I’ve worked at my store for nearly 3 years now and I used to care so much about my job. I used to literally run back to get items or whatever for customers and I was always going above and beyond whenever I was able to. Eventually I wrote a full page back and front of suggestions that I thought could improve the store. I handed it to my supervisor who promptly handed it back citing the formatting as an issue. The formatting on a scrap piece of paper containing brainstormed ideas…Anyways I digress, that was the first time in those 3 years where I felt truly unheard. Even after that I continued to try to do my best day after day working as fast as I can. Recently I had another interaction with my manager and it was in this interaction that I completed lost all drive, desire, and happiness at my job. I was getting sent outside (roughly -30C) and typically this isn’t a problem but I haven’t been given shifts for a month so I just assumed when I came back I’d be inside due to my seniority and due to the fact they hired a bunch of new people, silly me. I explained to my manager (call him terry) I was underdressed and asked if I could borrow gloves and he told me ask another employee. To this is responded with “isn’t that unsanitary?” He replied “no” and I said “alright never mind then” and I went outside. 30 minutes later I came back in and I was dealing with frostbite on both hands, my pinky was actually numb for about 2-3 AFTER I got home from my shift so for almost 4 hours I had a messed up hand. After coming back inside to protest to “Terry’s” boss (call him Bob) saying it’s unfair they don’t provide us with PPE (tbf they do provide a few XXL jackets and a few adequately sized jackets but for the most part everything is oversized and doesn’t keep you warm due to shitty quality or the massive pocket of air between your body and an XXL jacket) when they provide like 6 other departments with $100 coupons to buy steel toes even if they are a temporary worker. I explained that to me it doesn’t make any sense why we can’t have even $50 to buy some winter gear because a full set of winter gear, boots and jackets and all that etc costs like $300. To which Bob told me I was wrong and you can outfit for less than $100 for MINUS 30 weather and that all employees are expected to be outside and that even he or another manager might have to go outside if its bad enough. I asked if he would be properly dressed though? He think he would be but I saw him walk in with a thin soft shell jacket and no gloves this morning so I don’t know about that. Bob then told me it’s not our job to dress you…but you obviously dress half of the store already so why not help out a few people?? Bob told me I’m expected to buy my own gear but keep in mind earlier I mentioned this was my first shift in weeks so I’m dead broke and I couldn’t even afford gloves and whatnot. It made me infuriated and the shrug and disinterest I received from Bob was the cherry on top of a terrible cake. From that moment on I told myself I’d never be trying to go over and above and instead I will simply do what everyone else does. Slightly above minimum wages (soon to be minimum with their pay changes) slightly above efforts.
They’ve killed my desire to want to be my best version of myself. Also I’m half sure I’m dealing with retaliatory behaviour due to this because my shifts were immediately cut from 10 to 5 hours but this may have been due to a poorly timed manager (call him andrew, same level as Terry) change so I’m unsure. I’m still friendly with the manager (Bob) who told me they won’t dress you so idk. The new manager (Andrew) also has a bad habit of not responding to my emails which makes me sad as well. Not a lot seems to be going my way anymore and I’m always sad at work.