Is "lack of religion" a protected category?

[cbg]

Hold on there! Don't assume that HR is covering up just because this does not appear to be the first time it's happened. I just finished a contract in the HR department of a major university, and trust me, it's impossible to know what's going on unless someone reports it. They could have been performing Satanic masses in the student center for sixteen years, but unless someone came in and made a formal report, we'd have no way of knowing. With over 10,000 employees and buildings covering half of Cambridge, MA, we have to depend on reports to keep up. If no one has ever reported it before, HR can't know.

 

[commentator]

Very true, cbg. But apparently, she has a dear friend in HR, because when my son started making inquiries over there, he was told by the person he spoke with, "She (calling this person by name, though he had not done so) can do whatever she wants to do!" and refused permission to be allowed see his HR file. By the way, aren't they supposed to allow you to see it? Even if you have someone from HR sitting with you while you look at it? We do not believe she has ever formally taken him off probation, though the time has elapsed when his probation should have been completed. But she hasn't informed him of this, or showed him any documentation, when asked, she told him on tape she's "taken care of everything."

But you're right, he will definitely need to begin the grievance process with them, they (the University)have a vast system of appeals and grievances and EEOC/discrimination protocols. I think most of the other people who've been there have simply left when they discovered they were working in a remake of The Hills Have Eyes. (Okay geezers and geezerettes, how many of ya saw that one?)

 

[cbg]

That is still not evidence that HR is deliberately covering up previous reports, or even that previous reports have even been made. If this is a large university, there are probably seven or eight people just in that one area of HR - one person could not successfully cover up something like this and it's not likely that your son's boss would have the clout to get the entirety of the department to invoke an illegal conspiracy to cover up illegal behavior.

Although in many states, including mine, an employee has the right to see their personnel file on request, according to my information TN is not one of those states.

Is this a public or private university?

 

[Beth3]

It's public, cbg. A State University.

Commentator, I agree with cbg. Especially with an organization that large, it's impossible for HR to know everything that's going on. Someone - your son - needs to contact HR and advise them. It's foolish to assume his supervisor is protected because she has a pal in HR - and likely inaccurate as well. If the person he spoke to previously was unhelpful (in fact, the person he spoke with may be laboring under the same false impression), he should contact someone higher up in the HR organization.

 

[cbg]

The reason I asked is that in some states, laws on personnel file access is different for public employers than for private employers.

However, on checking the state website, it appears that this is not the case in Tennessee. Sorry, should have checked first. It's entirely up to the employer whether to allow access or not. I think an employer is foolish not to allow it, but at least in TN, it appears they do not have to.

Been working nights the last four nights - my brain is mush. Can't think how else I missed STATE university.