Finally had it out with my stupid bit-ch Front End Manager tonight

FrontEndSlave · Guru

Finally had it out with my stupid bit-ch Front End Manager tonight

NutritionWhore · Guru

If you leave the store, she'll have the last laugh. At least go out with a bang. Your last hour should involved jamming ALL of the carts in the corral, whether they fit or not. Also, a little sabotage won't hurt.

Perhaps cause a big "code red" at the wine aisle ;D

FrontEndSlave · Guru

Heh heh oh wow would that be nice

Trouble is, what if i need or want to use Kroger as a reference point?
It is my most recent employment, after all.
And then if I end up finding another department, the DM wouldn't want to hire me based on my vindictive behavior.
The grapevine at that store is massive and vines are growing EVERYWHERE. That's how this whole crap went down tonight in the first place.
Basically I made a post on Facebook complaining about people leaving carts in the foyer. Then another post a day or so later about recognizing how our courtesy clerks go out in the cold single-digit temperatures to get those carts inside. And some people didn't like it and whined to store management.

I didn't even know our store had a Facebook page for our employees until tonight.
I did find my FEM, the bit-ch in question, and blocked her, but then unblocked her to try to see something.
now I have to wait another 48 hours before I can block her again. But as far as I know I am able to block her once two days are up.
And that is where we will be headed once those hours are up.

NutritionWhore · Guru

Future employers rarely ever contact the reference you provide. That only happens at the higher-paying jobs.... way higher.

If anything, they only contact to see if you really worked there. Not about your conduct, but just to make sure you actually were employed, earned a wage, paid taxes, and got whatever experience you're trying to sell to another company.

An old story from my workplace was that we let go of an ex-convict after multiple rule infractions. He ran down the pasta aisle and knocked all of the spaghetti sauce jars on the floor after he clocked out. I'm not sure if management did anything after. If anything, they were probably glad to be rid of him.

Date: Jan 10, 2015

FrontEndSlave wrote:
I'll post more about it later...but it was her, myself and the co-manager.
I didn't request union because I was under the impression, through asking co-workers who had been there longer than me and knew more than me, that the union rep was not there at the time. Turns out that we have two union reps at our store and one of them actually found me after all was said and done. She knew I had been looking for her too...I'm not exactly sure HOW she found out (she caught me about two minutes after everything was said and done...) but she knew. And she was wearing the UFCW jacket too. Nice touch.

There was a lot said, and the reason for the meeting was rather bullcrap, but at one point I straight out said that I did not trust her.
I addressed this remark to the store's co-manager.

Everything that I knew about how this woman manages came out when I did.

Her reaction when I said that?

She covered her face with her hand and laughed.

I said I didn't trust her.
She is sitting four feet away.
And her response is to laugh.

That was all I needed to see.
I already knew what kind of a person she was, what kind of a manager she was, but that reaction pretty much sealed it for me.

Instead of trying to speak with me in detail and solve the problem, she laughs.
It seemed to be a little one of those awkward laughs, like if something weird or awkward happens in front of you and the only comfortable reaction your brain throws out as an immediate response is to give an awkward laugh.

But it was also more of a "I can't believe this" laugh.
To her credit, she at least laughed quietly. But she covered her face and was clearly laughing.

Yea. That's really going to encourage me to work with you, lady. Really.
You are a total bitc-h and I don't care that you have 20 years of working for Kroger.
To this woman:
You should not be working for mine.
Your management style is aggressive.
You have pissed off multiple courtesy clerks and cashiers.
We always have gobacks piling up because we don't have enough staffing to handle them.
We can rarely keeps carts updated in the foyer because your schedulers put one person out to handle a two-person job.

Oh yea, she also sent me home an hour early when I was supposed to be working the parking lot, so when she told me to clock out and go home, we had no carts in the main foyer at all.

I'm actually relieved I got some of it off of my chest with her right there.
But, her reaction to my remarks...well, again, that's just so telling.

Meat department and possibly nutrition might have openings.
i'm checking with them this week.
Also working on Food Depot seeing if the application I put in can mean anything or if it's just going to stay on file.

Either way, it's out of Front End or out of the store.
I can't take this horrible lady being my boss anymore.
All those responses telling me to change attitude, work with her, just do my job, yea, I see those. I listen. I understand.

But to quote Wreck-It-Ralph :

" it becomes kinda hard to love your job...when no one else seems to like you for doing it. "

The sooner you get used to the fact no one is going to like you just for doing a job..The better..

