Debts owed by terminated employees

Step back in time to an era before social media took the world by storm, where the ultimate dream for ambitious youngsters was to become influencers. In "KDZ!", author Gino B. Bardi takes readers on a thrilling ride through the tumultuous life of sixteen-year-old Tony Vitelli, whose aspirations for radio stardom and romance land him in a whirlwind of chaos and adventure.
With just two desires driving him—landing a coveted spot as a famous radio disc jockey and winning the heart of the irresistible Sensational Sue Santini—Tony will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if it means bending the rules a little. But as Tony soon discovers, bending rules comes with its own set of consequences, and they're not easy to escape!
Before he knows it, Tony finds himself tangled in a web of trouble, facing angry parents, a vengeful ex-boyfriend who happens to be the state karate champion, debts owed to the local mob boss, and the relentless pursuit of the notorious Farone Boys. And to top it all off, he's on the brink of failing his most crucial subject: Girlfriend 101.
But Tony isn't one to back down easily. As the odds stack against him, he embarks on a daring journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, determined to defy the odds and emerge victorious against all odds.
In "KDZ!", readers will be captivated by Tony's resilience, wit, and unyielding spirit as he navigates the rollercoaster ride of adolescence in pursuit of his dreams. Brace yourself for a riveting tale of love, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Don't bet against Tony Vitelli—he's about to show the world what it means to be a true badass!
Here is the book link

Hey guys.
I purchased a Tuscon a year back and got stuck in a somewhat unfavorable deal. My credit score was not the best so got pinned with a bad interest rate. Anyway, fast forward and my credit score is excellent now. Paid off my debts and in a good place. Anywho. I tried to refinance my vehicle but the interest rates are still roughly the same. I am currently eyeballing an electric vehicle as I rarely drive and with current incentives it would lower my car payment by 1-200 dollars which is huge for me. Could I use current lease cash incentives to offset my upside down loan?
Here is the example Current vehicle payment is $700 flat Owed: 31000 roughly, Carvana/KBB appraisal is $24000 which I'm sure I can ask a dealer to match.
Proposed vehicle is a 2024 Lexus RZ 450e Lease cash offer: $17,000 With that, I'd in theory be able to wipe out my upside down loan and still get 8-9k off thr vehicle which would put my monthly payment with 0 down (1st month payment included obviously) to roughly $550-$600 depending how it sways.
Is my theory here correct? Would I essentially be able to wipe my hands clean of the Hyundai and walk away in a Lexus as a prize?
Please guide me and provide any warnings. I've never leased before and I honestly trade in cars every 3-5 years anyway so it seems like a good idea but are there any hidden costs? Is the insurance going to be Bananas? I did a mock quote and it actually lowered my insurance costs by $90 for whatever reason, but that was just a mock quote.
Thanks for the help, truly appreciate you all!

Step back in time to an era before social media took the world by storm, where the ultimate dream for ambitious youngsters was to become influencers. In "KDZ!", author Gino B. Bardi takes readers on a thrilling ride through the tumultuous life of sixteen-year-old Tony Vitelli, whose aspirations for radio stardom and romance land him in a whirlwind of chaos and adventure.
With just two desires driving him—landing a coveted spot as a famous radio disc jockey and winning the heart of the irresistible Sensational Sue Santini—Tony will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if it means bending the rules a little. But as Tony soon discovers, bending rules comes with its own set of consequences, and they're not easy to escape!
Before he knows it, Tony finds himself tangled in a web of trouble, facing angry parents, a vengeful ex-boyfriend who happens to be the state karate champion, debts owed to the local mob boss, and the relentless pursuit of the notorious Farone Boys. And to top it all off, he's on the brink of failing his most crucial subject: Girlfriend 101.
But Tony isn't one to back down easily. As the odds stack against him, he embarks on a daring journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, determined to defy the odds and emerge victorious against all odds.
In "KDZ!", readers will be captivated by Tony's resilience, wit, and unyielding spirit as he navigates the rollercoaster ride of adolescence in pursuit of his dreams. Brace yourself for a riveting tale of love, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Don't bet against Tony Vitelli—he's about to show the world what it means to be a true badass!
Here is the book link

Step back in time to an era before social media took the world by storm, where the ultimate dream for ambitious youngsters was to become influencers. In "KDZ!", author Gino B. Bardi takes readers on a thrilling ride through the tumultuous life of sixteen-year-old Tony Vitelli, whose aspirations for radio stardom and romance land him in a whirlwind of chaos and adventure.
With just two desires driving him—landing a coveted spot as a famous radio disc jockey and winning the heart of the irresistible Sensational Sue Santini—Tony will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if it means bending the rules a little. But as Tony soon discovers, bending rules comes with its own set of consequences, and they're not easy to escape!
Before he knows it, Tony finds himself tangled in a web of trouble, facing angry parents, a vengeful ex-boyfriend who happens to be the state karate champion, debts owed to the local mob boss, and the relentless pursuit of the notorious Farone Boys. And to top it all off, he's on the brink of failing his most crucial subject: Girlfriend 101.
But Tony isn't one to back down easily. As the odds stack against him, he embarks on a daring journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, determined to defy the odds and emerge victorious against all odds.
In "KDZ!", readers will be captivated by Tony's resilience, wit, and unyielding spirit as he navigates the rollercoaster ride of adolescence in pursuit of his dreams. Brace yourself for a riveting tale of love, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Don't bet against Tony Vitelli—he's about to show the world what it means to be a true badass!
Here is the book link

Hey Everyone, I recently went on a trip with my friend. For some background, I am a broke college student who has a friend Shelly. Shelly recently found out her fiance is cheating on her and was really in bad condition mentally since months. Ive always been there for her through text and call but I live 600 miles away because of my college.
She was really depressed and asked me if I could go on a trip with her because her fiance left her to go on a boys trip. I told her I can’t afford traveling and I am really broke but I offer I will fly down to her house and stay with her because It will save me hotel and food money. She said she doesn’t want to stay at home and like to travel someplace she has never been, she suggested New York or Hawai. I told her I cannot afford but she insisted and said “Don’t worry about the expenses I just need a peace of mind”. I said yes because I felt really bad not being there for her but I told her in advance that I cannot afford a big expense. I booked my flight to New York and it was really expensive. She asked me to book a hotel too which was again really expensive. After booking the hotel she sent me only half of the money which I was ok splitting as we always split our expenses. At this point I was already broke and had debt on my credit card. I didnt enjoy the trip at all because whole time I was worried about my expenses and not being able to afford food. On the trip she wanted to go extra even though I told her multiple times I cant afford. She said dont worry but paid all the food expenses. I am not a person who likes to use other people money so I offer to I book all l the uber and transportation and pay for coffee and breakfast. She wanted to go to facial, leg massage, in a very expensive place and again I told her I cannot afford. She said she will treat me for my birthday as my birthday hdya was coming up. I didn’t want to go at all but she insisted again. Luckily the trip was over and I came home. At this point I was double broke. After coming home I thought it was over and panicking looking over my creditcard untill today. She sent me an excel sheet with all the expense divided by 2 in it. I was shocked after that. The only thing she didnt add was facial and she reminded me that I owe her.
Aitah for being upset with this? I know I went on a trip but I didnt enjoy it was only for her. I also skipped my class to be with her. I feel like I was being used.

