Technisource Discrimination against disabled people Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I was forced into medical retirement from federal service because my neck was essentially broken in 2006. I didn't file for retirement at that time because I was only 47 and thought that surgery would fix my neck. As hard as I tried, the injury made my job as a senior level IT manager - as a GS-14 in Washington DC all but impossible to do well, so I decided to throw the towel in. I was separated in mid-May 2009 into disability retirement status. I could still work, but the work I was doing was physically demanding, and I had to step down.

Thinking I would be able to still handle customer support or a scaled down version with all my experience, I put my resume out on the Internet. One of the few jobs I applied for was as a desktop support tech with Technisource.

A few days later, Technisource's Glen Allen, Virginia office "Senior Account Executive" by the name of John Meehan called me and he was very excited! He rambled on wanted to know all about why I thought I was qualified for some other job (not what I had applied for). This went on for a few minutes before he realized he was talking to me about the wrong job.

Finally he realized I was "extremely well qualified" (his words) with stellar references, a very high TS/SCI clearance, and 15 years experience. On that initial phone, he negotiated my new salary, and asked me if I would want work for Technisource exclusively! He also wanted to negotiate that salary too. He told me I could start around June 15th.

Then he asked me what "disability retirement" meant (from my government job I just retired from). I explained I had a disability, but required no accomodation at all. He kept asking more and more questions, like, "how could I crawl under desks" and kept digging and digging about how I could do this job. I explained to him again that I simply had undergone a 5 level fusion in my neck, but he wouldn't stop.

After about 10 minutes of quizzing me about my "interesting" disability, he told me to send him 3 references, submit my profile on their website, join specific social networking sites, and he would get back with me asap.

Two weeks later, he has still not responded to 4 of my emails. I called him, and instead of him answering professionally, he hesitated (apparently saw my number), and wanted to know who I was and what I wanted. He stammered so much when I asked why he refused to answer my emails, etc. that I wondered if he was okay. I asked him if it was my disability or my age that made him suddenly clam up. He kept stuttering, and I finally hung up and called their corporate office.

HR goes through their "help desk," and a rude lady full of attitude chastised me for not going straight to his manager instead of going through corporate, and that I should have followed their chain of command! Starting to sound like this happens a lot!

She gave me a help desk ticket number for my complaint - which meant nothing to me, so I contacted his manager, who is in turn reviewing my statements with Senior Account Executive John Meehan.

PLEASE, PLEASE stay away from Technisource. This kind of treatment is unethical, against the law, and on top of all of this, there never even was a real job! What I applied for was not even a real job! Are they just collecting resumes and giving everyone this treatment - maybe thinking that one day someone will ask them to fill a job??

We were actually getting ready to move over a promise made by this smarmy recruiter. Maybe I would have gotten a job if he didn't know I had a disability? Who knows, but here I am - writing a missive about a really bad experience.

I have found Technisource to be misleading, discriminating, and lying used car salesmen. I truly feel sorry for all the others who have been duped by Technisource, Spherion, and their other aliases! They are apparently preying on the unemployed by collecting resumes, making false promises, and asking illegal questions in their screening processes. I think it's time someone challenges their unethical practices and exposes how they really operate.

Mark
Bryans Road, Maryland
U.S.A.