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But - if you want to.... go to FXCM and not I-Trade FX - you will see why below. I started work at a company- a foreign currency broker called I-Trade FX. I soon found that most people investing in this market- lose money- about 80% of the people. It is extremely risky. The reason: in stock accounts if you get a margin call- they will liquidate only one of your positions to meet the call. However- at I-Trade FX (foreign currencies)- with a margin call- they liquidate every one of your positions. It is a form of legal theft. I have never discussed religion or politics within the office- never. However- others had. My supervisor - who openly says he is a Muslim- (I will call him M) has stated that he cannot wait for Barack Obama to get elected president. I kept quiet. The other supervisor was born in India- (I will call him KA) when I first started- he spoke openly about the bad things America has done and how he wanted Barack Obama to be elected president. It was a completely politically incorrect environment. The "F" word was used throughout the office - even by the supervisors. Jokes about ethnicity and even religion were made. Example: We would have mentorship one night a week and the company would buy us dinner. Here is a sample of something said. A person asked (I will call him ER) - "ER what is on your lips?" It was sauce from his dinner. ER's response - "Jesus semen." Example: Another person standing at his desk said- "I just skull f@cked that guy." This was in reference to a call he had just been on. The supervisor replied- "you skull f@cked him- way to go!" And then one day (3 weeks into my job) out of nowhere - people began to avoid me. They avoided eye contact. The people sitting next to me- spoke around me and not to me. They ignored me completely. I had a young African American male to my right - (I will call him BU) and a young white female (I will call her DA) to my left. They spoke to each other - right through me. (DA) would barely even make eye contact or speak to me during the day. Example: At lunch- I walked outside there were three people from our sales teams- I asked- "what are you guys doing for lunch?" No response- everyone just got on their cell phones and started talking. Example: I once walked into the office and someone was walking in as well - they stopped and went back to their car. I watched out of the corner of my eye and then looked back through the glass door once I was inside- they did not get anything from their car- they were waiting for me to walk in. Example: There is a girl (I will call JU) that sits at the end of my row. One time I looked down the row and we made eye contact and her eyes shifted away like she had seen a ghost. No smile - no nothing- it was more like fear. Example: Happy hour a favorite past time of some on the team. Well- (BU) who sat to my right- made it a point to invite everyone- but not even speak or invite me. If he did speak to me- it was normally to put me down. He would make a reference about my shoes (not broker shoes) and occasionally a religious reference. Example: The home run hitting contest at the last all star game in 2008- the entire night was abouth Josh Hamilton and his story about recovering from drugs and becoming a Born Again Christian. Well - (BU) asked me out of nowhere - "did you see the home run hitting contest last night?" I said- "Yes" and it was left at that. That was the only thing he said to me all day. Why would he ask me that when he rarely speaks to me? Example: The Vice president had a party had his house for the entire sales team. I was not even made aware of it... I never got an e-mail. I never got an e-mail about anything going on outside the office. This behavior included people I did not even work closely with. Example: The security guard - (I will call him TO) - who was friendly to everyone- would look away from me when I made eye contact in the hallway. He is the friendliest person there. Example: The receptionist at the front desk- (I will call her CY). When I made eye contact- she would quickly shift her eyes away. I did not even know her (more later). And then suddenly the atmosphere in the office changed again.... All the foul language stopped and references to Jesus in a cursing or joking manner stopped as well. The person that made the skull f@cked comment- made an inappropriate remark and then looked at me and said - "sorry". Why would he say that to me? My supervisor (M) in a meeting- when someone cursed said- "we need to stop this"- referring to the language. Why the change? Now when (ER) made a Jesus joke- there was dead silence. In our mentorship- he made a Jesus joke and this time the vice president (I will call him VP) said - "you can't say that you will offend someone." Why the change all of a sudden? The vice president in another meeting made a comment about religion and then followed it up with- "that is whatever God you follow." The last time (ER) made a Jesus joke- the girl to my left- (DA) - stood up and stared at him for about 30 seconds and no words were spoken- she just stared at him. And then the two people standing next to (ER) sat down. A few minutes later the three took a break to go talk and came back quietly. (ER) stopped his Jesus jokes after that. It was very uncomfortable. We share close space. Fourteen of us in a space 8 feet by 20 feet with desks facing each other and side by side only separated by a divider. But I am expected to perform and be a part of the team when I am ignored.... I became an outcast. People avoided me. Why? It was horrible to walk into the office and even sit at my desk. My supervisor- who openly says he is a Muslim- definitely treated me differently and who I feel at times taunted me. If someone spends 3.5 hours on the phone- my supervisor will go out of his way to praise them. I worked a 12 hour day and made 250 dials in one day - and not even a mention from him. Instead he questioned if I wanted to work there. In a sales meeting -- he once made a joke about Fox News. He said- "we are fair and balanced just like Fox News and then laughed." In that same sales meeting- we were talking about bonuses - and (BU) mentioned entertainment as a bonus. (M) my supervisor said- "what- do you want a stripper pole in the middle of the room?" He said- "that will be good for (CH) and (BU)- but not (JE) - he is married." No mention of me. The vice president's brother (CH) said- "what about Tom?" No response. Why would he not include me? Please know there are two girls on