Home Depot CEO, Frank Blake Implicated In Employee Abuse and Retaliation Lawsuit

Home Depot CEO, Frank Blake Implicated In Employee Abuse and Retaliation Lawsuit

A recent case,# 08-5833-CI-019, filed in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Pinellas County, Florida alleges numerous instances of employee abuse including; harassment, falsification of company documents, forgery and retaliation.

Store, district and corporate level management up to and including CEO Frank Blake were aware of, and in numerous instances, participated in the alleged abuses, cover-ups and retaliatory actions.



IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA

CIVIL LAW DIVISION


ROBERT E. BLATCHFORD,

Plaintiff,
CASE NO.: 08-5833-CI-019
v.

HOME DEPOT U.S.A., INC.,

a Foreign Corporation,

Defendant.

dude,it's your lawsuit!!!!

Ethics, NO Home at the Depot!
Home Depot is out of stock when it comes to the ethical treatment of employees.
Home Depot over the past year or so has been under fire for unsafe and illegal workmanship from its "At Home Services" division, sending known sex offenders to people’s homes to perform services, improper handling of hazardous waste and declining overall customer service ratings has recently come under fire regarding its hiring practices and unethical, retaliatory and discriminatory treatment of employees.
On numerous occasions managers have lied to prospective employees, inflated potential earnings and advancement opportunities and covered up such misdeeds with intimidation and threats of termination.
Home Depot publicly claims to treat all employees fairly and with respect touting its “Core Values” and “Code of Ethics” all the while operating in a manner largely foreign to these two codes.
Employees are required to wear a wheel-shaped embroidered badge attached to their trademark orange aprons promoting the Home Depot “Core Values”. It is referenced on Home Depot’s website and in the company’s annual report which is sent to stockholders and potential investors stating how Home Depot treats all employees fairly and with respect. However when you speak to the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of employees who have experienced less than fair treatment at the hands of Home Depot’s management, you find the “Code of Ethics” and “Core Values” are nothing more than a marketing ploy. Posted online, printed in literature, displayed on large posters in the employee lounges and virtually stapled to the aprons of the workforce, the “Core Values” are everywhere except in the actual day to day running of the company.
A former Home Depot employee, terminated in August of 2007, has documented his twenty plus months of employment with Home Depot as a trip through hell. From day one he was lied to only to have the lies covered up with threats, sham investigations, intimidation and wrongful termination. To date he has spent numerous hours to clear his name and has filed a lawsuit against Home Depot to hold them accountable for their unethical and abusive treatment. The suit alleges the Plaintiff, a former employee of Home Depot Store #0257 in St. Petersburg, FL, had been subjected to harassment, threats, retaliation, and wrongful termination while employed by the Defendant.
Evidence including e-mails, employer documents, government documents, medical documents, forged documents, recordings and schedules will demonstrate a clear pattern of abuses resulting in harassment, sham investigations, cover-ups, retaliation and wrongful termination.
Other issues plaguing Home Depot employees include cover-ups regarding flagrantly flawed tracking of employee performance, inequity in rewards and scheduling practices, unfair application of a disciplinary attendance “point system”, retaliation, harassment and discrimination. Additionally, hardworking, dedicated employees are subjected to a hostile work environment fostered by store management and unchallenged by upper management up to and including CEO/Chairman of the Board Francis S. Blake.
Although Home Depot maintains it’s position as a “work at will” company, it’s aggressive and public representation as a company that cares about it’s workforce and it’s public promotion that it maintains and upholds a “Code of Ethics” does potentially create an implied employment contract.
At the very least, Home Depot’s promise of ethical treatment creates an expectation by employees, or prospective employees, that they will be treated fairly and they will be allowed to do their jobs without fear of harassment, retaliation or wrongful termination should they choose to believe the soon to be proven lies of Home Depot's “Code of Ethics”,“Core Values” and “No Retaliation Policy".

