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31 Hofstra L. Rev. 459 (2002-2003)
Workplace Mythologies and Unemployment Insurance: Exit, Voice and Exhausting All Reasonable Alternatives to Quitting

handle is hein.journals/hoflr31 and id is 469 raw text is: WORKPLACE MYTHOLOGIES AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE: EXIT, VOICE AND EXHAUSTING ALL REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES TO QUITTING Deborah Maranville* I. INTRODUCTION Joan and Myna, two sisters, worked as housekeepers on board a fish-processing vessel for a year and a half On their last voyage, their supervisor, the chief steward, Mark, yelled at them at least four times a day, in sessions lasting at least ten minutes, both while they were on and off duty, and often in front of co-workers. He referred to women generally as bitches and Pavlov's dogs. As a result of this behavior, Joan began taking medication for stress-related symptoms. In their initial orientation, Mark, the chief steward, warned Joan and Myna not to discuss anything with the ship captain. This warning was reinforced by the factory managers and engineers, who said the captain would just refer complaints back to Mark, and his conduct would become worse. Another crew member's complaint had been handled in just that way. Before their last voyage, Joan and Myna had talked to the human resources manager, who said there was little he could do about the situation. They did not file a formal complaint, because they were afraid they would lose their jobs if they did, and they were aware that a co-employee had filed a grievance that had gone nowhere. * Associate Professor of Law, University of Washington Law School. Thanks to the Washington Law School Foundation for summer research assistance, attendees at a presentation to the University of Washington Law School's faculty colloquium series for helpful questions and comments, Jan Madill, Nancy Maranville, Joel Nichols, Kate O'Neill, Mary Hotchkiss, and Carrie Gaasland for careful reading and thoughtful suggestions, Paul Marvy for thorough research assistance, and the reference staff at the University of Washington Gallagher Law Library for unfailingly cheerful and efficient research help. 459