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How to Get Help From WAGE
If you are having a work-related difficulty at an academic institution WAGE might be able to give you support and assistance. Please write us at our email address: wage@wage.org and provide a brief summary of your situation and your questions, and, if you would like someone to call you back, your telephone number and a good time to call. Remember that university and employer e-mail of any kind is not confidential and can be subpoenaed.
Why Seek Help From WAGE
Our organization consists largely of women (and some men) who have faced serious work-related problems at academic institutions, some of which have resulted in extensive lawsuits and appeals-as shown in our Newsletters. These women and men, and their supporters, have extensive knowledge of how such situations develop.
When you start to have difficulties in your position, you may have any of these reactions: disbelief and denial, recognition of the difficulties and then blaming yourself for them, or recognition that you are being seriously attacked or harassed and having difficulty in being believed by your institution´s Human Resources office or by others who could intervene. Many women have all of these reactions simultaneously and start to wonder if they are going crazy. Talking to someone who has gone through this can help substantially in bringing perspective to the issue.
At the same time it is helpful to get advice about what you need to do to document what is going on and how to do it. Filing formal grievances with the correct office is also important.
If you are an academic, your department chair, dean or ombudsperson may entirely dismiss what you have to say because they cannot believe that Professor x who they have known forever could possibly behave badly. You know he has, and you know you are not the first. Of course, if they did believe you, they would have to take action against one of their colleagues. Again, speaking with someone who has gone through this will assist you in strategizing about how to overcome it.
At some point you might want to consult a lawyer. Wage cannot officially recommend lawyers, but because our members have had extensive experience with lawyers, one of us can suggest criteria you need met when selecting a lawyer and tell you about various plaintiffs´ experiences with particular lawyers.
All the steps in going to court need to be carefully followed or you can jeopardize your ability to file a lawsuit. A favorite refrain is that "you need to exhaust all internal remedies" before filing it. This may or may not be true, which is why as you work to develop your counterattack it is important to work with a lawyerone familiar with both state law and the interior operations of your institution.
Universities usually have a legal department which does not care how long a case takes (the longer the case, the more likely a plaintiff will give up), or how much money it spends (often it has an unlimited supply). But a lawsuit is definitely not for everyone and the financial, emotional, and career costs may be far too much for you. Speaking with individuals who have experienced these costs can help you to decide.
Whatever your situation, one of our members will have been there.
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