Hello everyone! Now, I was let go from Kroger today, on Day 19 since my orientation date (August 24, 2017.) I'm honestly quite a bit confused as to why, but seeing as Indiana is an 'at-will employment' state, and I was within my Probationary period, there's really not much I could do.
I was in Click-List, and as my own store didn't yet have this department open, I was training at another store about 3-4 miles down the road. I had been at this position for roughly 2 weeks, and was starting to get comfortable and (relatively) settled when I showed up for work this morning to start my shift. My supervisor told me that I needed to go to my home store and talk to the GM, to stay on the clock, and that was it. I did as told, wondering what I could have done wrong, and met with the GM (whom I had never met before that moment.) The GM proceeded to tell me of some 'complaints' from other employees and my supervisors (none of which any involved ever talked to me about) had said about me. I was confused over the issue, but was not allowed to make a case for myself, only that the GM trusted the word of my supervisor and would defer to her judgement and terminate my employment. As I said, no such concern over either my behavior or workmanship was ever raised with me, and that was it, a simple 'you're not fitting in here' without any input from myself or ability to say a word in my defense (I specifically asked if I could defend myself and was declined) and told to clock-out and leave.
Now, I strive to be objective, and I don't want to look like I'm the 'obviously wounded' aggrieved party, so I'll state the nature of the claims (the GM gave me three examples that I did personally find to be rather insipid reasons for dismissal.)
1. On Sunday, for a shift, I asked for help from my supervisor unloading totes from my picking trolley. Two days before, my supervisor told everyone, in a department huddle, to not hesitate to come to her for assistance if we needed it. The reason I went to her for assistance was because I had been sick the previous day, and was still feeling rather weak from the day before. I didn't think this was cause for concern, as up to that point, I had had no real issues with performance beyond the usual rookie errors that come with learning a new job.
2. I had said, in jest, to an employee "Greetings Mortal." In my estimation, it's a harmless greeting, and one that I do actually struggle to visualize as being offensive to anyone that doesn't take their religion far too seriously. Apparently however, someone was indeed offended by this.
3. I had "acted," without directly voicing it, that I was too good for my job and 'above' my coworkers, and my supervisor felt that I wasn't going to do well with that attitude (this was never voiced to me at all in any capacity.) I'll be the first to admit that I have a tendency to be arrogant, but I really don't think that I acted snidely or rudely to any of my fellow employees here. I know a few older workers and I did have some small levels of friction over temperament, though I never voiced any disputes and kept all negative thoughts to myself without compromising any professionalism.
These were the reasons listed for my dismissal, and as I said, I was explicitly denied the opportunity to make a case for myself. I suspect there were other reasons, though I was only given those three.
I'll preface that I felt that my work was adequate and meeting of the standards expected of my position. The people who trained me felt I was doing alright, and I heard no words from any of my three supervisors that would indicate that I was doing poorly. There was one issue while attending that I had with a guest, and I admitted my own fault in the issue and my supervisor at the time assured me that a trainee employee wasn't going to be fired for messing up once.
My primary supervisor, the one that would be going back to the home store with us once we were trained, seems the type that won't tolerate stupid ****, and I picked up on that quickly. I feel like I didn't engage in any issues at all with her, which makes her feeling of me not being a good worker or good fit seem all the more confusing to me.
After thinking about it and processing it for a few hours, I'm not going to raise a real stink over it. It's not my first job, nor is it my first retail job, but I am concerned on how and why this issue came up - I've never had a problem at any of my other places of employment, yet Kroger seemed to think that I was a 'problem' employee.
On the interest of objectivity, I'll admit that there might have been things I didn't see or perceive, but again, if I was having a problem or causing one, I'm pretty miffed that no one at any level addressed the issue(s) with me. To my knowledge, I got along great with my coworkers, and was a productive new hire that was improving every day.
I'll try to answer any questions as honestly and matter-of-factly as possible.
Odd that they didn't wait for you to get near 60 days.
You were in probation so they can let you go if they can see you are not a good fit.
Maybe you pissed off a friend of a friend. Maybe they want someone more robot like to be in the position. Could be 100s of maybes.
While you are looking for a new job, make changes and work on your personality. Try to be less abrasive. Try to fit in. My department deal with our issues internally. We either work together and get along or a person won't have many friends at work.
