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Loading ...Illinois woman files discrimination complaint
Laura Valenziano, as an 18-year employee with United Health Group, is advocating to make her workplace a safe place for GLBT employees.
Valenziano has been advocating within the company as a member of the team seeking to establish a GLBT affinity group within United Health Group.
And, last month, Valenziano became an advocate in another venue, leveling a complaint against United Health with the state of Illinois.
The 55-year-old lesbian cancer survivor from Buffalo Grove, Ill., is alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation, age, gender and perceived disability in a complaint filed in early June with the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Valenziano, a telecommuter with United Health, alleges her workplace trouble began last spring, after she was assigned to report to a new manager, whose praise for her performance ended after their first face-to-face meeting in Orlando, Fla.
After that meeting, Valenziano said her supervisor at the time began to make off-hand remarks about her older staff members; to ask other employees about her personal life, especially about her partner; to inquire about her health and whether she was up to the job.
The working relationship became strained, and last fall Valenziano was assigned to different administrative duties with her grade lowered to Grade 28 from Grade 29.
Valenziano turned to Chicago attorney Betty Tsamis, who specializes in employment law. “We were working to handle it internally,” Valenziano said.
But the situation escalated.
This spring, Valenziano said she unfairly received a negative annual review that was followed by a contradictory largest-ever bonus, $5,000. Then, after receiving the bonus, Valenziano said she received notice that she was being placed on a “corrective action plan” — corporate-lingo for probation.
“They left me no choice but to file a formal complaint,” Valenziano said. “We’ve struggled with this for over a year.”
United Health spokesperson Jeff Smith said he could not comment on the complaint because it is a legal matter, but he emphasized that the company has a “strong policy against discrimination and retaliation in the workplace.”
While declining comment on the complaint, Smith cited United Health’s high rating — 95 percent out of 100 — with the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and its partnership with AARP on senior programs.
“Our company also takes a strong stand on its employment practices for diverse age groups,” Smith said.
Tsamis said the company may have employment policies that earn it good marks with nonprofit groups, but that doesn’t mean its management adheres to the policies.
Through the IDHR complaint process, Tsamis and Valenziano are hoping that United Health will participate in mediation and agree to establish a GLBT affinity group, as well as sponsor companywide diversity training.
“We want to make LGBT employees feel as if the environment is safe there,” Tsamis said. “Right now, this is not a safe environment.”
Sarellec, you’re speaking to a bear that is about 250#, can leg press 700# and is in the gym 4 or 5 days a week.
Someone once told me that exercise is like brushing your teeth. It’s simply something that you should do every day.
How does appearance become more important than the ability to do the work?
So many of the comments here prove the point that looks mean more than anything else.
It was stated in the article that the supervisor had nothing but praise for the woman’s work.
She’s been doing this work for 18 years, so hiding behind the “but her health keeps her from doing the job”–code for “she’s fat”–doesn’t fly either.
She’s been doing the work for 18 years and extremely well, according to her own supervisor.
BEFORE that supervisor met her face to face.
So, obviously, she has a proper work ethic, is not a “lazy” employee (further demonstrating this automatic reaction to the so-called “overweight”–that fat people are inherently lazy), and her abilities and skills were only called into question after her first face-to-face meeting with Trace…um, I mean her supervisor.
BTW, I went every day to a gym for just over a year. I was after that V-shaped back and terrific abs.
I gained 40 pounds of muscle and lost…are ya ready? 2 whole inches off my waist!!
So much for 20 minutes a day three days a week and you can look like this steroid enhanced, genetically lucky bathing suit model!
I was strong enough. There is little need in anyone’s life to be able to leg press 700 pounds.
