The strongarm tactics used by people I trusted were shameful. What happened to my family was very avoidable. As an American and a U.S. veteran I am still shocked and saddened by the actions of my former employer. A little communication goes a long way but what does any employee do when no one is listening? Or following the employee handbook? My story is unique because of the extraordinary steps used by my employer to try to bully me into signing legal documents.

Today's lesson for everyone is never, never, never sign legal documents without your own legal review. Period. On the surface, my story is quite simple. My employer ambushed me at a routine meeting with some expensive attorney shoving documents
in my face. The attorney said you are demoted and you must sign here and sign here.

After almost twenty years at my company, I was a department manager for a public utility. The documents presented to me were a demotion and reassignment to an entry-level position. The company was kind enough to include a nice reduction in pay as a bonus. Even more incredible is that this upper management and HR decision was based on alleged performance issues to an employee with a spotless record. You read that correctly.

An important life lesson is to keep your cool even under extreme pressure. This is the point in the story when one wants to stand up and punch Dough Boy the manager with too much hair gel right in the face. I do not advocate this action but for those
few of you who have done this, my hat goes off to you. I bet it feels really good at the time watching Dough Boy on the floor squirming around like a turtle on its back.

However, actions have consequences. The key is to not give your employer a reason to fire you. If you start mouthing off or take a swing at someone, you have just sealed your fate. A wise person keeps their cool and then does exactly what the company has done to you – go out and get yourself a really good law firm.

Then kick their ass!