Working 80-98 hours per week for over two years as an Associate Mechanical Design Engineer at a start up medical device company, my son Brian Marquardt (age 27) landed in the hospital on May 20, 2015 after becoming delusional / delirious and had fallen into a state of psychosis; suffering from severe sleep deprivation, severe stress, severe anxiety, abdominal pain and high blood pressure; Brian's blood pressure was: 189 / 108 - Pulse 111. 

Brian first started working for his boss as a junior in High School; working as a 'Shop Hand' helping his boss restore vintage aircraft. Having no father figure growing up Brian soon began looking up to his boss as a father figure / hero type. Two years after Brian graduated from High School in 2006, working full time for his boss and attending Everett Community College to complete prerequisites for a Mechanical Engineering degree, Brian's boss informs Brian that he is thinking about coming out of retirement and improving upon the medical device he previously had taken to market. 

Brian and his boss began building a test lab on the second floor of the boss's executive airplane hangar and for the next three years Brian and his boss worked to design an Oxygen Concentrator to see if the boss's new idea was feasible. Brian was working more than full time for his boss while continuing to take college classes part time. After 3 years of working to design and create the oxygen concentrator the long hours and hard work finally paid off; Brian and his boss had developed an Oxygen Concentrator that would support the boss's new medical device vision. Brian and his boss patented the Oxygen Concentrator design at which time Brian's boss began seeking investment money to begin startup operations, most of which he was able to secure through his family and friends. 

Once the boss had gathered $28 million in investor dollars (angel money) the boss founded and incorporated the new start up medical device company. Fifteen credits shy of completing an Associates Degree, Brian put college on hold and went to work for his boss at the new company and was given the title Associate Mechanical Design Engineer. Brian was employee #3. 

Brian's boss allowed Brian to invest in the new company without holding Brian to the minimum dollar investment requirement and due to this opportunity Brian sends his boss an email on November 5, 2012 which stated the following: "I am prepared to put forth my absolute best effort at making sure the new company is a success". Although Brian had taken most all of the Math prerequisites for a Mechanical Engineering degree, held a perfect GPA and was exceptionally talented, this was Brian's first job; Brian had no previous work experience in business or Engineering nor had he taken any college course work in Engineering. 

Due to limited funding and limited staff Brian's boss overwhelmed Brian with tasks and projects far above Brian's skill set. 

Two years after the company was established investment money started to run out and Brian's boss started becoming verbally abusive with Brian in an attempt to push Brian to complete all of his projects; fearful that he would lose his family and friends investment money (angel money). Two weeks before Brian landed in the hospital Brian sent his boss an email at 6:07 AM (after working the day before and through the night), informing his boss that he had worked 93 hours that week and would not be showing up to work until noon. When Brian arrives to work the boss tells Brian "that he violated his employee agreement by arriving more than 15 minutes late and that he has strike one of three against him until he'll let him go".  

Once Brian was released from the hospital on May 28, 2015 (8 days after he was admitted) Brian returned to work on June 6, 2015. Brian's boss reduced the number of projects assigned to Brian (temporarily) which allowed Brian to reduce his weekly work hours from 98 down to 50-55. Based on the medical records received from Brian's medical providers (after Brian passed) Brian's boss started pushing Brian to work more hours and over his weekends 10 months after Brian returned to work. 

Based on the medical records received from Brian's medical providers (after Brian passed) Brian was suffering from PTSD (after his breakdown) from his boss "yelling at and berating Brian" (prior to his breakdown). Medical records note the following: "He has recurrent thoughts, panic attacks upon wakening, nightmares, flash backs from his boss yelling and berating him". It is also noted in Brian's medical records that Brian did not want to work more than 60 hours per week to guard his health. 

Seventeen months after Brian returned to work Brian requested one week of vacation which Brian's boss approved. Brian was to leave for Mexico on Saturday, December 17, 2016 with his girlfriend for 6 days of rest and relaxation; the first real vacation Brian would have had since he graduated from high school in 2006. Four days before Brian was to leave on this vacation Brian's boss informs Brian that he will fire Brian if he leaves for his vacation prior to completing an "impossible amount of work". 

