Hi antiworkers.
Been a lurker here for a while but something happened today and I thought I'd share.
I'm a head coach at a startup class-gym concept. The business is having its 1 year anniversary next month.
Since its inception, my role has grown above my duties as a head coach (which are training other coaches, being the community foundation, covering other coaches when they call out, hiring/firing, etc). I have a unique skill set and since have also become the workout programmer (make the gym workouts), the graphic designer (create posters, ads, brochures), the videographer and editor (filmed the exercise videos, edited them, etc), the DJ (create all custom playlists that sync up perfectly with the workouts).
Needless to say I've been very busy for the last year, not to mention that I was also the general manager in addition to doing all the aforementioned. That's hiring new staff, scheduling, inventory, etc etc.
I am compensated fairly for the above. I've put in a lot of extra work to improve the place so it succeeds, but wasn't asked to. I mean a LOT of unpaid work.
So the owner, as I learned early on, has some serious people skill problems, loses his temper and berates the employees. Never the lower level staff, only the 3 higher ups, myself included. We have had incidents in the past and I, being outspoken, have expressed I don't appreciate being talked to like that.
A year after inception and we finally had an all staff meeting, all other meetings were either for front of the house or the back.
During a 10 minute break, I wanted to show my coaches something I developed and was implementing soon. A very simple thing that would take 2 minutes tops.
The boss interrupts, and in a condescending tone, says “for the fourth time, I'm telling you we have to get the meeting restarted already.” There was no 1st, 2nd or 3rd time mind you. My coaches immediately say “wow what a dick”, and “what the hell was that” the moment he walks away.
So we go back to the meeting, and I am furious at this point. Our CFO immediately leads us into an exercise where everyone describes a successful team we were part of in the past (we are sitting in a circle), and I was chosen last to speak. While awaiting my turn I get more and more angry.
It's finally my turn.
Instead of answering the question, in front of everyone,. I look directly at my boss and say in a pissed off tone: “What did you say to me at the coach stage?” He had a deer in the headlights stare and tried to play it down and said “I said we need to get the meeting restarted.”
“Before that…”
Blank stare. “I don't know what you mean”
“You said for the fourth time……. in a disrespectful, condescending way. How do you expect me to have the respect of my staff when you talk to me like that in front of them? This meeting is about addressing the culture of fear that we have in the company, and you are the source of it. I do too much and have done too much for this company to be treated like that.”
The rest is hazy.
He publicly apologized and thanked me for bringing it up and the meeting eventually continued. This opened the gates for the other employees to complain about unfulfilled promises, the negative culture, etc.
We made nice by the end of the meeting and it would appear on the surface that life goes on. However, I know not to take this man for surface value. I spoke with some of the other employees on a conference call afterward to talk about it, they love gossip. The CFO even called me (we have butted heads in the past) to say she is happy that happened and that what I said needed to be said. She gets berated by him as well and has commiserated with me on the topic.
So now I don't know where I stand. I can't imagine that this will be quickly forgiven and forgotten, even though we played it off as “we are a family and families go at it with each other sometimes, but learn from it, etc”. I'm not looking for forgiveness BTW, I was 100% in the right, but he pays the salaries.
Interestingly, I got another job offer with a commensurate salary during the meeting by text. I'm considering it but I've done a lot to build this business into what it currently is. I'm scared of a shift having a new mortgage and it's a big unknown as the job is in a slighty different arena.
Just wanted to share, one of the little guys stood up for himself today.