I’m thinking about filing a complaint against my old employer with the State Board of Professional Engineering. They made some false and unethical statements about me, and they didn’t follow drawing release protocols. I’m not sure where to start or if I even have a strong case. Anyone else ever been in a similar situation? Could use some advice here!
Hey, I’ve been through something similar. The board usually only handles issues related to engineering rules, like misconduct or unethical practices in the field of engineering itself. They don’t really get involved with personal conduct or employment issues. You might want to look into the guidelines first to see if it fits. Check out their rules here: https://www.cedengineering.com/userfiles/Engineering%20Ethics%20for%20Minnesota%20Professional%20Engineers.pdf
@Charly
I had no idea the board only handles specific stuff like that. So if it’s a workplace issue, they won’t do anything?
Reagan said:
@Charly
I had no idea the board only handles specific stuff like that. So if it’s a workplace issue, they won’t do anything?
Yep, exactly. For employment-related issues, you’ll probably have to go through EEOC or even the courts if it’s serious enough. The board doesn’t handle personal disputes like that.
Just FYI, if you were personally harmed or violated by your employer, you might still be able to file a civil suit. The board won’t take that up, but a lawsuit could be an option depending on what happened.
@Davin
Thanks for that info! I wasn’t sure if I could do something outside the board. I might look into civil options then.
This is tough, man. If there’s dishonesty or fraud involved, that could be a serious issue. But like others mentioned, the PE board focuses mainly on ethical breaches in engineering itself, not employment issues.
@Rowan
Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too. The dishonesty part was mostly about my job performance and qualifications. Not sure if that counts as something they’d handle, but maybe not.
Honestly, it seems like your issue is more about how they treated you as an employee. Have you tried contacting the EEOC? They deal with unfair treatment at work.
Kiran said:
Honestly, it seems like your issue is more about how they treated you as an employee. Have you tried contacting the EEOC? They deal with unfair treatment at work.
I’ll definitely check them out. Didn’t know they could help with this kind of thing. Thanks!
Yeah, the PE board doesn’t get into employment matters. But they do have rules on dishonesty in the engineering field. If your former employer made false claims directly related to your engineering work, that could be something they’d look into.
@Blai
Good point! The dishonesty was more about what I was told regarding my work and qualifications. Maybe it’s worth looking into that angle.