Sadly, there has been no change in the lives of Kathleen and Carl Sorabella since my original post. NOT one human response from his former employer, just a bunch of truly meaningless words in a press release, in particular the hypocritical arrogance that they are "reaching out to our former employee to determine if there is a way we can be supportive to his family during this time."
Wow, maybe they should have reached out and been supportive of him when he asked for their help before firing him. It does not take a rocket scientist to as they say, determine if there is a way to be supportive during this time.
Hire Mr. Sorabella back to his original job, stop with the feeble attempts to justify this company's incredibly cruel, sub human behavior, and save what little is left of your negligible integrity.
You as a Company made a stupid, heartless mistake, now you can easily fix it. Instead of transparently defensive press releases and self righteous statements that no one believes, they are digging a deeper hole for themselves to crawl out of.
I suppose that is too much to expect from those whose acts of complete disregard in showing basic human compassion, loyalty, and meanness are perpetrated by bosses who think that they are better than the rest of us, whose concept of doing business, includes terminating an employee who has a loved one seriously ill.
Not one job offer from another Company in the great State of Massachusetts for Mr. Sorabella. How pathetically embarrassing for a State once known for its progressive thinking, courage, and pride to fight for its citizen's rights. SHAME ON YOU!
You as a Company made a stupid, heartless mistake, now you can easily fix it. Instead of transparently defensive press releases and self righteous statements that no one believes, they are digging a deeper hole for themselves to crawl out of.
I suppose that is too much to expect from those whose acts of complete disregard in showing basic human compassion, loyalty, and meanness are perpetrated by bosses who think that they are better than the rest of us, whose concept of doing business, includes terminating an employee who has a loved one seriously ill.
Not one job offer from another Company in the great State of Massachusetts for Mr. Sorabella. How pathetically embarrassing for a State once known for its progressive thinking, courage, and pride to fight for its citizen's rights. SHAME ON YOU!
People of MASSACHUSETTS, this could be any of you, is there no Corporation, Business, or Human Being that will step forward to support these 2 human beings in need. SHAME ON YOU MASSACHUSETTS for not offering this man a job, are you that apathetic, and selfish to reach out and help your fellow man?
A few months ago there was a story that was all over the media about a homeless man in Ohio with a gift for voice-overs, who had been singing on the side of the road, holding a sign asking for donations so he could survive. He was dubbed the "golden voice" and immediately offered an announcing job with the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. If Ohio can rise to the occasion, certainly Massachusetts can.
Surely, Carl Sorabella, a professional, highly experienced Accountant, with excellent references, even from his former employer of 15 years, must have someone in Massachusetts that needs a highly skilled employee like him. Certainly there are people and Company's that are flexible enough to work with his willingness to do whatever is necessary to do the job right?
Where are the religious institutions in the great state of Massachusetts, Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, here is a family crying out for help, are you so blind and deaf, that you neither see nor hear them. You who serve a higher calling of the Lord, where are you as you sit on your backsides in your fancy edifices, impressed with your buildings, preaching love, caring Holiness, and prayers for mankind. SHAME ON YOU!
I had the honor of Kathleen Sorabella thanking me the other day through a comment she left for my first post about her and Carl on this Blog. A few days later, we chatted a short time on the Internet. She is a humble person, decent, and has worked her way up the professional ladder under the most difficult of circumstances. This is someone who deserves our support and the best that can be done for her. She is both severe physical and emotional pain.
HAVE A HEART!!! Is there no decency left in this Country that the Sorabella's will continue to be ignored and left to rot? Does no one care about reducing their anxieties that can be fixed by helping Carl earn a living to support his family? Surely we are a better, more compassionate, caring people than that. We will see!
THE UPDATED NEWS STORY IS DIRECTLY BELOW:
Remember the feature that AOL Jobs ran last month about Carl Sorabella, the Massachusetts accountant who got fired when he asked for flex time to care for his wife, who had just been diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer? We wish we could give you a happy update, but the fact is, things are not looking good for the Sorabellas, despite an overwhelming number of supportive comments from our readers.
Haynes management, the family-owned company with 21 employees that let Carl go, issued a long statement that can be found on WickedLocal.com. It stated, among other things: "The leadership of Haynes is confident that we followed appropriate practices in connection with recent events concerning a member of our staff. Media reports regarding the circumstances of this decision have been inaccurate; however, out of respect for the privacy of the individual involved, we will not comment on the specifics. In recognition of their unique circumstances and level of hardship created by his wife's illness, Haynes Management is reaching out to our former employee to determine if there is a way we can be supportive to his family during this time."
No Job Offers Yet
Sorabella and his wife, Kathleen, have no comment about that statement, but the fact of the matter is, he is still out of work, and they remain dependent on the Medicaid benefits that she receives through her disability. Those expenses are mounting, however, and the couple is unsure of the co-pays.
"Carl hasn't received any job offers yet, although he sends out at least five resumes a day. I don't know if people are reluctant to hire him since they know he won't be able to work regular hours," Kathleen Sorabella told AOL Jobs. She says that she'd like to go back to work herself as a psychotherapist, even if it's just for a couple of hours per week, but at present, she feels she's just too sick to be of help to her patients.
She is right in the middle of a cycle of chemotherapy treatments and, as expected, her hair is falling out, her teeth hurt and she's nauseous most of the time. She won't know if the treatments are effective until September, when another scan will be done. "Right now, it's about living with the terror of uncertainty," she says.
A little help from their friends
With her husband out of work, finances have become challenging. Friends and acquaintances talked about setting up a charitable trust for them at a local bank in the Boston area, but they were overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork, and that project fell by the wayside. The Sorabellas are understandably uncomfortable with setting up a fund for themselves.
Generous and resourceful readers found their address in the directory, and have been sending checks, good wishes and prayers, for which the Sorabellas say they are extremely grateful, and Kathleen Sorabella intends to send thank-you notes to everyone as soon as she feels well enough to write. So far, about $800 has come their way.
The sentiment, however, has been overwhelming. AOL readers have chimed in with more than 4,245 comments and about 12,000 Facebook Likes, at last count. A Facebook page, called "I hate Haynes Management Inc.," has a rousing discussion going, with 1,481 Likes.
Readers who would like to support the Sorabellos can send funds directly to them at 14 Lincoln St., Natick, Mass., 01760-4721.
Meanwhile, Kathleen Sorabella says that the couple is trying to figure out how to "live as much life as possible, knowing that I might be dying." They renewed their wedding vows a few weeks ago on their 23rd anniversary, and they'd like to take a drive up to see Niagara Falls, if she gets well enough to travel. "I hear a clock ticking in my head," she says. "But I'm a fighter -- we both are."
