Complaint Review: Sarda Imports - Puyallup Internet

The company Sarda Imports is a small company and has not employed more than three people at any given time. Two full time and perhaps a part time helper. I began

as part time for a couple weeks and then became full time and learned the office and all there was to run it. There has been a high turn over in the office and it is understand- able to me now.

Seems everyone who has left or get fired attempts to collect unemploy- ment and fails. Our last office manager who was fired in March. When she left I was basically in charge and never received the title of manager or the salary for taking care of the office. She stood up to him. He saved nearly $600.00 a months by firing Fran.

Then I basically ran the place and trained three other gals in the insueing 7 months. After she was fired, he did not promote me to store manager.

Within the office is a large three ring binder which has over $4,000.00 in credits due to customers in which have not been redeemed. We repeatedly receiver complaints about the monies due to our customers. Credit anywhere from one dollars to 50 dollars. These credits were issued when we were out of stock and we sent the customers copies.

I have been employed by Craig Sherman at Sarda Imports for 1 year and 7 months. During this time I have endured chaotic behavior by him, which I believe is due to

his sparatic drinking and/or combination of drinking and meds/drugs. This in conjunction with his abusive attitude, vial language and angry behavior towards his workers has left me with no other choice than to want to seek new employment.

His crude language, patronizing remarks and put downs has left me personally nervous and a basket case on some days. We have walked on egg shells in the office on most days in hopes that we dont do something wrong, because

we are never sure when he is going to change his mind on office matters which happened alot and he would NEVER remember saying things or making changes.

I also have reasonable reasons to believe that he is not reporting all of his income to the IRS, since I have been one of the people to make deposits and batch totals for the trade shows.

He also pays some employees under the table for doing his trade shows. Usually he pays between 200.00 and 300.00 for a show weekend. He has a web master who, I believe is also being paid under the table, because he (web master) is on disability and taxes are not reported.

In addition to this, he has on numerous occations given unwanted hugs and neck rubs to me. Im not a bold woman and am easily intimidated by mean people. No other employees that I have seen or heard of have had him attempt the neck rubs on them.

I consider this to be sexual harrassment and recently have indicated to him it is not wanted. the excuse everyone says is, "oh Craig is a hugger kind of a guy". It's always fet very uncomfortable to me and unappropriate.

He has publically humiliated me in front of customers and co-workers on numerous occations. Recently, two weeks ago as I helped him set up for a Trade Show at the Tacoma Dome, and in front of a customer he swore and humiliated me for not knowing how to do something. I had only done a trade show once last year to help out another gal and was unsure.

I can supply numerous names of customers and maybe be able to get a hold of a couple of past employees to confirm my statements here. I knew then that I had to find a new job because I didnt want to be experiencing that anymore.

A couple days later while talking to his daughter, she asked how he was doing. I proceeded to tell her, he wasnt being very nice and I was ready to give my 2 week notice, but first I needed to find a new job as I do have two kids to take care of. She in turn told sister #2, and in turn sister #2 told Mr. Sherman.

I believe it was on November 9 that he was told.

He came into the office at about 4:15, sarcastically saying he heard I had a birthday gift for him.

I knew then, somehow something got back to him. He demanded on the spot that I type up a 2 weeks notice of termination. I told him, that it wasnt intended for him to have this get back to him.

I was not ready, because I didnt have another job lined up. He followed me to the desk to see to

it that I write the letter. I was so scared, and he was soooo mad. I stupidly did not think I could say NO.

My co-worker had never seen him do that befor and her knees were shaking. I was crying myself and shaking. She has only been there 3 months and asking her for input would MAYBE jeapordize her job but I know there are laws to protect her.

The intimidation that I have experienced there has been overwhelming and because the office has only two other employees in addition to Mr. Sherman, a lawyer told me I could not persue any legal actions. I am still hoping I can find someone to help me with his, but in the mean time I do want to persue my rights to get unemployment benefits. I have received a paycheck for the last 6 and

a half days I've work and dont know that this makes a difference.

I received a document from Labor and Industries on rights in the work place and never realized that I should have been being paid for all the lunches I took while being required to remain in the office because there was no body

else there. I have calculated that I am owed over $700.00 for all the time I was required to remain in the office.I have never seen the L and I regulations posted in the office. I have received nothing like severance pay and yet I remained with him being a hard worker and giving good customer service to our customers. I loved the work and the people and friends I made while being there, but my mistake was attempting to stand up to him and realizing that to continue to work for him was more stress then I could handle.

Not once has Mr. Sherman brought me in to write me up on ANY infractions I have commited.

Cecelia

Federal Way, Washington
U.S.A.