For context, I work at a city centre bank. I’ve worked there for two years. We are relatively busy on and off, but not all the time and it’s completely random. We are, and always have been severely understaffed. There is only ever 4 people plus managers in the branch when there needs to be around 10 for it to be effective.
We have a front desk to greet customers and check them into the area they need to be in order for us to help them. There has been a small purple chair there for the entirety of the time I have been there HOWEVER …
I recently handed in my notice in this role as I was offered another role elsewhere in the bank. When I did this as my new role isn’t connected to my current – they ceased allowing me to do anything related to my current role. Instead they’ve got me on the front desk as mentioned above.
It’s worth mentioning I got a new manager around 6 months ago and had been looking to move into a new role since then. I do not get on with him at all. There has never been any major incidents but he is incredibly nit-picky and will take every opportunity to knock you down that he can. He just really gets under my skin, has made my time there miserable and is 95% the reason I am leaving. I know for a fact that I am not the only person that feels like this and many others are looking to leave. Although I should have continued doing my current role until my departure he was the one that stopped me. He was also the one that decided i must be in front desk for the entirety of my notice, even though this role is usually rotated amongst the front line staff.
Yesterday he decided that I would no longer be allowed a chair and that I would have to stand behind this desk for my whole shift. He held a meeting to say that the staff member on front desk would no longer be allowed a chair as “customers had complained about it” – which i highly doubt. This meeting was held with all staff members but for at least the next three weeks only affects me.
I did the first 3:30 hours of my shift standing, went for my thirty minute lunch and when I came back, I moved the chair back.
After seeing this my manager took me aside and had a huge go at me for doing so. He then proceeding to send me an email with the same information, as well as sending it to my new manager. (I will attach email below).
It feels like because we don’t actively get on that because I am leaving he is doing anything he can to essentially take the piss.
My question is: I have three weeks left, do I just keep my head down and get over it, or do I reply to the email?
I will also get an opportunity to address the branch on the day I leave – do I take this opportunity to make a subtle dig to the manager or just say thank you /bye?
Email:
As per our conversation today I just wanted to reiterate that if ever you have anything on your mind or if you are not happy with something that has been implemented then we are always open to challenge and to discuss this further on a one on one basis confidentially. I spoke quite clearly in the team meeting this morning about the negative feedback received from customers recently around our Front Of House proposition and how customers have provided feedback then when they enter the branch there is normally a member of staff sat down rather than having someone approach them in a welcoming manner, therefore we decided that in order to amend this that the stool would be removed today so that we are greeting our customers and interacting well with them the minute they walk into the branch the right body language, During this discussion this morning with the whole team including yourself, there was no immediate concerns raised. We also mentioned that no other branch in the local market have a stool or chair Front Of House, also when going into other banks and retailers there is, on the majority of occasions there are staff there to greet and also walking about. This discussion took place as a team to involve everyone to ensure we are operating and demonstrating the right behaviours.
Having spoken to you, the reason why you moved the stool back today was due to you not wanting to stand for 6 hours a day. This I completely appreciate, hence why we are looking to rota FOH when staffing allows. You had just come back from 30 minutes away from Front Of House so I was surprised to see the stool back there when you took over. As mentioned, as a senior member of the team I would expect you to come and speak to myself l before making the decisions yourself about something that has been implemented instead taking actions without discussion. You also must consider how our key messages to the whole of the team can be impacted by your actions and perceived. These can be deemed as negative behaviours.
Like I said, we have an open door policy here and are always here to look at solutions where Issues arise.
If you have any questions, please ask