NutritionWhore · Guru

And the award for the most unnecessary post quote goes to..... That anon above me.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

Anonymous wrote:

The sooner you get used to the fact no one is going to like you just for doing a job..The better..

this woman is definitely not going to like me.
Thankfully the feeling is mutual.
I have no faith in her as a manager, believe her management style is nearly useless or at the very least lacks people skills and given my interactions with her believe she is not that nice of a person as well. She sees Kroger how she wants to see Kroger and if you do not do it the way she wants you are spoken to, written up, reminded or let go as an employee. There is no push or shove with her, she is the one that wants to do the pushing and shoving. Even if what she wants is impossible, stupid or pointless. It is like working for the boss of the Dilbert comic strip with breasts and slightly different hairstyle.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

I also forgot to mention that I was supposed to be on 'lot duty at the time of our meeting.
Since I kept dragging it out, by the time we finished it was 15 minutes in to the hour.
This woman said 'go out and work'. It was cold outside so I still had to put on my cold weather gear.
And I can see the view of the parking lot better from our second-story break room window rather than just looking over the place at the doors.
It allows me as a courtesy clerk to know which corrals contain what and which should be visited first.

I made the mistake of talking to one of our employees, a fellow courtesy clerk.
this woman (FEM) came up to me and told me to clock out and go home.
This was probably within two minutes of the 'meeting' being over.
She told me to clock out and go home. That was it.

Well guess who will be blamed for the fact that we had no shopping carts in the foyer then?
Before I left she mumbled something about me and the store manager when I come back to work.
If she tries to take me in to his office when I work next (and I only work two days this upcoming week...) I will tell them I am not talking without union representation.
I will also explain to the store manager, regarding this particular incident, that I was about to go out to the parking lot but had yet to put on winter clothing.
That I was about to look out the window. Of course this woman FEM will try to play it out as if I was ignoring her orders to go to work. She is vindictive and closed that way.

God I hate this woman, how the HELL did she get so far into Kroger management?
Her arrogance alone could power our registers if the electricity failed.

NutritionWhore · Guru

By the way, I should tell you that union reps do play favorites, whether it's with the lowly clerks or with management.

I won't be surprised if any of your union reps are friendly with that devil you're describing, hence why the rep wasn't available until, 'coincidentally', moments right after the meeting.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

NW, the only way i think she could have known I was looking for her was I asked one of our courtesy clerks (the same guy whom I spoke with after the 'meeting' was over, since he was on his break then...) about who the union rep was at our store. Told him I knew a name of 'Barbara' (not the real name, just a placeholder for this conversation) but that was it.

So it's possible that he or the other courtesy clerk standing there at the time with us got word to her, but I really don't think he or the other guy did.

I'm not paranoid, but with your words, I wonder if maybe this woman or the co-manager told her that they were going to talk to me. Knowing that, with my personality, I might or would probably ask for union to be at the conversation.

I may ask the union rep about this when I talk to her again. And I will be talking to her again.
Especially if my Front End Manager makes a direct attempt to fire me.

NutritionWhore · Guru

The thing is, if your union reps had any feeling of obligation, or an ounce of responsibility, they'd make effort to either make themselves easily available, or, if they knew that management will be having a word with you, to be there anyway without being asked.

I mean, you honestly have to hunt down for a service and coverage you're paying for? That to me just doesn't cut it.

Sorry, but your union reps sound lazy. I do hope your situation improves, though!

FrontEndSlave · Guru

Ten months of being there and all I knew of the union reps was the name of the first person.
I did not even know this other person was in the union and a rep until tonight.
She was even wearing the UFCW jacket when she called me over after I came downstairs.
You know what the funniest part was?
She *knew* I had been asked to clock out and go home.

I don't know how she found that out so quickly.
It does make me suspicious.
At the time, maybe only three or four people knew it, and she sure wasn't one of the ones I had told.
And of the three or four people, two of them were the co-manager and my FEM.

Right after it happened I went up to the Front End Floor Supervisor and told her that I had been sent home, so she'd need someone for 'lot and that we had no carts.
I'm wondering if maybe this union 'rep had a radio on her and had heard through the radio.
It's possible, I suppose, but it's weird how she knew so quickly that a) I had been looking for union representation and b) that I had been told to clock out and go home without her even being nearby.

Even wearing the actual union jacket. I have seen this person so many times in the store, and never have I seen her wearing the union jacket. Ever.

After re-reading these remarks of mine, and yours, it does worry me a bit if maybe she is playing favorites, even if unintentional, with my FEM.
If that is the case them I am truly screwed.

-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Saturday 10th of January 2015 10:35:43 PM

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
Ten months of being there and all I knew of the union reps was the name of the first person.
I did not even know this other person was in the union and a rep until tonight.
She was even wearing the UFCW jacket when she called me over after I came downstairs.
You know what the funniest part was?
She *knew* I had been asked to clock out and go home.

