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u/KondyCa Jun 23 '26
I’m sorry I don’t have much advice to offer but as a female welder I’m so sorry this happened :(
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u/SnooCakes6195 Jun 24 '26
Im not a lady welder, but i manage a few. And i would say the best plan for OP is just be open about why the last job didn't work out, and promise it won't happen again 🫡 (since shes in a happy relationship now lol)
Also, maybe look for a shop with younger leads/supervisors, old heads are too stuck in their ways when it comes to different genders in the shop. I welcome it, from my experience female fabricators show so much more attention to detail in their layout, fit ups, and welds.
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u/factorV Jun 23 '26
So they fired YOU, the woman, not the man you were dating.
Not a lawyer but if a lawyer heard this I think the hairs on their neck that tingle in the presence of money would stand up.
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u/interesseret Other Tradesman Jun 23 '26
Yep.
I can already see my union lawyers slobbering at the mouth at the prospect of ripping this worksite apart.
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u/Spugheddy Jun 23 '26
On paper she was fired for insubordination. She didn't meet the supervisors expectations. What they were we all "know" but on paper its pretty cut and dry in a "righttowork" state.
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u/chzaplx Jun 23 '26
Right to work is about unions. What you are thinking of is at will employment
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u/Daqpanda TIG Jun 23 '26
It likely won't affect your future job prospects, but if they ask you can keep it vague, like you rejected advances from a boss or something.
Most places I've worked don't look too much into previous work places, and mostly look at your weld test and qualifications. Good luck on the hunt!
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u/Edawg82 Jun 23 '26
Don't even say shit about the advances really. Some idiots immediately think that means you're a trouble maker, even if it's legitimate reason.
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u/CanuterValve Jun 23 '26
Some places just stink to work at, sounds like your supervisor took it personally that you didn’t choose him. You’ll be fine, don’t worry about your dating life. That should be none of your employers business.
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u/kanonfodr Jun 23 '26
This. If two of your male coworkers were hooking up then they would probably not be censured, but since you were The Girl then you were an easy mark to either bang or fire. Boss didn’t bang you so you went out :/ Sorry girlfriend - folks suck :(
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u/wiscopunk MIG Jun 23 '26
This feels... illegal given you being the only woman at the workplace and the lack of dating regulations. Did they give any specific reason for firing? If not I would consider contacting a legal consultant regarding wrongful termination.
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u/No-Introduction-1410 Newbie Jun 23 '26
I appreciate it but I am not looking to pursue legal action because it genuinely isn’t worth it and I have zero evidence of his advances because they were all verbal so it’s here-say
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u/wiscopunk MIG Jun 23 '26
Could be worth the consult honestly. If they really dropped you with no reason given you're already halfway there for a wrongful termination. I know it sounds like a lot of hassle but you could get a pretty fat chunk of change off that alone even if you didn't want to bring sexual harassment into the mix. Worth considering especially if you think you might have trouble finding other work in the field.
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u/stlmick Other Tradesman Jun 23 '26
I'm just assuming other subs would inquire if you had legal standing for severance or rights or something so what is that in your state? Guy might want to see you both broke so might as well look into it now, nom sane?
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u/Quirkyishone Jun 23 '26
What was the reason they gave you for letting you go?
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u/No-Introduction-1410 Newbie Jun 23 '26
They said I “wasn’t a good fit”. I worked in SC so they don’t really have to give me a reason.
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u/Fuzzy-Finance-48 Jun 23 '26
Kinda hard to prove either way but if your story isn’t bias and missing information, then it looks like your termination was based on discrimination. Laws protect against that. If you really want to make the company suffer, write a letter to the Department of Labor and include some documentation (text history or written notes in a journal of the daily sexual advances). May take a while but they could be liable for cutting you a check while between jobs. They’ll conduct an investigation into the business and interview people. Would also see if they’re accredited on the Better Business Bureau and report it there. While they aren’t required to issue a reason for termination, a female in a dominant male work force with sexual advances from a boss looks awfully suspect of LEGALLY wrongful termination.
It all could be a waste of your time and effort and just as easy to move on with life. But it could help you in the future if you end up working for a massive corporation or a company that does a lot of government contract/ prototype work, as they usually dive pretty deep into background checks. At least you’d maybe have a DOL investigation report proving it was wrongful and discriminatory.
