I (27m) worked for a large chain of pet supply stores for about 4 years, and was a district mentor for other stores. My DM would routinely have me go whip other stores into shape. One of my aquatics guys was processing invoices incorrectly and purposely overcounting aquatic inventory. He was canned for attendance, and when I did a proper inventory, it looked like I lost half my aquatic inventory in a months time. Then I was under heavy scrutiny but my DM refused to acknowledge that my coworkers weren't taking care of pets in my store while I was being dragged to other stores. I was fired for breach of protocol/procedure.
Specifically, I had cornered our location as the place to get fancy tarantulas and scorpions. However, as an arachnid keeper, I gave them all proper substrate/burrows, and kept special ones in the back for specific hobbyists. Not going by BS guidelines was just a reason to can me, as the DM was on a fire spree of middle management to blame the store's problems on us.
Fast forward, my GM puts in her two weeks a week after my termination, knows I'm in a tough spot, and gets me a job working for her in a dog daycare/lodging facility. It's a 50 mile round trip, $16 an hour (which is low in my area) and the place is run like garbage. One attendant supervises between 30-45 dogs on their own, some with behavioral issues. I get bit or otherwise injured multiple times, now have mild nerve damage.
My car had 150,000 miles on it and the drive was taking a huge toll. Eventually my engine knocks and the car is scrap. I'm told by boss and the manager i worked for before that I'll be transferred to a location that's two bus rides away in July. Then they need me one more week. Then it's two more weeks. Before I know it, I'm spending 3 hours on public transport or using Uber and basically paying to show up. Then it's another week.
Basically they screwed themselves out of an employee at an understaffed store, then screwed themselves out of a second in command manager at the more convenient location by not transferring.
Hit indeed. Get a job at a local Vet/Boarding facility 5 minutes from home. Pays more per hour and better benefits. Hired the day I apply. They know they can't match the benefits so they just congratulate me. My GM and my other shift lead both looking to leave now. Both places I worked for are no better, or worse than how I left them. I'll say that a big thing these companies do is use the animals in your care to make you feel bad about leaving.
TL;DR
I towed the corporate line for years, followed a general manager to another field of animal care, get screwed over because they couldn't bother fitting my transfer, they lose me at both locations, now I have a good job with better pay/benefits. Small business>corporate nonsense.