Being screwed around by potential employer after air quality concern

I recently got a B.S. in a particular field and have been applying for jobs, including part-time unskilled jobs just in case I can get one of those and save up some money while waiting to be hired for an actual salaried position with my degree. I was recently hired for one of those part time jobs and attended an orientation. The only problem was that during the orientation, we had to walk through various parts of the facility that were absolutely filthy. The air was so oppressively bad that my chest got tight, my heart started beating fast, and I felt like I was having trouble breathing. My skin even became completely flushed, which the woman doing the orientation commented on. It seemed like I was having some kind of allergic reaction to something. I spoke to one of the HR girls and told her what happened and that I wouldn't be able to accept that particular position due to having breathing trouble in that particular environment (I've never had any breathing trouble in my life, the place was just that disgusting).

I asked if there were any other positions within the company, and it turned out there was an internship position in line with my degree. The one guy in charge of that department actually emailed me and asked me to call him to set up an interview. I did, and made sure to ask if I'd be working mostly in an office area or if I'd have to be out in that warehouse area. The guy told me that it's mostly an office job and assured me that they can accommodate me on that issue, and we set up an interview, which was this morning. I was interviewed by two managers with a few other people present, and it went great. I was basically exactly what they were looking for, and the two managers seemed excited about letting me know as soon as the next round of hiring began. I came home, excited about a great opportunity to learn and add something to my resume.

And then the HR woman called.
This woman, beginning politely, proceeded to tell me that the managers were concerned about me having had a bad experience in the warehouse area and that there weren't any positions available for me where I wouldn't have to be working in the warehouse, and that all of the people in my department work in there and have to wear masks because there's so much dust (which was the opposite of what the manager told me). I informed her that I'd like to speak to the manager in question, at which point she immediately became angry and snapped at me and goes "TROLLZ...! Do you understand that I AM HUMAN RESOURCES!?" It seemed like she was trying to scare me out of speaking to him to clarify. I'm just like... "Yeah, I'm just confused since the manager of that department said I'd be working in the office". She then continued to give me an attitude and quickly wrapped up the call. I called the manager directly a few minutes later and his story had completely changed... No longer would I be working mostly in the office area, but now the job suddenly involves working in the warehouse and, as he specifically pointed out, cleaning dust out of equipment.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this place was filthy. I feel like what happened here was the company was afraid of me saying something to someone and getting them in trouble for violating some kind of health and safety law or something, so they're trying to scare me out of wanting to take the job. F*** it, I'm not working for those people. I'm not going to spend my days breathing filthy air contaminated with dust and mold and who knows what else - and for barely above minimum wage at that.

a reply to: trollz

Wait about a month, buy a prepaid phone with cash and call osha anonymously.

originally posted by: MisterSpock
a reply to: trollz

Wait about a month, buy a prepaid phone with cash and call osha anonymously.

Why be anonymous and why wait? For someone who used to work in HR and to hear that someone who did work in HR call someone a trollz lmao is suspect enough for how this person is qualified for that position.

a reply to: trollz

I Lol'd at this part:

I informed her that I'd like to speak to the manager in question, at which point she immediately became angry and snapped at me and goes "TROLLZ...! Do you understand that I AM HUMAN RESOURCES!?"

It's nice you are able to include some humor, even though this is a frustrating situation for you. They sound shady.. I wouldn't want to work for a company like that anyway.

And MisterSpock's idea oh boy.. that's all I will say on that one

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: trollz
It's nice you are able to include some humor, even though this is a frustrating situation for you. They sound shady.. I wouldn't want to work for a company like that anyway.

Yeah, it was very shady. My parents both just went to it to see it for themselves and my dad called it a s***hole. He never had any breathing problems in his life and just a few minutes inside apparently made him start coughing. Even part of the ceiling in the reception area was stained brown from something.

Let's look at it from their perspective. An applicant for a menial position appeared physically I'll, and started whining, and complaining BEFORE even being hired.

Workman's Comp suit waiting to happen.

You wouldn't be happy there anyway. Move on, and before you go to OSHA, consider those that would lose their livelyhood, if you shut the place down.

a reply to: trollz

Time to keep hunting for a job it sounds. Not every opportunity in life is going to pans out. Those that keep going are the worthy ones.

a reply to: MisterSpock

He can call OSHA today and he doesn't have to be anonymous.
He's obviously not going to take the job.

a reply to: seeker1963

I believe Trollz just substituted his screen name for his real name on that bit.
I don't think she called him a troll.

a reply to: Mach2

Why would it shut the place down instead of forcing the owners to clean up their act.
The owners wouldn't want to shut it down either.
It being their livelihood too.

originally posted by: Mach2
Let's look at it from their perspective. An applicant for a menial position appeared physically I'll, and started whining, and complaining BEFORE even being hired.

Workman's Comp suit waiting to happen.

