This all started in June '22, and will end tomorrow Oct '22. I tried to cut the saga down but it's still a long explaination…
TLDR: I'm quitting the job I've had for 16 years tomorrow.
For the last 16 years I have worked for a well known grocery store based out of the Chicagoland area. I work further south in an area the company couldn't really care less about. Earlier this year we got a new Store Director (SD) that came from “up North.” This was his first store as a freshman SD and we knew that he most likely cut a deal to spend around 5 years here before he was promoted back to a store that actually made money.
After a few months I went to him and asked for a raise, 16 years working for the company and I was making $14.90. Just my luck, another employee had given her two week notice and if I agreed to take over her job and continue mine he'd pay me $17 (I asked for $18, but was told that's too close to what managers make, a lie but I didn't push it.)
I had some concerns: 1. I have little kids and I couldnt start earlier than 8. If I could make it in earlier I would, but they couldn't count on earlier than 8. He said that wouldn't be a problem.
2. The job would be impossible to alone. I would need help that was dedicated to my department, atleast 2 part timers. He said he'd hire some people and assign some others to help in the meantime.
3. I wouldn't work with the meat department. I had been harassed by the meat manager and the meat cutter on numerous occasions and I wasn't willing to revictimize myself. He said that he would deal with them directly.
He said to give him a little time to get everything cleared by his boss and he'd get back to me. Two weeks later, after no further communication, he went on vacation. The assistant manager assumed I'd start my new position but when I asked if my raise had gone through he had no idea. Turns out SD didn't put anything in motion.
Assistant wanted me to start anyway and I agreed if he'd guarantee that I would get retro pay. He got the ball rolling, contacted HR, guaranteed my raise, vacation time and seniority and told me he had talked to SD and they wanted me to get started. Officially there is a proccess in place for these kinds of promotions- a job posting had to be made, I needed to submit a job bid and in all likelihood I'd get the position. This process was delayed the week my SD was on vacation, but on good faith I started the new job (I know, I know that was a stupid move on my part.)
It took a couple of weeks to make everything official but I checked the retro pay amount on my paycheck and realized it was $100ish short, the assistant asked HR to look into it and they replied that the retro pay started the week of the job bid, not when I actually started the position. I make this known to SD and he tells me he'll look into it and get back to me.
Silence. For weeks. So I go to him again and ask him if he figured it out and he says “Yeah no, sorry, you're not going to get it. It's the fault of the District Manager, theres nothing I can do.” I angerly ask if I need to email the District manager and he gets defensive and says I could try but he doesn't see the point. I stare at him in anger for minute and then turn away and say “ok”
Next day I send Distric Manager the email, explained everything respectfully and ask that he look into the matter. I don't hear back from him but later that afternoon SD gets a call from District Manager.
A few hours later I get called into SD's office and am given a write up. He accuses me of no-call-no-shows, something I have NEVER done in 16 years. He's mad I took labor day off, even though it was cleared by assistant manager and I was entitled to it as a full time employee, kept saying “yeah but you could have worked” I replied that I knew that, but I wanted the day off. He said I left the store hanging when I needed 2 days off because my husband needed EMERGENCY SURGERY, said I “just decided” to take the day off for my sons first day of preschool even though I could prove I had requested it off and it had been approved weeks prior. When non of those accusations stuck he started saying I'm horrible at my job, stuff isn't getting done- I countered with I still had no help and all of his complaints were things the company controlled- price change batches taking forever, hundreds of extra unnecessary tags to sort through every week. He said they needed me in earlier and I reminded him about the agreement we had because of my kids, but that I'd been getting in at 7:30 for the past 2 weeks. He said meat department needs help getting their ad up and I reminded him about the harassment and him saying he'd take care of it. I told him I am doing my absolute best,, giving 110% every day, willing to help out wherever I can, but if he expects me to do it all by myself it won't get done. All of this was us screaming back and forth for about 45 minutes, another manager was present but she stayed quiet. From what I heard they could hear us yelling through 2 closed doors out on the floor. I knew that this was just him having a temper tantrum and trying to put me in my place, he was trying to be intimidating. This man is in no way intimidating, he sounded like a brat. But then, get this, I think he realized I wasn't going to storm out or back down so he had to deescalate the situation and HE TAKES EVERYTHING BACK! He says he knows I'm doing my best and he's trying to hire help, if meat department can't get their ad done its because they are lazy and he'll write them up. I just need to communicate better.. I was exhausted so I said, ok whatever.
Next day I called the company's complaint number. I gave a statement saying I was being harassed and they gave me a username and password to a website that I could add more evidence too. I uploaded all the emails from the assistant to hr, added my email to District Manager and more specifics on what was said in my write up meeting.
2 weeks later the case was closed by the company with no comment to me. No communication about the money I am owed. So I updated my resume and it turns out that with so many years in customer service I qualified for a lot of jobs outside of retail that paid the same or more than I was making at the grocery store. I went on a couple of interviews and was just offered a job that told me I could have my pick of positions in their company.
It starts in 2 weeks. I'm quitting tomorrow via an email SD won't get until Monday.
Wish me luck.