Step back in time to an era before social media took the world by storm, where the ultimate dream for ambitious youngsters was to become influencers. In "KDZ!", author Gino B. Bardi takes readers on a thrilling ride through the tumultuous life of sixteen-year-old Tony Vitelli, whose aspirations for radio stardom and romance land him in a whirlwind of chaos and adventure.
With just two desires driving him—landing a coveted spot as a famous radio disc jockey and winning the heart of the irresistible Sensational Sue Santini—Tony will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if it means bending the rules a little. But as Tony soon discovers, bending rules comes with its own set of consequences, and they're not easy to escape!
Before he knows it, Tony finds himself tangled in a web of trouble, facing angry parents, a vengeful ex-boyfriend who happens to be the state karate champion, debts owed to the local mob boss, and the relentless pursuit of the notorious Farone Boys. And to top it all off, he's on the brink of failing his most crucial subject: Girlfriend 101.
But Tony isn't one to back down easily. As the odds stack against him, he embarks on a daring journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, determined to defy the odds and emerge victorious against all odds.
In "KDZ!", readers will be captivated by Tony's resilience, wit, and unyielding spirit as he navigates the rollercoaster ride of adolescence in pursuit of his dreams. Brace yourself for a riveting tale of love, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Don't bet against Tony Vitelli—he's about to show the world what it means to be a true badass!
Here is the book link

We live in Monterey County, Ca. We own a house in a small city that’s worth about 800k. We tried buying a place with land more than 8 years ago in our county, but the prices just seemed to be always out of our reach, always 100-200k above our price range. I’m a saver, my husband’s not, so I was always reluctant to jump into debt, he always wanted to jump feet first and buy something. Well now I’m feeling majorly at fault because of course, the market turned into what it did and now houses that we would want are nonexistent and in the 1.2 mil range. Exactly a year ago, our 17 year old (who’s been desperate to get out of the city) started sending us Zillow listings, and we went out to Amador county (Sierra Nevada foothills) and fell in love with a 70 year old farmhouse on 20 acres of land. It needed major work, and over the past year, we’ve put 70k into it, planning another 30k more this summer. We paid less than 500k for it, and we’ve been paying both mortgages and repairs (stressful but doable). My husband wants to sell our city house, but as soon as I said yes, I did the math and we’d lose a lot of money by selling it (renting it and the 2.3 interest rate). On the other hand if we sell we’d net 500k, allowing us to fix up the farm the way we want to (barn, stables, adu, fencing, etc) and still have 400k to buy another property, or we could pay off the farm and have extra cash. It’s much more affordable up there, so we could buy something cash. As it is now we owe 250k on our city house and 250k on the country house, we make 200k+ a year, and my husband and I could move jobs and make slightly less but comparable up there. Aitah or just too scared to say yes?

My name is Emily. I'm from the United States and I wanted to end my 20's with a bang, and I'm happy to say that I ended my 20's in Korea.Actually, Korea was not a country that I had much to do with.Originally, I was a person who was immersed in Japanese culture since college.Japanese anime became my friend. There's a lot of interesting things about Japanese anime, like the fact that they depict real places in Japan, and they depict real food, and so I fell in love with Japan, and I even traveled to Japan a couple times, and I thought that Japan was the sum of everything that I longed for.
But then, in my late 20s, I met a friend who would change my life. It was a simple meeting with a long-lost college classmate, Sarah, who had gone on to work at a large firm in New York City, and whom I had shared anime and Japanese food with in my dorm room in college. She told me honestly that she had recently traveled to Korea and was seriously thinking about moving there. Unfortunately, the large company she worked for in New York had recently gone through a business crisis, and she was laid off.
She said that she was confused by the sudden betrayal of a well-known company, and to clear her mind, she went to the airport with the intention of leaving anywhere. She thought she would go to Japan, but when she arrived at the airport, she changed her mind. When she thought back to the places and restaurants she frequented most often while working at the company in New York, she remembered that she often went to Korean streets and Korean supermarkets in New York, and she thought that going to Korea on an impromptu trip was a really good idea, so she chose to go to Korea rather than Japan, which she already knew.
And buying a plane ticket on the spot at the airport was more than twice as expensive as booking a ticket in advance, but Sarah said that she didn't care, because she was depressed after being fired from her job, and she went to the airport to leave, but the curiosity about Korea that came over her made her want to leave right away, even if she had to pay for the expensive plane ticket.
He expressed that although he went to the airport courageously, he knew that the plane ticket would be too expensive, and he thought that maybe he should just go back home again, but his curiosity about Korea came from somewhere deep inside him, and it exploded like a bomb, and he was naturally drawn to it.
Sarah, who likes emotional things like essays and poems in college and enjoys such poetic expressions, but even so, I wondered if it was a little overdone, but when she said that she had been to Korea, I became more focused on her story.
However, I was able to understand why she expressed herself in such an over-the-top way after listening to her Korean stories.
"Korea is an amazing place, the people are so kind and warm, and most of all, the employment system is very well organized. There are many programs and support for job seekers, which is very helpful for people who are in a difficult situation like me."
When Sarah started with this story, I realized that she was really traumatized by being laid off.Now, she had been through a big ordeal and was in the process of recovering from it through Korea, so I decided to focus more on her story."You said you traveled to Korea, so what else did you do?" I asked."For example, what kind of programs were there?" I asked her.
"I happened to visit a job fair in Korea," she said, "where job seekers can get free career counseling and get the training they need." "I got a lot of help there, and it gave me the strength to get back on my feet, and maybe even get a job in Korea." "And most of all, the work culture in Korea is really family-like," she said, "I was impressed by how much my coworkers cared about each other and supported each other."
Sarah said that she was curious about what Korea was like, so she visited a large convention center in Korea and participated in various fairs, one of which was a job fair, and she interviewed with several Korean companies, and the Korean companies were ready to accept her as a colleague if she applied as an American. I also learned that Korea has many companies with global reach, and they are open to foreigners with various experiences, but in Korea, unless it is a large company, people don't prefer them, so if it is a small company, they want foreigners, but there is a sad reality that no one applies.
Unlike in the U.S., where you have to report your performance every week, and if you fall short, you are threatened with termination, Korean companies are definitely not more performance-oriented than in the U.S. They value their employees and do everything together to grow together, not threaten them with termination. In the past, I knew that corporate culture in Asian countries such as Korea was more collectivistic than individualistic, and as a student, I thought that such a collectivistic culture was a bad culture with a high level of disease in Asia, but after experiencing social life in the United States, I heard that the tendency of companies to be extremely individualistic, talking about job insecurity, and treating people ruthlessly, caused me to be fired from a good job overnight, and the future plans I had planned in advance became uncertain, and I even talked about envying the Korean culture that does not have such disadvantages.
Sarah, who has never worked in Korea, but was always afraid of being fired, said that she learned a lot about Korean corporate culture by interviewing many Korean company officials.
She said that she even considered settling down and living in Korea because, besides the culture, there were so many other conveniences and benefits.
She talked about her experience of working in New York, being left alone in the office to get things done because of her performance, having to leave late at night and being afraid to go home, sleeping in the hotel next door, and having to live with the exorbitant rent in Manhattan and the two-hour round-trip commute to work, and how she realized that unlike in the U.S., where it is difficult to see a doctor, she would not have to worry about these things in Korea.
Sarah's story made me even more curious about Korea.The warmth, systematic system, and various charms that she experienced in Korea couldn't help but have a great impact on me.I've been experiencing a lot of stress every day due to the pressure of performance and the threat of being fired, and I've recently been undergoing expensive psychotherapy.I decided to learn more about Korea, and eventually decided to travel to Korea.
Of course, I didn't travel to Korea with the intention of moving to Korea or settling down in Korea, but rather to spend my last 20s in a new country, Korea, and to see a different world than the familiar Japan.
I made my preparations and headed to Korea sooner than I expected, arriving ten days before my birthday and extending my itinerary beyond what I had originally planned, staying in Korea until after my birthday and then flying back to the United States.
The first day I finally arrived in Korea, I started walking around the streets of Seoul.The first thing that greeted me was the warm spring weather in Korea.The sky was clear and the air was crisp.I was told that it is common for Asia to have very bad air quality in the spring due to the influence of China, but I didn't have to deal with that during my trip.
The streets of Korea are very different from the United States, and everything was new to me.There were many beautiful flowers in bloom, and the well-maintained trees were really beautiful.It has been a long time since the common people's neighborhoods in the United States have such beautiful landscaping because of people who destroy these trees and flowers for no reason, or secretly take them and sell them.But this was not the case in Korea.The streets were like a beautiful flower garden.
I was walking down a beautiful street lined with flowers, and I was looking at them, looking at the big big map that was displayed on the screen at the bus stop.I was just curious to see what my neighborhood looked like, so I was looking at the map and taking my time, and a middle-aged woman came up to me and said, "Where are you looking for?" She didn't speak fluent English, but I was so grateful that she was trying to help. I was too embarrassed to tell her that I was just looking at the map, so I told her one of the destinations I was planning to go to, and she gave me direct directions to the place I was looking for, and I was able to get there without any difficulty.This unexpected kindness opened my eyes to the Korean people and warmed my heart at the same time.
I was ready to accept everything in Korea with an open mind.The first impression was very good, I was touched by the kindness of the people.I couldn't ask for anything more from Korea.The food was so fresh and amazing to me.I visited Gwangjang Market, a famous traditional market in Korea.
Unlike a regular restaurant, it was a place where you could sit down and try a variety of food. As a traditional market, it was full of Korean food. There were no pizza, pasta, or burger joints, but I liked it better that way. It was a place where you could see the traditional look and feel curious about everything.
I also tasted foods such as tteokbokki sundae and hotteok.Everything else was fine, but I was a little worried when I first tried sundae because it looked so strange and a little gross, but I decided to give it a try and the moment I put it in my mouth, the rich flavor filled my mouth.Korean food often seems difficult to eat, but when you try it, you can see why it is so popular in Korea.
I stayed at Gwangjang Market for a long time and tried a lot of different foods, especially kimchi and pajeon, which I still remember because of their crispy texture and spicy flavor. I would recommend them to everyone.Experiencing the deep flavors of Korean food firsthand made me fall in love with Korean food.
And then there was a shocking thing that happened to me in Korea.I was having a lot of fun traveling around Korea and everything was interesting, because Korea is really the best place to be, you know, you're running around, you're busy, you're going from place to place, and I had the misfortune of losing my passport, which was really stupid.
I was traveling in Korea, and I got an international call. Someone was calling me from Korea, and when I saw the international call indicator on my phone and realized that the call was from Korea, I had a million questions.
I thought I shouldn't answer the call, but then I realized that it was an international call, and I thought maybe they were calling me because they had some business to take care of. I answered the call, and I was told a really crazy story, because I heard a calm English voice asking if it was Emily, and she introduced herself as a police officer and asked if I could come to the nearest police station.
I thought I had done something terribly wrong, because I had just eaten delicious tteokbokki and sundae, kimchi and pajeon, and I was so happy to eat them, and afterward I was just walking around the streets of Korea, smelling the flowers and seeing the pretty trees.
I started to check my belongings one by one and realized that my small pouch containing my passport and some of the money I had exchanged was missing.
I quickly headed to the police station, which was where I was told to go, and from the front gate, I was controlled as to what I was visiting.
The great thing about Korea is that even for someone like me who doesn't speak Korean, it's not difficult to navigate these government offices. Not all Koreans speak English, but at least the ones I've met have been able to communicate with me in a simple way. Even if they don't speak perfect sentences, they understand most of the words, so I was able to communicate the reason for my visit to the police station.
I had never been to a police station before, even in the U.S., but here I was in Korea, and I was greeted by friendly people.The pouch with my passport in it had my contact information written on the inside, and they said they would contact me with that.The bag was found in a marketplace, and the first person to report it was the stall owner of the place where I had my first sundae.It also had all of my clean, new Korean money in it, which I had exchanged separately.
I was so impressed with how conscientious Koreans are and how good they are that I was able to find the pouch, sign the paperwork, and walk out of the police station.
I went back to Gwangjang Market, and when I got there, the owner recognized me and looked like he was about to say something. I held out the bag and showed it to him, and he smiled and liked it.
I thanked the Korean boss, and we ate another snack on the spot. It was an experience that made me realize how heavenly Korea is.
And like Sarah said, I didn't just want to see how clean and pretty Korea is, I wanted to see what an American working in Korea could do and what life would be like.Through the Reddit community, I was able to get in touch with Americans working in Korea and even met some of them in person.
David, the American I met, works for a company that is not a large Korean company, but rather a small or medium-sized company. As Sarah said, Korea is a country where products are produced for the global market, and many things are actually exported overseas.
However, in Korea, unless it is a large company, every company is experiencing a job shortage, and because of the atmosphere in Korea, where foreigners are not welcome at all, it is not difficult to get a job in a company that specializes in exporting overseas, even if you are in the United States.
And David told me that he put all his passion into the first company he worked for in the U.S., and even made a lot of money for the company, but when he didn't perform, the company fired him without mercy, and he said that he was so shocked, not to mention the feeling of betrayal, that he took depression medication at that time, and it was so hard that he took depression medication, and then he found Korea by chance and settled in Korea, and now he is so happy. He told me that he was fired from his job because of the unrelenting treatment in the U.S., that he found a second chance in Korea, and that he is happy with his life here.
I'm not sure I have the courage to move to Korea right now, but I learned that there are a lot of people like Sarah and David who have been hurt so badly that they end up leaving the country. I'm scared that this could be my future, but I also learned that Korea is an option for me if it happens to me.My trip ended like this: experiencing the culture, food, and hospitality of Korea, and getting to meet and talk to Americans living in Korea, made my trip much more rewarding than my trip to Japan, which could have been an anime trip.
Korea has given me new perspectives and experiences, shattered my notion that Japan is only good, broadened my horizons, and opened my eyes to another gem that is Korea.
I now like to say to my friends, "Go to Korea, you'll see how good it is." Korea has taught me so much, and I will cherish my experience in Korea, which now holds a special place in my heart.
If Sarah goes to Korea and settles down, I will be there to congratulate her and support her in her new relationship in Korea.

