Thread by @aliciasanchez

I wondered why I was feeling uneasy today and remembered this is the 11-year anniversary of the time I quit a job at a grassroots sex worker organization after one week, was asked to stay, quit after a month, and then had to go to the EEOC to get paid. friends (long thread). 😭

I came to the organization after working at my local rape crisis center, where I'd managed all of the city's crisis hotline and hospital accompaniment programs, and training hundreds of volunteers on crisis intervention with survivors. I loved my job, but it was very demanding +

my schedule was unpredictable and I often ended up on shifts I wasn't expecting because someone got sick, or missed a call—the hotline began and ended with me, and as a young survivor, it was really hard. of course! but while I was there, I worked with another local SW org +

where I was a volunteer, to create a cross training program that trained advocates at the SW organization on rape crisis/trauma informed interventions, and taught rape crisis volunteers about how to support SWs who'd been assaulted without blame/stigma. after a couple years +

I left to work at a DV shelter which clearly wasn't easier, in fact, because the interactions with survivors was longer term (I did housing advocacy + "case management") it was maybe more emotionally draining, but at least I didn't get hotline calls in the middle of the night! +

which felt like a win! I continued to do sex worker organizing work, even helping with a landmark report on the criminalization of sex work and "prostitution free zones" in our city. I organized with a national BIPOC feminist collective, but my day jobs remained in +

mainstream anti-violence organizations, which y'all know, was hard. so when this job came up at a small BIPOC-led, SW organization, as program director, I was SO excited! finally, a job that lets me do all the things I love, with people of color! I'd manage all client services. +

I was 25 and so excited about the role. I had also decided to go to grad school to get my MSW part-time (I thought it was necessary, I don't believe that anymore, but that's a whole nother thread, lol). I started on a Monday! YAY! +

I get to the office, there's an intern, the ED, me. I have no desk, no office keys, ok, we're really casual, I'm cool with that! down with the NPIC! ok, but am I going to get HR paperwork? what about paperwork for payment? insurance paperwork??? I tell myself, it's only Monday +

alicia, CHILL.

so the week goes by, it's Friday at noon. I have gotten NO paperwork, and my spidey senses are tingling and my flight/fight mode is ACTIVATED. this feels off. so, I resign. I figure, there's still enough time to get my old job back. I had/and still have GREAT +

relationships with the folks I supervised and my supervisors at my job at the rape crisis center and the DV shelter. I am not too proud to go ask for my job back. I send my resignation letter on Friday afternoon, offering to continue to volunteer, but I didn't want to waste +

the organization's time with onboarding, if I could already tell it wasn't a great fit. my ED asks me to stay and reminds me that the next day (Saturday) is a strategic planning day with us + board, and promises it'll get better. I want to believe that so I stay. the next +

couple of weeks are a whirlwind, I never get paid, my health insurance never kicks in, I am often left alone and without a ton of direction about my role, while I'm supposed to be managing client services—I am only about three weeks in. I decide, after a month to resign AGAIN. 😂

THIS IS WHEN IT GOES OFF THE RAILS. I ask in my resignation letter to be compensated for the late fees associated with getting paid late. that's ALL I ask for and obviously, I want to be paid for my time. here's my letter. super chill and diplomatic af:

ED responds that she'd love to meet with me to talk, and to give my last check. I DON'T WANT TO TALK. I ask for the check to be mailed and offer to mail keys via priority mail. we go back and forth via email a bit, talking logistics about my check (which is already a late af) +

then she sent me an email that says that she and board have "contacted attorneys"?? the email includes LOTS of accusations about my work ethic and integrity, but my favorite is this one (where my boss cross checks my timesheets against alarm system records). PUNITIVE MUCH????

at this point, it's been a month since I resigned, I never got paid, and they accused me of lying about my timesheets, lying about my previous employer (who I am STILL in deep relationship with today), lying about my need for health insurance, so I respond:

Y'ALL. I am a Black 25-year old survivor, a part of the community, trying to navigate this level of harm from an organization, all alone. NO ONE on the board reaches out to me, the organizations threatens "lawyers" and I have no idea what to do. so I got to the city's EEOC +

I bring all the late payments, all of the emails, timesheets, etc. I mostly just want to get paid for the time I worked, and maybe qualify for unemployment. turns out, I QUALIFY BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATION DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. also the EEOC staff were stunned +

by the level of pettiness and threats from a small grassroots organization. of course, what I know now, is that this is all too common in our movement work. the EEOC immediately qualifies me for unemployment which is great because I'm on the verge of eviction. they also require +

mediation. yikes! so on the day that we are supposed to have a mediated meeting with the organization, I walk in (super early because I am so nervous that I vomit in the lobby, not even kidding). They don't show up, and someone brings me a check. They chose not to mediate. +

I feel relieved that this is finally over, but it's not. I feel traumatized, confused about what happened, hurt that no one on the board, NO ONE checked in with me, sad that this happened with a BIPOC director, afraid that I won't be able to organize in my community again.

I was depressed af, afraid, silent, traumatized for YEARS. I genuinely believed that one month, and the stories the ED told about me would be considered a truth. over a decade later, I'm clear that my relationships speak for themselves, and that one month at a bad job, at +

an organization that closed a year later doesn't define my work ethic or integrity. but it took me a LONG time to not feel shame + embarrassment, despite having incredible working relationship literally everywhere else. this is literally my first time talking about it publicly +

and I am still being careful to protect people and organization's identities. but I learned three important things:

1. Boards, DO BETTER!
2. Trust my instincts around work. If it feels off, it is.
3. YOU ARE NOT THE WORST THING A BAD BOSS OR JOB HAS EVER SAID ABOUT YOU.

I know my story is far too common. years later, my ED's partner reached out to me (wtf + I blocked them) and people on the board did too (also blocked) to apologize, but it was too late. down with organizations that don't treat us with dignity and respect, and always #DecrimNow.