Ratner Hair cuttery Discrimination 1000 Location Vienna Virginia

February 21, 2009

Ratner Corporation
Attn: Human Resources Manager
1577 Spring Hill Rd Suite 500
Vienna, VA 22182

Dear Human Resource Manager:

I wanted to let you know of a situation that happened while I was employed with your company. I have been in the hair industry for over 24 years and am very familiar with managing a salon and employees.

This was my first experience with working in a corporate situation and found the District Manager to be totally unprofessional and lacking in leadership skills and communication skills.

The first two weeks of my employment I was placed into what she called training. I was assigned to Willa Springs where they had fired someone and ended up picking up their shifts with none of the training. I received a phone call from Ginger Delong that she was coming to pick me up and take me to the salon that she wanted me to lead in since the lead had given notice.

During the drive over to the salon I started getting questioned about my religious beliefs and what type of relationship I had with God. I have certainly been around enough to know that is totally an inappropriate conversation for a supervisor to be having with an employee. I felt I was being questioned and judged on the answers that I was giving on something that is totally personal.

I was then supposed to be transferred to that salon to be trained by the lead that had resigned. She was then fired the following week from the Lockwood location. I basically had one week of training.

Upon being hired I was told that my job was to increase the traffic into the salon and build up the clientele. Ginger instructed me to act as if it was my salon and I paid the bills. I was genuinely excited about that aspect of my position. I then did several things to make that start happening. 1) I did flyers, 2) I instructed the stylist to start pre-booking appointments and continuously work on up selling not only the services but the products too. 3) I networked with the other business around the salon in the area. 4) I pulled a listing from the MDR of surrounding schools to talk to the secretaries about doing an email campaign for teacher appreciation week. 5) I was able to get items donated from businesses in the area and we put together gift baskets with those items and our products to have for Valentines Day. One of the biggest aspects was gaining the respect of the stylists in the salon since they have had 7 leads in a year.

On Tuesday January 27th, I attended the WOW event at the Heathrow Country Club. I was very excited to attend the event since it was my first corporate event with this company. On two occasions I tried to introduce myself to Mr. Ratner and both times he intentionally turned and walked away. I wasn't sure what was going on. The next thing that happened was Mr. Ratner's brother was sitting at the table next to mine. He was called on stage and took the mic and turned to the table he was seated at and said the sissy word works. I was stunned that someone at that level would or could be that unprofessional and demeaning! I did take the comment as a discriminating remark!

Two days after the event, Ginger came to the salon and asked what I thought about the event. I explained that I was offended by the actions of Mr. Ratner and his brother and the comment that was made. I explained that I felt it was discriminatory and offensive. After I confided in my supervisor what I felt about their actions, she stated that she felt that salon was not a fit for me and was asked if I wanted to step down and become a stylist in another salon. I was told I did not have the support of my staff. Oddly enough I am still receiving calls and emails about how they missed me being there and that Ginger was the issue in the salon.

I was told to think about stepping down and going to another salon. The following Tuesday Ginger arrived in the salon at noon and I was then told in that conversation that there weren't any salons available at this time, But to my surprise I continuously found advertisements on Craig's List looking for Lead Salon Managers at Florida Mall, Millenia Mall, Orlando and Ginger's district in Sanford. I was then told not to finish out the day and asked to leave .I was told to tell the stylist that I had taken another offer.

I have received calls that Ginger then removed all the items for promotions, disassembled the gift baskets and threw away the items that were donated.

Even at this point I am still missing hours on my checks and the last day I worked I received no hours just service commission. I was there for 5 hours at the $14 per hour rate.

I need a contact person to work with on straightening out the hourly differences and thought Human Resources should know what is happening in the field. It was extremely evident based on the questions from Ginger on religion, and the obvious discrimination that was displayed not only in the work place, But at your corporate event that there is an issue here.

I would appreciate a prompt reply on the missing hours and would be more than happy to discuss the actions and conversations that transpired.

Sincerely.
here is some more information i found on this company in court docs.

Ms. Miller and appellee, Warren Ratner, began to live
together, apparently at his request. Appellant, at his request, substantially altered her lifestyle. After living with appellee for approximately three years, appellant became seriously ill with breast cancer. He initially supported her, but later rejected her and ordered her to leave his house. She refused. She alleges that Warren, and his brother Dennis, then conspired to inflict emotional distress upon her in order to cause her to vacate Warren Ratner's house (and his life).

She alleges that, while she was ill from undergoing radiation treatments, Warren repeatedly woke her up in the middle of the night admonishing her to leave. She alleges that Warren's brother Dennis, also an appellee, telephoned her during the same period, calling her "b*tch," "w***e," and a "one-breasted woman." He told her that his brother "deserves a whole woman, not a one breasted woman." He told Ms. Miller on at least one occasion, "f*ck you."

She further alleges that Warren repeatedly told her she was a financial burden and that she was going to die. She proffered that Warren threatened her with bodily harm if she did not leave his house and told her that if she did not voluntarily vacate his house, he would have her put out by the "Woodridge boys." while this poor women was fighting for her life. "what cowards these men are"

Discrimination from the owners of hair cuttery
orlando, Florida
U.S.A.