Long back story - My ex and I have been separated for most of my son’s life, I’ve had sole custody and raised him myself with my parents help since he was a newborn. I let my ex stay in our life out of the kindness of my heart despite what that devil put me through. The ex only ever came around for a few hours a week sometimes to play with him. Up until our son was nearly 7, when it’s “easier” to be a parent, he suddenly wanted split custody. He also abused our son and DCF got involved momentarily but never investigated my ex because my son had me - a safe place and a safe parent. I didn’t let him see our son for a few months since I was abused by him and I could see a pattern and didn’t want our son to go through that. He served me custody battle papers and it wasn’t easy for him nor did the mediator grant him what he demanded. He was ordered to pay me $400 a month in child support to start off with until we finalize everything. That amount will change some day, they’ll deal with back dated child support and make him pay back 50% of all health and dental expenses. Our case has been a stand still since after the 2nd mediation, but all stipulations are still followed until one of us decides to proceed in another hearing. Our son still lives with me me and I do everything for him, his father only gets 1 overnight a week and 1 Saturday every other week. What he was ordered to pay in child support isn’t all that much when all the expenses add up and I’m drowning in credit card debt. Also I struggle to hit 40 hrs a week since I leave in the middle of the work day to pick my son up from school and drop him off at the sitter’s house before I rush back to work.
TLDR: He owes me $2000+ and medical/dental expenses since January.. how do I approach him about it? What do I even say? I will be texting him once I can gather the right words since I like having documentation of everything. I will be reaching out to my attorney soon too because I can’t be the only one struggling raising our son when my ex is living his best life hardly doing anything for our son.

