I stepped down from a leadership position though I did well in it and was crafty, was solution oriented and proactive, I was also drowning, my work life balance sucked, I wasn’t provided the staffing to properly make the work place function nor wS I given the needed suppor to do thrive in the role better.
They really wanted me to stay in my position, promising me things will get better by a year and even provided me a financial incentive to stay. I will also mention that another lead left a month before me for similar reasons.
So you got two team leads quitting within a short time period.
So initially I was quitting but decided to stay on as “as needed staff” to help fill in coverage gaps when needed.
My relationship with my manager was outwardly okay but she consistently downplayed my staff and team leads concerns, how overworked we were and how we were becoming burnt out. I wouldnt say gaslighting, but gaslight adjacent.
After stepping down, I take a three month break from full time work. During that time, I took occasional shifts for my original job location when needed.
This company multiple locations, so when my original site location started to get better staffing, the other location asked me to work for them. So I did.
The bare minimum for my position is to work a set number of shifts per month and to provide your availability in advance.
The issues:
I didnt realize how much resentment my manager had for me until I requested a letter of recommendation from them. I only did so because they always had glowing reviews of my work. Eventually, they gave me the letter a week or two later, it read as if anyone could have written it, not written by a person who was desperate to keep me in my role. (Strike one)
Strike two: I get an email from finance about a charge I never made months ago. It was after I stepped down and on a day i didnt work. Im pretty detail oriented with tracking expense and I always take a picture of the receipt and include vendor informarion for tracking. But for staff stuff I mainly paid out of pocket. Even birthday and holiday celebration stuff for the staff. My former manager has been haphazard about following up with me after alerting me to this issue just to fall off completely.
Strike three, my new manager (IE my replacement) and I are cool, I followed up with them about why they haven’t asked me to fill in for shifts. I like to make sure im available for them, theyre my old team. Call out and pto coverage is normally needed right? They told me they wanted to but that my former manager (my replacements boss) was going to terminate me after learning I found other work beyond my “as needed” staffing position which is why they didnt ask.
To be clear, its not against my positions policy to have another job. Im not breaking rules for having other employment. I just have to do the above and show up to my shifts.
I feel like my former manager is out to get me fired but indirectly. I have never been fired from a job before.
What can i do?