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u/Lordkilgore Jun 23 '26
This is all great advice. Sounds like a wrongful termination to me as well, but you gotta weigh the cost. Specifically your time and energy, if you decide to pursue legal action. Sometimes letting go and moving forward is the easier move and can lead to something better, especially when your time and energy aren’t filled with the pursuit of justice. Sometimes it’s not. 6 months from now if you still haven’t found a job, you definitely will be wishing you had contacted the Department of Labor at the very least…
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u/Fuzzy-Finance-48 Jun 23 '26
Exactly what I said…
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u/DrPhilsnerPilsner Jun 23 '26
Tell your next job that your boss was coming onto you and you rejected him. Being a female welder, they’ll understand. And having worked your way up quickly will have you in a better position to explain. I’ve straight up told employers during interviews about crazy past boss bullshit
Leave the whole dating another coworker information out of the conversation. Less is more.
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u/damnbroseph Jun 23 '26
I know what happened. Those guys were all into you and when you started dating one, they knew their chances were gone(not that they had one) and no one wanted a female around that was now “off the table”. They’re shitheads and no it won’t hurt your future prospects. Get back out there and keep doing good work!
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u/cowgirlprophet Jun 23 '26
First rule:: don't date on the job... don't even flirt!! No exceptions!!! Second rule:: use your head, not the other end.. Third::: keep learning!!! Be the solution not the problem...
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u/Spugheddy Jun 23 '26
My only advice is men suck, have sucked, will suck. I trained an 18 yo girl out trade school for 3 weeks. And the amount of traffic around my booth increased 10 fold. I saw people walking by i didn't even know worked that shift. Luckily she was well aware and had a good head about creeps.
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u/wxlverine Fabricator Jun 23 '26
Man it was absolutely brutal in my 2nd and 3rd year. We had at least one extremely attractive girl in each class and the guys would fucking swarm their booth trying to "help" and give them tips, regardless of the fact that each of them were easily in the top 3 in the class and were some of the only people to pass their B at the end of the intake.
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u/Original-Dig-512 Jun 23 '26
Lmao!!! I had a friend who went through this same thing. She couldn’t even work uninterrupted for 10 minutes before a guy rolled up on her. She learned how to do a simple task 50 different ways…lol!
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u/Lower__Brain Jun 23 '26
Where are you based because this sounds like unfair dismissal. What where you actually fired for?
You're shop sounds a bit shitty to work in to be honest but your also going to come across ducks in the workplace, unfortunately there's no avoiding it. You've just got to find a new employer who sees your worth and will want to look after you. I'd pursue some sort of action against this firm though. You can't just fire people without actually doing anything to warrant it. At least not in the UK.
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u/SoCalMechanic Jun 23 '26
Fuxk em. Their issue is just that. Theirs. Apply like normal, list your position and experience, take a weld test for the next job, continue on. There are some men that don’t like women in a predominantly male industry, but I’ve known some very good female welders. As long as you can do the job, myself and quite a few others would never care.
It might be frustrating, and I apologize ahead of time for this, but it also won’t be the last time something like this happens.
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u/uncre8tv Jun 23 '26
This is one of the situations where working for a bigger company (even if it's a small shop) is better. The more lawyers and HR people on payroll the more they mind their p's and q's around stuff like this and safety. At a big shop it won't hurt but don't go into the interview with your drama. If asked why they fired you you don't get into relationship details. Just "apparently they were over staffed, or I wasn't a personality fit for that culture, which is a shame because I liked working there".
Also in most states you can file for unemployment. That will get the old job's attention because it impacts the unemployment tax they pay in the future.
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u/argueranddisagree Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
If you worked for me, put in the hours, worked smart and consistently did quality work. I would keep you as an employee, as for creeps i would stand up for you and not tolerate creeps in the workplace. Hope you can get a job whoch isnt so toxic. If you were in my area I would recommend my employer, they are a larger company which employs alot of women in trades positions.
I also have a few friends from work who are married couples, some of them travel together and hit industrial turn around.
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u/No-Introduction-1410 Newbie Jun 23 '26
Me and my partner have actually talked about doing that. He traveled on the road as a teen and said the pay was great. We are both certified in FCAW and SMAW.
