So I want to preface this by saying I'm one if those people who has an eccentric personality but I don't know how to stand up for myself and this is one incident where I finally tried and it failed hard.
On Sunday I was st work, working an event for a big box store it's about 10am – 11am. Another co-worker and myself were working an outside tent in about 51 degrees F. It was cold to say the least. This one particular manager was arriving to work and doing her own personal thing. She ate breakfast outside and what not.
It's about 11am. This manager is finally on the clock and comes outside and asks my Co worker and I how many people we have gotten to sign up for the event promo.
I think it's important to note, that this is my actual job. The co-worker is just randomly being told to do this event, after expressing that they aren't in this department and don't want to work the event. They are still forced to.
Anyways, I tell the manager we have 1 sign up and her immediate response in a very demanding and belitting tone is “That is unacceptable, go walk the lines. Especially when your just standing around” It was a very deeming tone and I hear her talking to a supervisor about how I'm just standing there etc..
Anyways, I do as I'm told and go inside. The very next chance I get I respectfully ask her “can you please not talk to me in that way again? It's very deeming, I'm not a child. You don't need to bark orders at me”
She proceeds to get upset and explains how the way she manages is very direct and blunt and that I was just standing around not doing my job and that before she clocked in she saw me sitting down for a few mins and just not asking people to sign up. I was sitting down to try and get warm. It's cold outside. I tell her okay I'm just asking ” can you not talk to me like that” she proceeds to say
“I don't have time for this let's go talk to (AGM) to deal with this”
Keep in mind, she didn't ask me if I wanted to escalate the issue. I approached her for a quick 2 mins conversation. Instead she says has me follower when AGM turned out to be busy she gets a different staff level manager, she didn't ask me if I wanted him to be apart of this. She takes me to the Lost prevention office and simply tells the LP person “we are gonna talk to thos employee” but she didn't ask the LP person to leave the room so he just sat at his desk. She didn't close the door for privacy and proceeds to gas light me say things like “I manage in a direct way and if what I said “offended you I'm sorry but that's how I manage and you were just standing there not doing your job. I had to say something. I had seen you sitting down earlier and not approaching people. That's not acceptable and I don't appreciate being told I'm barking orders or being compared to a dog.”
I tried to point out that barking means to abruptly/aggressivly give orders but she ignored me and interrupted me. and kept going on a out how I'm in the wrong and I can't tell her how to talk me becauses that's how she manages in very direct way. Keep in mind she's yelling, her tone is very belitting, deeming, and scolding. Like she's scolding a child.
At this point she says “do you understand? Any other comments or concerns?
I have locked up at this point and just say “okay and no” and leave the room. At this point im in a sheer panic attack my legs are like noodles. I run to the break room to take a break and realize I'm about to brust into tears. I grab my backpack and head to the AGM. I tell her I'm going home and I can't stay there and immediately brust into tears. I tell her everything that happend, about how I didn't want to go into that room, I didn't want that other manager, the LP person's wast asked to leave thing. The door wasn't closed to protect privacy.
I went home and now I'm scared to go back.