Story 148
I was asked to sign a non-disparagement agreement by a financial institution. I want, so badly, to feel some type of resolution for this terrible thing that has happened to me. The harassment and discrimination I've been subject to have resulted in depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I've been off work on leave for over 6 months. I started taking anti-depressants. I fear I will never be as confident, motivated, or driven as I was before I experienced the harassment. The financial institution has the legal and financial capacity far beyond my own, and I feel cornered to accept their non-disparagement agreement to collect the pittance of "resolution" that's finally on the table. I want to accept it because I deserve resolution. I deserve something, and I'm not financially or mentally willing to keep up the fight forever. My goal is to use my own story to make this world better for others. I don't want others to have to weigh what their voice is worth. I don't want my own tax-payer dollars to go towards silencing future victims.
I experienced harassment from my director at this financial institution from November 2023 to April 2025. The harassment started on the day I accepted the job. I called in sick, and he asked if he could call me, saying it was good news. He offered me a promotion, which I accepted. He asked how sick I was, saying he wanted to sign the paperwork right away. I shared with him that it was "more of a mental health day" and that I would be in the office tomorrow. The next day, he told me "there is no such thing as a mental health day at the financial institution, and as a senior executive, you need to learn to become resilient". He warned me additional scrutiny would be applied to my work and any future leave as a result. He bullied me for a year, criticizing my work, condescending me privately and in front of colleagues, questioning any private appointments in my calendar, isolating me from leadership, changing my priorities, and sabotaging my work.
Over a year later, I requested a week of vacation in 4 months time. He approved it the next day. However, within 1 month of my request, he booked a series of leadership meetings over my vacation and told me my vacation "won't work". In this province, employers can cancel a previously approved vacation for business reasons, but must pay any costs related to cancelling. I asked him if he was requesting me to cancel my vacation, and he responded "are you an adult? Are you an adult? Because I work with adults and professionals on this team. You can take it, its approved. But there will be consequences for that. It will affect your career here at the financial institution. It will affect your performance review." He then told me "it would be different if it were a family vacation", and compared me to a mother who was taking vacation the following week, emphasizing that her vacation is a family vacation, and making me feel like mine is less important. To note, I lost my mom to cancer when I was 20, and I had just lost my father to the same. Members of his own team attended my dad's funeral. He also knew I was going through a divorce. He continued to pry about what I was doing on my vacation. I told HR about the harassment, and the threats. I took the vacation and he gave me a negative performance review. HR encouraged me to "acknowledge" the poor review in Workday, and include all details in the harassment complaint, and they would take care of it through that process. I accepted that advice. In the mean time, I also applied for and accepted a demotion with FCC while I awaited an outcome. While the financial institution was able to substantiate my complaints, they refused to participate in any type of resolution to my career or performance review (and the bonus and salary increase I would have been entitled to in a fair performance review).
I'm finally feeling close to a settlement and they want to include a non-disparagement agreement. I've shared that I will agree to not disparage the financial institution, but retain the right to speak about my personal story about harassment.
