I am new to this site but need to voice how disappointing it is to see a company appear to do a good thing by hiring handicapped employees only to see them verbally harass and humiliate them. Shame on them, and shame on you who participate in the harassment or allow it to continue unchecked.
I agree! I have a son who works in that kind of environment at our local store. Have made many complaints only to have them either ignored or swept under the rug. Today called corporate , they did not return my call, so I contacted the EEOC, OCR, and retained an attorney. I am certain they will listen soon. Tomorrow I intend to submit an article to our local paper letting the customers know how their local store treats their employees. Do you think management might return my call?
To the original poster: Assuming that you are 100% right and such harassment is occurring regularly, going to a local paper to damage the stores credibility will hurt many more people than the guilty parties. I think you want the people responsible to be punished, not the many other people with jobs at that store to be adversely affected. This is why we have the union, to protect the employees who pay the dues. Grievances can be filed against employees as well as the store.
Assuming I am right about the harassment, and that after many attempts to get them to correct the situation only to have them say they will and then they don't, do you think the store truly has any credabilty to begin with? My son has been at this store for six years with no problems till 18 mos. ago when store management changed. In 6 years he has used 1 sick day, no personal days and has been late 1 time. He is loyal and works hard. No he is not the fastest employee but neither is he the slowest. They can find the time to harass him and ignore the blatant laziness that runs rampant throughout the store. My concern is not the store, but my son. I have dealt with the union, and it was a temporary reprieve at best, only to become worse when employees found that he had complained. Perhaps some of the employees you suggest I consider would be better served to quit turning a blind eye to what they know is wrong, and step in to stop the harassment when they see it. Until then let the chips fall where they may.
My store has many employees that could easily live off social security for physical and mental disabilities, but choose to work for a living instead. If a fellow employee was found to be abusing one of them they would be shunned and hated by the rest of the store. I am sorry your son is in a place where such decency is non-existent.
It is a sad statement that I would have to go to such links, I am still hoping corporate will call me back and find a way to resolve this first, but so far they have not. I am giving them the rest of the day today then I turn my anger loose. Young managers and young employees bad combination. They need some experience in mgmnt. with a no tolerance approach to harassment, instead of finding retard and gay boy comments funny.
A2, don't pull your punches. Corporate Kroger plays hardball and if you have the power to take them down a peg, then do it! You will have a lot of people cheering for you.
I'm sorry your son works in a store where people harass him because of his disabilities. In our store, people stick up for the slower members that have been hired. We try to do right by each other, even if it means telling off a customer for being cruel. Our store manager is slime, but we don't let that influence us.
Hope things get better for you. Good luck in your battle.
In my particular store, we don't tolerate any abuse of the employees. The front-end employees are JUST as important as everyone else in the store. No, they may not be the fastest. They may not be a lot of things, but I'll tell you this...I'm proud to call many of them my friends. And anybody who's got something to say about my friends, well...they're just going to have to say it to my face, with many of my fellow co-workers standing right behind me!!! I'll fight, tooth and nail, for them. We treat each other like family, because every employee, no matter who they are, has a contribution to make. Don't like it? Well, that's just too bad!!! Your hate is not my problem...
My only wish is that more people thought this way...
You sound like so many others. So simple to hide your head in the sand and blame it on the one being harassed. Do you think its funny to make those less fortunate the butt of jokes. Perhaps you've never been subjected to daily humilation by people who seem to enjoy putting you down for the fun of watching you get upset. You disgust me, and others like you, you are part of the problem not the solution.
I agree! I have a son who works in that kind of environment at our local store. Have made many complaints only to have them either ignored or swept under the rug. Today called corporate , they did not return my call, so I contacted the EEOC, OCR, and retained an attorney. I am certain they will listen soon. Tomorrow I intend to submit an article to our local paper letting the customers know how their local store treats their employees. Do you think management might return my call?
I would make damn sure an attorney is involved, because yes, you otherwise could be sued for slander/defamation of charcter.
Also, a question: is your son under your legal guardianship? Because if not, YOU personally don't have a legal leg to stand on. Your son must be legally responsible for himself.
Without that status, Koroger's legal team will laugh this case into dismissal. I can't imagine any lawyer who would take on this case without your son being his own guardian.
You sound like so many others. So simple to hide your head in the sand and blame it on the one being harassed. Do you think its funny to make those less fortunate the butt of jokes. Perhaps you've never been subjected to daily humilation by people who seem to enjoy putting you down for the fun of watching you get upset. You disgust me, and others like you, you are part of the problem not the solution.
Anon, you'll learn pretty quickly here that he is just an internet Troll. Just ignore him like everyone else does. He says things deliberately meant to provoke so he can laugh when someone takes the bait and gets riled up.
