denali (denali) wrote in equations,
@ 2009-03-29 19:32:00

Discussion post
My manager and I have a history. It's obvious to both of us that we dislike each other and it's been like this for the past four-five months. I live on my own and need this job, so i've overlooked quite a bit of stuff. Thursday afternoon, i left work at 3p.m and i accidentally left my jacket hanging on a peg behind our fish system - where i've left my jacket the entire 1 1/2 years i've worked there. Every other employee in my department, including my manager herself, leaves their jacket there. I come back to work Satuday morning and my friend Kim tells me that Thursday night, she saw my manager take my jacket (that mysteriously ended up in the break room) from the breakroom chair, into the trash can and pour coffee all over it. So i then proceed to go tell my store manager. About a hour later, my manager calls me to the office and immedietely starts griping about me telling our GM about the situation before going to her. I called Randy in there and we both just went at it. The only valid excuse she could give me for doing what she did is that "my jacket had no buisness being in the break room, much less hanging behind the fish system". HER JACKET WAS HANGING BEHIND THE FISH SYSTEM WHEN I CAME IN TO WORK THAT MORNING!!!! When i told her & our GM this, she just gave me a flabbergasted look and couldnt even come up with a response. I fully expected to her AT THE VERY LEAST be sent home for the day, but I really wanted her fired or demoted. NOTHING HAPPENED. My store manager asked her to pay to have my jacket cleaned and that's it. It's obvious to me that this was an intentional act and imo there is nothing she could EVER say to justify it. You just don't go around throwing perfectly good (and new!) jackets into the garbage and then proceed to dump coffee on it.

So i have three questions.
1. What would you/would have done?
2. What do you think is the approriate repurcussions?
3. Should i go above my store managers head to our DM or even HR?

Please help. My job is becoming unbearable.

(Post a new comment)

freebird
2009-03-30 02:36 am UTC (link)

honestly, i would quit after i found a new job. but if you want to, i think maybe going above the manager would be a good idea. that's what most places would want. if someone is mistreating you at work & making your job unbearable & they won't do anything about it, you can probably sue them. so they'll want to do something about it.

but i'd probably end up dumping coffee on her brand new jacket & being like, "okay we're even :]" then i'd end up fired or something. but i'm stubborn as all hell.

(Reply to this)

smoke
2009-03-30 05:30 am UTC (link)

if you both have a history together & she's done other things i'd go above the store manager too as long as my "slate was clean". there's absolutely no reason for her to throw out a jacket & then proceed to dump coffee on it. 'specially since it was in the break room...

& i think she should have been forced to pay for another jacket, not just have it cleaned.

& usually companies have an ethics line to call for problems like that. I'd include other things too like delegation if she fails at that since i don't think they really can do too much about her just being a flat out bitch.

(Reply to this)

	ibmxcrazy 2009-03-30 08:17 am UTC (link)
	be as calm and cool as possible. if you're rational and she's not someone in charge is going to listen. if i was the one handling the situation i wouldnt fire her right away. i wouldnt want someone like that working for me but often there are guidelines as to why you can fire someone. i would definitely write her up, and pay more attention to the way she treats her co-workers. (Reply to this)

	keyblade 2009-03-30 12:15 pm UTC (link)
	I'd definitely take this higher. She's acting like a child. There's no reason why the two of you can't be civil, but she clearly just wants to be petty. Remain professional whilst it's going on, but I definitely would take it to the higher-ups. (Reply to this)

serotonin
2009-03-30 09:35 pm UTC (link)

I think what you did for starters was exactly what you should have done, and the fact that your manager didn't get more of a punishment is ridiculous. Managers should definetely not be allowed to harass employees.

With that being said, if you're up for a battle, go higher, I know I would. I know you said you've been not getting along for months, so before you go above to a DM or RM make a list of things the manager has done and when you do decide to talk to them remain calm and don't get emotional, but stick to your guns and make sure they know you're serious and don't just blow you off.

(Reply to this)

61_keys_to_play
2009-03-31 02:20 am UTC (link)

I say this in every situation where there is stuff like this happening: WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. Dates, times, what happened/was said, etc. Keep your cool and be as civil as you can.

Since I don't know where you work or what their policies are, I can't be too specific, but a higher-up acting like that, in front of a witness no less, is pretty ridiculous. Paying to have your coat cleaned is a good first step - and a good second step is for you to hang said coat in your bathroom during the next rather hot shower you take and see if all the smell actually comes out of it after it has been cleaned. If it has not, it is time to demand a replacement.

Go above the manager if needed, and if there is an ethics line and a handbook for your job, use them to your advantage. Have information right there when you call so you can give them your specific dates, times, location, and violations according to the handbook.

Otherwise, get your resume together and get the hell out.

Seriously, no one deserves to be treated like that. A private, civil discussion or notice on where to place your coats, fine. Throwing it in the trash and pouring coffee on it, psychotic. You do the math. Things are not going to get better - things will most likely get worse between you and this person. Going above their head and getting them disciplined, unless they are completely removed, is not going to fix things. Legal threats talk, though. You have rights - and harassment and damage to personal property are things that law is good for. :)

Good luck, and let me know if I can be of any assistance to you - advice or just an ear - etoiledunorditc@gmail.com

(Reply to this)

scribbld is part of the horse.13 network
Design by Jimmy B.
Logo created by hitsuzen.
Scribbld System Status