Depositions are Fast Approaching

Well here we are, almost at the third anniversary of the grievance meeting that led to our termination and we are finally getting around to depositions. I'll be leaving on Saturday or Sunday for the 8 hour drive back to the "scene of the crime." We have a full week planned. The three of us will be deposed Monday thru Wednesday and then the last two days are planned for our managers/employers. Then the following Monday has been scheduled as a settlement conference. I don't have high hopes for that.

I'll keep you posted as things progress. I've never been deposed before. I really don't know what to expect. I have been told, however, that it will be "brutal," whatever that means.

I am still working on having this blog and the accompanying website re-designed to make it more user friendly with samples of documents, etc. for you to explore. Please stay tuned. I should have it up within the next month or so.

The Chubb Risk Survey

The Chubb Corporation is an insurance organization that surveys business managers on various internal and external threats to their company's bottom line. A 2004 Chubb Risk survey revealed that 1 in 4 privately held companies have been sued by an employee in the past few years. A 2005 follow-up indicated that, in companies with 500 or more employees, 80% had experienced an EEO charge or lawsuit within the past 5 years and the average loss (settlement, judgement, and legal costs) was $1,152,000.

New projectgail discrimination website

Good news! I've just contracted yoggin.com to design a new website for the projectgail blog and discrimination website. All new features, all new layout - it's going to be great! All the inside scoop you've been looking for in one location! Stay tuned!

Update on Motion to Dismiss

My former employer attempted to get one of my co-worker's gender discrimination and retaliation case thrown out by filing a motion to dismiss. Defendant's attorney was orginally granted 15 minutes to make the case but on May 11 the judge cancelled the scheduled hearing and threw the motion out. The new projectgail site will offer you an inside peak into the motion to dismiss, the reasons behind it, and our attorney's response to it.

Significant Pay Gap Amongst Genders

The May 7, 2007 issue of Time magazine reports that women are earning 20% less than their male counterparts across the nation with the pay gap widening over time. Louisiana had the biggest pay disparity with women earning 64% of what men earn, West Virginia and Washington, D.C show women earning 89% of a man's salary.

In fairness, however, it should be noted that the report was conducted by the American Association of Univeristy Women as a population study. It does not reveal if the study compared men and women in a similar career field, if it took in to account the time (some) women take off to have a family, etc. There are many variables to consider when conducting such a study and the Time magazine article does not go into that.

Sometimes You Have to Get Away

The other day I was looking online and I came across some writings by other women who have endured workplace discrimination. It was interesting because I was able to tell just how fresh their wound was by the tone of their writing. It seems the emotional process is very similar for everyone. The first two years is just raw anger. I'm in my third year now (this July) and I can tell you it does get better.

This summer I'm looking forward to going home for a visit. I have the trip planned immediately following depositions.

This is my oasis - my parent's home in Tennessee. Spending time with family and friends; I don't think a doctor could write a better prescription.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Putting this discrimination blog on technorati

Technorati Profile

Interrogatories aka How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Weekend

This past weekend I finally tackled what I've been putting off for nearly a month...interrogatories. Interrogatories are a list of questions opposing counsel wants answered to help them determine in advance what facts will be presented in trial (they, in turn, must respond in kind). This obviously takes place before depositions (ours have been scheduled the week of June 11, 2007).

I was given 30 days to respond. Normally, it wouldn't be that big a deal. However, it is the way in which they want you to respond that's such a pain in the arse. For example when they say they want you to "identify" a document it means they want you to:

"a) specify the nature of the document (such as, for example, a letter, memoranda, etc); b) state the date, if any, appearing on the document, or if not, the date on which such document was prepared; c) describe in general the subject matter of the document; d) identify each person who wrote, signed, dictated, or otherwise participated in the preparation of the document; e) identify each person(s), if any, who is an addressee thereof; f) if the document was at any time transferred between any two or more persons, identify which person(s) who were a party to the transer, and when the transfer occurred, and g) if the document now exists, identify each person having custody of the document"

We have collected documentation over the past three years! That's a lot of documentation to have to "identify." I'll share with you the answers I supplied (I stumbled across a short-cut) once my attorney gives me the go-ahead.

Thanks for Supporting ProjectGail

I want to give a shout-out to the folks who have supported ProjectGail by purchasing a t-shirt, button, or other gift item. By far, the number one most requested item has been the "Yes, I am a feminist" line. I really appreciate you spreading the word!!!!! Send me a picture and I'll post it on this site. Thanks to:

Bethany from Virginia
Elyse from Georgia
Chadra from Virginia
Arielle from California
Angela from Florida
Brian from Michigan
Sarah from Kansas
Kathleen from California
Julia from Wisconsin
Steven from Pennsylvania
K.M. from New Jersey
Lora from North Carolina
Ashley from Michigan
Cassey from Alaska
Of course, my sister Amy from Tennessee
and Dina in Illinois

You guys rock! Thanks!!!!!!

To purchase a gift item in support of ProjectGail, click here.