On the eve of December 13, 2016 Brian met with his boss to discuss his threat of firing him; based on meeting notes found in Brian's file box (after Brian passed) Brian tries his very best to explain to his boss in this meeting that what he is asking him to complete is an impossible task, out of his control. In order for Brian to complete what his boss was demanding, other projects needed to be completed first, projects that were assigned to and managed by other people; the boss responds back to Brian and says, "I need it done". 

Brian explained to his boss that he had gone through an "insanely tense year, working back from a complete mental breakdown caused by his job", Brian explains to his boss that he is trying to guard his health, fearful that working beyond 60 hours could trigger another breakdown. Brian explains to his boss that he is "trying to balance his work and life and that his PRODUCTIVITY is reduced when he works long hours". After trying his very best to explain to his boss all of this and much more, Brian's boss ends the meeting and tells Brian to "reschedule his trip". 

For the next 4 days Brian worked diligently (day and night) to complete all the work, hoping he could get everything done prior to his plane departing for Mexico but on Saturday, December 17th Brian's girlfriend boarded the plane for Mexico without Brian since Brian had not been able to complete all the work. Brian continued working through his weekend trying his very best to complete all that his boss demanded and never returned to work after Sunday, December 18, 2016 due to  severe anxiety.   

On December 26, 2016 Brian resigned from his position.

On December 29, 2016 Brian attempted to take his life for the first time. 

On February 17, 2017 Brian attempted to end his life for the second time. 

On March 15, 2017 Brian was transported to Providence Hospital after trying to end his life for the third time. As Brian's family and friends stood around Brian's hospital bed, Brian said: "I want to sue my boss for destroying my life". Brain posted the following comment to his Facebook page minutes before attempting to end his life:

"Be Your Best Self" 

On Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 12:03 PM, Brian successfully ended his life outside of our home 15 weeks after he resigned from his position. Brian's younger brother heard a shotgun go off and ran outside to find his wonderful brother lying on the pavement behind his car. 

Brian is listed as co-inventor on two US Patents for this medical device and at least one other that I have not yet been able to confirm for the Three Cylinder Wobble Compressor Brian spent the last three years of his life working diligently to complete. The three cylinder wobble compressor is one of the largest sub-assemblies for the new medical device. The medical device that Brian devoted the last 9 years of his young life to received FDA approval two weeks before Brian ended his life and ironically, one of the first trial patients to use this medical device (after Brian passed) was a girl that Brian had gone to High School with. This medical device is now being sold in the market place worldwide.

After Brian passed I learned there were no laws to protect employee's from abusive working conditions and there was no limit to the number of overtime hours an employer could demand a salaried employee to work. From this horrific tragedy that has forever taken my beautiful son I will be trying to change Employment Laws to protect employees against abuse in the workplace and limit the number of overtime an employer can demand a salaried employee to work. It is my hope that by sharing Brian's story, many will come along side of me and help me to change employment laws so no one ever has to suffer as Brian did.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO HELP ME ESTABLISH LAWS THAT WILL PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM ABUSIVE EMPLOYERS.  

If you would like to support my fight to Establish Limits on the number of overtime Employers can require Salaried Employee's to work, please click on the following like to sign my petition. 

http://chng.it/mhCKStwW

After Brian passed I found the following note that Brian had written in his iPhone; 

"Help Fatherless Boys that have an interest in Math, Science or Engineering" 

I am currently writing a book to share Brian's life story titled "E~BREAK"; all proceeds from the sale of my book will go to help fatherless boys that have an interest in Math, Science or Engineering. If I am successful at getting laws changed to Protect employees against abusive working conditions and setting limits on the number of overtime hours an employer can demand a salaried employee to work I will be requesting that the new law(s) be called BRIAN'S LAW.  

PLEASE ... SHARE SHARE SHARE this Petition with all of your online friends, Facebook friends, family, co-workers and employers.  I will need many signatures to move these mountains. Please keep the Chain Going & Growing