Advice needed plus rant.

leto86

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Alrighty. Most of you know that I volunteer at an animal rescue organization and that I put out approx 200 hours every month.

What you don't know is that I don't even enjoy it... anymore. There used to be a time when I loved going in. Now it's a chore and I don't want to wake up in the morning anymore because I know whats coming.
Now don't get me wrong. I love those animals more than anyone could ever imagine. And I don't want to leave them. But things happen.

The past few months have gotten worse. I've always had problems with the boss, but lately it seems to have just gone downhill. Back in June we had 2 awesome volunteers start to help us. A lady and her husband. She would come and spend time with the special needs kitties, and he was bashing out walls and putting in windows and making the shelter more roomy and just better in general. All for free might I add.
Well a few weeks ago the boss got it in her head somehow that they were trying to take over or something and has just gone power hungry and has been making all of our lives hell.
Every simple discussion turned into a verbal fight with threats and verbal abuse.
But the 2 volunteers stuck by through the hate and the words and everything.

This past weekend was it, though. She said one too many rude things and that was it. The husband quit. Halfway through putting a new window in.
Then on Sunday we were fundraising.. selling chocolate bars at a local market. And she decided that she needed all the money (we are supposed to raise $900 first, pay for the chocolate bars, then sell the res and the money is all for the animals) but thats not the way it works out and we couldn't get it through her head.
Anyway.. I could say everything that happened on Sunday and it would take you an hour to read it. So to make a long story short-ish. She basically told us that we were supposed to be mind-less freaks and do whatever she says, whenever she says, and cannot have a brain.

Three volunteers quit that day, right then and there. We aren't paid to put up with this sort of junk.

Then she fired three others yesterday. Saying that they were causing negativity and she needed to get rid of them. Then she told me I couldn't talk to the lady and that we weren't allowed to be friends. Excuse me? I'll talk to who I want whenever I want. I am my own person and you have no say in what I do outside of the shelter.
So then she went to the point where she is now getting us to sign a confidentiality clause so I can't talk to ANYONE about ANYTHING going on inside the centre. She is doing this because she doesn't want me talking to the lady about the animals or anything.

Okay.. well now after I finally ranted and got all that out. Here is my questions.

Firstly she said that the confidentiality clause was starting today, verbally. Can that be allowed? How does this go about being Legal since it is not on paper?
And if/when I do sign the paper.. what sort of punishment could I get?

I am going to refuse to sign the paper anyway.. and if she says I HAVE to, then I am quitting. Because it's not her say who I talk to and what about.

And again.. I love those animals more than you would believe... but it's just not worth the abuse anymore. I can't take it. It really will break my heart to leave them all.. but I just can't do it anymore. I'm gone.. when is the only question.
 

white cat lover

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IMO, the boss needs to be fired. Anyone above the boss you can go to?

I know it'll be tough, but you may have to stop going. Sounds like you're getting burnt out. I know the feeling, I finally took one day off because I couldn't handle it anymore...and that was enough for me.

Rescue workers are a special type of person, few & far between can handle that. I don't think a confidentiality clause can be enforced. I wouldn't sign the paper unless you can get an attorney to look at it.
 

callista

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Man... you need to find yourself another rescue. That lady will learn, if her volunteers are all leaving her, that she has got to be nicer to people if she wants to get anything accomplished.
 

katz4life

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Wow! She sure is going above & beyond what a boss shouldn't be! She definitely needs to be replaced with someone who puts more emphasis into the animals rather then being so controlling with all of you...
 

laureen227

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i think you're right... i wouldn't sign a blanket confidentiality clause, either.
besides, how're you supposed to find homes for the animals if you can't talk about them?
 

yosemite

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Wow! Talk about an ego trip - is she still able to get her head through the doors?

If she has lost 6 volunteers already (3 quit and 3 fired), how many does she have left besides you? She may not be quite so feisty when she has to start doing all the work by herself.

I agree that you should take this up with her boss - I'm sure they don't want to be losing good and valuable volunteers because of her ignorance.

The other thing I would do is ask her for a written version of the Confidentiality Agreement - tell her you have a friend/contact who's a lawyer and want them to look at it before you agree to anything verbal or written. That should shake her up a bit. I've done something like that before and it was amazing how quickly they backed off.
 

capt_jordi

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instead of leaving the animals with her I would find a way to get rid of her! I agree talk to her boss. And I like the lawyer friend idea too!
 

sadieandziggy

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My mum is a child foster carer. She is bind to a confidentiality contract. But that doesn't mean that she cannot talk about the children she cares for. So long as she doesnt name names, then thats fine.

