Amy Scott, Kristie Thompson, Vincent Vasquez - Edward Jones Shady Termination and Hiring Tactics Tempe \Tempe Arizona
On April 25, 2008, I was wrongfully terminated by the company that I gave 6 years to. They left myself and my 13 yr old daughter without medical benefits. I know there is COBRA, but who can afford that? It all started when I wanted to be considered for a leadership position. I had come to slowly learn that in order to be promoted within this company, you need to be part of the "clique" or "good ole boy club". I was promised on numerous occasions about feedback that I would be getting from Kristie Thompson and Amy Scott, and they failed to follow though. They have a system in place for employees to vent their concerns and ideas for the firm.
I submitted my frustration through this system and voluntarily signed my name to it since I was not going to hide under an anonymous name. I named specifically the people in the title of this report and their shady tactics. I was told reportedly by Amy Scott in one on one meetings that anyone she considered for the team lead position would have to be licensed first before even being considered. I was later told in another meeting that she only meant me. I called her out on it and she didnt like that.
From that point on, I was under a microscope. I pointed out that their HR recruiting department was extremely shady in their promotion and hiring tactics. They only promote friends of their friends and anyone who is in their clique. So basically, on Friday, 4/25/08, I was asked to come down to HR by Vincent Vasquez. I initially thought it had to do with my applying for a position back in St Louis because, that is where I wanted to go back to since I was getting nowhere under the management that was in place in Tempe AZ.
Once I got down there, I went into a room with Amy Scott, Kristie Thompson and Vincent Vasquez along with Dana Petri, who was there for HR purposes. I was broadsided with this fabricated reason for terminating me. Their reason was that they looked over their records over the past couple of weeks and said that my timecard didn't match what the time says on when I logged into my phone in the morning. It was something very petty and they needed a reason to terminate me in their minds since they couldn't do it based off of performance issues and again, I didn't fit into their "club". I had no idea that I was doing anything wrong and was doing nothing that any other employee wasn't told they could do anyway. In fact, we were told by our very own management that we were allowed to put 8 hours down for the day as long as we made it up during the same pay period.
To all of you considering a career with Edward Jones, especially in Tempe AZ, remeber the names that I put in this report. They are involved in the Customer Account Transfer department. I would reconsider. They will stab you in the back when you least expect it.
People to be weary of when contacting Edward Jones in Tempe AZ about a job are as follows.... (Recruiters) - Sam Mobley - he loves to hire young attractive girls and flirt with them daily - he is married! Kimberley Elliott, she really has no clue about what is going on there and there is clearly no communication within HR and hiring leaders. (Department Leaders for Customer Account Transfer), Amy Scott - she is one to be avoided. She walks around pretending to be your friend, but if you do anything to concern her, she will abuse her power and make your life hell there if she doesn't hide behind another leader to fire you first. Kristie Thompson - stuck in the 80's, not very people oriented. Doesn't follow through with her subordinates when it doesn't benefit her. (Team Leader ) Vincent Vasquez, hired on to the position that I was applying for. He had no industry experience at all and was not licensed (as required for the postion and per Amy Scott's words to me). He is a puppet and in my opinion and the opinion of my other teammates at the time, a snake and not to be trusted.
By the way, the leaders in that department all love to eat at the same table and it is very intimidating to other employees whether they realize it or not. I dubbed them the "snake pit". They preach culture about their firm on a daily basis, but they definetly don't practice it. So, anyone applying for a job there in the back office at Edward Jones, Tempe AZ, you have been warned! I have heard from other employees in other departments, that this goes on as well.
PT
Chandler, Arizona
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Check21
St. Louis,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Similar story - Edward Jones has a reputation for treating people this way.
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, February 17, 2009
I have a similar story, and was treated in a similar fashion when I spoke out about needing more help in my area. I have heard similar stories from others - both from the home office and from Brokers, as well.
The company IS very clique-ish in the way it is run. There is a very strong "with us or against us" mentality and attitude, and a 'good old boys' network of friends running things (actually mostly women), which can at times lead to situations like this. The way they run people out of there who don't, or have "stopped drinking the kool-aid" is also well known among recruiters. I have discussed why I left with several recruiters since leaving there and it seems to be a common story. I mean, after all - why WOULD anyone WANT to leave the "Best company to work for in America" voluntarily? You must have either been fired or be a troublemaker, right? No - and you and I are not alone, I assure you.
In my case, I felt I was being abused because although my team shrank to roughly half the size it had been at the beginning of a huge IT project, the timeline and support expectations had not changed. I was suffering, and my family was suffering. I would literally have to spend 3 straight days at my desk - 24 hours a day with short breaks, once a month to get some very critical production processes to complete. I needed help and was making an extreme personal sacrifice -MONTHLY to make it happen.
I eventually ended up with a divorce over it all, but the bottom line was that I was not there for my family and I felt it was because the demands at work had grown so unreasonable. I finally asked for help.
I had never been disciplined for anything at Edward Jones while I was there, and always had excellent reviews, promotions, feedback, and had accepted and bought a Limited Partnership as a reward for my dedication. It's a symbol there that they want to keep you around, and want to reward you, for them to offer one. Being offered a limited partnership is a very subjective business, and I had up until then exemplified the best of Jones.
I went first to my team leader, and then to my Department Leader with my concerns. When I felt I was getting nowhere with them I made an appointment with Human Resources. My meeting with Human Resources seemed to go well, but no answers were offered, and I finally asked to be re-assigned to a different position. I asked to go to a department I had worked in previously and was more than qualified for. They were non-committal, and said I would have to get that approved by my current boss.
The next day I was called in my Department Leader's office and issued a reprimand for anything and everything they could think of they could possibly come up with over the past year. I had my first write-up with perhaps 8 or 10 non-sense items on it for things like having missed or being late for a meeting, calling out a day, a missed deadline, not turning in a weekly progress report, etc. Things that happen to someone who is overworked. I was told that contrary to the usual company policy that you can change jobs once in a year if something is available. I was now under some sort of double-secret probation, and I had to have periodic reviews over the next year until this write-up dropped off my record or because outdated in effect, and once I was no longer a discipline problem for another year I could apply to go work in another department. In effect, I was stuck where I was for 2 more years if I wanted to stay at Edward Jones.
Basically I was given a choice and I felt I was being sent a very strong message. "Stop rocking the boat, and shut up and do what you are told, or you can leave. We don't care about you or your family and you will continue to accept our abuse or you can leave".
I found the situation intolerable, and submitted my 2 weeks notice. My Department Leader's jaw dropped. They knew they were in no position to lose me - they knew they needed someone to support what I was doing, and I don't think they really understood until that moment that I was serious. I never thought I was irreplaceable, and I didn't feel I was being unreasonable in asking for help. Needless to say, no one is irreplaceable anywhere.
So I did leave - eventually. I think at some point they became afraid of a lawsuit and offered me a severance package, despite the fact that it was ME leaving them. I stuck around a while longer as part of the agreement, to document things I was working on and try to bring others up to speed. I am supposed to be listed as eligible for rehire in the company, but I inquired a couple of years later, and it was pretty obvious that I am considered damaged goods.
So - My recommendation for anyone is, Edward Jones IS a good place to work, as long as you buy-in to the whole brainwashing, "we are the best", us or them, privately held company sort of mentality - but as soon as you have any sort of problem, valid or not - look out! They are NOT the best place to work once you wake up and see the way things really are there.