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I immigrated to the United States to make a better life for my family, and to be treated with more dignity and respect than I received in my homeland. For a while, America was exactly what I’d hoped for and dreamed about. I worked hard, and was compensated well for my efforts. And my family was well taken care of. I worked for the same auto body shop in the Bay Area for 10 years. I worked weekdays and even weekends because I’m a hard worker and it is important to me to always do a good job. Over the course of those 10 years, I was rewarded for the kind of pride I put into my work and for all the business I brought in. I was loyal to them and I thought they were loyal to me. That all changed after an ugly encounter with a recently hired manager that resulted in me being fired without cause. I have a prostate condition that requires me to make more frequent trips to the restroom than other people. The bathroom at the auto body shop could only accommodate one person at a time. When the bathroom was occupied, I simply went around the corner to use a neighboring business’s restroom and immediately returned back to work. It was never a problem until this new manager joined the business. One day, the body shop’s bathroom was occupied so I needed to go around the corner. When I told this manager that I needed to leave for a few minutes to use the bathroom, he told me that if I left the premises – even just to use the bathroom – I wouldn’t have a job when I got back. I was shocked. I told him that if he was going to fire me over such a ridiculous reason, it was his choice. Sure enough, when I returned a few minutes later he told me I was fired. I came to America to be treated like a human being – not a slave. I never expected special treatment – I just wanted to be treated fairly. Going to the bathroom isn’t a choice – it’s something I have to do. It made me angry to be treated this way. It was unfair and disrespectful. When I told a good friend of mine about what happened, he told me that I should talk to a lawyer. My friend had worked with Heather Borlase before, and was very happy with her. I spoke with her and another big law firm about my situation. The big firm basically wasted my time for two days before telling me they couldn’t do anything to help me. Bayer & Borlase invited me to their office to tell my story in person, and I could see in their eyes that they were as angry as I was about what happened to me by the time I finished telling it. They told me on the spot that they wanted to represent me, and I hired them. I’m an older man, and this was the first time in my life I’ve ever had to deal with lawyers. I’ve heard enough from others to know that my experience with Bayer & Borlase is not typical of most lawyers. It didn’t feel like a business relationship to me. They became my close friends. In fact, I consider Alan and Heather part of my family now. They are beautiful people who share the same values I do about dignity, honesty, respect and fairness. For me, this wasn’t so much about the money I knew I was owed for back pay as it was the principle of the thing. Alan and Heather understood where I was coming from. They wanted to get justice for me while also making sure that my former employer was taught a lesson they wouldn’t forget. Thanks to Bayer & Borlase, my case was resolved quickly through a mediated settlement. I received compensation and a letter of recommendation to ensure I would have no trouble finding another job. While I was very happy with the financial terms of the settlement, what was most important to me was that my faith in America – the notion that all people be treated equally and with respect – was restored. Bayer & Borlase fought to defend my rights as a human being, and to protect my dignity. They did a wonderful job, and they will be dear friends of mine for the rest of my life. Back |