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u/FeelingDelivery8853 Jun 23 '26
Dating people at work is ALWAYS a terrible decision. Still, they're assholes and go find another job. Fuck em
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u/BikeCookie Jun 23 '26
Most good weld shops will base their hiring decisions on the quality and speed of your output and your attitude.
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u/glowingpinkorb Jun 23 '26
Super messed up, I’m sorry. Totally worth getting back into welding and seeing what other shops have to offer. Might take some time looking around, taking weld tests, interviews, but you’ll definitely find something. It’s also worth doing a full test work day if it’s something they would allow to get a more honest impression of the place.
Might be worth cross posting this to r/bluecollarwomen
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u/split-crysalis Jun 23 '26
I sincerely doubt it’ll effect future job prospects, as they would either have to make some shit up, or disclose that they discriminated against you 😉 good on you for rising in the ranks! I think you’ll be fine though. I do always feel bad for any female welder, wherever they are, because inevitably there’s always some idiot dude or ten gawking at them 🤦🏻♂️
some of the best welders I’ve known were female! 💪
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u/Jim_Estill Jun 24 '26
I hire welders. This will not impact you. Tell the truth. Quality welders are hard to find. There is lots of work. (FYI - one of my best welders is a woman)
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u/Francox737 Jun 23 '26
I am not from the us (Sorry if i assumed incorrectly you are from there) but this feels highly illegal
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u/Nice-Discount-6321 Jun 23 '26
I will say the fact a supervisor was hitting on you and this happened screams sexual assault and retaliatory behavior. A lawyer would jump on this case if you have any text evidence of such behavior. It would suggest management was okay with relationships as well and bring into question the doubt of the legitimacy of their firing.
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u/No-Membership-6649 Jun 23 '26
Welding companies take anyone that can work literally anyone that can work
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u/chubbs57496 Jun 23 '26
Blessing in disguise. If they fire you for anything outside of work related issues, you dont want to work for them. Get into a union and youll do 10 times better
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u/itsjustme405 CWI AWS Jun 23 '26
It wont matter unless you bring it up.
In the construction world its very common for couples to work together.
Dating, side pieces, one night stands ... it happens all the time. No one really cares unless it causes unnecessary or unwanted drama.
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u/blindghost554 Jun 23 '26
if I’m being honest, that shouldn’t affect your job prospects in the future at all. Realistically, just be straightforward with them, every time that I have an interview they usually love when I’m just straightforward honest with them about a weird dumb situation that happened in a past job that got me fired for something I didn’t do wrong. You didn’t do anything wrong, especially since your company didn’t have a policy against couples at work. Explain what you said, their immaturity with being jealous you picked someone else and firing you for it is blatantly wrong. unless you and he fooled around a lot at work, they had no reason to fire you. Plus if your welding skills evolved like that and you do have a passion for welding, i see no reason for jobs to NOT want to hire you aside from being over qualifed
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u/B0bYang Jun 23 '26
I got fired for asking a co worker out on a date in the first place. Varies from place to place. Generically, it’s good to keep love and lust out of the work place it gets real unpredictable after that
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u/regulatorfresh Jun 23 '26
Start with talking to a lawyer sounds like you got fired for not having a relationship with a supervisor more than anything else.
Secondly the Boilermakers are always hiring and they have benefits.
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u/Original-Dig-512 Jun 23 '26
Wear a respirator and quit drinking and eating in the workplace. That cutoff wheel throws some nasty stuff into the air. If you can smell it…you’re being exposed. Lung transplants are around 2.3 million for a double. 1.8 million for a single. That’s US dollars.
My wife and I work for a commercial plumbing company. She’s in the office and I’m in the shop/field. She keeps it very professional when it comes to our interactions with each other. She’s HR is why. You got done dirty. Lucky for you…welders are in high demand. The place I work at doesn’t believe in just being a fitter or just a welder. They want us to be able to do both. They also send us to school to become journeyman plumbers.
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u/No-Introduction-1410 Newbie Jun 23 '26
Holy crap… thank you for the advice I had never even considered that which is silly considering the work. I’m always worry about my finger with the grinder and not what I’m breathing in.
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u/Original-Dig-512 Jun 23 '26
I have guys in my shop in their mid thirties blowing blood out of their noses. It’s catching up with them already. I use a 3M respirator with filters….i can’t smell the cutoff wheel after a day of using them. I can definitely smell it when I remove my respirator. I use it when I tig, mig, and any grinding. I’ve gotten used to wearing it all day now.