It is a low skill, low paying job. Don't fret it. Find another job and don't look back.
Good luck.
-- Edited by Anonymouse1 on Tuesday 12th of September 2017 11:21:12 AM
Odd that they didn't wait for you to get near 60 days.
You were in probation so they can let you go if they can see you are not a good fit.
Maybe you pissed off a friend of a friend. Maybe they want someone more robot like to be in the position. Could be 100s of maybes.
While you are looking for a new job, make changes and work on your personality. Try to be less abrasive. Try to fit in. My department deal with our issues internally. We either work together and get along or a person won't have many friends at work.
It is a low skill, low paying job. Don't fret it. Find another job and don't look back.
Good luck.
-- Edited by Anonymouse1 on Tuesday 12th of September 2017 11:21:12 AM
Huh, I was under the impression the period of probation was 30 days.
It's definitely possible that I pissed someone off, I suppose. I didn't have any overt problems with anybody however, and those workers that I did take issue with I did keep my mouth shut on. Since nobody told me anything, I had little to go on. But as you say, it could be for any number of reasons, some obvious, many not so obvious. I can only say that I did try the best I could to follow the 'Kroger' way by being efficient, friendly, and helpful to customers.
As for my personality, I'm amenable to changing my attitude, but honestly, I don't really know what else I could do here beyond entirely buttoning up and not speaking to anyone (though in some work cultures, that's not an altogether unreasonable idea.) I came in with a positive attitude, maintained it, and I did enjoy my time working there. I didn't have any real problems with anybody, and I figured my supervisors as the type where it would be best to respond to the best of my ability and not get chummy with them. In the end, I don't think I'm going to have my questions answered on the issue and that I should move on.
It just... it really was a let down for me, and I do unfortunately think less of Kroger over the matter for not at least really talking me through and explaining what they felt the problem was beyond a short, 2 minute meeting with a GM I'd never met before who (more or less) talked at me instead of to me about problems I had no idea existed until right then and there were getting me canned.
But alas, thank you for the response and the closing advice - It's a low skill job that, in essence, I did take to lay low and have some income while exploring other opportunities. Thanks Again!
Kroger and professionalism are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. This is why when people complain about the union (and there are rightful reasons to complain at times), I remind them without the union, this is what working for Kroger would be like... where if you just literally look at someone the wrong way, you could be done for. Kroger is run by and employees plenty of childish, arrogant, power-hungry and small-minded individuals and it shows. Unfortunately, you must have crossed paths with one of them because you were terminated for seemingly no valid reason.
As much as it sucks to have this happen, honestly, you're probably better off. Any decent company out there would give you a chance to rectify your job performance before firing you, but Kroger isn't a decent company. You may not have even done anything that required rectifying... like I said, you could have easily been just another victim of the insanely unprofessional environment that exists in a majority of Kroger stores.
While this might be painful and confusing, I would just move on and looking for better opportunities. I'm sure there is another Retailer where you can actually make more $$ and have more fun @ work. Stores used to be fun, we now look at everything to try and save a Nickel. With the cost cutting and everything else occurring, people are getting more and more fed up and lashing out at times.
Well, if you only worked there for 2 weeks, you aren't in the Union yet. It normally takes 2 weeks for your background check and drug test to come back. if you didn't tell them something that they found in your background check they will fire you. If you failed the drug test they will fire you. It depends on what department you are in on how long your probation is (30, 60, 90 days). During your probation they can for you for any reason, even if they simply don't think you're what they want. If I were you I would go to the one who let you go and ask them why?
I'm on a Negative Kick recently, but the only reason I would apply at Kroger now:
1)Minor and couldn't get hired anywhere else
2)Parent works there and forcing me to get a job there
3)2nd job and needing a place that is flexible with my other jobs hours
4)Cant get a job anywhere else
Cons:
1)Pay
2)Weekends, Evenings, Holidays
3)Customers with high expectations
4)Company High Standards, Low Staffing Levels
5)Other Associates that have no work ethic
6)How to Highly Satisfy All Customers when 1/4 want you to give every items to them for free! (If they complain your in trouble, even if your following company policy)
7)Company Policy is never in forced
