For Context: I (23 Black, Queer Male {it’s important, I promise}) work at a relatively famous gas and grocery store in the North East US, for the sake of the story let’s call it Pigeons. Well at Pigeons we are honestly paid fairly well for the type of job it is and the benefits it offers are pretty decent (401k matching, health, dental, life insurances, their own credit union, and stock within the company) and I enjoyed most of the people I worked with and the scheduling wasn’t too annoying (for an overnight job anyways). All things were going considerably well, until my GM had to be urgently transferred to another store and the only person available was the area’s GMIT (General Manager In-Training) took over our store.
The same day she started at my location her targeting of me became obvious. I noticed it initially when I spoke to the AGM about my concerns with her treatment of me (assuming it was this way for the other managers). She would berate me over text if the smallest thing wasn’t done, meanwhile if 2nd shift would leave me a half assed shift and I come to her with complaints about what was left for me (EVEN GOING SO FAR AS TO SHOW PICTURES) I was being “uncooperative and projecting”. She would often change store regulations at the drop of a hat and if I didn’t complete and comply to new regulations (even tho they were often never communicated with me prior) I would be the only manager being spoken to about it even if there are other managers not complying. Every text to me read like “or-else” statements as if my job was (not-so) subtly on the line. Additionally, the straw that broke the camels back, I was being purposely scheduled weird to keep me doing 6-9 day runs pretty much every week for 2 months even tho the other nightshift supervisor was available. I was so trash at my job that I was being scheduled to exhaustion and practically the only person running overnight for no reason… does that make sense to anyone else?
What brings us to todays post however isn’t her subtle harassment, but her finally catching me on a rough day. When I arrived to work my 9 hour shift, in which we started off understaffed for second shift on a Friday night, literally NOTHING was done. I came in to a full truck of shipment and our bakery loads, no register person, and the manager on duty leaving asap. I already had a hard night ahead of me and stressed about the fact that I still had 5 days to go before my next day off when she messages our managers groupchat saying
“I’m saying this now to be clear, there are 4 people on tonight, by the time I get in tomorrow that shipment better be done”.
I responded “regardless of if there are four people here or not, it’s a busy night (as all Friday nights are), it will not be completed.”
GMIT: “if it is not completed by the time I get there someone is staying until it’s done.”
Me: “that’s fine, however I am not staying , NJ State law does not allow you to force me to stay without notice prior t the shift. Furthermore, I will also be putting in my official resignation effective as of my final schedule date according to current scheduling.” (She was given a 3 weeks notice)
GMIT: “when I get home I’m getting changed, you can go home.”
I’m under the belief I’m fired, but I don’t leave just in case. While waiting, I tell one of my associates, who has witnessed the harassment and commented on it previously, what happened and he revealed to me that one of his leading factors for leaving was because he overheard her talking about wanting to get rid of me since day 1. When she arrived to the store, she told me directly that she won’t fire me, because she thinks that’s what I want. So the ball is in my court right now.
Genuinely I’m not sure what I did wrong, I will admit that I’m not the greatest manger, but I do far more than half of our managers. As of right now, my personal belief is that it has something to do with my race or sexuality as all 4 of the other queer and black associates have expressed discomfort towards and a similar attitudes from her, since her arrival.
I have more stories, but this is all so immediate that I’ve already typed way too much in frustration, but I have no problem answering any questions and sorry for any possible unnecessary information