So long as you don't say: "This woman called..... brought in a cat that she didn't want anymore." Then that would be fine.

I think you should speak to the owner of the shelter. I'm sure they care enough about the animals for their staff to also be happy. And they don't want their shelter to be poorly maintained and short of workers. If you can't do this, then find yourself a new shelter!!!
 

jcat

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Forget about signing any confidentiality agreement. You're not being paid; if she wants to cut her own throat by "firing" you for not signing it, so be it. I know you worry about the animals, and there not being enough volunteers to take care of them. Since that's probably the case now with so many people "being fired" or quitting, contact animal control in your area, make them aware of your concerns, and ask them to investigate. If you're not sure whom to contact in your area, Mark Kumpf, the TCS AC advisor, may be able to point you in the right direction: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/member.php?u=5995

I saw the same thing happen at a local volunteer shelter years ago, and know that history is repeating itself at a rescue organization in our county right now. It has made me very wary. There are certain people who come to feel that they are the "only" ones who can make the best decisions for the animals' welfare, and they become very controlling and paranoid. The next step is that they become hoarders.
 
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leto86

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With myself, the boss, and one other lady as full time volunteers. Evryday. And then 1 lady comes every other day. And a few kids on the weekedn. Not nearly enough people, and we lost the best ones that weekend.
It now takes us 8 hours to clean everything. What used to take us 4-6.

Unfortunately there is no one higher than her. She owns the rescue, and she can over throw whatever she wants to, in her opinion.

I am definitely not signing any clause now. Or I'll mention that I want my lawyer to look at it before I sign it. Or both.

There are certain people who come to feel that they are the "only" ones who can make the best decisions for the animals' welfare, and they become very controlling and paranoid. The next step is that they become hoarders.
This is her to a T. Exactly.
 

strange_wings

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Wouldn't this person be violating basic human rights code there? (only know the basics of it there, double check)
Is it possible to report this person? To get every person there suffering under her tyrannical behavior to report her to? If that's not enough, threaten to go to a local paper.


No one deserves to be abuse in the workplace or where they're volunteering. You all have basic rights.
 

lunasmom

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I agree with everyone else.

Take this issue up with her boss. In fact I would set up a generalized letter and send it to everyone that has quit or was fired. Either let them know what you're doing, or visit each one personally and ask them to sign a petition that states how tjis woman is treating voluunteers.

If nothing is done, then pack your things and go. Also use Yosemites advuce about the lawyer. A trrue legal document can cost up to $150 for something like that. Most likely she's using it as an intimidator, another way she can rule you under her thumb. She probably never will get the document, or she;s getting a cheap rip off that will probably have apparent holes in it.
 

icklemiss21

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I signed a confidentiality agreement at the shelter (non disclosure type) it doesn't prohibit me from talking about the cats, but the vets and adopters, but even if it did, it would be hard for her to prove you mentioned specifics and the confidentiality that was broken.

I agree that it sounds like you are burning out, especially with a full time (volunteer?) position. It is also that time of year where things are slowing down after the kitten season and you can think about how things are rather than just rushing through the day.

If you are a volunteer, there are plenty of shelters that would be greatful for the help, it is not worth stressing yourself out for, and losing all her volunteers and spending 15 hours cleaning might be what she needs to realise she is not the centre of the universe.
 

carolpetunia

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If she owns the shelter, is it operating entirely on her own money? Or does she receive support from other organizations, like the city or the county? Does she get any kind of community grant money?

Depending on that financial structure, there may be someone you could talk to who could "consult" with this woman before she runs the shelter completely into the ground... at which point it's the animals who will suffer.
 

catsknowme

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I agree with CarolPetunia - find out where the funding is coming from and for the animals' sakes, let those people know what's going on. The situation at the shelter just can't be headed in a good direction
 
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leto86

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Yeah.. I am a full time volunteer. No one as far as I know, gets paid for anything.

The shelter runs on purely donations. Whether it be a city grant or public donations or whatever.. but we only get maybe2 grants a year right now. Recently became incorporated and thats supposed to help.
 

white cat lover

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How brave are you? If you can do it, call her out, stand up to her. If someone doesn't, she's gonna implode & take the animals down with her.
 

happy cat

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there are lots of rescues, or county pounds that would love to have you as a volunteer.

let miss Know it all run her rescue into the ground all by herself.

sad for the animals I know, but you can't be her doormat cause you love the critters.

just my two cents worth.
 

catcaregiver

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She sounds like she could be related to the control freak Animal Control Officer we have in our City facility. Your situation closely mirrors something that happened here. I'm sorry that you and the animals are suffering due to her nasty behavior.
 
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