-- Edited by FedUp on Friday 29th of July 2011 08:12:53 AM
no i am not a troll. just i see this all the time. your son hates his job, so he makes stuff up so you feel sorry for him. i doubt employees are bullying your son around. other young teens that work there might be trying to be friendly but your son is a asshat. i am giving you truth dont scold me. this is the cold reality you are being duped.
So glad you know so much about my son. I have only raised him for over thirty years so what would I know. With every resonse you make your low IQ and bigot personality shines through. You sir just prove my point. And just so you know, I do not feel soryy for my son, just frustrated for him, its you I feel sorry for.
Nocturnia, I am my sons legal guardian and have been since he turned eighteen. At this point I am dealing with the EEOC and OCR both federal branches there to protect the rights of handicapped citizens. It has never been my intent to sue for any punative damages for my son against Krogers, just to force them to take action and prevent any further harassment. However I will not rule it out, it is entirely up to them.
One more thing madman mundt, my son used to love to go to work and felt proud about his job, its people with your attitude that has caused him to dread going to work now. Again I must say, you and your kind absolutely disgust me. I hope you never have to cope with the things parents with children with disabilities have to deal with on a daily basis, I don't wish that on anyone, even someone as hateful, rude, and obnoxious as you. I was hit head on by a drunk driver when I was 6 mos pregnant and lost my 2yr. old daughter at the same time, that accident resulted in my son's cerebral palsy, do you think because of that he should have to put up with people like you? Bite me shmuck, you don't have a clue, and apparently even if you did you wouldn't know what to do with it.
I would be very proud to be the parent of a handicapped child b/c they possess pure unconditional innocence. The world can be a very ugly, unforgiving place with hatred and cruelity abound (just take a look at madman). It is very unfortunate and sad to see a child turn from a caring, loving person to one of bullying, hatred towards others. They have literally lost their soul. I have never seen a person with cerebral palsy have pent up hatred in their heart. If only the rest of the world would/could be like them.
God bless you and your son and your family.
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
Oh - and one more thing - tell your son that even though things are a little tough and uncomfortable for him with work at the moment that soon everything will work out and be back to the way it used to be. Please tell me that there are some employees there that give him attention?
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
Yes there are a few people who try to be supportive and call me when things seem to be getting out of hand. My son is a very kind person and doesn't like to see anyone get mad so when I get mad at the bullies he feels sorry for them, he is so very forgiving and that is good to a point, but when they use that to hurt him that's contemptable.
I will tell him what you said and will continue to be his advocate and hope things get better for him soon. Thanks
Continue to fight for your son...If he's anything like the cool guys I work with, I would be proud to call him a friend. Don't let the naysayers get you down...I've worked with many different people over the years, on the front end, behind the scenes, and everyone in between, and your son sounds like a cool guy to hang around with. Tell him that, because it sounds to me like he has a lot to offer the world. Don't give up on him, or let him give up on himself. It's not easy, but it's up to strong people like you and me to change things for the better. And let him know that there are people who care, even people he's never met...
I only wish the best for you and your son. Be proud of him...and don't EVER give up!!!
In fact, one of the guys I work with now...and a former employee I used to work with...had cerebral palsy...The other guy was one of my best friends (We would attend my former store's Christmas parties together), and a good guy to work with. The guy I work with now is just a joy to be around. He is always full of sports trivia, comes to work with a smile on his face, customers LOVE him to death, and all of us who are PRIVILEGED to work with him, I think, would consider him a friend. If I ever saw anyone bad-mouthing the guy, I would say, "Excuse me? You're talking about my FRIEND here...You mess with him...You mess with me!!!" Anything else is intolerable!!! There are no excuses tro be cruel...Sorry, but as much as it may be otherwise, Kroger's is not high school, as my union steward always aptly points out!!!
Oh, and it's not so much that we go out of our way (not that we wouldn't if we had to...), but he's just like one of the guys, no different, and that's the way we treat him...I've heard people say that they don't come to work to make friends...In our case, it's just the opposite...We are ALL family (sometimes a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless), and it's all for one and one for all. We help each other. If someone doesn't like it, that's too bad!!!
All I can say is I hope things eventually get better. Know this...Not all Kroger's are the same, and there are actually some good guys in the world. As I said before, don't stop fighting. Your son is important and valuable to someone. DON'T GIVE UP!!!