Thay ain't the only ones...

www.lowesceo.com
www.lowes-lawsuits.com

i love spanish guys that talk dirty.

Niblock wrote:

Thay ain't the only ones...
www.lowesceo.com
www.lowes-lawsuits.com

Home Depot CEO, Francis S. Blake Implicated in Employee Abuse and Retaliation Lawsuit

A lawsuit, case # 08-5833-CI-019, filed by the Plaintiff, April 22, 2008 in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Pinellas County Florida has been moved by the Defendant, Home Depot, U.S.A., Inc. to Florida Middle Federal District Court in Tampa, FL September 19, 2008, Federal Case # 8:2008cv01878.

The suit alleges the Plaintiff, a former employee of Home Depot Store #0257 in St. Petersburg, FL, had been subjected to harassment, threats, retaliation, and wrongful termination while employed by the Defendant.

At present the case implicates numerous members of management including Store Managers, Human Resources Managers, District Store and Human Resources Managers, Regional Human Resources Managers, Employment Practices Manager and CEO/Chairman of the Board Francis S. Blake,(others may be named upon discovery).

The Plaintiff alleges the Defendant(s) demonstrated a pattern of abuse, cover up and retaliation that spanned the period of time during which the Plaintiff was employed by the Defendant(s). The Plaintiff, and his council St. Petersburg Attorneys Sparkman and Sparkman, have assembled a significant amount of evidence in support of their claim that these were deliberate actions and not a case of an isolated 'misstep' by a rogue manager having a 'bad day'.

Evidence including employer documents, government documents, medical documents, schedules, recordings and numerous e-mails exchanged between the Plaintiff and upper management including CEO/Chairman of the Board Francis S. Blake will demonstrate a clear pattern of abuses, sham investigations and cover-ups resulting in harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.

It is suspected the Defendant(s) committed other civil wrongs or illegal activities relevant to this case. Said suspected wrongs will be revealed upon the discovery phase of the case which is expected to include the serving of a Subpoena on several members of Home Depot management including the CEO and Chairman of the Board, Francis S. Blake.

Too bad these suits take place after layoffs.....doesn't pass the smell test.

Desi wrote:

Too bad these suits take place after layoffs.....doesn't pass the smell test.

Actually this suit was filed in April of 2008. That was prior to the "BIG" layoffs. They were doing dirty deeds before that time, they were doing dirty deeds at that time and they are still doing them to cut down on the number of associates on the payroll.

They couldn't sneak the closing of the EXPOs under the media radar but, countless others have been let go for very "questionable" reasons.

Let's just say it's a good time to be a lawyer as HD is going to turn their Orange into a lot of GREEN for many of the abused associates and those that take up their causes and fights for justice.

If you've been wronged - contact a local attorney who SPECIALIZES in employment law - they will let you know if there is something there worth pursuing - you owe it to yourself, your family and all the other hardworking associates that deserve to be treated fairly.

Lowes Knows Lawsuits
www.lowes-lawsuits.com

I don't think you understand, HD can hire and fire anyone they want, anytime they want. All those folks who want "something for nothing" go after those with the deepest pockets.

It's call frivolous lawsuits !

Find another job and get over it !

Niblock wrote:

Thay ain't the only ones...
www.lowesceo.com
www.lowes-lawsuits.com

Oh
My
GOD!!!!

YOU are BUNKER too????????

The clues get more and more insane

Twisted psycho-Mutha-Funker!

The time you must spend! defies all logic.

Start covering your tracks bud. Its coming together fast

redneck wrote:

i love spanish guys that talk dirty.

What do you mean just Spanish guys? I still talk (at times) like I was still in the Navy LOL

X-Depot wrote:

<quoted text>
Actually this suit was filed in April of 2008. That was prior to the "BIG" layoffs. They were doing dirty deeds before that time, they were doing dirty deeds at that time and they are still doing them to cut down on the number of associates on the payroll.
They couldn't sneak the closing of the EXPOs under the media radar but, countless others have been let go for very "questionable" reasons.
Let's just say it's a good time to be a lawyer as HD is going to turn their Orange into a lot of GREEN for many of the abused associates and those that take up their causes and fights for justice.
If you've been wronged - contact a local attorney who SPECIALIZES in employment law - they will let you know if there is something there worth pursuing - you owe it to yourself, your family and all the other hardworking associates that deserve to be treated fairly.