Edit: Ouch. Sorry I asked. I get tl;dr but forget it's taken everything over and details are dead. Twitter really did a number. I shortened it a bit, but likely not enough. I'll can it and take my leave if it's that big of a problem. Just wanted some advice from fellow purgatory workers.
First, hey old friend. Know you're here. You commented on my last one and yes, it was our store. Thanks for being a good one. You're missed.
So, join me on this trainwreck so I can maybe figure out what the hell is going on and what others would do...Because I haven't even heard of situations like this, let alone been in one.
I was injured in a car accident back in May, I have vestibular damage causing me a lost sense of equilibrium and constant nausea. I first went to an injury chiropractor, he set me up for 3x weekly appointments, and referred me out to neurology, whom referred me out to 3x weekly physical therapy, and requires I go back to them for neurological testing at least monthly. I was out of work for 6 days following the injury because I didn't want to lose my pay, and have been in since, popping my zofran, nurtec, and nsaids like they're candy to get by.
Suddenly I had a ton of weekly appointments, but I opened an intermittent leave case with Sedgwick. Sedgwick has taken until this week to approve anything, and initially had denied my case citing insufficient information even though they were given paperwork on three occasions regarding my needs. They claimed they never received anything when I spoke to them on Friday, but suddenly every claim was approved after I told HR about their "missing" paperwork.
My RXOM was wonderful and would work with me on my appointments, I'd leave a little early, or take a slightly extended lunch break, but the store manager wasn't okay with it. We had no RXM when it began, but once she started, she let me leave twice for my appointments when the RXOM wasn't in.
Last week I looked at my schedule and saw I was off every day I had an appointment. This is what she kept telling my RXOM to do, and she wouldn't. So...store manager took her scheduling privileges. This sent me off, and I filed a retaliation and hostile work environment report with HR over email. Not even including my situation, it is an absolutely intolerable environment.
On Monday I couldn't use the time clock, it was acting like my employee ID didn't exist. Weird. But my RXOM (who quit the day after, good for her) was able to clock me in so I didn't sweat it. I left for physical therapy without approval, but with two weeks notice in which it could have been approved. HR called as I was pulling back in to work asking for clarification on my case...and things are just even more weird now.
I was pulled aside yesterday by the RXM and let know that my RXOM was wrong and I need to hand my appointments to her as soon as possible so she can work with the store manager to get coverage. Okay, sure. They were already all in the system as denied requests, but whatever, here's your list of what I know now.
Today, I was pulled aside again and let know that actually, they checked with Sedgwick and HR and they said they need three weeks notice for any appointments to be approved and for me to not face repercussions, so after my appointment on Friday, I need to tell them I need to be scheduled three weeks out. That's great but this was a sudden thing requiring care several times a week. There is no three weeks notice, it's not even possible.
So I haven't been able to clock in for days, but I'm handing in my time and was even asked to work overtime tonight due to resignations. Another employee came to me and said they can't put me on the schedule for some reason but I can consider my hours as another employee who is started leave today. He's on the schedule...as me. I went in to see, and apparently according to compass, I was terminated on Sunday. I literally joked about it on Monday, "oh, maybe I was fired and everyone forgot to tell me" - but, I mean…that's what this looks like. If I try to view any weeks following this one, it says I'm not an eligible employee. So, I can't even see the hours for the person I'm pretending to be next week. What the hell.
So I've worked days with no true documentation of those hours. Now my hours are being logged under another employee...and, I'm here wondering how payroll is going to work if I'm fired in the system. 🤔 There is no way my pay isn't messed up next check. No way. What do I do?
Do I refuse to go in because if my account has been deactivated and I can't clock in and have documentation of my time, I won't work until I can do so? Make them fix it?
Do I go in on the next day the SM is in and wring her out like a towel figuring out how it happened? I'm genuinely fine if they do fire me after that. I've got something lined up but was simply trying to avoid a lapse in pay between the two…the sooner the better.
Do I work and just keep handing my hours in and hope for the best?
Do I hire another attorney since mine doesn't do employment stuff?
The store manager won't truly speak to me about the matter. She tells other managers to tell me what she has to say. It's absurd. But, I have no desire to speak to her either, so I guess I get it.
And to top it all off, all anyone says is get as much as you can on paper. I have nothing. Nothing at all. I don't even know what to get or how I'd get it.
Should I just walk the fuck out and let it go? I feel bad for the others, we're already drowning...but it's going to compound anyway.
Y'all got thoughts?

Hello! We are looking for general thoughts and advice. This is long but not complicated. The backstory: My wife and I live in the Midwest and both work as staff in higher education. This means that our area has a much higher cost of living than the rest of the state. We currently make around 120k combined before taxes and our health insurance is covered by our institution (so long as we use our university's facilities). We have never had experience paying for insurance, so this is all we know. Retirement contributions are fabulous from our employer. We do not have kids and are not going to. Both of us came from low middle class (at times working class) backgrounds so we have fairly low expectations for wages, benefits, etc but are trying to reframe that perspective (if i lost my job l would work fast food in a hearbeat, for example). I have a masters degree and am working on an MBA paid by my employer. We have 15k in savings and are able to travel internationally for our jobs but add on vacation time. We have 15k in private loan debt between us and I still have about 10k in public loans that if all goes well will be forgiven next year. We own a rural home that we bought in 2020 and have found it is so isolating, bad for our wellbeing, and despite being an awesome property just not what we want for a lifestyle. The driving has been super stressful as our campus doesn't offer parking for employees and there has been so much road construction and numerous accidents. We also had to buy a 2nd vehicle (paid in $400 cash to a sibling) but it constantly has issues.
Here's where we are: we have an offer on our house that leaves enough leftover for a 5% down-payment on a house back in our college/workplace town as well as wiping out that private loan debt (about 400/month). We have NEVER had a down payment on any of our homes so this is a big deal and gets us into a 30 year rate that we hope to refinance (previously we did in house 100% financing with no PMI with our local bank). We want to walk to work again for our health, ditch the 2nd vehicle, and pay off those loans. Rates are crazy right now but the saved fuel cost and price of utilities in our current home will cover the difference.
I guess I'm just looking for outside and smart perspective here. We are in our late 30s...what aren't we considering? We plan to remain in our city for life. We don't have IRAs or know anything about investing besides our TIAA accounts and want our next house to be "it." I'm working on some stuff that will allow me to leave the college and expand on some skills/move to the private sector remotely but it won't be a huuuge salary increase because we love our work/life balance.

For most Americans, college is no longer working. A bachelor's degree doesn’t reliably guarantee what universities say it delivers: an investment that prepares you for the workplace and the world. While the income gap between college and high school grads is well documented, the wealth gap is “indistinguishable from zero” due to unconstrained costs, regardless of race or ethnicity. Put differently, college grads will earn more but because of their student loans, they’ll have the same amount in their bank account as someone who didn’t go to college at all¹ . Barely one in ten (11%) business leaders believe that college graduates have the skills and competencies that their workplaces need² . Instead, employers report recent hires showing up without the requisite skills required to contribute as productive employees³.
Traditional universities spend more on non-instructional initiatives like research and athletics instead of developing knowledge and skills that prepare its students. Today, 1M students annually report that they didn’t enroll or they dropped out of college because of the cost⁴ . Americans carry $1.8T in student loan debt while universities have increased the cost of tuition by 30-40%⁵ since 2010. Economists report that over the next ten years, businesses will have increasingly more job openings for college graduates with no adequate supply⁶ . Additionally, as artificial intelligence threatens jobs across industries, humans will be pushed up or out – up to more intellectually intensive and integrative roles, or out of the workforce altogether. Our nation’s economy needs a sustainable, accessible, and effective approach to college if we’re to compete globally.
SOLUTION Polymath University will produce more-prepared graduates through a three-major curriculum, delivered year-round and remotely to same-city cohorts, who will serve apprenticeships en route to graduation in three years.
A polymath is someone who has built depth, breadth, and integration of knowledge. Specifically, polymaths can operate fluently and with expertise (depth) in three or more non-adjacent domains (breadth), and have built the critical skill of applying concepts and frameworks in one domain to complex problems in other domains (integration). Polymath University empowers leaders and problem solvers to thrive in a more complex and technologically-enabled world.
RANGE Polymath University’s approach to education, and its namesake, is built on ensuring that graduates are curious, creative, collaborative, and critically-minded. Polymaths have been proven to be more creative and more adept at solving complex problems, and more resilient against economic shocks⁷. Building a broad, generalist field of knowledge and expertise, as opposed to the hyper-specialization that traditional higher education encourages, makes graduates more valuable in the world and workplace. According to a 2012 study of serial innovators⁸, polymaths are described as having a high tolerance for ambiguity and as systems thinkers. Polymaths can connect disparate pieces of information in new ways, making them highly effective at innovative problem solving. And they are adept at repurposing what is already available and synthesizing information from many different sources.⁹ A Future of Jobs report highlighted the following skills being increasingly demanded by employers (all of which polymaths excel at): creative thinking; analytical thinking; technological literacy; curiosity and lifelong learning; resilience, flexibility, and agility; and systems thinking.¹⁰
REAL-WORLD APPRENTICESHIPS Polymath University will partner with employers to ensure that its degree programs serve the talent acquisition needs of regional business and organizations, and that those degrees include skill development that is often short-changed by traditional universities. In years two and three, students will serve as apprentices with those employer partners in high-demand, early career roles. Across the country, more employers are building apprenticeship programs as a key part of their talent acquisition strategy, with Department of Labor registered apprenticeships doubling since 2010 to 250,000. Many of these employers pay some or all of the tuition for their apprentices to concurrently earn a college degree.
REMOTE Educational outcomes lead all other priorities for Polymath University, and we must hold this as our north star. This means that the most important activity for faculty will be teaching or the associated development through coaching and mentoring their students. As Polymath University is led by the former CEO of the Pat Tillman Foundation, and counts ten Tillman Scholars on its Advisory Board, the Tillman Scholar community will seed Polymath University’s initial set of faculty, drawing on their service and academic experiences to support student learning. Courses will be delivered remotely, but to same-city cohorts that will facilitate week-long immersive and collaborative in-person experiences as well as informal study groups throughout the year, unlocking persistent relationships and networks within our community.
Learn more at PolymathU.org.
highereducation college education HigherEd StudentLoans Polymath Leadership apprenticeship Apprenticeships University talentdevelopment
¹ Emmons, William R.; Kent, Ana H.; and Ricketts, Lowell R. “Is College Still Worth It? The New Calculus of Falling Returns.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Working Paper, Jan. 7, 2019.
² Gallup-Lumina Foundation Poll on Higher Education; Higher Education’s Work Preparedness Paradox. 2013. Gallup; Lumina Foundation.
³ Hansen, Michael. “The U.S. Education System Isn’t Giving Students What Employers Need.” Harvard Business Review, May 18, 2021.
⁴ https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=75
⁵ Kerr, Emma; Wood, Sarah. “A Look at 20 Years of Tuition Costs at National Universities.” U.S. News & World Report. Sep. 23, 2023
⁶ Tough, Paul. “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That?” NYT, Sep. 5, 2023
⁷ Hanks, Andrew; Jiang, Shengjun; Qian, Xuechao; Wang, Bo; Weinberg, Bruce. (2024). Do Double Majors Face Less Risk? An Analysis of Human Capital Diversification. NBER.
⁸ Vojak, Bruce; Griffin, Abbie; Price, Raymond L. (2012). Serial Innovators: How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations in Mature Firms. Stanford, Stanford University Press.
⁹ Epstein, D. J. (2019). Range: why generalists triumph in a specialized world. New York, Riverhead Books.
¹⁰ Future of Jobs Report; World Economic Forum. 2023.