By the way, there is nothing wrong with being forgiving...Problem is, there are not enough forgiving people in the world, but they are still necessary!!! Good for your son. Tell him to keep that attitude, because there seems to be fewer and fewer people out there with the guts to forgive. It takes a lot more courage to forgive someone than to put them down!!! And to those doing the bad-mouthing, well...they wouldn't want to see me...ZERO TOLERANCE for any put-downs, I say...If we don't stand up for those who need it, who will?
look at all the replies. first anon you never said what handicap your son had until this point. my older 26 yr old brother suffers from this. he has a good job and never has problems being bullied. you and all your anon friends paint me as a troll, when i am simply giving my explantion to your predicament. you start by calling me a "bad person" in your reply, without just trying to correct me. so i made a reply with further detail. yet again i am blasted for my explantion, yet with still little info on your harassment problem. then other posters follow and try to knock me down. this post has a lot of symphathy for you. if your son is being humiliated at work. im sorry. but unless your there at work with him you dont know the whole story. SO according to you your son is perfectly innocent and imcapable of lying or exaggerating because of cerebal palsy. i seen your kind before. i know your emotional headgame. let me clear this up for you. I AM NOT THE ENEMY, AND THIS IS NOT REALITY TELIVISION.
I never said my son was mr. innocent, in fact I know he isn't, but your assumption or suggestion that he exagerates the harassment is where my problem with you starts. You have a question, ask it, but do it without the hidden accusations. I said you disgust me and I meant it, still do. Even when you try to explain yourself your contempt for your perception of my son shines through. I have seen your kind also, you are more ignorant than I first thought, especially if you have a brother with any form of CP. (of which there are multiple types by the way) I suppose you think gay boy and stuttering retard and questions like did the short bus bring you to work are all appropriate and funny things my son should to take as funny and not be hurt by? Of course you do, because you appear to be the type of person who would. You reference sympathy in your comment and let me assure that is not my goal or desire I was looking for a little support, no more no less. You want history, I'll give you some:
Braces from hips to feet till he was 16, speech therapy for 17 years, physical therapy 22 years, open heart surgery to repair whole in heart at 14, surgery to clip ham strings at 16, throat surgery so he could swallow meat at 19. 2 extra years of high school to graduate 1999. Job training at rehab center for 2 yrs. Graduated in 2002. worked 3 yrs. at walmart until until my discharge from US Army. Kroger employee 6 years.
You may not think he has paid his dues and deserves to be treated with respect but buddy let me tell you something, he has,and he has had to work twice as hard as most to accomplish what he has and I have been there for it all, and no one not you not Krogers not anyone has the right to treat him with anything less than the respect he deserves. If you have a problem with that too bad.
I am truly sorry for you, you must be a terribly miserble person to be so close minded and cruel and so eager to think the worst of people. Having said that let me say, your comments and attitude are not a surprise to me, you are not the first angry, bitter and resentful person I have had to deal with in my life nor will you be the last, and that sir is the saddest part of all.
Again let me preface this comment by saying again these remarks are intended for Madman Mundt.
So sad to see this thread going downhill fast. Like I said before, this is Kroger's, not high school!!! And to the mom who started this post, those cruel names you mention....really make my blood boil!!! I don't personally know you, but those are things I wouldn't tolerate being said to MY friends! Those are things I wouldn't tolerate being said to anybody!!! It's about dignity and respect, two things that many just don't understand. I can tell you this...I understand the frustration of those who are just trying to fit in, but have a hard time. I understand the bullying, too. Well, NO MORE!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! Besides my co-workers with cerebral palsy, I work with another guy who used to be an upstanding member of a fire department. Smart guy. Older guy. A few years back, he had a stroke. Maybe he's not as fast now as he used to be. He takes his time with words. He's probably gone through some things I can't even begin to understand. But I consider him a friend. I do see, though, how upset he gets when he tries to tell me something, and I misunderstand him. Believe me, it's not my intention to misunderstand him (and he's not the only one I've ever had trouble understanding). I'm sorry for that, but I still think he's a good guy underneath. AND I LISTEN TO HIM!!! I PAY ATTENTION!!! I TRY TO CARE!!! And they're not the only ones I work with who have difficulties and/or challenges. Yet, I consider them all friends!!! Here we are judging people, when we haven't even walked an inch, let alone a mile in their shoes!!! My wish is that your son eventually finds the dignity and respect HE SO RICHLY DESERVES!!! Any other comments to the negative on here strike me as boring and uneducated. No one should have to suffer the indignity and disrespect your son has!!! NO ONE!!! And let's stop accusing people of things we know nothing about!!! It's getting ridiculous!!!! Or should I say...boring!!!!
dont take it personal Kroger treats anyone they can take advantage of bad! 40+ years and im kicked to the curb !!! 40+ years fulltime for Krogers nowarning no second chances!!! Their own human resources outright lied to me! isnt that wrong?shame shame on Krogers!!!!
dont take it personal Kroger treats anyone they can take advantage of bad! 40+ years and im kicked to the curb !!! 40+ years fulltime for Krogers nowarning no second chances!!! Their own human resources outright lied to me! isnt that wrong?shame shame on Krogers!!!!
I'm sorry to read that. I hope you get every penny of your well-deserved unemployment insurance, and that they don't try to screw you out of it.
