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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    3

    Default Starting a Business in the Same Field as Your Former Employer

    My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: NV


    Hey Everyone,

    I wanted to seek your opinions on my situation since you have been helpful in the past. I do have a lawyer but it’s a family member’s law partner so I’m getting great rates so I don’t want to ask him to do too much yet.

    I’m having some problems with a former boss who I fear is going to be doing “shady” things against me.

    Background:

    I worked for company X for 1.5 years and recently left giving a few weeks notice. I was a “younger” generation which they thought I would be a great addition to the team to help with social media and progressing the brand. I was quite successful at doing exactly what they wanted. The problem was when it came time for the change, they were very against it suddenly. Hard to break old habits I guess. I was tired of coming up with new ideas for productions and marketing to only be told to go away and stop bothering the president. I am now starting my own line of the same product where I can execute the ideas I was not given approval to do with company X. There were no non-compete agreements, work contracts etc in place. The factory I’m using is not related to any factories company X used and is in a different part of China.

    The former boss:

    Company x has only a few full time employees so the boss can get away with a lot more and he knows it. I don’t want to say anything that might be viewed as slander, but the boss likes people that are his time and not a big fan of other people from different backgrounds. I’m also not straight, which he also is not a fan of. This boss is a large hypocrite. If a competing company sells a product that is not licensed, he will go out of his way to get them stopped when he distributes the same product. I have not heard from my boss since I left until recently when the plans for my company has gone public. The only text I have received from him was saying “I just want to tell you what a low life piece of **** you are, go **** yourself.” Part of why I worry about him is he is a very paranoid person with rage issues. I think he worries about me since he knows I have e-mails from him describing people in racist ways, calling our customers pieces of **** among other things. I have not shared these e-mails with anyone for what its worth. I also know that he has been lying to Boeing when it comes to paying royalties which I assume worries him now also. On top of that, he was very open with me talking about his “business trips” away from his family were to get paid women in Asia. Basically I have a lot of dirt on him and I think hes trying to do things against me out of fear from that. I honestly expected him to leave me alone because of that, but sometimes his ego gets in the way.

    Some of my former employees have told me that he is trying to serve me a threating letter if I’m caught competing which I know I can’t worry about because its just a scare tactic. They have also said he was trying to go after me for selling items I bought from him at a discounted rate while I worked there. (There were no policies outlined that said this is not allowed)

    Basically I’m worried that he might try to alter something that was my responsibility when I worked for him that he will try to use against me. I did the invoicing/some billing and payment processing when I worked for the company. Employees could (and I took advantage of it) also purchase our own product, which I did often. I have credit card receipts but not a breakdown of the charges.

    Do you think its worth trying to reach out against them instead of waiting to see what he does? Basically I’m dealing with a very angry former boss who can not be the most moral person and it scares me.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions or even general comments. I'll answer more specific details or questions if needed.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: Problems with Former Boss - Starting a Company in the Same Field

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    the boss likes people that are his time and not a big fan of other people from different backgrounds. I’m also not straight, which he also is not a fan of. This boss is a large hypocrite.
    Nothing wrong or illegal about any of that so long as he's not (provably) violating any EEOC laws.

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    If a competing company sells a product that is not licensed, he will go out of his way to get them stopped when he distributes the same product.
    Nothing wrong or illegal about that. Companies that sell unlicensed products that belong to somebody else should be stopped.

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    I have not heard from my boss since I left until recently when the plans for my company has gone public. The only text I have received from him was saying “I just want to tell you what a low life piece of **** you are, go **** yourself.”
    So?

    He's hoping to engage you in a pissing contest.

    Ignore it.

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    Part of why I worry about him is he is a very paranoid person with rage issues. I think he worries about me since he knows I have e-mails from him describing people in racist ways, calling our customers pieces of **** among other things.
    And you call HIM paranoid?

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    I have not shared these e-mails with anyone for what its worth.
    Good.

    Don't.

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    I also know that he has been lying to Boeing when it comes to paying royalties which I assume worries him now also.
    That's between him and Boeing. Not your business.

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    On top of that, he was very open with me talking about his “business trips” away from his family were to get paid women in Asia.
    Again, none of your business.

    Quote Quoting sevenseas
    View Post
    Basically I have a lot of dirt on him and I think hes trying to do things against me out of fear from that. I honestly expected him to leave me alone because of that, but sometimes his ego gets in the way.

    Some of my former employees have told me that he is trying to serve me a threating letter if I’m caught competing which I know I can’t worry about because its just a scare tactic. They have also said he was trying to go after me for selling items I bought from him at a discounted rate while I worked there. (There were no policies outlined that said this is not allowed)

    Basically I’m worried that he might try to alter something that was my responsibility when I worked for him that he will try to use against me. I did the invoicing/some billing and payment processing when I worked for the company. Employees could (and I took advantage of it) also purchase our own product, which I did often. I have credit card receipts but not a breakdown of the charges.

    Do you think its worth trying to reach out against them instead of waiting to see what he does? Basically I’m dealing with a very angry former boss who can not be the most moral person and it scares me.
    OK, I'm going to stop commenting on each sentence.

    Bottom line here: You're starting a business. Pay attention to your business and forget about the rest of the s--t that's filling your own head with paranoia.

    If something's going to happen, there's nothing you can do about it. You handle it when it happens so there's no reason to agonize over it. And if it isn't going to happen, there's no reason to agonize over it.

    I'll guarantee you one thing. You "reach out" and he'll have you just where he wants you, paying more attention to your issues with him than to your own business. In other words, don't pick a mud fight with a pig. You'll get dirty and the pig will have all the fun.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Problems with Former Boss - Starting a Company in the Same Field

    Quote Quoting adjusterjack
    View Post

    And you call HIM paranoid?


    OK, I'm going to stop commenting on each sentence.

    Bottom line here: You're starting a business. Pay attention to your business and forget about the rest of the s--t that's filling your own head with paranoia.

    If something's going to happen, there's nothing you can do about it. You handle it when it happens so there's no reason to agonize over it. And if it isn't going to happen, there's no reason to agonize over it.

    I'll guarantee you one thing. You "reach out" and he'll have you just where he wants you, paying more attention to your issues with him than to your own business. In other words, don't pick a mud fight with a pig. You'll get dirty and the pig will have all the fun.
    Oh believe me I fully realize that this in return has caused me to be a bit paranoid. I'm younger 20s and he is mid 50s and definitely tries to use the intimidation factor when he deals with people. Basically seeing what he has done with other "enemies" of him has caused that. I understand that the items you mentioned above are not my business, I'm just giving a few examples of things that I know that I have been told my friends that work there that he is worried about.

    As far as that text goes, I never replied. I wanted to stay professional through all of this but on top of that, I know that he really wanted a reply and I didn't want to give him that pleasure.

    Thanks for the remarks and comments though.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Quoting adjusterjack
    View Post
    Nothing wrong or illegal about that. Companies that sell unlicensed products that belong to somebody else should be stopped.
    What I mean is there is a company/factory of the same type items that he makes that produces unlicensed models out of China (company Y). The hypocrite part is he tries to get these companies to go after company Y but HE, company X, is the distributor for company Y! On top of that, boss uses them to produce some of his product. Again I know this doesn't matter, just trying to outline the person a bit more.

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