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SunSeeker

(51,367 posts)
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:10 PM Sep 2016

Wells Fargo workers: I called the Wells Fargo ethics line and was fired

Source: CNN

"They ruined my life," Bill Bado, a former Wells Fargo banker in Pennsylvania, told CNNMoney.

Bado not only refused orders to open phony bank and credit accounts. The New Jersey man called an ethics hotline and sent an email to human resources in September 2013, flagging unethical sales activities he was being instructed to do.

Eight days after that email, a copy of which CNNMoney obtained, Bado was terminated. The stated reason? Tardiness.

One former Wells Fargo human resources official even said the bank had a method in place to retaliate against tipsters. He said that Wells Fargo would find ways to fire employees "in retaliation for shining light" on sales issues. It could be as simple as monitoring the employee to find a fault, like showing up a few minutes late on several occasions.

"If this person was supposed to be at the branch at 8:30 a.m. and they showed up at 8:32 a.m, they would fire them," the former human resources official told CNNMoney, on the condition he remain anonymous out of fear for his career.


Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/21/investing/wells-fargo-fired-workers-retaliation-fake-accounts/index.html



This was so obviously a scheme pushed from the top, starting with CEO Stumpf, who proclaimed the "Eight is Great" criteria for accounts per customer, at a time when the average bank customer held only 3 accounts.
54 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Wells Fargo workers: I called the Wells Fargo ethics line and was fired (Original Post) SunSeeker Sep 2016 OP
So not only were they expected to adhere to quotas by opening phony annabanana Sep 2016 #1
Yep. DOJ needs to unleash hell on those fuckers. SunSeeker Sep 2016 #3
Director Tomey will have to get back to you later on that fraud and whistleblower stuff. justhanginon Sep 2016 #12
Yep. Director Tomey is a Republican, all right. eom BlueCaliDem Sep 2016 #33
Wasn't he also on the board of HSBC? Nt Else You Are Mad Sep 2016 #53
Comey's too busy missing all the signs of homegrown terror. GeorgeGist Sep 2016 #37
That's Why RobinA Sep 2016 #29
I hope to hell that Bill Bado can get a HUGE settlement from the bastards. groundloop Sep 2016 #2
As sickening as all of this is, if he was late many times, he won't have a leg to stand on. tonyt53 Sep 2016 #5
Well, he could argue the tardiness charge was a pretext, but yes, he's pretty much fucked. nt SunSeeker Sep 2016 #16
what really will matter is if he was warned about his tardies Hamlette Sep 2016 #17
true tekriter Sep 2016 #24
He was salaried, right? freebrew Sep 2016 #44
Oh..MY...it can't be true..that the CEO ..lied?.. Stuart G Sep 2016 #4
Isn't there some law about lying to congress? AlbertCat Sep 2016 #52
Crap like this is epidemic. Not only in Banks, but, all across the Services sector. n/t Hugin Sep 2016 #6
I am no longer in the workforce, but I assume that "fired from job" tag will kill rurallib Sep 2016 #7
No new job and Fired means no unemployment. Hugin Sep 2016 #8
There was a Senator who asked about the fired employees Delmette Sep 2016 #46
Kind of a blow-off answer from the CEO there. Hugin Sep 2016 #47
And Reagan got it, from of all people, Vladimir Lenin Friend or Foe Sep 2016 #49
Depends on the job GummyBearz Sep 2016 #20
OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Programs mahatmakanejeeves Sep 2016 #9
Unfortunately, workers only have 30 days to file the required OSHA complaint. SunSeeker Sep 2016 #10
I'm guessing the ridiculously short time limits are the Republican contribution to... Hugin Sep 2016 #11
Of course; property damage and contract claims have 4-year statutes of limitation. SunSeeker Sep 2016 #14
Stuff like this is why workers need unions perdita9 Sep 2016 #13
Indeed. nt SunSeeker Sep 2016 #15
Where in the fuck theaocp Sep 2016 #18
See? A Rupaul fan posted here weeks ago, "who cares closeupready Sep 2016 #38
I think I might cut ties with Wells Fargo completely after this. Initech Sep 2016 #19
I didn't want them to start with LittleGirl Sep 2016 #21
Tardiness is grounds for expulsion yeoman6987 Sep 2016 #22
Don't agree angrychair Sep 2016 #25
If and only if corporate reaction to tardiness was enforced consistently rather than as cause. LanternWaste Sep 2016 #28
Depends ... Whiskeytide Sep 2016 #34
Not even a good try. Kingofalldems Sep 2016 #43
Oh heck no. mwooldri Sep 2016 #50
Two minutes late for a salaried job? Gormy Cuss Sep 2016 #54
Make them pay. Somebody make them pay! nt BootinUp Sep 2016 #23
Wells Fargo is trying to out-Bank-of-America in terms of horrible financial institutions spiderpig Sep 2016 #26
This is exactly why you never, never, ever call an EAP or ethics hotline. MindPilot Sep 2016 #27
The Wells Fargo Fraud, ever though the CEO said it was not fraud. rladdi Sep 2016 #30
Confirms my suspicion about "Ethics" lines milestogo Sep 2016 #31
Wells Fargo and ethics should never appear in the same sentence. bulloney Sep 2016 #32
This scam has been going on much longer than is being reported Blue Idaho Sep 2016 #35
This is why, when I quit my job at a subprime ... neeksgeek Sep 2016 #36
not just banking dembotoz Sep 2016 #39
Disgusting. sarcasmo Sep 2016 #40
DOJ needs to investigate and bring charges against management. NT Ilsa Sep 2016 #41
That is a huge lawsuit, and a winner Blue_Tires Sep 2016 #42
Break the bank up Angry Dragon Sep 2016 #45
Prosecute The CEO Then Sentence Him To 10,000 Years No Parole Solitary Confinement San Quentin Yallow Sep 2016 #48
Wells Fargo "Bankers Heart" sculpture vlyons Sep 2016 #51