$2000 monthly draw. Draw will be deducted from monthly commission paid on the 10th of following month. Negative draws will NOT carry over into future months.
New vehicle retail/lease commission New Vehicles: $100 Minimum $100 In stock bonus - customer must take delivery from current dealer stock $100 Financing bonus - customer must finance with dealer $50 KPI bonus - individual 3-month green score or 30% of commissionable gross
$50 KPI bonus KPI Bonus New Vehicles: additional $50 bonus per new vehicle sold if sales consultant has green KPI based on prior 3-month score. Example - if Jan/Feb/Mar KPI 3-month score is green, bonus will be earned on all April new vehice sales
$&@& Certification. Sales person must be certified and/or be up to date regarding current model year certification and 90% recompliant on previous month score to be eligible for any bonuses. If salesperson is not certified or below 90% we, they will not be eligible for In-stock, Financing, Unit or Longevity bonus.
Used Vehicle retail commission $100 Minimum $100 Financing bonus - customer must finance with dealer or 30% of commissionable gross (above pack)
Unit Bonus - New/Used/Leased/Fleet tail (Booked Retail Only) - Unit Bonus - levels do not stack 12 = $1000 15 = $1200 17= $1700 20 = $2000 25 = $2500 30 = $3000
Longevity Bonus: Bonus per unit earned monthly based on Years of Service. Program runs Dec - Nov and is paid out on Dec 10th, Bonus is paid to active employees only and it forfeited upon termination. Year 1 $10 per retail unit Year 2 $15 per retail unit Year 3 $20 per retail unit Year 4 $25 per retail unit
I just got offered a job at a non luxury dealership. After the interview they offered me the job in the spot. No car sales experience, but I do have a relevant bachelors degree and some sales/customer service experience in general. I told them I want to take a week to think about it. This is my first job offer in about 4-5 weeks of searching. I haven’t had a problem getting interviews and I can probably survive a couple more months without a job if I had to. Is this is a good opportunity or should I keep looking? I’m also waiting to hear back about a GM position at a fast food place that can pay 50-60k/ year with opportunity for end of year bonus. The interview went well and I’m hoping to hear back by early next week.

I'm 25 now, and for the last 2 years since I've been out of college, I worked non-stop. And I don't mean that in a healthy "get that bread" way. My first job started fine, honestly I was making triple what I did at my dead end jobs before/during college. But as time went on, I realized just what I'd signed up for. I was a one man department, working 13-14 hour days, 7 days a week. At some point during that time, probably about 4 months in, I just shut off. My mind, emotions, independent thoughts. This stayed for a long time. I feel it stunted my growth. Not to say it was all bad. I got married during my time there. Eventually, the only person I talked to in the office outside of work, passed away. Being the position I was (marketing and content creation) I was told to film my co-workers grieving for content, during a ceremony they had put together for him. Everyone was crying. Myself included. When I was told to do this, I refused. The following days i was chewed out by my boss, eventually being told I had 2 hours to save my job. I had to "make him smile" with something I had to make. I went into the half of our office that was under construction, nearly fell from some high as hell scaffolding while filming (only to find out a month after I left that the same scaffolding had collapsed a few weeks later and forced an older contractor into retirement due to his injuries) rushed back and made the most god awful video I've made in my life. All within 2 hours. My boss got in my face, told me it was awful, told me if I wanted to keep the job I had to step up... I quit the next day. Walked in, had all my personal equipment packed by noon, and left without saying a word to anyone. A few weeks later, I found a new job, same position. At first it was going well. I enjoyed it. But yet again, after just a few months, My capabilities were taken advantage of. I don't like to brag, but I do feel like im good at what I do, and I'm proud of that fact. But that second job tried to milk me dry, and I let it happen. I was there for about 10 months and every day was worse than the last. Quickly building back up to 13-14 hour days, 7 days a week. Leading up to the most impossible task I've ever faced. I was asked to make 13 weeks (1 quarter) of content, with 1-3 posts a day. I was asked to do this the Thursday before Christmas.... with a deadline of the End of the week, New Years week. It added up to about 6 working days total. I have never worked so hard in my life. I was awake for 4 days, my only breaks being my drive to and from the office, and working on my personal computer when I got home. I was so tired and stressed I was physically and visibly ill. Once that 6th day came, I presented it to them and they got mad that all the captions weren't written. They said if I didn't have them done by the next day, they "wouldn't be able to fund the department anymore" (I was yet again, a department of 1). I walked out of that office, sat at my desk, and applied for another job. Of which, I got. It took 1 month and 3 interviews, because it was a seriously higher end job than the small businesses I'd been working for. When I got the offer letter, I cried harder than I've cried in a long time. But I went in wary. It was a team of 3 (4 now with me) which was something I wasn't used to. At this job, I found the opposite of everything I'd previously experienced. I anxiously tried to stay late at work, offered to work after hours at home, offered to come in on weekends. If you think of anything over the top and unnecessary, I tried it. But I was constantly shut down. Told that my home time was mine and I didn't owe them that. This wasn't just some employee who told me this either, this was told to me by the department manager, and the project manager across many instances. I didn't know what to do with myself when I got home in the afternoons, or the weekends. I started unraveling from a tight wad of anxiety and emotional numbness. I genuinely started to feel again. One day, about 3 weeks in, I started a show with my wife. I won't say the show, because it'd be super nerdy in my opinion. But it's well renowned as an emotional show that can break you lol. I'd thought about watching it in college, years before, but my best friend had just told me about his practice of "rainy day shows". Shows to watch when you were at your wits end and the snap of a finger from just closing your eyes and not opening them.... if you catch my drift... I didn't feel this was the time for this show, but I decided to watch it anyways, because I have other shows on my list, and knocking one off when you're feeling good wouldn't hurt, right...? This show broke me. It forced me to unravel from what I'd become far faster than I should have. I cried for days. My mind racing a million miles an hour, not sleeping for a few days because I was just thinking and thinking and on and on... I was seeing the life I'd unconsciously built around me... and I hated it.... I live in a shit house that's falling apart, it's an absolute disaster in terms of just general cleanliness, my finances were shot, my wife was depressed, unable to sleep herself just from life in general, escaping to an app on her phone for 13+ hours a day (I know this because the app has an insane 13 hour window a day where you can use it for free, with no interruption, once you get passed that they put an insane amount of roadblocks in front of you to keep using it unless you pay. My wife was hitting this daily), we had become extremely distant and basically just being roommates.With all of this in view now, and my emotions running wild and my brain going twice as fast.... i wanted to change... I wanted to be better... It's been almost 3 months since all this started. I'm greatful to my new job for allowing me the opportunity to confront all of this. But Jesus, it's like the more and more I work towards bettering it, the more I feel I'm drowning, sad and depressed. I struggle every afternoon to just stay alive. My house is cleaner than it ever has been, I'm steadily making repairs and trying to make it a good place to live, I have regular deep conversations with my wife about progress and how we feel, I try to do everything humanly possible to make her feel loved, being a hopeless romantic. I feel guilty for saying all of that though, because I feel there's always more I could do. And while I grow and try, I don't feel it's reciprocated, and she'd be fine where we were 6 months ago. I'm tired. I'm exhausted. But I know I can't stop trying to be a little better every day. Even if I just get sadder and sadder, it will eventually clear up. But it won't if I stop.

