Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Ah, So.

As most of you have probably figured out, I have come to dread going in to my job. Sometimes because of the customers, but mostly because of the boss.

See, my boss is a brand new manager. He claims he ran a dry cleaning business for umpteen years and managed his people just fine, which may be true. He also may have employed only horsewhipped lick-spittle submissive puppies, because that seems to be what he wants.

Last night I walked into work to find the fourth... yes, I said fourth... instance of his addressing a putative issue in a public note for all employees to read instead of with me. Never saying anything actually about anyone, or using names, this coward avoids confrontation and (he thinks) maintains plausible deniability by fuming and bitching to other employees until he just can't take it any more, at which point he posts a snarky little note in an attempt to cow the "problem" employee into proper submissive behavior.

The first of these notes was shortly after I had posted my required time off for Farmmom's knee surgery and the subsequent follow up visits. It was something along the lines of the first time off request in a month, you get, the second if possible, and the third was a coin flip.

I promptly went to him and told him that mom had doctors appointments every time I had requested time off, and if he couldn't manage to give me those days off, I'd find other employment that actually, you know, had a heart.

He assured me that it was to "head off at the pass" everyone asking for every weekend off, etc. Nevermind that nothing of the sort had happened.

Last night it was concerning breaks. Now, looking at Colorado labor laws which have changed since the last time I looked at them, he's within his rights to limit smoke breaks to five minutes every two hours, considering the break requirement is ten minutes every four. However.

The addendum, in red ink when the rest of the note was in black, of "not a reading session" just corked me right off. Number one, he can't tell me what to do on my break. He can limit the time and frequency within law, surely. He can, legally, require me to stay on the business property during said break, unless it's a lunch break. He cannot tell me I can't read a book.

My dilemma now is whether to finish writing this official resignation letter to be forwarded to his direct boss and corporate headquarters detailing ALL of the straws that broke this particular camel's back, and slap him in the face with it, which is guaranteed to cause a scene, or simply go in, verbally give my two week's notice, citing the note posting and other reasons, in private, minimizing hullabaloo and sending my letter to corporate detailing what I feel to be his failures as a manager quietly.

Given these failures include causing my broken rib, refusing to answer my attempts to contact him after said broken rib, and taking an hour and a half to get into the store when a *customer* finally got a response out of him so that I could go to the ER, I'm not letting them lay. I've discussed that incident with his immediate boss, but corporate should know about it I think. Especially given that I didn't report the rib to workman's comp, when I could have, in an effort to be a good employee and save the company money etc.

I'm probably going to go the second route, because as much as I'd like to detail his ancestry, personal grooming habits, fondness for touching female employees in a familiar manner (not quite jumping the border into inappropriate) and complete lack of managerial skill, I do not want to be the chick that caused that scene at the stop-n-rob.

Besides, most of my night time regulars already know what's been going down. A lot of them because they asked me why I had a maniacal grin on my face last night, having made the decision to tender my resignation about five seconds after seeing that note.

Off to get dressed (for riding, because I have shit to do today before work, if he doesn't tell me not to bother coming in tonight) and go speak to the soon-to-be-former boss. Since I've been firmly controlling my urges to tell him to go piss up a rope in an effort to go along to get along because of various circumstances outside his control, he hasn't dealt with that facet of my personality yet.

This... should be interesting.

14 comments:

Gay_Cynic said...

Heya FG -

Hope it goes as well as it can, and that karma finds the manager ASAP. Sounds like you've a well thought out plan to move on, and I hope you find replacement job right fast.

Best,

GC

Crucis said...

The truth will come out. It always does. However. The ol' resignation letter to the world seldom works and usually backfires on the sender. Especially, if there are OSHA and other issues pending.

I think you chose the right approach.

Christina RN LMT said...

RECORD IT. I wanna hear, and you never know when such a recording might come in handy...

DaddyBear said...

Give him hell FG!

Kristophr said...

Get a new job first.

Then walk out on him. do not give him any notice ... if he fired you, you would not get any notice.

Refer future job refs to corporate to verify employment dates only.

Most importantly: say nothing to this clown. Say nothing to management. If you want to sue, get a lawyer.

Old NFO said...

Option 2- Plain and simple... don't burn the bridge with Corporate by having it out with him.

George Patterson said...

Your plan to give two weeks notice sounds right. If this guy is a problem, upper level management may ask you for an "exit interview." If they do, that is your chance. If they don't ask for one, sooner or later they will start asking other people who are leaving.

Just believe in Karma.

By the way, why do you think he left that last management job? Hummm?

Evan Price said...

My advice, from having been there:

A new job is not always a slam dunk to find. Start looking for a new job while employed- that way paychecks keep coming in. Once you find a new job and get a firm commitment to a start date, then you can decide if you want to bother with notice.

In the meantime, spend your breaks however you feel like as long as they are 5 minutes and no more. Don't give him legitimate ammo to terminate you.

Not going to Worker's Comp was not a good decision. The company pays their insurance to cover these things, trying to be The Hero and not incur expenses is not helping anyone.

Whenever you see this manager, smile like a lunatic. Trust me, that makes these sorts very uncomfortable if they think there's a joke going around and they don't know about it. Especially if it might be on them!

Ofoura said...

Good luck! I hope his went well. It is pretty nuts how some people "manage". It never ends well for anyone involved. A little freedom can go a long way at making a job better. And 5 minute breaks? Wow, they are 15 in every state I've worked.

Jennifer said...

Good luck to you! That manager will get his. You are doing the right thing.

Joshua said...

Woof! This guy needs a good hour or so locked in the freezer, methinks.

Gotta side with the others on the second option- Corporate only sees what hurts their bottom line, unless it becomes a media issue, and then they're willing to get VERY involved.

Not going to WC was a bad idea as well- I've been there, thinking I was going to be a good employee, and it backfired on me hard. I ended up going to a mediation downtown and told that I was going to be assessed fees for the time they spent dealing with me, nevermind that the entire time anyone spent dealing with my injury totalled to less than 30 mins. Thankfully, I learned my lesson with my back injury- they prolly paid out $3k for my PT and TENS unit. Considering I'm now stuck with chronic lower back pain for the rest of my life, I could've pushed further, but I made my choice at the time and here I go.

Try to find something else if you can, but if you can't.. well, making a scene, surely, wouldn't help you out either, huh?

Sean said...

Keep in mind FMLA time (non-negotiable) can be used to aid in the care of an immediate family member (your mother), assuming you have met the requirements to be qualified to receive FMLA (which IIRC means you have to have worked 1250 hours during the past rolling 12 months, and you have to have been employed with them for one year). That goes a whole lot further with corporate than telling them to spit in the wind or piss up a rope. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

"fondness for touching female employees in a familiar manner (not quite jumping the border into inappropriate)"

Anything other than accidental contact IS inappropriate. You should contact a labor attorney.

God, Gals, Guns, Grub said...

I'm with Old NFO...

...corporate, if they care, will notice this jerk through the mass exodus and revolving door of new employees... or lack of profitability, and if not, you haven't burned a bridge...

Remember, corporate has faith in this guy if they put him there and they'll take his word and assume you're just disgruntled... sucks, but probably true...

Good luck either way...


Dann in Ohio