A local attorney may not be the best source. I have stated on at least one occasion on these posts to contact your States Attorney General's Fair Labor Division. That is your best source to start out. Just make sure you have DOCUMENTATION to back up your allegations. Believe me, if you have a case, the Attorney Generals Office in your State will fight for you! It doesn't matter whether the AG is a Dem. or Repub. It's their job to protect the public and you. The best part is it's free! I've been working with my States AG office on one case and the best part is I have documentation and evidence to back it up.

Do you want too BUNK me TOO ???

Sherlock wrote:

Start covering your tracks bud. Its coming together fast

Desi wrote:

Too bad these suits take place after layoffs.....doesn't pass the smell test.

Well, I feel the abuse daily, and as a result of being a salaried Mgr, I am strongly encouraged to do likewise. Aprons on the sales floor is a farse, and power hours is nothing more than propaganda; the real depot is more like "do more with less" or "if you can't get it done, I'll find someone who can". How does that smell to you?

If your unhappy why are you still working there ?

Desi wrote:

If your unhappy why are you still working there ?

You might want to put it into perspective Desi. Some people don't like to fail and quitting to them is failing. I worked at THD as a SHRM for five years. I left three years ago, long before they eliminated the in-store position. I enjoyed a lot of things about that job. I am still sorry I had to leave. I liked the variety, the customers, and most of my associates and managers. What I didn't like were the 70+ hours a week that it takes if you want to do even a half decent job, the insults by various levels of management including District levels HRs, and the threats. It can be a very degrading environment. It got to a point where I was sure, everyday when I went to work, I was going to get fired! I was V+ rated, got increases, bonused and trained new HRs for the District, so it's not that I didn't do a good job.

My husband, an assistant manager, just gave his notice (in this economy with no new job) because he really believes the job might end up killing him. He regularly works 70-80 hours a week. Rarely gets a lunch or breaks.(How can you with only one manager in the store.) Power hour is a good idea but on the weekends it's ridiculous. His feet when he comes home are bloody. We even went out and invested in $200 shoes to see if it would help. He is regularly scheduled to open after closing where he isn't out of the store until 1 a.m. There have even been times recently where he was on the schedule as the opener and the closer. He's worked 18 hours, because he had to reset a department, got home at 3 a.m. dog tired and his phone rang at 6:00 a.m. with the District Manager chewing him out because the store was not to his standard. I was right next to him so I heard the whole conversation. I told him finally to quit, it really is just not worth it. He too feels like he's failed at the job but physically he can't do it anymore and emotionally it's taking a toll as well.

It always seemed to me that the old school depot employees, of which there are many, play by different rules. There is definitely favoritism and preferential treatment depending upon who you know. As an outsider it was very difficult to integrate even though I felt like I had a good relationship with my managers. I think that's alot of the problem. Bad habits have gone unchecked and they continue to perpetuate the problem. Training is also not provided consistently. I heard plenty of bad advice given to new DHs and ASMs during training classes. Employees would ask me to clarify things told to them during other parts of the training and often it was very bad advice and not factual.

So, to close...while you may be a very loyal orange blooded Home Depot employee, it's easy to say "if you're not happy find another job." It doesn't make the things that go on okay. It's the principle of the matter. Home Depot has a very lofty attitude and touts how important the employee is to the success of the organization. People aren't stupid. They know when a corporate vision and values mean something and when it's just lip service. I think back in the day when Arthur and Bernie started it all that was the reality, the employees did matter. Today, not so much...

It's not just THD.....that's today's environment......management uses "fear and intimidation" as a management style.

It's fun when your king !