I don't know how she found that out so quickly.
It does make me suspicious.
At the time, maybe only three or four people knew it, and she sure wasn't one of the ones I had told.
And of the three or four people, two of them were the co-manager and my FEM.

Right after it happened I went up to the Front End Floor Supervisor and told her that I had been sent home, so she'd need someone for 'lot and that we had no carts.
I'm wondering if maybe this union 'rep had a radio on her and had heard through the radio.
It's possible, I suppose, but it's weird how she knew so quickly that a) I had been looking for union representation and b) that I had been told to clock out and go home without her even being nearby.

So let's say that she may have had a radio, and that she may have overheard your situation. Why didn't she make an effort to stop by the office to see if you're there?

Let's say she heard it from a co-worker that you've inquired about. Why didn't she head straight to the office and see if you're there? Why no sense of urgency to see if the employee needed representation?

She knew you were asked to clock out and told to go home early? Why did she not look into the circumstances as to why? Why didn't the union rep ask why you're being sent home if you've done nothing wrong? All you've done was attend a meeting that the rep wasn't present for. You didn't refuse to get carts. Yet the union rep just stood there and did nothing?

Sorry, man, that just screams favoritism right there.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

I have no idea how she knew I was asked to clock out and go home. To me that's the most suspicious - or at least weird - part. It had *just* happened and she was downstairs at the time. I told only the FE Floor Sup and one other courtesy clerk. So the radio was my best guess. But it was so soon, so I wonder......

And yes she said "I'm the one you were looking for earlier."
Good question, if she knew I was looking for her and knew I was upstairs with management (did she know I was with them?? Most likely...) why didn't she come up and insert herself into the meeting?

hearing on the radio, she would have heard it on the radio after our meeting. Perhaps I wasn't clear.

It went like this :

- I was supposed to be on 'lot for the hour
- Got asked to come up 15 minutes prior
- Meeting lasted nearly 30 (mostly due to my stubbornness and, according to the co-manager, 'excuses')
- After we were done this woman asks me to go back to work
- That work would have involved going to the 'lot to get carts, BUT
- It's barely 40 degrees outside and it's gotten dark. SO
- I would have been putting on my winter shirt and jacket before I went outside, regardless of the emptiness of the foyer AND probably
- Tried to look outside to see how many corrals I could see, and get an idea of where to go. This was right at sunset so I probably could have seen them...which means
- Soon as I did that I would have gone out to the 'lot.

BUT, instead of grabbing my long-sleeved shirt and coat off of the hook, I went into the break room to look out the window first, and
- A fellow courtesy clerk, the one I had asked who the union rep was downstairs, was on his break, so
- I mentioned to him what had just happened, and a few moments later
- This FEM comes up to me and tells me I am going to clock out and go home. This was less than five minutes after she had requested me to go back to work.

Therefore, the only way i could see that this woman who identifies herself from the union, wearing the union jacket, could have known would have been if FEM had stated it over the radio and the union rep had heard it via the radio. Because she was not upstairs at the time and the FEM did not approach her to my knowledge. There's no way she COULD have without my seeing her, as this was right outside the steps leading upstairs by the floral department.

So....yea.
Couple of things...

1) The Front End Manager, this bit-ch in question, made a poor judgment call in sending me home. We literally had no carts in the foyer.
I walked through there and one customer said to another there might be one outside, second customer responds with "I don't want to go back out there."
But that is how this FEM works. She has zero patience zero tolerance and apparently refuses to recognize time and space as the rest of us do.

2) How *did* my union rep know I had been asked to clock out and go home? Maybe from the courtesy clerk I spoke with who was there when I was told?
Or did she hear it over the radio? Maybe I should find this out, it could or would clear up a few things in how she works things as our union 'rep.

3) Before I left the FEM did say something about being in the manager's office next I work. I do not know if she is going to try to take me to him to get me fired, or write me up, or what will happen, but if she tries anything I will say I will not speak without union representation. We will see then I guess how buddy-buddy this female union 'rep and my FEM are together.

It's all one big clusterfudge. I think the biggest issue I have at the moment is thanks to you bringing it up (and I thank you for it because otherwise I probably would not have thought about it) -- how this union 'rep clearly knew I was looking for her, why didn't she come trying to find me at the time, and how she knew so fast within minutes that I had been asked to clock out and go home. The radio, I hope, but if not the radio then how? Anyway, that's what happened. Hope I made it easier for you to understand. I sure as hell don't.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
FrontEndSlave wrote:
Ten months of being there and all I knew of the union reps was the name of the first person.
I did not even know this other person was in the union and a rep until tonight.
She was even wearing the UFCW jacket when she called me over after I came downstairs.
You know what the funniest part was?
She *knew* I had been asked to clock out and go home.