our sales team. It was all inapproriate. Why was I treated differently? What did I do to deserve that? A last example of how I was treated differently by (M)- my supervisor. Everyone jokes inappropriately and they all laugh. So I thought would make a joke - because I had been so beaten up that I hardly spoke in two weeks. (M) was going to the dentist and he talks a lot. So I said to him- "M- you are going to the dentist today? Does this mean when you get back to work you are not going to be able to talk?" There was no laugh! He looked at me like he wanted to kill me. It is true! So one day- I went to Human Resources (I will call her TE). I told her my issues. I spoke to her for an hour about all of the above. I told her that because I go to church and I am a Born Again Christian - I am being shunned and I never even talk about religion or politics (I think I made two references to going to church or meeting friends from a church singles group the entire time I was there). I avoided discussions of church and politics. She suggested a solution to move my desk to the end of the row- so I am not in the middle of all the chaos like foul language and jokes. She said she would speak to the vice president about it. Two days later - I was called into the vice president's office and I was given a paper to sign about one of my phone calls- which was not a bad call for a first week on the phone. My strategy on the call was questioned. They said it was poor. Well- it was a strategy I received from someone in managed accounts that used to run the department and also from the president of the company! The meeting was with the vice president (VP) and my supervisor (M). I told THEM my issues were deeper than the call. I told them of the above and that I was uncomfortable- because of the way (M) was treating me (differently) and the treatment by my coworkers. The VP said he knew nothing of the issue. Please note that I was a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley- and have years of experience. I came into this job with such confidence- but they systematicaly- destroyed it. Well- I had hoped my desk would be moved soon- so I could be more comfortable. I told Human Resources and the vice president of my issues. However- nothing was ever done. My desk was never moved. I asked my supervisor (M) about moving my desk when a space on the end became available. He came back to me and said- it would be done based on how many accounts I open. I went to them with my issues and for help - they had the ability to make things better- but nothing was done to help me. Instead - the atmosphere changed once again! All of this in a matter of weeks. I lasted only 2 and 1/2 months. The cursing returned - but there were no more Jesus references. In fact my supervisor made a point of it - he said- "you can say just about anything in here." I felt like I was being taunted. In the currency market- there is a site called Babypips.com. My supervisor after speaking to a client said- "I think this guy said baby tits, (stating it loudly) about 7 times laughing. He said baby tits, baby tits, he said baby tits, baby tits ha, ha, ha, ha!!!" Is this appropriate conduct for a supervisor? Is this environment proper for the workplace? And then all of a sudden- people were talking to me. They were nice to me. The girl (DA) to my left was making conversation to me and (BU) to my right was being nice to me. There was a lot going on behind the scenes. A lot that I did not know about. The receptionist (CY) that would look away if I made eye contact that I did not know - now went out of her way to smile and wave at me when I walked down the hall? What???????? The security guard (TO) now started making eye contact again. I went to the breakroom of the company that we share a floor with to get away on my lunch hour and in walks the girl (JU) that sits at the end of the row. The girl that looked away in fear from me. I started talking to her and tears started rolling down her face. She knew what they were trying to do to me.... How did they know I was Born Again- maybe someone told them of this Website? Did I have a mutual contact with someone there? Was it because I made two references to going to church? Liberals dislike Christian conservatives. Don't believe me- read my Matrix section- e-mails that I get from liberals. These are real e-mails. They think we are racist, extremists and that we discriminate. No! We love people, God, freedom and cherish life. I did not discriminate against anyone- but look what they did to me! I subsequently ran into the (TE) from Human Resources - who suggested my desk be moved. She said that she never spoke to the vice president about the issues that I raised. I went to her for help- because of my treatment by my supervisor and my treatment by co-workers and nothing was done. Instead- I was given the worst sales leads possible. At this job- we are given leads in order to open accounts. People that download our trading platform from the Internet. I did not pass my supervisors (M's) tests. The tests I was given- were tougher than given to others. An example- in a role play- I said- "I am just a liaison to help you". He stopped me and said- "Don't say just. It puts you beneath them". He hammered me and picked me apart. Any solution I offered- was denied by (M). So I was given 150 dead leads. They are called FXCM leads. There were 1600 of these leads. They were originally given to the representatives with experience and only 1 account was opened out of all those leads. They were worked and determined to be "dead" leads and then I was given 150 of them and expected to open accounts. Mostly- it was old and bad contact information or they were no longer in the market- because they lost money. I was treated differently, taunted by my supervisor, treated as an outcast by co-workers, I went for help to Human Resources, raised my concerns to the Vice President - nothing was done, I given less of a chance to prove myself than anyone and then I was let go from my job for lack of production. Please know that the vice president's brother (CH) started a month before me. He was handfed the BEST leads the company had and opened 3 or 4 accounts in a total of 2 months. Was I was treated differently - because of my beliefs? You decide! You want proof- I can give you a list of people that I spoke to outside the office about this while it was going on..... This includes, my family, people at my church and my closest friends.... Thomas George
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