Am I right to defend myself in a toxic work environment?

Hey guys I have a sort of long question here,

I am a 2nd Semester Junior at a University in northern NY majoring in Software Engineering. Last semester a professor of mine approached me and asked if I wanted to work for a company his wife owned that did small sub-contracts for the government. It was part time and hourly, so I obviously took it and started working over the winter break. Now I am a non-traditional student, I have a GED, a wife and a 20-month year old child who basically depend on me so the work and the pay was better than anything I had ever been offered. Through the winter we worked crazy hours but everything was going good and I was learning a lot, yet once the spring semester started things took a bit of a turn.

We started getting sort of bullied into working long hours on the weekend, our boss would straight up yell at and belittle other student workers in front of everyone, and classes would be canceled so students could work more. This all culminated in us going to work one day and at the end of the day we got told there wouldn't be work for a while, they had us give back our work laptops and clean out the office.

I had been offered another position at a different company for a summer internship and I decided I wanted to take that. Here is the only issue, my "current" job had me sign a non-compete and told me I was still employed even though I haven't worked a day in two weeks. I want to file for un-employment so I can get myself through these last five or six weeks until I can start my job. Only problem is I'm being threatened with the non-compete and being told I need to quit my current job before I take my new job or I get into trouble.

I went to the school to talk to someone and ended up getting my professor into some shit. Unfortunately, now a few of the other people who I worked with who I thought were my friends are insanely mad at me and sort of intimidating me about what I do and do not disclose to the school. They say it wasn't my choice to make for them but I feel like I need to first and foremost protect myself. Am I wrong in my line of thinking or should I have kept things under wrap?

Don't be pushed around. Do what you need to do, and shame on those people for expecting you to put up with that crap. I put up with insane crap at my family's business, and left to work for a competitor when it got too stressful to take anymore. Don't let anybody make you miserable!

You absolutely did the right thing.

@physicalscience: You're absolutely reasonable in looking out for your interests. There is almost no way that non-compete is enforceable, but a quick Google search or a call to a labor lawyer (which would be free or at minimal cost) about your jurisdiction's laws should put your mind at ease. Screw anyone who's trying to intimidate you. You and your family's welfare is paramount.

In an environment like that it is best to spring news on them pretty close to when you are on your way out. You would need to quit your current job to do the summer internship which is correct. Yeah sounds like a messed up situation where the culture is definitely geared towards guilt trippin. Just keep your head up and do what you need to do to transition. The threats of non-compete sound absolutely ridiculous. My advice would be to read what you agreed to and what they really mean by 'non-compete'. If it seems vague dumb and badly written I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Why would your friends be mad, how is it their business?
I don't know anything about the legal side of things or who to go to, but you don't deserve the disrespect you're receiving, your friends should always be on your side.

You did the right thing, but your friends also have every right to be mad at you if you might have cost them a job. It sounds like the working conditions were miserable, but different people have different tolerances for that kind of shit. But intimidating you? That's fucked up and they are most certainly not your friends.

So why don't you just quit that job then, I understand the pay is good but if your work is just going to dry up for who knows how long and you're S.O.L on furlough personally I'd say fuck this and take the new gig and have that new opportunity. As for the professor he sounds scummy so whatever tell them all about your experience it's not your fault this guy runs a shoddy business.

This whole situation sounds shady as fuck. If just talking to someone got your boss in some shit, maybe he deserves to be in some shit.

You're in the right. It's a rough world and you need to look out for yourself. If your "friends" aren't happy with that, that's their problem. You shouldn't have to deal with these kinds of work conditions.

thanks guys, this seriously cheered me up. At least at the end of the day I always have GiantBomb!

I'm not sure that I completely understand the situation but first and foremost, you need to look out for yourself and more importantly, for your wife and kid. Do what you need to do to provide for them. Fuck everyone else.

As someone who has worked for a shady motherfucker in the past, you were totally right.

Bail homie. I thought my company had a toxic culture. This shit sounds next level.