I don't know how she found that out so quickly.
It does make me suspicious.
At the time, maybe only three or four people knew it, and she sure wasn't one of the ones I had told.
And of the three or four people, two of them were the co-manager and my FEM.

Right after it happened I went up to the Front End Floor Supervisor and told her that I had been sent home, so she'd need someone for 'lot and that we had no carts.
I'm wondering if maybe this union 'rep had a radio on her and had heard through the radio.
It's possible, I suppose, but it's weird how she knew so quickly that a) I had been looking for union representation and b) that I had been told to clock out and go home without her even being nearby.

She knew you were asked to clock out and told to go home early? Why did she not look into the circumstances as to why? Why didn't the union rep ask why you're being sent home if you've done nothing wrong?

Sorry, man, that just screams favoritism right there.

Edited your post a bit for clarity and response purposes.

I was asked to go home by this FEM, I guess, based on the fact that I was standing there talking to my co-worker rather than going out to the floor to bag groceries or going out to the parking lot to grab carts for an empty foyer. But since it was 40 degrees outside, I was not going to go out there with just the pants and short-sleeved shirt. I was going to go out there like I have been for awhile, with a long-sleeved shirt over that and a coat over all of that, with mittens and possibly a hat depending on wind and weather.

So I wasn't asked to go home based on the social media 'situation'. I was asked to go home because this FEM felt like I was ignoring her orders like a drill sergeant and as a result she was fed up. But this is the same FEM whom has called to me *from across the registers* to stop looking at the go-backs carts one day. Seriously, she was about six registers away, I was on 'lot, walking toward the pharmacy side, just looking into the go-backs carts. Not touching them at all physically. But apparently I walked too slow because a moment later she called over to me AGAIN. And this is the same woman whom I wrote about a few weeks ago who told me that I needed to smooth out the individual bags and re-use them rather than stick them underneath the bagging area, when I clearly had a $300 + order with no space to place the bags, even with a co-worker with me bagging at the time.

So basically this woman does not recognize time and space the way the rest of us do. If she says to do something, it has to be done in cartoon-like speed or else the person whom is supposed to be doing it is dawdling.

This is the same woman who refused to take a single bag of four oranges from me a month or two ago when I couldn't get away from bagging. telling me to take it to produce knowing and seeing damn good and well that I couldn't do that because we were too busy. The same woman who just today (*and in the meeting*) got frustrated with me because when she asked me to move an empty cart to the foyer, I went to bag groceries first. Her thinking behind it, according to the meeting, was that it would have taken only a few seconds to take the cart while the customer was waiting for a bagger. Yet this store pushes bag, bag, bag! so much that I have gotten in trouble with this FEM before for even trying to gobacks rather than bag at the register.

She is a crazy bitc-h, I guess that is what I am saying.
She does not recognize logic or time and space.
If she did, we wouldn't have some of these issues.

Yes, I know. Show up, do my job. Fine.
But what if my manager is a complete tool or doesn't recognize the reality of the situation?
I'm sure not taking the fall for crap that I couldn't do because the circumstances wouldn't let me.

Sorry. Got off track there. But this tells you a bit about the type of management style I am dealing with from this person.
Is it any wonder why I complain so often? *sigh*

edit: The fact that she LAUGHED when I said I didn't trust her should also tell you what kind of personality she has regarding her employees.

-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Saturday 10th of January 2015 11:55:48 PM

BagBoy · Guru

I want to be your union rep Slave. I wish I could speak with your CO. It would be so much fun!

FrontEndSlave · Guru

I found this through the old union contract online.
It's from a few years ago, but I'm assuming it's in our newer one we voted on this year.

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
I found this through the old union contract online.
It's from a few years ago, but I'm assuming it's in our newer one we voted on this year.

I wouldn't assume if it's in your current, up-to-date contract.

When contracts are renewed, every. single. item. in the contract is looked at, negotiated, and bargained on. You may end up seeing the opposite of that, too.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

So basically unless I can find our current one online -- and it doesn't seem to be available through the union's webpage -- I have to find a paper copy from our union steward, one of the two persons that I was searching for last night. I wonder where it's kept in the store.

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
So basically unless I can find our current one online -- and it doesn't seem to be available through the union's webpage -- I have to find a paper copy from our union steward, one of the two persons that I was searching for last night. I wonder where it's kept in the store.

Pretty much. Otherwise, you wouldn't know if they're BS'ing you with "Ugh.. no, that's no longer in our NEW contract" lies.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

I am reading about claiming hours based on part-time employment in this older contract.
Seems that with that one it had a deadline of noon on Saturday.

