To anyone who ever is considering applying to work at Michaels or has a friend thinking about it, DO NOT DOT IT!
I filed a complaint with OSHA after a leaking bottle of casting resin was making me sick. This bottle was in a locked cage, so only management could get to it. The bottle was eventually removed, but the shelves were coated in the toxic stuff.
Repeat: toxic. From NIH's library: Epoxy and resin can be poisonous if they are swallowed or their fumes are breathed in.
From the product's SDS: Inhalation: Vapors and mists may cause mild respiratory irritation.
That is what cashiers have been breathing over the past YEAR: toxic fumes that can cause respiratory irritation.
My boss knew it was me who filed the complaint with OSHA because I had complained numerous times about the smell and that it was making me sick. Or, as he called it, “whined” about the smell. The fumes that were giving me extreme headaches and making me cough whenever I was working. He also knew I had health issues from previous illnesses because we had discussed it when I stepped down from being a supervisor.
The next day I was told to clean the area around the source, but not the source itself…because it is in a locked cage. Of course this caused congestion and coughing, so much that I had to use my rescue inhaler. I filed another complaint about the retaliation against me–I was the only one cleaning while the manager kept a close watch. The next shift was told to stock and nothing was mentioned about cleaning. I had to stop in the next day to get something and could still smell the resin. I asked both cashiers if they had to clean. They didn't even know what I was talking about. No one that I spoke to knew anything about cleaning.
But it gets worse. When talking with a friend who also used to work at the same Michaels, I found out one of the supervisors physically grabbed an employee–specifically, a young woman with Autism–and NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT IT! The young woman decided not to press charges, which is her call, but HR was involved and the supervisor still works there…and she works with special needs kids at her other job. Michaels kept this hush hush, as they should, so I only found out from my friend, and later confirmed it with the young girl, who now has my phone number so we can keep in contact. Here's the thing: there were numerous complaints against that same supervisor for the way she treated people and the manager would only laugh whenever someone complained. NOTHING was ever done about her behavior and she continues to treat employees as if they are stupid and useless.
Today I received a call about my retaliation complaint. There is nothing they can do. I don't have a case because my cleaning was maybe coincidence and I am now on vacation. There is NOTHING I can do.
And so I quit today.