Toxic Workplace. Need help.
to start this off, i work at a grocery store in the bakery/deli department. we are very, very understaffed. running on a skeleton crew. i’ve been working here for over a year now, and it’s been bad since the start, even before we became understaffed. i was informed of countless horror stories involving the main topic of this post.
my manager.
we’ll call her Molly.
everything was fine for the most part at the start, but after a few months (maybe two or three) of working there, she showed her true colors, and i knew then that the horror stories were real. obviously, i was new. there were still things i had to learn, but im going to start with the second day i worked.
i applied originally to be a night stocker at this store, but they needed people badly in the Deli department since they were slightly understaffed and they had no openings for night stocking. so i accepted the offer since i needed a job badly. i’d worked in fast food prior to this, so i took the cook’s position. on my first day, i was trained by my shift lead, we’ll call her Minnie. on my second day, Minnie was scheduled off, shockingly, that was her ONLY day off. Minnie was being scheduled to work 6 days a week, 12pm-9pm shift. while Molly got to have her days off. Molly had an assistant manager at that time, we’ll call her Jessica. Jessica was stuck working 12 hour shifts because Molly didn’t want to stay over at ALL to help out. Jessica would arrive at 6am and not leave until 6-7pm.
i arrived for my shift and was told that since Minnie would be off, Manager Molly would be continuing my training in the back. this did NOT happen. she disappeared after ten minutes and left me alone. i knew some stuff, but not enough stuff. i got overwhelmed and my coworkers were very kind and said that Molly usually disappears when she’s needed, so it isn’t unusual, and they brought me up front. another coworker who was trained for both front counter and back swapped with me.
next issues came two-three months later. a coworker had quit, but we’d gotten a new guy, so we were semi-good on staffing. but then, someone else quit. new guy, who we will call Joe, wasn’t available for weekends. other coworker quit, so i ended up being scheduled BY MYSELF at the front counter working every station. slicers, bar, register, salads, and i even had to be trained a little for the bakery corner because the bakers would leave around 3-4pm. i was working 12pm-9pm.
i was doing the job of 3-4 people, and i don’t know how i managed it, but i did it for MONTHS. almost a YEAR.
finally, after almost an entire year, we finally got someone in February of this year that could work front closing with me. she didn’t last two weeks. i was right back to being alone, and i have been since. Manager Molly gets angry at me for not being able to run the entire front by myself and get absolutely everything done. i usually end up getting a production list a mile long everytime i go in, and im not able to finish more than half. i do what needs done most, and save the rest for the following day. i’m doing production and every station up front for 8 hours straight. by myself. Manager Molly LOVES to make snide comments about “my work ethic” and how “i must not care about my job” since i don’t get absolutely everything done by myself.
for the past two days, i have felt very sick. i believe i caught the flu, since it’s going around. i tried to work yesterday, but i ended up leaving early when my stomach started hurting. the upper managers were very nice, but my own manager said things to me before i left that i think have sealed the fate of my job there. she was outside smoking about to leave, and i came out there for fresh air while i waited for my ride.
Manager Molly comes over and says “so what’s up?”
i explain that im certain i have the flu, since id had it back in December and my symptoms were exactly the same, and since its going around right now. she gets this snarky look on her face and scoffs like im making it up. and THEN she says, “you’re always leaving early.”
mind you.. i have not left early in months. the last time i did, MONTHS ago, was because of a bad migraine. i haven’t missed a day of work in 1-2 months as well.
i reminded her of this, and her attitude got worse. but, i felt so bad that i didn’t really care, and informed her i’d most likely be calling in the following day (today. i did.) Molly is FUMING at this point, and accuses me of “abandoning” my team and my shift lead, that i know we’re severely understaffed and i’m hurting the team, that i always leave when i don’t feel good.
i have a migraine condition. i had one so severe last year that i had to be taken out of my department and paraded around the store in a gurney, then taken by ambulance to the emergency room. she, and the rest of my coworkers are all aware of my condition. i stated my condition after my ER visit last year, because they asked what happened. i have an electrolyte inbalance, and it causes me to get dehydrated extremely easily, which causes my migraines.
i prioritize my own health above my job. if i know i can work through it, i do. if i know i can’t, i dont. i know my own body. i know my own head. i’m not going to slave away with vertigo and a splitting headache that makes me nauseous.
she has done this for months. constant nit picking. constant snide remarks and comments. constant mean girl attitude towards all of us. i’ve counted how many people have quit and said it was because of her. 9. NINE PEOPLE.
it’s about to be 10.
the only reason i’ve stayed so long is because i love and care about the rest of my work family, and because i enjoy the weekly paychecks. i’ve been tempted to stay only for the weekly paychecks in all honesty, but working alone, every station, Manager Molly— i don’t know how much more i can take.
my fiancée went and got me a smoothie since i barely have an appetite, and i now have a paper application for the smoothie place filled out. im starting to feel like ill regret it, and that im overreacting. i don’t know what to do at this point and all advice or suggestions are welcome. thank you for listening to my rant!