For a little bit more insight into this, here’s an example:
http://www.jennycraig.com/etools/yourstyle/?dfa=1
Your BMI is 32.5
> 30 Very Overweight
Your weight falls into the overweight category. Assuming you do not have a high level of muscle mass and carry a large skeletal frame your weight falls into the very overweight range. From a health standpoint, this increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. For example, your level of risk is similar to that of an individual with a serum cholesterol level of 240. The good news is that by losing as little as 10% of your current weight, you can reduce your risk for all these conditions. If you already have one of these conditions, you can bring it into better control.
A combination of healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and a positive mindset can help you reach a personally realistic goal.
To stay motivated to reach and maintain your goals, look for One-on-One support.
What a horribly obese and unhealthy individual this report must be for, hunh?
Wrongo:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_average_height_and_weight_of_an_NFL_linebacker
What is the average height and weight of an NFL linebacker?
Answer
About 6′ 2 or 6′ 3 and 220-260 lbs.
Gee, that linebacker better get his ass into a gym, hunh?
Betty, you’ve never encountered a lazy employee that had been retained for years.
It’s happened at almost every employer that I’ve ever had. Hell, just at lunch on Friday a few of us were talking about how “so and so” retained their job for so long. I can pin point to you people that get to work and socialize with co-workers all day, or play on the internet, talk on their cell phones or take personal calls.
Honestly, anyone that works in a large corporation or business can pin point people that simply do not do the work that they were hired to do. So that no one thinks that I’m in a small organization, I work at a pretty well known business that has scored a 100% with the HRC. We have offices in 9 states. But as noted, it’s not isolated to where I work now. If this poor economy has done one thing, it has allowed many businesses to get rid of some of the people that simply were place fillers.
No if that is this woman has not been established. Right now, we’ve only heard one side of the story. I certainly hope that if these allegations are determined to be unfounded that 365gay will mention the same.
And By The Way ….. Menstruator, Love Ya Babe. Your Crazy Rants Always Make Me Smile. You are the stereotype of every man hater that I’ve ever met.
Menstruator… your comments fit your name. They’re menstrual.
Many years ago, an evil manager put me on a corrective action plan for a personality conflict with a person who didn’t know we had a personality conflict. It had nothing to do with LGBT issues. I took it as an opportunity. I did everything that was required, enthusiastically, and quickly, with the help of the other party, who saw me as a victim. He was unimpressed, but HR was. It’s better to have a record of solving problems than of never having had a problem.
The evil manager was fired, and it turned out that all his direct reports were treated as I was. Then I reaped the reward.
It’s not true in every case, but sometimes a “corrective action plan” can be an opportunity to advance.
…and, if she’s a telecommuter, does she work from home? I’m curious to know how she presented herself when she met her new manager…
“…Valenziano, a telecommuter with United Health, alleges her workplace trouble began last spring, after she was assigned to report to a new manager, whose praise for her performance ended after their first face-to-face meeting in Orlando, Fla.”
Gerry Fisher, based upon this statement, there is some merit to the notion that discriminatory practices were initiated toward this woman after seeing her in person. “Some merit” means that it is plausible–though not unquestionably so–that her new manager found her appearance distasteful or unprofessional. There are too many variables, including size-ism, to isolate homophobia. If she is morbidly obese and wears flannel shirts and cotton wife-beaters to a professional job, then she may want to invest in a new wardrobe and purchase a membership at the local gym. In this economy, the competition is fierce. There are at least 100 overqualified, overeducated and underpaid people standing in line to take your job. You can’t take for granted that your job is secure. If you want to stay competitive, you need to keep upgrading your skills and market yourself in a professional, competent and appealing way. …And, there are plenty of heavy-set women who are able to present with competence and grace.
>I think there is some merit to the idea that whatever discriminatory practices that this woman was subjected to were based upon her appearance.
It never ceases to amaze me how much you guys can glean from one article on one website where only one side of the story is being told. She may indeed be discriminated against and she may indeed win (I hope so, anyway). But we can’t “know” anything or judge that there’s “some merit” to the case. All we can do is watch it play out at a distance.