I'm still not sure how to claim hours...but maybe the union rep will be better able to explain it to me.

snailshell · Veteran Member

IMO it sounds like they are about to fire you for insubordination or something similar. At the very least, you're in quite poor standing with management.

I really hate to be the person to say this (and I'm sure there are many who have said this to you before me) -- but there's a phrase that applies here which I've always been very fond of. Pick your battles! 9 out of 10 managers are jerks. My managers are often snippy with me, or they get annoyed with me when I ask for help because they're just SO busy *eyeroll*. It's not just me either, I've seen them snap at or otherwise mistreat coworkers. I'm surprised when they aren't *******s to me to be honest.

This job, however, is nothing to get self-righteous about. There's nothing at stake here. It's a dime-a-dozen job. Like it or leave it. Rest assured that management is NOT fair, they will not treat you nicely just to make sure your feelings don't get hurt, and if you complain about it, the only thing that will happen is that you get fired. It's not great, but we don't live in a utopia. If you don't like it, the only thing that can be done is to get a new job.

I had a manager a lot like yours once. She was a real piece of work. A customer complained about a cashier I was bagging for and said some small thing about me, that I didn't smile enough or something like that. Primarily, the customer was upset that my coworker had been short with her. This manager took both of us aside, and despite the fact that the complaint was focused on my coworker and NOT me, she spent the entire 10-15 minutes chiding me and basically saying "Ha ha, I'm your boss, you have no job security, and you need to do whatever I say OR ELSE." It was beyond absurd. I said to her, "Ok sure, but why are you focusing on me when this complaint was about my coworker and I?" She had no response.

I also had a customer watch this manager yell at me. (Yes, this woman was so evil that she would often yell at me right in front of customers.) The customer went to the store manager and complained about my then-manager and said that I didn't deserve to get treated like that. Nothing happened. The store manager was too enamored with her. Definite favoritism.

And you know what? I stayed at that job till she left! My God, the day she transferred stores was frickin' amazing.

-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 11th of January 2015 02:10:37 AM

-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 11th of January 2015 02:11:46 AM

FrontEndSlave · Guru

I'm reading through this older contract and it seems to me courtesy clerks are getting the shaft in many places.
So many times I am reading "any employee except Courtesy Clerks, Fuel Clerks, and Starbucks clerks"

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
I am reading about claiming hours based on part-time employment in this older contract.
Seems that with that one it had a deadline of noon on Saturday.

I'm still not sure how to claim hours...but maybe the union rep will be better able to explain it to me.

I count two or three people that's summed it up nicely for you already.

Here:

1. Look at the schedule once it's posted on Friday.

See if you would like more hours
Note any days/shifts you would like to claim

2. Get a hold of the Front End Manager

Notify him of your intention to claim the hours that interest you
Make sure that the Front End Manager agrees of the claim

3. Have the FEM amend the PAPER schedule, signs it, and confirms

Again, confirm that the changes have been noted on the PAPER (official) schedule.
Notify the affected person of the change. You do NOT need to negotiate with him if you're claiming his hours.
However, if you're SWAPPING shifts/days (not claiming), you'll have to work it out with him (in most jurisdictions)

4 (optional/alternate). In the even that you are SWAPPING a shift/day instead of CLAIMING it as your own

Notify the FEM of your intention to SWAP
Notify the affected person of your intention to SWAP
Agree to a day/time/shift for the SWAP to take place
Make sure the other person and the FEM understands the conditions negotiated
Have the FEM confirm, amend, and sign the PAPER (official) schedule

NOTE:

Be sure to make any required changes, claims, swaps, etc. by Saturday noon (or whenever your store's deadline is)
In most (read: 90%) of contracts, claiming hours requires you to claim another person's ENTIRE shift. You may not only claim a part of it. For example:

If a person works an eight-hour shift, you MUST take the ENTIRE shift. You may NOT only claim four hours.

-- Edited by NutritionWhore on Sunday 11th of January 2015 02:28:29 AM

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
I'm reading through this older contract and it seems to me courtesy clerks are getting the shaft in many places.
So many times I am reading "any employee except Courtesy Clerks, Fuel Clerks, and Starbucks clerks"

That's pretty much how it is. Now you see why CC's are often considered the "lowest of the low" (I don't, but in general that's just how the culture is, especially the Front End).

FrontEndSlave · Guru

snailshell wrote:
IMO it sounds like they are about to fire you for insubordination or something similar. At the very least, you're in quite poor standing with management.

