I have been at my former job for 3 years. Ive enjoyed my job and had no reason to not be.
A few days ago I was working the closing shift and me and another employee were robbed. I was held at gun point and the robbers took everything. (including my security) I was told to take a few days off because I was seriously shakin up about the whole situation.
After 3 days I decided that i do not wish to return due to my nerviousness (as to be expected) Come to find out, out panic buttons didn’t work and the cameras in the store were turned off. I fear for my life.
Nobody has called to check on me or to see how I am doing. Now I am without a job. Can I get unemployment?? Can my job get in trouble behind this or is there nothing that can be done. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS?
CAN I GET UNEMPLOYMENT??? I DIDN’T GIVE ME 2 WEEKS NOTICE, DOES IT MATTER???
Sandy
This is your chance to be a hero and help out this person by providing your feedback and answer to the question in the comments section below.
- Litigation Practice Group – Consumer Complaint – February 15, 2023 - February 15, 2023
- Zwicker & Associates – Consumer Complaint – December 5, 2022 - December 5, 2022
- South Coast Financial Center – Consumer Complaint – November 7, 2022 - November 7, 2022
Sandy and Tim
-I am sorry that you have both faced such a traumatic and terrifing ordeal especially well you were both at work just trying to make an honest living.
I can relate as I too have been the victim of three workplace robberies.
I never actually had a gun pointed at me but justing being made aware that he had it was enough to make me fear for my life-for those few minutes.
I can only imagine how terrifing it must have been for both of you to have actually had a gun pointed at you and threatened in the manner in which you both were.
I have recently started a facebook page called Workplace Robbery-A Supportive Pace For Victims. No one else knows about the page yet.
Not really sure a facebook page is the right way to communicate my messages-but I don’t have a clue how to set up an actual webpage-which I might prefer to do someday in the future.
I don’t necessarily like the way my messages are displayed as it seems to me they are all out of order. Nonetheless on it I have told my story- told of my experiences and reasons for why I am starting such a page.
Although so many are victims of workplace robberies. I believe their is a real lack of support for us. People that haven’t experienced what we have I feel rarely understand just how in fear for our life we were for those moments.
I know I felt I was poorly treated by the police, justice system in general and the companies I was working for.
I think I may have recently come into contact with the person that committed the second robbery the one that had a gun. It is true the second robbery was many years ago but is still within the statute of limitations set by the state of Ohio and yet the police even though this person is a multiple felon who by his own admission had been employed at a sister property only 15 minutes from the one I worked at, and the fact that he does match the physical desription in height, body build, age. etc. -the police will not even allow me to tell them who he is or what his record is.
Having come into contact with this person and the fact that I feel like know one will pay any real attention to me and even look into the possiblity has been extremly difficult for me. If this person has turned their life around it’s not even about them doing anytime at this point-it’s more about just wanting to know the truth and wishing they would own up to what they did. It’s about the police and others not paying any attention to me and/or not taking me seriously. I think they all feel like I wasn’t hurt-the motel was the victim and therefore I shold just get over it already.
This is a person that has a fairly decent job now not one I am sure he would be aloud to have had he been convicted of an armed robbery and yet after three robberies I felt I needed to stop working the night shift-a shift I liked working.
Comming into contact with this person has brought up all sorts of stuff for me in terms of all three robberies in which I was present and regarding how I was treated by the police, justice, system, and those companies-in my cases (the motels and hotels) I was working for.
I now know I won’t get any justice in regards to that second robbery and have therefore tried to turn my attention to a more positive approach.
I feel there is a real lack of support for us victims in terms of being able to speak with others who have actually felt that fear and faced similar situations. I believe only those of us that have actually experienced such a situation can really understand each other. (I do feel that in many cases speaking with a therepist and having a victim’s advocate can be very benifical.) However I aso belive it is important for us to have a place where we can speak with others who know first hand what we are dealing with and who can truly understand. That is why I have started the facebook page-although as mentioned I am not sure this is the right avenue (or best avenue) for this.
I have also spent the last few months studing up and reading all sorts of articles etc. on workplace robberies, prevention, etc.
While there are some police departments that have great programs working with the local buisness in their areas to reduce robberies and other crimes I believe many are very lacking in having such programs.
I would like to see state laws or at least more city ordinances that buisnesses open late at night must have working cameras. In my experience motels and hotels are especially lacking in this area. Only one of the motels I worked at had a working camera.
I would like victims of workplace robberies to be treated as victims and not just as witnesess. I was actually told I was nothing more than a witness by a Police Chief and LT/Detective since I was not hurt.
I believe the police, prosecutors, and justice system, often concerate only or more so on the theft-thinking only of the buisness as the victim. I believe they often tend to forget that the definition of robbery is that it involves a threat and intimidation. They need to remember that the offender has not threatened and intimidated the buisness but threatened and intimidated us the employee (the person). We were the ones that for those few moments feared for our lives and we didn’t deserve that. That was not okay and should not be forgotten.
I want companies to have better robbery prevention programs in place. Much of robbery prevention is considered “common sense” and yet all to often I don’t feel such practices are put into place and or communicated to the employees who are most “at risk”.
I want companies to have an aftercare plan in place should a robbery occur. A plan to try to help and assist the employees that were present.
Oh well perhaps no one will ever listen to me but I have started the facebook page as a place for us to be able to come together share our experiences and ideas.
Hope you will visit it and that perhaps we can communicate further.
Again I am so sorry you both have had to deal with such a terifying event and hope that you both are doing well under the cicumstances.
gail
Thank you for taking the time to hear my thoughts. As I sometimes feel as if there isn’t anyone that understand my grief. I’m still without a job and trying my hardest to concentrate on school (even though it can be very troublesome at times) I am sorry for the pain you have endured as well. I feel the same way about support groups. I live in Houston so there isnt much to help me out here. It would be awesome if we could keep in touch perhaps to help all of us out. This can be incredibly hard, especially without support 🙁 Thank you again!
It sounds like you might be suffering from PTSD as a result of the event.
I was robbed at my job three days after Christmas on a night shift alone where they tossed me around and repeatedly pressed a gun to the back of my head while they yelled at me to open a safe that was really a change machine and I had no key to. They robbed the store and me personally. My work wanted me to finish my shift after all of this and when the police asked for video footage my boss over the phone told them they couldn’t get it for a few days. Even though the police had almost nothing to go off but the tapes if they could have done anything at that time. After it happened I was to scared to return back to work and felt completely unsafe. After I had time to settle down a bit I started looking for work and filed for unemployment. I was denied so I appealed with a long letter explaining why I felt I shouldn’t be denied but instead of that helping they set me up with a court appeal date which is actually tomorrow morning so I don’t know the entire process yet. I don’t know if this will end up good for me but I hope this little info helps you. Its been a long drawn out process so don’t rely on unemployment to help out in case it turns into a three month process like mine which doesn’t look to good.
Good luck with your court date. With this economy it is extremely hard to find a job. I just feel useless. Like the whole situation is surreal still to this day. It’s nice that someone understand where I’m coming from.
Hello, thanks for reaching out to me. As I am aware that it has been extremely difficult for myself to find a job or any support. Hows everything going for you?