Back in November, my store got a new manager. In this store, we never keep a manager around for more than a year or two tops, but I have been praying every single day for this man to get fired, transfered, or quit.
Right off the bat, you could tell he couldn't be trusted. He is a liar to the extreme. As a Union Steward in my store, he has caused me no small amount of headaches and stress. He will tell me one thing, then turn around and tell someone something different. I have caled him on it more than once. Joe will tell me that the Manager told him one thing, and the Manager willt ell me he told Joe this. I then tell him that Joe told me a contradictory story, and I will be sure to tell Joe what he says. Then he has the nerve to tell me, "You don't need tot ell Joe a damn thing." And gets all upset. If you're telling the truth, why get mad if I tell Joe what you said?
Among other things, this man is looking for the tiniest little excuse to fire people. He told a guy who works meat department to go and clean up a spill on a grocery isle. When he refused, he was fired. He ought to have called the union.
A chashier has a loud voice and was fired after a customer complained that he insulted her. The reason given for him being fired, was that he had been sarcastic.
Another Steward at my store was attempting to talk to someone who had been fired, and the manager asked the fired person to leave the store, and told the Steward to stop talking to him. When she refused to do so, he fired her too.
This manager has banned headphones at our store for the night crew. Our store is not 24 hours, so no customers are around. Some have taken to bringing small personal radios with them instead, and those have been banned too. Why were these banned? The office person has their nose up the managers butt. She gets to work late often and then lies and says that she was there on time and no one opened the door for her when she knocked. She doesnt knock loud at all.
The deli recently had someone quit, and the Manager said he would loan the deli someone from up front till he could hire someone. This person from up front doesnt want to work in the deli, but is doing so because it is temporary. Not knowing this, I asked the Manager how long he would be working in the deli for, and I was told that he would be staying there. That they werent going to hire someone else. Deceitful!
On the night crew, the Grocery Manager's backup recently stepped down. He has been working 16 hours a week for the last month, and the grocery manager assigned a new backup. This new backup has not been given a raise for backup pay. The store manager says that he doesnt think that he is a good fit for the job, and wants to bring someone over for another store. The Grocery Manager has told him No, he wants to keep the guy he has. And during this whole time, not only have they been paying the guy working 16 hours a week the backup rate, but he still has a key to the store too! He comes in when he feels like it, works what he feels like, and if he does any work when he is here, it's a miracle.
Oh I could go on and on and on...
Never in my years have I hated a manager as much as I hate this manager. If anyone reading this is actually someone who gives a crud about making stores better, and is in a position to do so, you let me know and I'll gladly share the managers name.
16 hours a week for groc backup? thats a tiny store. Anyway, if everything you say is right, the manager won't last long before he offends the wrong people and he starts failing audits leading to someone more important than him looking over his shoulder....
hmmm that sucks for you and the store. sounds like a typical world - over time things change. you get a nice ruler for awhile then he dies off and the new one is a tyrant.
__________________
I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
The backup used to be 40 hours a week. He stepped down because he got a different job. But he is still getting paid the backup rate. The manager wont recognize the new backup that the Grocery Manager has asked for. Ths new backup has been doing all the work for a month, without the extra pay rate.
As far as this manager offending the wrong person.. He is the zone manager's pet. Our ZM just loves him because he is a fairly practiced brown noser. People have complained to the ZM about him, but the ZM doesn't do anything.
I'm waiting on a call back from my Union rep. My rep is out of medical leave, and his replacement is supposed to be back from vacation today. So I'll talk to her about stuff.
What we are hoping for is that if we file enough grievances on him, that management will take action against our store manager.
I just wish the female customers would notice him when he leers at them and makes comments under his breath about them. A sexual harassment lawsuit would get rid of him quick.
Buy a small portable tape recorder and record any conversations you have with this manager. You can legally do this without their knowledge or consent unless you live in one of the following states:
I'm tempted to do that, but I work overnights now, so I don't speak to him hardly ever anymore. Thank god I don't have to deal with him personally as much, but even so, he gets under my skin.
Buy a small portable tape recorder and record any conversations you have with this manager. You can legally do this without their knowledge or consent unless you live in one of the following states:
California
Connecticut
Florida
Illinois
Maryland
Massachusetts
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
Washington
This.
You don't even have to splurge on a voice recorder. Cell phones work just fine if you have one that has a built in voice recorder. Record it, call the Kroger Harrassment Hotline, think of some credible witnesses who would throw him under the bus, and you'll have an investigation underway in no time.
__________________
"The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent the positions, strategies or opinions of The Kroger Co. family of stores."