I really hate to be the person to say this (and I'm sure there are many who have said this to you before me) -- but there's a phrase that applies here which I've always been very fond of. Pick your battles! 9 out of 10 managers are jerks. My managers are often snippy with me, or they get annoyed with me when I ask for help because they're just SO busy *eyeroll*. It's not just me either, I've seen them snap at or otherwise mistreat coworkers. I'm surprised when they aren't *******s to me to be honest.

This job, however, is nothing to get self-righteous about. There's nothing at stake here. It's a dime-a-dozen job. Like it or leave it. Rest assured that management is NOT fair, they will not treat you nicely just to make sure your feelings don't get hurt, and if you complain about it, the only thing that will happen is that you get fired. It's not great, but we don't live in a utopia. If you don't like it, the only thing that can be done is to get a new job.

I had a manager a lot like yours once. She was a real piece of work. A customer complained about a cashier I was bagging for and said some small thing about me, that I didn't smile enough or something like that. Primarily, the customer was upset that my coworker had been short with her. This manager took both of us aside, and despite the fact that the complaint was focused on my coworker and NOT me, she spent the entire 10-15 minutes chiding me and basically saying "Ha ha, I'm your boss, you have no job security, and you need to do whatever I say OR ELSE." It was beyond absurd. I said to her, "Ok sure, but why are you focusing on me when this complaint was about my coworker and I?" She had no response.

I also had a customer watch this manager yell at me. (Yes, this woman was so evil that she would often yell at me right in front of customers.) The customer went to the store manager and complained about my then-manager and said that I didn't deserve to get treated like that. Nothing happened. The store manager was too enamored with her. Definite favoritism.

And you know what? I stayed at that job till she left! My God, the day she transferred stores was frickin' amazing.

-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 11th of January 2015 02:10:37 AM

-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 11th of January 2015 02:11:46 AM

Well i don't know how much of a case of insubordination she can make at this point.
I do have a write-up from the summer from insubordination with a Floor Supervisor, but I refused to sign that one. I also did not have union representation when I should have.

I've been reading up on this older union contract. With that one it seemed that any disciplinary action would give an option for union representation.
But yesterday wasn't really a disciplinary manner; I was not written up. It was more of a "We request you do this, and we know there is not much that we can do about it, but if you do not stop, we will fire you".

If she tries to bring me up on insubordination based on the fact that I wasn't running around the parking lot five minutes later after she told me to go back to work, I will simply state the temperature, the fact that I had not put on cold weather gear yet and that I was examining the parking lot through our window to get a better idea of where to start. Which I was, although I was also talking to this other courtesy clerk.

Basically my manager, as I've written, is incredibly impatient, immensely intolerant to anything but herself.
There is no way this woman will ever take my side or try to listen to me.
All she wants is for me to nod my head, admit to doing whatever it is she thinks I have done, and go back to work.

Sending me home and thus causing the foyer to be empty of carts can not make the manager happy though.
I am just hoping I can show up Wednesday and work the shift without her butting in at any time or asking me upstairs.
If she asks me for any sort of meeting, I will page the union representative before I do anything else.
I am owed that much at least.

I think if she tried to have a case for insubordination based on the fact I was standing in the break room rather than out in the parking lot, based on what I know was going on, that she would be on flimsy ground. That I could make a case for myself underneath the conditions I've described. But you can bet she would try her best to make me look bad.

I just wish there were a way I could come in and do my job without this woman interacting with me in any way.
Leave it to the Floor Supervisors whose job it is to do that for her.
God knows this woman does nothing that we courtesy clerks do if she doesn't have to -- she seems to view the fact that since she is management she doesn't have to.
Someone once mentioned "Well, maybe since you work a union store, it's forbidden for her to do it."
That's possible I suppose, and I may try to find that out.
But I have never seen her grabbing carts in the parking lot. Just pushing in those standing outside the main foyer.
She complains about having to bag her own groceries as a cashier.

My personal take on management is if I am managing *anyone* regardless of the number of employees I'd damn well better be willing to do whatever it is that they do.
If I am assistant manager at McDonalds, yes, it's my job to handle things the other employees can not or do not. But if we have a spill in the dining room, a dirty bathroom, I'd better be willing to clean it. To do whatever it is those underneath me do. To be able to handle it and to do it right. Because otherwise, what the hell am I doing there?

The woman even complained that last week I was grabbing carts for three hours and so she had to bag at her own lane and couldn't come out to tell me to come inside.
"When your hour is up, you come inside."