annabanana

(52,791 posts)
1. So not only were they expected to adhere to quotas by opening phony
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:14 PM
Sep 2016

accounts, fired because the banks got caught, they were also fired for registering a complaint?

Elizabeth Warren went EASY on the fuckers...

SunSeeker

(51,367 posts)
3. Yep. DOJ needs to unleash hell on those fuckers.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:20 PM
Sep 2016

Comey has no excuse not to bring fraud and whistleblower statute violation charges at this point.

justhanginon

(3,287 posts)
12. Director Tomey will have to get back to you later on that fraud and whistleblower stuff.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:45 PM
Sep 2016

He is still busy reading through Hillary's emails desperately looking for something, anything, that may be construed as looking bad for Secretary Clinton.

RobinA

(9,874 posts)
29. That's Why
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:53 PM
Sep 2016

I've quickly left the two places that wanted me to do iffy things. Got another job and hightailed it out of there. It's no win in the workplace these days. I'm just glad I was able to leave. Not everybody has that luxury.

Hamlette

(15,388 posts)
17. what really will matter is if he was warned about his tardies
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:01 PM
Sep 2016

if he was habitually late and they never said anything to him but just fired him after his complaint, it will be seen as if the employer condoned his tardiness and it was a pretext.

Same is true if they issued half-hearted warnings, like they have him a warning a year ago, the tardies continued and then they just fired him. The case law is pretty clear on this. You'd win.

tekriter

(827 posts)
24. true
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:31 PM
Sep 2016

I work in a large corporate environment, and we have numerous processes management is SUPPOSED to follow to terminate someone. A series of warnings, both verbal and written. Of course, there are things that can get you fired immediately, but tardiness isn't one of them, no way.

Couple years ago we had a guy in my group using company email and instant messages to threaten the husband of the woman our guy was seeing on the side. Really bad idea.

freebrew

(1,917 posts)
44. He was salaried, right?
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 04:46 PM
Sep 2016

AFAIK, salaried employees basically set their own hours.
He gets paid for being the head guy(manager). If that's the case, many mgrs I have known would be gone.

State Laws different? There should be some type of contract at any rate

Stuart G

(38,359 posts)
4. Oh..MY...it can't be true..that the CEO ..lied?..
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:20 PM
Sep 2016

Isn't there some law about lying to congress?..If so..that would be ...illega

Charge Him, Try Him, Convict Him..Throw the asshole in jail...

rurallib

(62,343 posts)
7. I am no longer in the workforce, but I assume that "fired from job" tag will kill
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:24 PM
Sep 2016

pretty much most chances a person has a getting another job.
And with those strict interpretations of all work rules it would be hard to fight.

I so remember going into a meeting some 40 years ago with the plant personnel manager where he looked at the lot of us and stated that he had reason to fire each and every one of us.

Delmette

(522 posts)
46. There was a Senator who asked about the fired employees
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 06:40 PM
Sep 2016

He was very concerned about the employees who were fired for not meeting account quotas. Their employment history needs to be corrected. The CEO said he would check with Human Resources.

Sorry, I listened to the entire hearing, but couldn't keep up with every name of the Senators.

Hugin

(32,777 posts)
47. Kind of a blow-off answer from the CEO there.
Thu Sep 22, 2016, 01:17 AM
Sep 2016

Someone needs to follow up on it... The only useful thing I got from Reagan, "Trust, but, verify."

Also, the CEO is probably confident that those skunks in HR will come back saying "the firings of all 5300 were 'with cause', so there's nothing to be done.'" VIGILANCE!