Throw away since I know this former employee is on Reddit.
This is in regards to a small, privately owned retail business in an at-will state.
Usually oral agreement issues are employees being shafted by owners/managers/etc. that the latter may have orally agreed to about X, Y, or Z to an employee. It has actually been difficult to find online search results that are reversed, which is the case I am experiencing with a former employee (let's call them Alex, in a gender-neutral manner to reduce revealing private info about them) - Alex is claiming that they were promised a large portion of ownership of the business as well as equity related to recent, large product investments.
We had to fire Alex because of prolonged, catalogued/tracked service quality and professionalism issues, as well as strong suspicion (and eventual solid evidence discovered post termination) of theft. The service quality and professionalism issues were discussed with Alex numerous times, and naturally known to other employees working alongside them. Eventually, after numerous continued issues and verbal warnings, Alex was formally written up and we had them sign the notes covered in the meeting. After a couple more months of still declining service quality, and odd, suspicious behavior that strongly indicated theft as mentioned, we were forced to terminate employment. We provided Alex with a fairly standard release form which essentially said "we won't sue you and you won't sue us, and if you sign you get 4 weeks of severance pay." Alex did not sign the form. Alex found new employment about 4 weeks after termination and to my knowledge has not filed for unemployment for the few weeks between jobs.
As mentioned, we later confirmed not only theft, but Alex was selling the stolen goods online while undercutting our prices and then even using the store's financial accounts to purchase shipping labels for their online customers to ship the stolen goods to them. We have screenshots of their Ebay account, along with pictures they took showing of the goods where their hand is visible with recognizable jewelry seen by all the staff before Alex was terminated (so we can confirm it's Alex in the pictures they posted). There is strong evidence of other theft but it is more difficult to prove.
Re: the oral agreement - it should be noted that I did in fact make an oral agreement with Alex, but of which is very different than the one they are claiming was made. Because Alex was our first employee and worked with us for over 5 years, I agreed that if the business was to ever grow to say another storefront, I would allow Alex to buy in for an undetermined percent of the business (probably around 10% at most). That is it. I've maintained that this was the agreement to Alex, my wife, and employees for a number of years, never changing the details of the arrangement. Unfortunately Alex made these poor service quality and theft decisions and was terminated before the business was able to grow into an additional store (still not a possibility at the moment and probably for another couple of years), thus the agreement is now null and void. This agreement was NOT written down or signed by either party (and thus no witnesses either).
Alex is claiming that they were promised to be given (yes, given, not just allowed to buy in) ownership up to 50% of the current business and 20%-30% or so of the value of recent product investments, of which would likely be in excess of $100,000 together. Alex's claim is absolutely not true. There is no paperwork, signatures, witnesses, etc. that would be able to confirm this unless they are going to forge something or have people lie for them. However, I am concerned about this because I otherwise do not have proof that this was not the agreement...
Our two current employees, aware of this situation, and aware of (and witness to) the poor and odd behavior of the former employee that led to their termination (including the theft), are more than willing to testify that Alex's claim is not the case. Alex even spoke to them about thinking about drafting a letter to me about a 7% ownership stake, which they never did. If they were orally promised such a great deal of ownership why would they need to draft a letter for only 7%? Unfortunately Alex has recruited the wrath of their parents (who they lived with for 6 years straight and just moved into an apartment, Alex is in their 30s.) who are going to bankroll them a lawyer. I would imagine that Alex has been telling their parents for some time now (like years) that there was some sort of oral agreement about ownership more in the line of their false claims (to the specifics I am not sure) and they have been able to convince them that their child is telling the truth. So Alex's parents could very well feel like they're telling the truth when they say their child told them about this crazy 50% stake and equity when in fact it was a lie. But how do I prove that? Do I need to prove that?
Here's where it gets a little more complicated - Alex's father (who I miss, he was a good guy) is handy and built a majority of the counters, drawers, storage, display tables, etc. in the storefront for free (he refused payment for the labor, but I paid for all the materials of which I have receipts for). Alex is claiming that because their father built all this furniture, it is "proof" that they were promised part ownership and equity (because why else would their father be so generous?...). But that is not the case, their father just wanted to help and participate in any way he could as he is nearing retirement and wanting to take on new activities. The employee may have been cultivating this false assumption that such construction is proof of promised partnership with their fathefamily from the start, although their father never mentioned anything like that to me.
The personal and professional betrayal aside, I'm concerned about Alex levying such accusations of ridiculous grand promises via oral agreement since it is so hard to confirm either way, and given this person's proclivity of lying (and stealing) I have little trust they will act in good faith if any legal proceedings unfold. I would love any advice on how to possibly handle this issue. Wouldn't the onus be on Alex to prove these grand promises? Given the little I have listed above, what "evidence" might be in their favor? How concerning is it that their parents are fully convinced their child has been wronged (I also know that Alex is telling friends and new coworkers the reason they were fired was because of me not wanting to "give" them part of the business)? It seems ridiculous a parent's perspective would hold much weight in actual legal environments since they would be so biased. Should I be concerned there is no written agreement about any of these promises (including the legitimate one about eventual opportunity to buy in)? Anything about their father volunteering their labor? Is it a good thing that our current employees are willing to testify (on their own volition, I didn't even ask them) about their own first hand experiences and conversations with Alex that contradicts many of Alex's statements? Anything else potentially troublesome I should be aware of?
Yes, lots of lessons learned here - get things in writing for my own protection against such claims. Unfortunately that is not the case here, so advice geared around the fact that no party has much to support their claims (well, I'm only claiming their claim is false) would be most helpful. Please let me know if you have any clarifying questions or need more information for better input. I really appreciate your time and consideration!

This is the eighth part of a multi-part series where I expose the dangerous and self-supporting circle of thought that reveals God for what he is - a circle. A constant loop that answers nothing and provides nothing.
God Forgives and Forgets, Calls to Account and Recalls

• He forgives freely (Col 3:13; Psalm 130:4; Psalm 86:5)
• He no longer remembers/wipes clean (Psalm 51:1; Acts 3:19; Jeremiah 31:34)
• He forgives completely (Psalm 103:3; Eph 1:7; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 55:7)
• He says though that errors of fathers should not be brought on sons (Duet 24:16; Ezekiel 18:4)
• He brings sins/errors of fathers on children (Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18; Neh 13:17,18)
• He calls back to mind or remembers sins/errors (Heb 8:12,13; Ezk 21:23; Jeremiah 22:10)
• He refused to forgive Josiah and the nation despite their repentance (2 Kings 23:24-26; 2 Kings 24:3,4)
• He requires you to forgive others to expect forgiveness (Matt 6:14; Matt 5:23-26)
• He then tells you that you can retain the sins of others (John 20:23)
• He has a record of the deeds of our life by which we are judged (John 5:28,29; Rev 20:12,13)

Does he forgive and forget, are you actually forgiven? Yes/No. God is painted as a freely forgiving god who forgives and wipes clean white as snow or fresh wool. Yet he constantly calls to mind the errors of various peoples and groups, even individuals. Even after supposedly giving his son as a form of covering for the entire worlds sin, we find repeated reference to the debt owed God, the record of our deeds, and a great future judgement hinging on your life deeds. If our sins are wiped out by Jesus covering sin, or God’s forgiveness, then what record could exist that would result in a resurrection to judgement?
TLDR; Ultimately, the forgiveness of sin is a hook to draw in, but the reality is God never completely forgives. Without the leverage of a record to judge you upon, there is no teeth to the fear of NOT being forgiven. So once again the lie rolls on as a God, the lie is a God, and the God is a circular reasoning.