But that wasn't my fault --- it was Kroger's.
I was on the parking lot from 12 - 1 p.m.
We have two entrances, main and pharmacy.
The store was extremely busy. Whenever this happens I concentrate on the main entrance.
As courtesy clerks we have little choice -- those small carts go fast like they weren't even there and the larger carts get chosen all the time.
I bring in 10 large carts, come back five minutes later, at least four are gone. Usually more. And if there are only 20 carts in there all the time...

So that day, my relief comes out and says the pharmacy side is empty.
I go to check. Yep.
So I spend some time filling it up to allow my co-worker to work on the main side.
Filling it up takes almost the full hour.
Then her relief comes over "I need any carts you have."

For whatever reason her side (main) was now nearly empty.
So I help this guy out.
But this guy is lazy and ends up going up to the break room and hiding for about 20, 25 minutes, leaving me out there grabbing carts.
I did not know he was hiding at the time, all I knew the main entrance was empty of carts (or very low at best) and someone had to bring them in.
Finally I go inside after three hours in 30-degree temperatures.

My point? This Front End Manager in our little meeting today brings this incident up.
But I know that it was not my fault -- yes, I admit, I should have come in when my hour was up.
But when you schedule one person when you clearly need two you have to expect some phuck-ups.
And that day was a clear phuck-up. For whatever reason, it was just a busier Wednesday than usual.

So it was either go back inside, and continue bagging, and have that one courtesy clerk work on the pharmacy side as the main entrance would disappear, or work on the pharmacy side as back-up for that co-worker and let both sides get taken care of -- but with Kroger math, our Front End scheduling for our parking lot duty frequently puts one person out when two are needed. And this happens ALL THE DAMN TIME.

Got a bit off track there. But this is what I deal with from this person.
When I say I do not trust her as my boss, I don't. Because I would think that if I felt like I trusted her, she would work on preventing or managing problems such as these.

Getting WAY back to it, if she tries anything on insubordination, I think I can have a case to defend myself.
A flimsy one, but then again she would have a flimsy case of insubordination as well.
And at this case that's about all she would have -- unless she tries to fire me by pushing me to sign a document that I refuse to sign.

I wish I could wait this woman out.
I waited out her partner in crime, whom I have written about in earlier posts on this forum.
He was worse ---- he was the one who called me in at 11 p.m. one night saying if my remarks about him weren't hearsay that he'd fire me right there on the spot.
Which basically meant that anyone could say anything bad about anyone else in the store and that person would end up in front of management.
Seriously, yelling at me - and yes he yelled - over "hearsay". And of course the Front End Manager, she was sitting there right with him.

FrontEndSlave · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
FrontEndSlave wrote:
I am reading about claiming hours based on part-time employment in this older contract.
Seems that with that one it had a deadline of noon on Saturday.

I'm still not sure how to claim hours...but maybe the union rep will be better able to explain it to me.

I count two or three people that's summed it up nicely for you already.

Sorry. I'm just a little tired, it was a long day yesterday and I'm still trying to process it all.
Thank you for the 'condensing', I will read it a few times to get it through my head.

NutritionWhore · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
FrontEndSlave wrote:
I am reading about claiming hours based on part-time employment in this older contract.
Seems that with that one it had a deadline of noon on Saturday.

I'm still not sure how to claim hours...but maybe the union rep will be better able to explain it to me.

I count two or three people that's summed it up nicely for you already.

Sorry. I'm just a little tired, it was a long day yesterday and I'm still trying to process it all.
Thank you for the 'condensing', I will read it a few times to get it through my head.

No worries. Must have been a long day for ya.

Entries are highlighted in a dark colour.

Pay special attention to the highlighted lines in the bullets. They often are things you must make sure happen or need to take notice of.

And, as you may know, that's the general idea of how it goes down. No other fancy works required. The only thing that may differ in your store are deadlines.

Date: Jan 11, 2015

Sounds like the manager was trying to make a case against you for insubordination. By not getting on carts right away you helped make the case against you stronger. That manager will say you were disrespectful and on top of that didn't get back to work. Since you already have a write up against you, you may catch a suspension. They may decide to fire you too. On the other hand you haven't swore at management or flat out said no. Management may decide its not worth the time to discipline you. I've seen this decision made as well. Or simply another write up in the file.

You have the right to union representation (weingarten rights). Look it up. Has nothing to do with you contract, its Federal law. If called into a meeting ask if its is a disciplinary meeting. They have to say yes or no. If they say yes do not participate in the meeting. Just ask for your rep. It may not save you, but you're paying dues, so use it.

The best thing you can do is find another job. Not with kroger. Your managers will not allow you to transfer department or will simply talk you down to other manages. Your only working two days this week, it needs to be your goal to find another job. Good luck. Hopefully it will all blow over.

