This story is really embarrassing but I need to share it so here we go. I work for a grocery store (not sure what the policy is for naming and shaming ) but the pay is absolutely horrible. I stick around because I’m one of the more senior employees in my department so I can usually tailor my hours around when my two kids are home so I don’t have to pay for extra childcare. Recently with the cost of everything rising our budget has been severely affected to the point of having food on the table has become more and more of a concern each month. I absolutely HATE the amount of waste we throw away at our store. Slightly banged up boxes of pastas and cereals? We throw them away! Past due (just by 1 day) baked goods which could absolutely still be eaten or bruised produce which is still edible? Yup we throw it away!
This situation has been gnawing at me for months so I finally had enough and one night after my shift I went to the dumpster and got out as much as I could. I got several dented canned goods and boxes of grains that were still good to use. I was scared when I first jumped in thinking it was so wrong but as I started to pull out all the wasted food I didn’t feel bad at all. I thought I finally found a way to make sure my family stays fed. That was until the VERY next day at work when my manager wanted to have a talk in his office. I was sat down and shown a video of me dumpster diving from security footage they had. I was told something along the lines that I was being let go because my actions were not to the standard held to our employees and that our customers expect from us. I tried my best to make my case but to no avail. My manager who just a few days ago was asking me how excited my kids are for Christmas with a smile on his face was now stone cold and emotionless as he read out the terms of my termination. I seriously just feel so defeated, I was punished for trying to provide for my family with a basic necessity and I was tossed out like a piece of garbage and now I’m absolutely terrified for the future without a new job lined up. I’ve started looking for a new job but with Christmas and New Years so soon, most places around me have stopped hiring for the year and I’m frightened.