These people are not to be trusted!

Thanks for telling me what you saw from the hearings.

 

GummyBearz

(2,931 posts)
20. Depends on the job
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:08 PM
Sep 2016

I have a friend in banking who has been fired from every job he has ever held. And he is in about his 8th banking job

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,886 posts)
9. OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Programs
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:29 PM
Sep 2016
The Whistleblower Protection Programs

About the Program

En español

OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of more than twenty whistleblower statutes protecting employees who report violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, and securities laws. Rights afforded by these whistleblower protection laws include, but are not limited to, worker participation in safety and health activities, reporting a work-related injury, illness or fatality, or reporting a violation of the statutes herein.

Workplace Safety and Health

Section 11(c) of the OSH Act prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees for exercising their rights under the OSH Act. These rights include filing an OSHA complaint, participating in an inspection or talking to an inspector, seeking access to employer exposure and injury records, reporting an injury, and raising a safety or health complaint with the employer. If workers have been retaliated or discriminated against for exercising their rights, they must file a complaint with OSHA within 30 days of the alleged adverse action.

Since passage of the OSH Act in 1970, Congress has expanded OSHA's whistleblower authority to protect workers from discrimination under twenty-two federal laws. Complaints must be reported to OSHA within set timeframes following the discriminatory action, as prescribed by each law. These laws, and the number of days employees have to file a complaint, are:

{snip}

"Surely that doesn't cover bankers."

Guess again:

Region 4 News Release: 10-332-ATL(149)
March 18, 2010
Contact: Michael Wald Michael D'Aquino
E-Mail: Wald.Michael@dol.gov D'Aquino.Michael@dol.gov
Phone: 404-562-2078 404-562-2076

US Labor Department orders Tennessee Commerce Bank to reinstate whistleblower and pay more than $1 million in back wages and other relief
Bank found in violation of whistleblower protection provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered Tennessee Commerce Bank in Nashville to reinstate a former corporate officer and pay more than $1 million in back wages, interest, attorney's fees, compensatory damages and other relief. The department found the bank had fired the individual in violation of the whistleblower protection provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

"Sarbanes-Oxley provides protection to workers who report alleged violations of mail, wire, bank or securities fraud; violations of rules or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission; or federal laws relating to fraud against shareholders," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "This case clearly shows the department's commitment to ensuring that individuals are provided the protections and relief afforded by the law and sends a strong message that retaliatory actions will not be tolerated."

A complaint filed with OSHA in April 2008 named Tennessee Commerce Bank and Tennessee Commerce Bancorp Inc. as defendants. The complaint alleged that the employee was placed on administrative leave in March 2008 and fired in May 2008 after raising concerns about internal controls, employee accounts, insider trading and other issues. The complainant first raised concerns to the bank's audit committee and later to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions.

OSHA investigated the complaint as part of its responsibilities to enforce the whistleblower provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley and 16 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various securities laws; trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental, rail, and workplace safety and health regulations; and consumer product safety laws. Fact sheets and detailed information on employee whistleblower rights are available online at http://www.whistleblowers.gov/index.html .

SunSeeker

(51,367 posts)
10. Unfortunately, workers only have 30 days to file the required OSHA complaint.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:39 PM
Sep 2016
http://www.whistleblowers.gov/


I imagine most workers miss the deadline, so enforcement by individuals will be haphazard at best. It really is on Comey to do something about this.


Hugin

(32,777 posts)
11. I'm guessing the ridiculously short time limits are the Republican contribution to...
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:42 PM
Sep 2016

those regulations.

SunSeeker

(51,367 posts)
14. Of course; property damage and contract claims have 4-year statutes of limitation.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 12:48 PM
Sep 2016

The kind of claims Republicans like have a nice long time to bring the claim/lawsuit.

theaocp

(4,223 posts)
18. Where in the fuck
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:03 PM
Sep 2016

is the justice department in all this? Can we please get someone who isn't fucking bought? This continues and we will have the bloody revolution that nobody wants.

 

closeupready

(29,503 posts)
38. See? A Rupaul fan posted here weeks ago, "who cares
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 03:12 PM
Sep 2016

if they've been bought? Who cares if bribery is going on?"

Well, guess what, honey, here you go.

LittleGirl

(8,261 posts)
21. I didn't want them to start with
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:14 PM
Sep 2016

but they bought our mortgage and we had no say in it whatsoever. ugh.

