done with them"
    via fotostorm

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

  • 02
    Former workplace HR contacting me five years after I quit regarding "something relating to your employment with us." What are my obligations and isn't 5 years too long?
    via metalheadfirst
  • 03
    (UPDATED in a comment) I was a supervisor in foodservice for a corporate-owned theme park over 5 years ago. Before leaving, I was investigated for unprofessional conduct (i.e.
    via metalheadfirst
  • 04
    swearing in the kitchen). I opted to quit rather than go thru that ordeal. After I left, senior management was forced out...sort of a house cleaning. I received an email today that they
    via metalheadfirst
  • 05
    need to talk to me regarding "something relating to your employment with us." Is there not a statute of limitations on workplace complaints, and wouldn't the most severe
    via metalheadfirst
  • 06
    consequences of an investigation be termination, anyway? I'm gainfully employed now and have been since leaving but what are my obligations? I replied to the email asking what this was about
    via metalheadfirst
  • 07
    and gave them my number but they want to schedule a phone meeting. Sounds crazy but do I have something to worry about?
    via metalheadfirst
  • 08
    metalheadfirst OP • 1d ago I don't know if anyone will see. this but here's the update thus far: On day 1, I called the HR person back twice and left a message. I also sent two follow up emails. They responded,
    via metalheadfirst
  • 09
    saying they'd call back at 6 PM Thursday (yesterday) to discuss. I replied and said fine, but I'd really like to know what this was regarding. No response. I did not get a phone call. I called this morning and the voicemail said
    via metalheadfirst
  • 10
    "this person is not available," kind of strange for a professional organization (and this is a big company). Today at 2 PM I got another email asking to contact me next week
    via metalheadfirst
  • 11
    sometime to talk. Frankly I'm tired of the back and forth, so I replied saying, no, I'm not available next week, but I'm happy to talk anytime this afternoon or this evening. Gave
    via metalheadfirst
  • 12
    my number again. There was no follow up call. A detail I left out was that the first email mentioned they tried to contact me at the info they had on file with no luck. I received no calls or physical
    via metalheadfirst
  • 13
    mail, and I have changed nothing in 7 or 8 years (and my number has been the same for well over a decade). At this point, I deleted the emails and will continue to do so. It feels like someone trying
    via metalheadfirst
  • 14
    to show they're doing their due diligence while not actually doing anything. Unless I get a letter from a lawyer or from this company saying they owe me money, I'm calling it done.
    via metalheadfirst
  • 15
    LobsterLoving Llama Email HR and ask what they need to tell you. You're not available by phone.
    via LobsterLoving
  • 16
    metalheadfirst OP 1d ago • Yeah I tried that and no luck. At this point, I'm done.
    via metalheadfirst
  • 17
    hzuiel Likely zero obligation, but worth finding out what it is about, why are you being so coy? Its not like you are in trouble.
    via hzuiel
  • 18
    metalheadfirst OP • 1d ago • No - but it is weird. The job was so stressful and weird by the time I quit that I really just don't want to revisit it.
    via metalheadfirst
  • 19
    hzuiel 1d ago • Hmm, I guess I understand that, the last job I left I deposited my stuff with HR and walked out and didn't reply to any of the confused messages from any of the management for over a year, after
    via hzuiel
  • 20
    making them wait 2 weeks after seeing me at a wedding of a former coworker and then texting me the same day, I replied like 15 days later just for giggles. That is only because that entire company and job is a bad
    via hzuiel
  • 21
    joke, like not a functional or professional organization in any way, mostly a massive scam. So there's virtually zero chance they'd be contacting me about anything useful.
    via hzuiel
  • 22
    metalheadfirst OP • 1d ago • This is a giant company, but the area where I was a supervisor was such a small, almost inconsequential part. I was a supervisor for just a few months (I actually quit, and then was
    via metalheadfirst
  • 23
    promoted as a way to get me to stay). I had no ill will towards anyone but management, and they're all gone, but still no reason to reopen that can of worms
    via metalheadfirst
  • 24
    tanhauser_gates_ You are scared for no reason. You dont work there anymore. There is nothing they can do to you legally - you broke no laws.
    via tanhauser_gates_
  • 25
    There could be other reasons they need to speak to you. I would speak to them. They may have money for you.
    via tanhauser_gates_
  • 26
    metalheadfirst OP • 3d ago Appreciate this - definitely no laws were broken unless it was on their in (requiring us to change clock out times to avoid paying state labor penalties).
    via metalheadfirst

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boss workplace-stories employee fired hr manager job tales-from-the-workplace reddit story employer investigation overworked-employees workplace Reddit company quitting
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