It’s also possible for a company to be great RE LGBT issues and have a rogue department or set of supervisors. I worked in a Fortune 500 company that was, in general, great–but I would have *hated* to have worked in Finance there (very homophobic and behind the curve set by the rest of the corporation).
I’ve also put people on corrective action as a supervisor and assisted a friend who was placed on such a plan. It’s a very tough thing for both the supervisor and the employee. Essentially, the way it worked in our company, the employee had to commit to delivering work that was reasonable given her job description. If she delivers at the end of the period, she stays. If she fails to deliver, she’s fired. It’s a very formal, measured, and documented “probation.”
Society indeed puts a high price on appearances. Unfortunately, too many of us equate weight, skin tone, socioeconomic and more with being “lazy” and/or “unkept”. This is the same as thinking individuals with disabilities have “no ability”; that their disability or the chair they need to get around, whatever…. defines all other characteristics about them as human beings of value and capability.
We must rally for this woman, her courage and integrity on the basis of our very own humanity or question ourselves.
“luckily no one cares when men are fat and ugly, which is 100% of the time.”
Menstruator, it’s people like you who are the problem. Change your tag to “The Discriminator” and you’ll be more honest.
I’ve experienced both ageism and anti-LGBT bias during my IT career. The first time I experienced homophobic remarks blatantly being used was at IBM, another compay that gets good marks for supporting the LGBT community. The incident was reported and glossed over almost immediately with no negative action taken towards the worker who made the remarks.
Corporate makes the touchy-feely policies and contributes a gazillion $$ to HRC so they can look good. It’s up to management to make sure action matches policy and if they don’t, we’re still in a hostile work environment.
I’m curious about something–someone here used the term “lazy employee” and stated they hate when lazy employees skate by for years. The comment is disturbing and not grounded in fact. Please provide us with some factual data. In my experience, because I represent both employers and employees, I have never encountered a single instance where an employer retained a “lazy” employee for any length of time, let alone 18 years!
No idea if HRC is reviewing its criteria but I would encourage people to contact them and cite this case and the other case I have mentioned as an example. By the way, I sent an e-mail yesterday to HRC and have not received a response. By the way, there is a Facebook Group entitled “LAURA VALENZIANO” where we will post updates on Laura’s case. The group is open so anyone can join and invite others to join. Thank you to everybody for your support
Desert Bat,
I am the few men here who stands up to Menstruator’s anti-male chauvenism and sexism.
It’s now some other man’s job to call her out on her anti-maile sexism and chauvenism.
It’s clear I’ve taken this far enough.
I was not willing “to be a doormat for her to wipe her feet on’ so to speak. But if the other men here don’t mind that, then what’s the use. I am out of here. Take care of yourselves, men.
Hope she wins. Shouldn’t have to sue employers for them to do the right thing.
I think there is some merit to the idea that whatever discriminatory practices that this woman was subjected to were based upon her appearance. Numerous studies have been conducted that prove that appearance plays a major role in how people are perceived and treated in the workplace and in other areas of life. And this bias is not exclusive to women only–bald, short, fat and (increasingly) older men are treated the same way. How you present yourself speaks volumes about your character, your personal values, your work ethic, etc. There’s no denying that. When I first came out 20+ years ago, I investigated a glbt youth organization that I was considering attending. I found that the emphasis was on expression of your sexual identity, self-acceptance, creative expression & counseling. What I was seeking was career and life counseling that this org did not offer–how do you manage your identity and still have a career? How do you present yourself professionally? How do you assert yourself in the world as a mainstream lesbian who wants the middle-class dream? How do you get from point A to point B without losing your identity? How do you find a potential mate who is not an alcoholic or mentally unstable who will stalk you at work and ruin your career credibility if you have an argument or break up? This was the type of grooming I desperately needed but could not find. Let’s face it, if you look slovenly or unkempt or your level of obesity suggests potential health risks, you may be limiting yourself, professionally.