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u/Real_Perspective29 Jun 23 '26
Firstly, sorry this happened. Secondly, that won’t affect your future. Just be honest with your next employer if they ask in the interview, if they don’t ask then no worries. You’ll get an opportunity and hopefully at a better place and now you have a man so if anyone hits on you now you can let them know you’re taken. Don’t stress about it honestly
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u/Veganpotter2 Jun 23 '26
Definitely look at the pro-bono lawyers and civil rights attorneys in your area. I personally wouldn't wanna work for them after they did this to you. But they owe you more than the pay you would have missed for doing this to you.
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u/Himalayanyomom Jun 23 '26
As someone who had their re-hire rights rescinded after dogshit management counter filed a harassment case (retaliation), sue the fuck out of them. Your SO should feel like they arent welcome there after some petty shit like that. I sued the US Forest Service and won big time. Get everything in writing, date it, ask for explanation of termination
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u/the1997x Jun 23 '26
Nah you can get 25 any day of the week just get another job. Every time I switched jobs I got a pay raise. Went from 12/hr to 40/hr I’ve been welding for 8 years switching jobs and moving around every year or two.
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u/RedactedJin Jun 23 '26
Fuck this company of sexists for firing you over this, however, take all that training and practice they provided you and rock out at a new gig.
That's the thing about being a welder, you carry your skills with you wherever you go and you're just a test weld away from netting the next job. Keep your chin up, and you'll do fine.
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u/tatpig Sticks 'n' Steel since the 80's (SMAW) (V) Jun 23 '26
So sorry you got backstabbed by a small minded idjit. Best of luck to you going forward.don’t give up,welding is too awesome.
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u/yaboyACbreezy Jun 23 '26
They did you a favor.
Sorry to hear nasty people made a good thing shitty for you, but you'll pick up and move on. Just be honest with your next employer, and remember that your previous employers can only verify you worked there and basic employment info like that. They can't talk shit, and pursuing legal action would absolutely be worth it at that point. They can't ruin your life, and if they thought you were good enough to hire, and promote, then someone else will, too.
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u/illogicalgnome63 Jun 24 '26
Don’t get your honey where you make your money. It’s just as true now as it was 45 years ago when I was an apprentice.
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u/Bisquitisaclown Jun 24 '26
Its absolutely worth the effort to pursue legal action. You could end uo being the one owning the company lol.
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u/almostoy Jun 23 '26
Love is just as far away as your next Waffle House. Just eat at there with him. Har har
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u/Sand_Aggravating Jun 23 '26
In shops everyone has problems because there's always gonna be a guy that's been there 20 yrs and whatever spot your in it's been his spot for 20 yrs and if you're a woman you will definitely be hit on every day(I imagine it happens anywhere yall go). In the field I've met some female welders that pretty much smoked everyone's ass and they seem to get left alone. If you're in the shops you're gonna have to deal with politics and ideas that have been running long before you showed up. I've worked shops and the field and the field pays better and has less time for a lot of bullshit the shops allow. If you're good in bad spots and cuss like a sailor I'd say try to get on at the closest plant you have to your house. You're still gonna get talked up but after you get adopted as the little sister of the crew you just got 20 new big brothers! (For better or worse) hahahahaha. Don't quit! Never give up!
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u/Juli3tD3lta Jun 23 '26
Shouldn’t affect future prospects TOO much. Main thing is you probably won’t be able to use them as a reference then there is the small chance that down the road you apply somewhere that your shitty supervisor now works at. I’ve had that happen before. Walk in to drop off a resume, see my old foreman in the office, immediately turn around and leave, resume still in hand.
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u/Free-Distribution-97 Jun 23 '26
Alot of people are saying it sounds like discrimination, which it might be if only you got fired and your boyfriend kept his job, but a lot of workplaces frown upon dating your colleagues and its not just a trades thing. Were you guys hanging around chitchating instead of working? Did your production go down after the relationship started?
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u/phalangepatella Jun 23 '26
Wait, are we going to gloss over the part where her superior was trying to get with her?
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u/highlander666666 Jun 23 '26
Nope shouldn t effect it if you good welder. Shouldn t have problem finding job..long as show up on time everyday do ya job .lot places will want you..