I was hired on as a contract employee (6 months) on 2/12/24. To my understanding, I was doing well and meeting any expectations the company had of me. Got the job through a staffing agency and was working for a fleet management company.
On 5/8/24, I was messaged on Microsoft Teams by another employee (on contract) and was told to Google the name of another employee. I looked up the information to find that the employee they mentioned is a registered sex offender. So I messaged my coworker to let her know (to be careful, not to spread rumors) and she was surprised by the information, told me to delete it and she texted me instead. The next day I go to work and everything is as always, I did my job and went home. Around 8:15 that night, my recruiter calls me to tell me the fleet management company has ended my contract for spreading rumors about another employee.
I do have a couple of screenshots and to my understanding, the coworker that I told about the situation, told another employee who told the manager. I’m feeling as if this might be wrongful termination? Is the staffing agency supposed to back me up in a situation like this? Or is this something I have a chance of pursuing legally?

The players have been made aware of this, and have agreed. This is not meant to be a discussion of railroading.
Each player, some in groups, have had, or will have a private session leading up to the official start. They all start in the same place, against their will. Each character has something unique about them, or valuable, that would be appealing to slave traders. A very popular line of work in this part of the world. With undead being pretty much eradicated, cheap labor had to come from elsewhere. The party are more special than cheap labor.
A orc who wanted to escape the violence of his people and live peacefully. The reputation of his kin follows him everywhere.
An elvish princess, a rare thing in a world where there's around 500 elves left.
A bounty hunter, apart of a very well known clan, who possesses many trade secrets and tools. Many want their revenge.
A pair of twins who stumbled upon artifacts they shouldn't have. Otherworldly powers, and an unfair debt owed.
This corner of the world attracts many tourists for the same reason LA or Vegas does. There is endless opportunity for those willing to work for it, or a life of luxury for those who can afford it. Streets are filled with gambling, and exotics imports from all over the world. Gladiator style areas however is what brings in the most. Warriors from all over to come to show off their strength, willingly or not. For slave traders, this is where the money is. A fighter who can put on a show is a very valuable thing, and why 3/5 of the characters start off as prisoners.
The orc, elf, and bounty hunter are from across the region. Kidnapped for purposes that will be revealed later to them, backstory elements coming into play that made them desirable and worth the risk. The twins are apart of the gang who takes them, but they are not involved with this part. They simple are muscle, and smuggle drugs around for the gang. Session 1 is the first time the twins meet the other side of the business, and it's not for a promotion.
The session starts with the twins arriving to the hideout. Located at an old mining operation in the middle of the desert, it has been fortified and turned into something more. The old gates reinforced to create an area, and the entrance into the mines a jail. Deeper inside has been turned into a temple of Anubis, the prominate god of the area, but not all is what it seems. The twins are brought here to witness a fight. An elf druid, one traveling with the elf princess at the time of her capture is in the area trying to talk an owlbear out of eating with with little success. He wild shapes into a small bird in an attempt to escape, only to be shot out of the sky immediately by a guard with a long rifle. His death is quick, and gruesome as the owlbear does its thing to the prone man.
Afterwards, the twins are escorted inside. Past the jail, into the deeper chambers where they meet their boss. A Dwarvish women who immediately comes across as disliking them. She wants to test the twins loyalty, and this is when the characters are all brought together. The other 3 characters are brought into the room. One by one they are shot by the boss, and brought back by a cleric of Anubis, leaving only the twins left standing. This is just a showing of how she's willing to get her hands dirty, cause the twins want something that belongs to her.
The twins last big job was a heist. They needed to retrieve a silver jewelry box, and they had one rule. Under no circumstances is that box opened. Well, it was, but not willingly. The jewelry box contained a scale of a mercury dragon - dragons are rare, god-like beings here, and a scale like this is akin to an artifact rarity magic item. This Mercury dragon just happens to be the patron of the brother now, as the scale absorbed into him, through no choice or fault of his own. The boss wanted this power to herself, and upon retrieving the box, it didn't appear to be opened. Imagine her disappointment when she found it was empty. The brother was the only one alone with the box.
The sister is presented a deal. Kill her brother, right here, right now. Prove her loyalty without question or they both die. This is the first major decision the players are able to make now. If she pulls the trigger, or not. The boss isn't stupid. The gun handed to the sister isn't loaded. It's simply a test. If both siblings are to be shot, or just the one. The ending is largely the same.
Bleeding out on the ground, the sister, and newly revived party members witness the corpse of the brother forcibly raised from the dead to answer questions. The location of the item in the box. If his sister knew he stole it. Is he still loyal. - my ruling of Speak with Dead is they don't have to answer, but if they do, the answer must not be a lie. He will be brought back, but his answers will determine later interactions. Now, the sister. Every player in the game will have moments in the spotlight. I decided to start with her, as it made most sense, and given the twins background, they will be key members to the party next chapter. She still has the empty gun. If she knows its empty or not will change a few small details. She too is a warlock, and this is the signing of her pact with the Hexblade.
Her interpretation of this place is her own to make. She awakes in a void, and although she is still herself here, she is consumed by nothingness. No pain, no sound, no feeling at all. Not even a heartbeat. Here she meets an entity. A "shadow" that mimics her every movement. It even shifts slightly, becoming a silhouette of herself. When she touches it, it is an overwhelming sense of feeling. Fireworks going off at the tip of her fingertips. The warmth of her blood becoming as hot as the sun, but somehow feels comforting compared to the nothingness shes felt for all this time. Outside seconds have past. Here, it could have been years, or seconds. Impossible to tell. But with this touch she hears a voice reach out to her. "Squeeze". She's back in the room, vision blurry as her life fades. Gun raised, aimed at her boss, who doesn't fear an empty gun. Only, it's no longer empty. This is her new pact weapon. It functions as a gun, but she can choose to shoot normal bullets or eldritch blast from it.
Their escape comes soon after. The hideout is attacked by a Sand Stalker - a purple-worm like creature. Other captives save them, and the campaigns first chapter begins here. They are in the middle of the desert, very limited supplies, uncertain where exactly they are. Few npc trying to get to the capital city to find help. The twins, bounty hunter, and other npc know that everyone who bares the mark of the clan will have bounties out on them, to be returned to their owners. The world in now open to them, as they learn how to free themselves of this debt one way or another.
The slave contract is as good as a deal with a devil. Legally binding, and magical in nature. Each master / house has its own distinct mark to show ownership. Once the debt is paid off, the mark will fade on its own. Their starting debt is 10k gp each. It is meant to be ridiculous. The bounty on a slave is always 10% of their total debt. So, 1k gp to return them if they job is put out, and it will be. If captured the reward money is added to the debt they owe, making it 11k gp now. The system is designed to be nearly impossible to be free.
In the main city there are several patrons willing to help them for one reason or another. Old contacts of the twins and bounty hunter in the party are expected to be called upon. There's multiple escapes from the city I have ready, and I am looking forward to what they come up with. I don't expect them to ever pay off their debt. The main story will later being them back here, when they're ready to take on the challenges of the city in full, and save the world. Standard stuff.
This is a new attempt at an intro. Throwing them into the fire with a clear goal. A long "cinematic" before giving them full control. They all know the stakes, and are in a position of "our chances are better together" apposed from the classic meeting in the tavern and dealing with rats.
Every character has elements from their backstory that matter here, and will drastically effect the campaign going forward. They had all known the basics of the intro, and details where they started prior to making characters. Changes were made to my plans based on their characters, incorporating them into it one way or another. There were always slavers, and they were always going to die. The twins backstories are the only ones from this region and they provided me a lot to work with, and ability to tie them into the scenario.
The boss killing and betraying the twins is a detail I think is very important. The other characters may see them as enemies, so by doing it this way they have common enemies and no secrets about it. Only the sister is not in debt, giving her a few special privilege's while in the city. All the players know each other, have played in other games together, and know what's expected. I am trying to make the party's coming together seem natural by immediately giving them a common problem and no one else to turn to. [BG3 SPOILERS] as the mindflayer parasites provided the main cast common problems, and Out of the Abyss first chapter being major influences. There are many other politics involved also, some sub plots that will come up later that tie to this, and a lot of world lore involved giving insight to why this region functions like this.