 

yeoman6987

(14,449 posts)
22. Tardiness is grounds for expulsion
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:17 PM
Sep 2016

He thinks being in at 8:32 is cool? It's not. However, Wells Fargo is going to have to answer for the other 5,199 firings that did not have a tardiness reason.

angrychair

(8,593 posts)
25. Don't agree
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:36 PM
Sep 2016

Firing a person for being 2 or 3 minutes late is pretext, not the reason. Not just in this case but any case.
I've been in the workforce for 34 years in many different fields. I managed a lot of people, I even managed people in different states. People I never met face-to-face. How do I know if they were 1-3 minutes late or not? I do not. I measured their performance based on results and feedback from people at their location.
If you have been fired for being 1-5 minutes late, even several times, it was the excuse used, not the actual reason.

 

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)
28. If and only if corporate reaction to tardiness was enforced consistently rather than as cause.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:51 PM
Sep 2016

If and only if corporate reaction to tardiness was enforced consistently to all employees rather than as cause.

Whiskeytide

(4,459 posts)
34. Depends ...
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 02:24 PM
Sep 2016

... habitual tardiness by several minutes - after warnings, could be grounds for termination. But terminating someone soon after they make ethics and HR complaints about actions of superiors throws a curveball into the mix.

If he alleges that "tardiness" was a pretext, his claim may stand. If WF didn't fire everyone who was tardy, that's good evidence of a pretext. I suspect that firing people for being a few minutes late is NOT something they have done consistently.

mwooldri

(10,291 posts)
50. Oh heck no.
Thu Sep 22, 2016, 11:05 AM
Sep 2016

Maybe it is at the Bank of Trump but at most workplaces occasional tardiness happens. Habitual tardiness results in counselling, working with the employee for the reasons for the lateness, and seeing if the employer and management can help. If after this intervention the tardiness proves to be a problem then termination of employment processes may begin. It costs money to bring someone in, train them... intervention before termination can actually be more rewarding.

spiderpig

(10,419 posts)
26. Wells Fargo is trying to out-Bank-of-America in terms of horrible financial institutions
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:43 PM
Sep 2016

And BoA has been the poster child for corrupt banking practices for decades.

I had to deal with those BoA crooks on a daily basis when I was working for a major airline. They'd short cash deposits and blame it on the ticket agents.

Ugh. (They even lost Mr. pig's safety deposit box. He immediately wised up and dumped them.)

 

MindPilot

(12,693 posts)
27. This is exactly why you never, never, ever call an EAP or ethics hotline.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:45 PM
Sep 2016

They are not anonymous, and they are not confidential.

rladdi

(581 posts)
30. The Wells Fargo Fraud, ever though the CEO said it was not fraud.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 01:54 PM
Sep 2016

Will never have an executive charged or go to Prison. History proves, corporate executive never see prison time. Just look at Florida Gov. Rich Scott, 14 charges of Felon, fraud with Medicare, and the GOP moved him to FL and supported him for governor and he won. The GOP hide his background. The GOP has a history of supporting felons and criminals. Most won the office they ran in.

bulloney

(4,113 posts)
32. Wells Fargo and ethics should never appear in the same sentence.
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 02:15 PM
Sep 2016

It's as big of a grammatical error as you can make.

You can make the same claim for just about all of the big banks.

Blue Idaho

(4,987 posts)
35. This scam has been going on much longer than is being reported
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 02:32 PM
Sep 2016

My wife left Hells Cargo a little over a decade ago because she refused to participate in this scam. She attempted to alert WF HQ to the rampant gaming going on in their sales goals and incentives program. Everyone knew - none of the bosses cared about what she was trying to report.

Frankly I'm just glad she made it out alive.

neeksgeek

(1,214 posts)
36. This is why, when I quit my job at a subprime ...
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 03:02 PM
Sep 2016

Mortgage company years ago, where unethical things were happening, I just walked out.

Admittedly I had plans to leave in a few months anyway, so it was relatively easy. But still, I knew, through hints, that complaints would not work.

dembotoz

(16,734 posts)
39. not just banking
Wed Sep 21, 2016, 03:24 PM
Sep 2016

been in telecom for a number of years now

the customer service job is to increase revenue. it is not to supply customer service.
you would see orders packed with all kinds of crap....
I worked for a phone equipment company....My job was to clean up the bills and hopefully save the customer enuf money that the phone system would be affordable.....

these companies--many of them had assigned direct reps were getting screwed on a monthly basis....it was nuts just nuts....

trust corporations???? ahhhh not so much

 

Yallow

(1,926 posts)
48. Prosecute The CEO Then Sentence Him To 10,000 Years No Parole Solitary Confinement San Quentin
Thu Sep 22, 2016, 10:26 AM
Sep 2016

Oh, I thought he was selling weed.....

vlyons

(10,252 posts)
51. Wells Fargo "Bankers Heart" sculpture
Thu Sep 22, 2016, 11:13 AM
Sep 2016

Wells Fargo sculpture outside its world headquarters in San Francisco, that wags named "the banker's heart."

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Wells Fargo workers: I ca...