Anon Fan · Veteran Member

People in the south crack me up.
40 degrees outside and you need time to put on cold weather gear.
At 40 degrees I could play golf in shorts and a sweatshirt.

management_drone · Senior Member

From reading this whole saga, I keep coming back to the old stand by that in every confrontation, there are three stories: OP's side, management's side, and the truth. While we may never get all three, I think FrontEndSlave needs to find a new job where he feels more "appreciated". I tend to think that he brings more of this on himself, but as I'm not there to witness things I couldn't say for sure. Just my passing guess.

Date: Jan 11, 2015

sorry i didn't read every bit of this but they sent you home because of your meeting?

how long did you have till the rest of your shift?

they cannot send you home unless theyre firing you or letting you go whatever.

Managers ask us to leave early to save their hours or whatever but they cannot make us go. If our schedule says 4-10, and the store manager asks us to leave at 8, we can say hell to the no and stay till 10.

i mean it may be different in our contracts but i feel like that's not the case. They tried that with one of our grocery clerks that was getting overtime. They were bullying her to leave cause of her OT so she called the union and they backed her up on it. She got to stay.

Ms White · Guru

If I show up for my shift and there is no work or they send me home, I get paid for the entire shift even if I don't work it. You would have to clock out and then enter the hours left on the clipboard in the service center. I didn't read all your posts so I don't know why you were sent home.

How many hours were you scheduled and how many hours of that shift did you actually work?

NutritionWhore · Guru

If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.

Date: Jan 11, 2015

NutritionWhore wrote:
If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.

see that's the thing. i can choose to read whatever the **** i want whenever i want. maybe i don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs of his complaining about his manager and just comment that they aren't allowed to just send you home unless you're fired or being let go.

that's the thing about forums. we all have a choice in what we want to do.

Ms White · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.
see that's the thing. i can choose to read whatever the **** i want whenever i want. maybe i don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs of his complaining about his manager and just comment that they aren't allowed to just send you home unless you're fired or being let go.
that's the thing about forums. we all have a choice in what we want to do.

True! I chose not to comment on each and every single thing. I chose to comment on being sent home early. And who reads, skims and doesn't bother isn't the main concern here either LOL! biggrin

I would like to mention that I've never even seen our union rep wear one of those union pins, much less a union jacket! If they can hand out jackets, FrontEndSlave should be able to get a copy of that union handbook, no problem!

NutritionWhore · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.
see that's the thing. i can choose to read whatever the **** i want whenever i want. maybe i don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs of his complaining about his manager and just comment that they aren't allowed to just send you home unless you're fired or being let go.
that's the thing about forums. we all have a choice in what we want to do.

It's ok. Not everyone can read paragraphs. That's why I take time to space my sentences out.

I know that the No Child Left Behind Act left you behind, but I promise you that I won't!

Date: Jan 11, 2015

NutritionWhore wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.
see that's the thing. i can choose to read whatever the **** i want whenever i want. maybe i don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs of his complaining about his manager and just comment that they aren't allowed to just send you home unless you're fired or being let go.
that's the thing about forums. we all have a choice in what we want to do.

It's ok. Not everyone can read paragraphs. That's why I take time to space my sentences out.

I know that the No Child Left Behind Act left you behind, but I promise you that I won't!

i like how you try to attack some people because they don't read all of what someone else wrote. it's not like we bitched at him. we actually were trying to help. it's not the main issue, but it's not like we can go to the store and tell his store manager that his FEM is a bitch.

Ms White · Guru

NutritionWhore wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.
see that's the thing. i can choose to read whatever the **** i want whenever i want. maybe i don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs of his complaining about his manager and just comment that they aren't allowed to just send you home unless you're fired or being let go.
that's the thing about forums. we all have a choice in what we want to do.

It's ok. Not everyone can read paragraphs. That's why I take time to space my sentences out.

I know that the No Child Left Behind Act left you behind, but I promise you that I won't!

I don't think it's that he CAN'T read paragraphs, it's that he chose not to.

NutritionWhore · Guru

Ms White wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
If people actually read the posts, they'd know that the "being sent home early" isn't the main concern here. xD

Now I know who reads, who skims, and who doesn't bother at all.
see that's the thing. i can choose to read whatever the **** i want whenever i want. maybe i don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs of his complaining about his manager and just comment that they aren't allowed to just send you home unless you're fired or being let go.
that's the thing about forums. we all have a choice in what we want to do.

It's ok. Not everyone can read paragraphs. That's why I take time to space my sentences out.

I know that the No Child Left Behind Act left you behind, but I promise you that I won't!
I don't think it's that he CAN'T read paragraphs, it's that he chose not to.

This guy chose not to read because, well... he couldn't read.