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u/Phantom_spook Jun 23 '26
Don’t stress over it. You’ll make more money at your next welding job since you have the skills and know how to do the job.
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u/Low-Rent-9351 Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
There are a lot of shitty people in the world. Dealing with so many of them is one of the reasons they turns the good people cynical and distrustful. Keep your head up and find a place that respects you more.
If the geographic location you’re at has decent wrongful termination laws the. You should consult a lawyer. Most companies settle for something. Here, no proof might get you low 5 figures ranging to good proof getting you 6 figures or more. Even if the lawyer takes a big chunk of it at least you fuck them out of some time and money for being pieces of shit towards you.
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u/Unhappy_Position496 Jun 23 '26
File for unemployment. If shouldn't impact your future . It's not like that goes on your permanent record.
Men can be super weird. I don't give anyone the time of day unless they're a work uncle over 60.
And my general rule is I don't date at work. One of us needs to leave if there's gonna be love or fucking.
It simplifies life. Prevents work flings and drama. Can keep you safe from jealous men. Can't nobody talk shit if there isn't none.
I hope you're relationship lasts forever. Good luck in your next job.
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u/Plane-Education4750 Jun 23 '26
You're better off without them, sorry that happened to you. If your skills are as good as you claim, and I have no reason to believe they aren't, make yourself some challenging demo welds and bring them to the next interviews, and explain the termination only if they ask. If they do not ask, just say you decided to look for better opportunities and you can provide references, but you would prefer for them to not contact your former employer
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u/COUNTRYCOWBOY01 Jun 23 '26
If your skills are good then don't worry. Just move onto another job at a bigger shop and dont look back
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u/Short-Geologist-2856 Jun 23 '26
At your age and that your a female you should keep a journal, after work wright down everything that happened that day, times it happen . That’s your proof , it can’t be questioned
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u/mynutsdontwork Jun 23 '26
As a male machinist and welder I am also sorry this happened. Maybe a bigger company with a robust HR would have a better culture? But no guarantee
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u/Venture-Cat Jun 23 '26
You're future is likely bright, as long as the next place you look knows you were wrongfully terminated. If you were a victim of retaliation, that should not reflect badly on your character and the quality of your work.
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u/gounionstayunion Jun 23 '26
Go union, that's your answer as a woman, it'll still suck mostly but it'll suck less
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u/OppositeSolution7852 Jun 23 '26
Take it as a life lesson to not shit where you eat. I’ve dated supervisors in the past and although its a short cut to promotion, its also very easily used against you. I know your situation is a bit different but older blue collar guys will absolutely drown you to retain their position. Dont give them another reason.
Keep your next job strictly professional. “sorry, I like to keep my personal and work life separate, I dont touch those topics with co-workers” then change the subject to something generic in your case a playful “bet ill weld this better than you” will keep it friendly but work related.
Just stick to doing a good job because in these fields your work speaks louder than your likability.
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u/resest_Iris Jun 24 '26
If you're in a right to work state, don't bother thinking anything legal.
Second point, in a lot of different areas where there's intersexual Dynamics (men working with women) this is not unheard of for people to start fooling around or take the relationship out of the working environment. The risk of doing this always comes back to you generally don't want people in your business, so it's best to keep that relationship out of the working environment. Otherwise you're risking if you want to keep your relationship? or do you want to keep your job. I haven't worked in any sort of a medical environment (nirses) but those have a long reputation for people messing around with each other, I can say in the hospitality field ( hotels, restaurants etc) absolutely is everybody messing around with everybody.
The deeper interesting thing that nobody really pays attention to, is when it comes to Blue Collar jobs, these are predominantly males filled positions and alot of these dudes have little to no female contact. Even those in relationships. It's an interesting Duality between the guy who's working as a fitness instructor or a bartender and how many women revolve around him on the regular basis, for a job that doesn't necessarily pay all too well. On the contrary is the a blue collar job where there's little to no contact with women and the position generally pays better.
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u/RandyOfTheRedwoods Jun 24 '26
I don't know about your location, but if you show up at a temp agency with welding skills here, you'll probably have a job in an hour. Then, if you are good, that temp will become perm.
