Facts: 1. Live and work in Virginia, USA

1. Worked for employer for 7 months

2. Employer has an attendance policy of 14 missed days=termination per calender year

3. Job title is "welder"

4. Employer offers a "profit share" plan instead of a retirement plan

5. No audio or video recording allowed on premises

So the story is that I have missed a total of 12 of the 14 allowable days that my company permits before termination of employment. However the company and the actual factory I work for have different strategies in which to retain employees. I believe that my employer engages in illegal and unethical behavior to retain employees by using threats, lies, peer pressure, and misdirection to frighten employees into begging to retain their position, often at much lower rates of pay and no employer paid benefits.

And here's how: When I was younger I visited the plant with my father, whom was an accountant(CPA) that was called in to help find a discrepency in their finances. This was due to an employee being harrassed to the point of calling the IRS and reporting witheld wages. Why would they do that you ask? because my employer charges an "off the books" equipment fee for the use of any tools used. If an employee does not hand over their credit card information, the employer calls the local police which promptly cuff the employee and hand over their wallet. If an employee is smart enough not to bring their wallet onto the property, the company tells the employee to "go home there's a cop waiting there for you". Did I mention this is in addition to a body, and vehicle search where the entire time you are berated, insulted, and most importantly threatend with false accusations, where you are harassed about even the smallest crumb, hair, dirt speck in your vehicle? well if you don't want to put up with that, they say they will call the police saying that you threatend them.

Well when you get home to your house the local police are there waiting with a warrant saying "your employer said that you stole something" once inside they will also ask about that "equipment fee" and promptly take all your financial information and hand it over to the company. If you don't immediately comply with this search they say " we will call your landlord and have you kicked out for losing your job" and they often do. Any denials or refusals equals death threats, and legal threats form local police. But, here's the kicker after taking that "equipment fee" they tell you you had better call the company and beg for your job back or they will have you kicked out, or jailed for inability to pay your rent, threats against employer, etc.

So how does the company benefit? Well I think that the actual company does not know about this, only a few select individuals below the plant manager ever know about this because when they fire you. YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY FIRED! in our company manual it says "only the plant manager,or the director of human resources has permission to fire you and only then in written form" The woman who fire you earlier was only the secretary of the ACTUAL Director of human resouces, who when called will say that they never fired you and you need to get back to the plant and get back to work. If you want to save your home, credit, and family from ruin, then you call the plant, only to be told that you will have to come back at a much lower salary rate with no benefits. Also that money from your profit sharing plan? it goes into your bosses pocket.

I forgot about most of this until it was too late.

Thoughts, Ideas, Advice welcome!