So I'm not going to say this is 100% certain, but I know where I am an employer can't enforce a noncompete clause if it eliminates all potential options. The other thing to look at is the wording of the clause. If it is too broad it will be thrown out. The one I signed at my job states that the only limitation is other companies creating a similar product meant for resale outside that companies use. So in theory I can do EXACTLY what I'm doing currently at another company if they never plan to sell it to anyone else. If the noncompete you signed simply said you'd not work for another company programming, or programming for a specific field it is likely to broad to be considered enforceable by a judge.

Also to note, where I am at least, to enforce the clause they basically need to sue me and/or my new employer, so a judge is forced to at least read it.

DO NOT let this hold you back. If you think you have a good shot and the other company wants you, it might be worth speaking to them to see if they can help you sort it out, or at least have their legal team tell you that you need to sort it. You have to gauge that by the people you've spoken to, but most companies will do due diligence before finalizing a hiring, this is right up the alley of what my company does (and has done) for people in the past.

Report your professor to the dean. Your teacher has an obligation to promote a positive learning environment. His/her conduct is anything but learning friendly.

Edit: Typed before getting to the last paragraph. You have every right to a comfortable work environment. Many employers offer programs to move positions when circumstances like your`s arise. Better though would be to seek employment elsewhere; while still keeping your current job (gotta feed the family after all.) Put in 2 weeks notice when you get a new employer and have a graceful exit, without burning any bridges.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

So your professor was canceling classes that you paid for so his students could spend more time working for his wife's company, which makes money for him and his wife? That is corrupt as fuck. His ass needs to be fired, but I'm sure he's tenured and nothing will happen because that whole situation is corrupt as fuck as well. I would get as far away from that school and these people as you can.

Your teacher has violated his ethical responsibility as an educator, and has also likely engaged in criminal malfeasance. Report his sorry ass.

That whole fuckin' shindig sounds shady. Some under the table nonsense right there. Do what you need to do but definitely get the fuck out of whatever weird shit is going on with that company.

Do not take any shit from these people and do not let them make you feel guilty. You, your wife and your child are what matters, fuck everything, and everyone else.

Consider talking to the Department of Labor in your state. They can tell you about your employment status: not working for an extended period of time can be considered as a state of unemployment, whether or not they have fired you or you have quit. It's not super difficult to do, and they know their shit.

all else fails sue the school for hiring this professor, it will never go to trial but the dnc will be stripped

You are good, and you might want to report this to higher ups at the school, if possible, esp if like, classes were canceled so students could work. Also, if they stop paying you I bet they can't legally claim you are still employed, and i've heard that non-compete agreements are unenforceable in most cases anyway. That said, I am absolutely not a labor lawyer, you might be able to find one who can give you a free consultation with a local labor rights group. I think going to the university for support as well is a good idea, not only is the actions of the professor pretty suspect, but a lot of schools offer students support for situations like this in general, like some sort of student services department. But, regarding the professor, it does sound like it is worth contacting the dean's office.

There are no shades of grey here. You did the right thing.

Fill out your unemployment stuff now. There is no back pay on unemployment. You've lost wages and that's what unemployment covers.

You and nobody else should have to put up with that kind of working environment. You have to do what is in your best interest. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

I don't know what type of school you're at but that seems like a professor with a bad attitude and a conflict of interest. He should get in trouble for that.

You signed a non-compete contract, and now you have made someone who can drag this out for you longer than you can afford angry and put them in trouble. They could be legally, morally wrong; and you can be the injured party and in the right, but you have to LIVE for the next few weeks. I think you have fucked up.

Maybe, if you could afford to fight this for months that would have been smart. However, you seem to be living on the edge and you can ill-afford to fight this. Moreover, by skipping classes and going along with this you are COMPLICIT in fraud for the aquistion of your own degree. (I might add you put the aquistion of degrees for EVERYONE in that class on the line.)

Hell
- Knowingly skipping classes with other class members to work...
- Knowingly working in a job that was a conflict of interest with someone who can grade you...
You would get butchered in a civil proceeding about this. Hell, you school could kick you out even if you professor is more in the wrong. At this point you need a lawyer, I could be wrong but I think you need the advice of a lawyer.

@monkeyking1969: Luckily even though they attempted to force everyone into their classes, I took no classes with them this semester because it felt shady.

Well, that is good news. You have certainly made sure the school knows everyone in that class who was working for the professor's wife broken the honor code. Watch your back and good luck.