Hi Reddit,
I'm in need of some opinions regarding a complicated situation at work that involves potential retaliation and unfair treatment. I'd appreciate any insights or similar experiences you might have to help me navigate this.
Background: I've been working at my company for a couple of years. Recently, I became more active in union activities, specifically inquiring about changes to our overtime policy. Shortly after my involvement in these activities, I was suspended and then terminated, which seemed very sudden and suspicious to me.
Union Activities: - Inquiry About Overtime Policy: On November 20, 2023, the General Manager sent an email stating that due to the union, we were no longer permitted to earn overtime. - Pre-shift Meeting: On November 26, 2023, during a pre-shift meeting, a coworker and I asked management to clarify the new overtime policy. After the meeting, I sent an email to HR and our Union Representative to discuss the issue further and requested a copy of the contract. - Union Office Visit: On November 27, 2023, a coworker and I went to the union office to clarify the overtime policy. The union representatives confirmed that the no-overtime rule was not part of the union agreement but a company policy. - Confirmation from HR: On November 29, 2023, I received an email from HR confirming that the no-overtime rule was a company policy and that there was no finalized collective bargaining agreement.
Key Events Leading to Termination: 1. Drinking Incident: On November 29, 2023, after my shift, I made myself a drink. This is the incident cited by the company for my termination. 2. Meeting Request: On December 2, 2023, I sent an email requesting a meeting with HR to discuss the overtime policy further. 3. HR Response: On December 5, 2023, HR agreed to meet with me on December 9, 2023. 4. Suspension Meeting: On December 9, 2023, just before my scheduled meeting with HR, my supervisor informed me of an investigation into the drinking incident from November 29. I was suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. 5. Termination Meeting: On December 14, 2023, I was called into a meeting with my supervisor and a union representative, where I was informed that I was being terminated due to the drinking incident. The supervisor stated that they had found evidence of the incident, but did not provide this evidence to me or the union.

Key Evidence and How It Supports My Claim:

1. Recorded Statement:
   
   • Timeline: The recording captures a conversation with my supervisor on December 9, 2023, shortly before my suspension.
   • Support: In the recording, the supervisor stated they only recently became aware of my alleged policy violation. This directly contradicts the company's claim that they knew about the incident much earlier, suggesting inconsistencies in their account and indicating possible retaliation.
2. Employer’s Documentation (Equifax Report):
   
   • Timeline: The document, dated February 21, 2024, details my termination and the reasons for it.
   • Support: The report confirms the official reason for my termination and the timeline of events leading up to it. However, it does not specify when the employer became aware of the alleged misconduct, aligning with my claim that the timing is suspect and possibly retaliatory. This supports the inconsistency highlighted by the recorded statement.
3. Text Messages and Emails:
   
   • Timeline: These communications span the period before and after the alleged incident.
   • Support: The messages show that other employees, including managers, engaged in similar conduct without being disciplined. They also include instructions to lie about the contents of the drinks, indicating selective enforcement and unfair treatment. This evidence supports my claim of inconsistency and possible targeting due to my union activities.
4. Union Activities Timeline:
   
   • November 20, 2023: Inquiry about overtime policy begins with the General Manager’s email.
   • November 26, 2023: Pre-shift meeting where I and a coworker questioned the overtime policy.
   • November 27, 2023: Visit to the union office to clarify the policy.
   • November 29, 2023: Confirmation from HR that the overtime rule is a company policy, followed by the drinking incident after my shift.
   • December 2, 2023: Email requesting a meeting with HR.
   • December 5, 2023: HR agrees to meet with me on December 9, 2023.
   • December 9, 2023: Suspended pending investigation just before the HR meeting.
   • December 14, 2023: Termination meeting citing the drinking incident.
5. Unemployment Appeal:
   
   • Timeline: After I filed my NLRB claim, the company appealed my unemployment benefits.
   • Support: The timing of this appeal, especially since similar actions were not taken for other employees terminated for similar reasons, suggests a retaliatory motive aimed at discouraging my union activities. This further supports my claim of retaliation and selective enforcement.

Current Situation:

• I filed a case with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleging retaliation and unfair treatment.
• During a grievance meeting, the company offered to reinstate me if I completed an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program, but this offer does not address my core issues of retaliation and selective enforcement.

What I'm Looking For:

I'm seeking opinions on how to proceed. Specifically, I'm interested in: - How to strengthen my case and what additional evidence might be useful. - Insights into how others have handled similar situations and what outcomes they experienced. - Any legal nuances or strategies that could help in presenting my case effectively.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Feel free to share your thoughts or similar experiences. I could really use some guidance on the best steps forward.

I ordered a tool online, and it came via FedEx Freight. A few days later, I received a bill of $87 from FedEx Freight, of an account which I never made, and the website never let me know of. I ignored it. Fast forward a few months, I gave up after getting numerous letters and called them and paid the $87, which was the exact amount they claimed I needed to pay on their latest mail. A few more days go by, and I get a letter from "Recovery Management Solutions" claiming I need to pay a debt of around $1200 to FedEx... FedEx's own bill only stated that $87 was owed, with no information on late fees. Even though the stated phone number and address seems legit, could the debt collection notice be a scam?

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this is some company establishment idea for Estonia which is a cryptocurrency friendly country.
Imagine a miniature hedge fund with lifelong savings and benefits of cold storage of assets and 3x per —-> year ROI dividend -—> —-> From highly intelligent and aware cryptocurrency experts who are programmers and developers themselves, creating blockchain, smart contracts, rootstock, lightning network, Test Net Blockchain Infrastructure for massive over heap ‘’ leak ‘’ profits such as and being at the centre of the cryptocurrency & digital growth and assets of high yield crypto hold investment portfolio fiat drained to Crypto revolution is starting to see in small quantities. Me and my colleagues will provide the highest quality blockchain crypto investment strategies for massive and luxurious leverage of capital.
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Throwaway.
I’m an overly anxious over-thinker by nature. I’m sure I’m not alone, but I worry about anything and everything, including things out of my control.
I recently received a CJO & filled out my SF-86.
I have a few things I’m worried about that might cause me to be denied clearance. It’s my own fault. It’s been a messy few years prior to going back to school.
My background is clean. No drugs, no credit card debt (only student loan debt), no missed credit car payments, no bankruptcy, no criminal history, etc.
I’ve been out of the country twice (both times to the Dominican Republic) for vacation in 2022 and 2023. I have no foreign contacts or anything like that.
Here’s where I’m worried:
I worked full time up until 2018. Lost a family member and spent some time in a pretty dark depression. Late October 2018 I started working part time, lived off of savings, and ended up enrolling in school in early 2020. Left that part-time job when Covid hit and focused on school. That same job (small company, 5-8 employees) thought I had a full on landscaping business (which I did not) and so they never asked me to full time. I also didn’t want a full time role, so I never clarified this. But it’s possible they bring it up if the investigator reaches out to them.
I landed another full time job in late 2020 and worked there til mid 2021 before leaving to focus on my final 2 years in school.
I was fortunate to have family support me while I was in school. So, I didn’t work from mid 2021 until I finished school at the end of 2023. Therefore, I didn’t file tax returns for 2022 and 2023.
That’s concern 1.
Concern 2:
I did try to start up a side gig cutting grass from 2017-2019. I only cut for 2 months in the summers and never made enough to report. It was kind of a go visit family, cut a couple yards while there - essentially gas money & some extra. But because I didn’t make enough, I didn’t report it on taxes. I also didn’t include this side gig on my SF-86 because it wasn’t a serious job. I didn’t want to come across as if I’m trying to upsell a “job” I had and fabricate my responsibilities.
Am I pretty much screwed for getting my clearance? My background investigator was assigned and asked me to reach out to my surrounding neighbors for their contact info since I didn’t have that in my SF-86. She said she will call me next week to schedule my interview.
I’m wondering if I should just withdraw before going through the process just to get denied?
I’m extremely anxious about this and it’s keeping me awake at night. I’m not one of those who can just “let it ride.”
Any help is greatly appreciated!