You wouldn't be happy there anyway. Move on, and before you go to OSHA, consider those that would lose their livelyhood, if you shut the place down.

hahahahaha

right.

i read the op.

the place was filthy. i mean filthy.

compared to what? filthy does not mean those conditions cant be worked in. i should walk you around my foundry some time. or the last one.

and you had trouble breathing. what kind of place was it?
other people were working there and they are alive right?

did you ever think that maybe you did have a reaction to something? it happens.
ive seen it.

of course the conditions could be terrible and all those people are gonna die soon.

or you see how people on the grind have to do it. it sucks sometimes.

try to understand from their perspective too. youre on the walk around and you bitch to HR about breathing trouble and expect to progress?? even if youre not working in the plant.
you might have to go in the plant at some point.

they see all kinds of #.

they see people come in and 2 days later theyre 'hurt' or cant work or have to light duty it for some bull#.
messes everyone else up.

to be fair it could be the worst place ever

sounds to me like you didnt get screwed though. sounds to me like youre seeing how # is for a lot of people.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Mach2

Why would it shut the place down instead of forcing the owners to clean up their act.
The owners wouldn't want to shut it down either.
It being their livelihood too.

who says they even have to clean their act.
we dont know anything about this place.

filthy does not mean you cant work in it.

does the OP know anything about how filthy some places can be?
i mean you just got your degree but youre gonna apply for some grunt # just in case. by your standards it might be unacceptable. for a lot of people it might be business as usual.

you should see how we look going in to work vs how we look coming out.

you might be one of those dudes that starts on monday and wednesday you head to the bathroom to ditch your hard hat and boots and leave without telling anyone.
hahahahahaah

that happened to me when i was training a guy. 2nd day he goes to piss and never comes back.

we would get 20 new dudes in on a monday and on thursday we would have 4 guys.

i wonder how many called OSHA

originally posted by: trollz
I spoke to one of the HR girls and told her what happened and that I wouldn't be able to accept that particular position due to having breathing trouble in that particular environment (I've never had any breathing trouble in my life, the place was just that disgusting).


I asked if there were any other positions within the company,
and made sure to ask if I'd be working mostly in an office area or if I'd have to be out in that warehouse area.


And then the HR woman called.
This woman, beginning politely, proceeded to tell me that the managers were concerned about me having had a bad experience in the warehouse area and that there weren't any positions available for me where I wouldn't have to be working in the warehouse


I'm not exaggerating when I say this place was filthy. I feel like what happened here was the company was afraid of me saying something to someone and getting them in trouble for violating some kind of health and safety law or something, so they're trying to scare me out of wanting to take the job. F*** it, I'm not working for those people. I'm not going to spend my days breathing filthy air contaminated with dust and mold and who knows what else - and for barely above minimum wage at that.

not being a dick but my place wouldnt have hired you either. do the walk around and complain about breathing issues but ask for something else. then ask again if you would not have to go to the plant.

reads to me like you were kind of a baby about it. reads to me like they didnt do anything wrong.
just being honest man but i work in a place you would freak out in

a reply to: Sillyolme

He can take the job then call osha they will have to clean up and it is against federal law for an employer to try to discipline him for it if they are breaking federal law they will have to pay him

originally posted by: Themaskedbeast
a reply to: Sillyolme

He can take the job then call osha they will have to clean up and it is against federal law for an employer to try to discipline him for it if they are breaking federal law they will have to pay him

he can call osha anytime he wants.

nobody knows they were breaking any kind of laws. all we know is he said it was filthy and disgusting.

that dont mean #.

ive heard all this # before. in conversation with people. my wifes brothers friend or something. man the place was so dirty i should have called osha.

more than likely the place is dirty but within regs and they just dont know # about what regs are.

Well so you don't want to work in a dirty place.... I can appreciate that.

So what you need to do is start a campaign called something like... IDK... Right to work in clean place... Then when you purposely take a job in a dirty place the will have to accommodate the right to work in clean place law

originally posted by: TinySickTears
you might be one of those dudes that starts on monday and wednesday you head to the bathroom to ditch your hard hat and boots and leave without telling anyone.

Not at all. I've worked in rough conditions before. I even worked as a corrections officer for a time. You ever see someone smear their own feces all over themselves or have to stare at other men's *ssholes all day while you do strip searches? I mean hell we even had to be pepper sprayed before starting the job, and then whenever it was deployed, you had to just stand there and breathe it in while it permeated the entire cell block.
I don't want to be too specific so as to give away the place I was talking about in the op, but the warehouse area is full of dirty materials that could be contaminated with anything.
It's not that I'm afraid of hard work, it's that I have the right not to put myself into a working environment that actually causes me to have breathing problems when I'm otherwise perfectly healthy and have no breathing issues. I was looking forward to working there until I saw how dirty it was.

a reply to: TinySickTears

we would get 20 new dudes in on a monday and on thursday we would have 4 guys.

Something is wrong with your training program or trainers if that is the case.

I’ve read posts of people griping about stupid trainees they had to train, then gripe about them when they leave. People stay when they are taught well and treated with respect.

Just sayin... the OP had every reason to be concerned, and it was to his advantage that he didn’t get that job, in my opinion.

originally posted by: TinySickTears
he can call osha anytime he wants.

nobody knows they were breaking any kind of laws. all we know is he said it was filthy and disgusting.

that dont mean #.

ive heard all this # before. in conversation with people. my wifes brothers friend or something. man the place was so dirty i should have called osha.

more than likely the place is dirty but within regs and they just dont know # about what regs are.

It's the kind of dirty where everything coming in could potentially be contaminated with mold, human waste, blood, etc, and everything just kindof sits in stale air that gets blown around. You have no way of knowing what you're breathing in. You have to wear protective equipment to even handle the stuff since you could be touching anything (but most of the employees didn't even do that).

originally posted by: Sheye
Just sayin... the OP had every reason to be concerned, and it was to his advantage that he didn’t get that job, in my opinion.

Thank you. I felt really guilty for turning down the first job, and then was pretty pissed off when this whole thing happened with what I thought was going to be a promising internship that I was excited about.