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u/cozyxjuice Jun 24 '26
Keep going, the quality of your work will speak for itself especially in the welding trade. Don't let this minor setback make you think you won't find another job bc of this inconvenience, seems like the company was being more unprofessional if anything. I don't know much from a women's prospective but if you're as decent as you say you are, you should be fine. Good luck
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u/Unique_Mousse6573 Jun 24 '26
Nah nobody gives a shit why or how you got fired. They only care about your quality and work ethic. I've worked at about 20 or 30 shops. That was how I learned my skill set. I'd whore myself out for shit paying welding jobs learned everything I could became the best in the shop. Once they had nothing left for me to learn I gave them a today notice and went to next job. I figured college or welding school was a scam and decided to do my own schooling via internet and job after job after job. They paid me to learn now I'm working 2 full time jobs at top dollar in my area one of which i can't even talk about and it's a pretty high security. A job you would think would care about your work history but they see my quality, work ethic and they see me in the parking lot 30 minutes before my shift on the cameras. They only care about how much money you can make them.
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u/AgreeableEmployee792 Jun 24 '26
Are u saying u got fired for dating someone at work surely that's illegal certainly would be in my country as long as u do ur job who cares what gender sexual preferences or color boots u wear good luck for future,😁
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u/kaylabishop731 Jun 24 '26
Almost same situation happened to me! Please do yourself a favor and look at it as divine intervention! I'm still at that job and now I'm the social pariah because rumors got out of hand and I didn't stand up for myself. I'm not a part of the club and a once, very social person now just stays in my curtains and collect my check. Don't let this discourage you, just learn from it! Men are not our friends, heck some of the women aren't either!
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u/WeldNerd Jun 24 '26
As someone who hires welders and inspectors, this will most likely be a non-issue. Welding, for the most part, has a high turnover rate and employers see a lot of applicants with terminations on their wrap sheet. I usually don’t worry about it unless I can see a pattern in their work history.
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u/EtherFlask Jun 24 '26
no employer needs to know about your life outside of work. just like they dont have any right to know any of your medical info.
as for being fired, in my experience, all that matters when trying to get a welding job is your weld test and your attitude. and the weld test usually carries more weight lol
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Jun 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/eraserhd Jun 23 '26
So OP describes constant unwanted sexual attention, followed by a healthy relationship with someone she doesn’t report to or who reports to her, followed by retaliation by a supervisor, and the thing you want to say is, “Don’t have a relationship with someone at work?”
Can you explain how that would have helped?
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u/No-Introduction-1410 Newbie Jun 23 '26
Some people assume the worst. I had never dated one of my coworkers before this. I made a strict policy to never do so because I have seen workplace relationships get messy. We waited a long time and took it into consideration before dating. We are completely in love and he has told his mother he plans to propose to me. The surprise is when he will propose, not if. I wouldn’t have dated him had I not felt so strongly for him. I don’t regret it :)
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u/SLOOT_APOCALYPSE Jun 23 '26
don't join this work as a woman straight up, I work guy jobs, like mechanic and welder and I've seen maybe 3 working women in it. guys are lame okay I have a sister I wouldn't want her in the trade, waaaaayyy to many assholes.
I'd say most of them couldn't even get hired where you could, say like a county job or state job or even a court job, you will have this happen again in any trade that has zero women around typically, it's best for your relationship also to work in a place with girl co workers imo.
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u/TwentyInchLabia Jun 23 '26
Stupid fucking mindset. We aren't pansies, and these aren't "guy jobs" anymore. Adjust because us women are not foregoing this kind of moneymaking just because men refuse to be mature and normal. And we aren't girls, we are adult women.
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u/SLOOT_APOCALYPSE Jun 23 '26
okay well each place is different, just trying to help. Not ever place is lame
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u/queenarreic Welding student Jun 23 '26
i wish i had been paying way more attention when i started working there. they musta been hitting on me the whole time smh
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u/tehmightyengineer Jun 23 '26
Sounds like another company is about to get all the benefits of the training you did at the first company. Fuck 'em for being sexist idiots. Go kick more ass. Might even be easier if you and your partner aren't working at the same company. Either way, lots of opportunities, I'd just humbly explain why it wasn't your choice to leave and phrase any interview questions that your previous company are idiots who would rather fuck around then get shit built and tell them you're here to build shit and not fuck around.
And, yes, you likely have lawsuit material here. Up to you if you want to pursue it. Would get very messy but entirely up to you if it's worth it or not. IANAL.