oliver3858
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Ohio
I was working for a for-profit organization. Originally, began work Sept of 2003, I was pregnant and left in Jan 2004, to have my baby. April 2004 I reaturned to the company, and in June was asked to accept a management position. I accepted!
As I witnessed and read on the companies website, management trainees were in titled to 9 weeks full, intense training. I recieved 3 weeks before being asked to transfer to another store. I did not feel real comfortable with the decision making, due to lack of training, however I continue to observe and do my best.
I was then transferred again, back to my "base" store. I was there for only 2-3 weeks, and again was transferred.
While it was my understanding that by accepting, the management position I could be required to transfer, however only 3 stores were mentioned, the 3 stores that were in my "base" district. So each transfer up until November was agreed upon, by myself and the company!
Again, in August I was transferred(again to a store inwhich I agreed), I was there up until October.
October 9, the store, on my shift was robbed, by an unknown person. The company claims, that the person who commited the crime was a black man, but the tape was just to distorted to get any more than an image. However, I and my husband(who did not work for this employer were indirectly being accused of the crime). Its very obvious by looking at my husband and myself that we are of a diffrent race, than proclaimed.
The night of the robbery, my keys disappeared......I took all precautions that I was aware of, but with the little training I was really unsure how the company wanted this kind of situation handled. When contacting my GM, she was very unconcerned....know one was concerned but myself. Finally I got my GM to bring her keys so I could enter the office, to complete the nightly transactions, in the process(after the GM left)I noticed the safe had been robbed.
I contacted 911, because I did not know if we were in iminent danger, while speaking to the operator, she said this was not an emergency and hung up on me, I redialed and again the same operator happened to answer(this is columbus, they only have one operator), she again said this is not an emergency, but this time transferred me to non-emergency, and I was told it would be 60 minutes for a squad! I was distraught....I did not know if this person was in the store, so I immediately moved all customers to the front of the store to check out.
A squad arrives, I told the officer the safe had been robbed! He immediately accused me of leaving it unlocked. I do not believe I did, but at this point I was not in a position to argue my beliefs, my mind was a bit cloudy.
My district and GM come in, my district immediatly calls the head, and all the head wants is the report number. The officer gave the number and left. The building was not checked for safty,.......nothing you think they should have done was done. One of my cashiers claimed to have saw someone who acted a bit "funny" she said she did not notice anything pecular about him, but he acted strange. I asked if this man could be documented, my GMs reply to me was "What do you want us to do, post his F******, picture on the front door", I said no but it would be nice to have a discription of the man.
The company, not the police, asked for a statement from me and one other co-worker. They also asked for a statement from my GM, who was not even in the building that night, she claimed that earlier in the day, she advised me that I had left the safe open....(I only know this because they left her statemnet lying on the desk), the truth of this is, earlier that day she told me she had left the safe open for me to drop my hourly money! I did my drop and very clearly remember locking the safe! I confronted her and the district of the truth and know one said a word.
Two weeks later, I am in conversation with my district, I told her I felt it was fair and practical that I be treated fairly, by the company to allow me to continue the training, which would be 6 more weeks. They really chewed on that one.
The next day I recieve a repremand, not for leaving the safe unlocked(inwhich I was accused)....but for losing my keys. Within the write up, it said I was being transferred back to my "base" store, with very flexible hours.
Well, if I was reading this right, and what they did not want me to see was, that within this I was being demoted! My district said I had the right to agree or disagree, and with that write a statement. I did.
I agreed that, I should be repremanded for the loss of my keys, or for whatever really happened to them, however I stated that I do not agree with a demotion. My GM also suggested I agree to pay the money back for the robbery. In which I did, but clearly stating that I was not in any way responsible for the robbery, but because I felt bad I would agree to repay, in small payments the money they lost($857).
My district says she needs to read my statement because she knows what the head would like to see and what he woulnt, I in the meantime went back to work. She calls me back again, and informs me she destroyed the first write up, she did not say why, but read a new one.....the knew one said That they were transferring me back to my "base" for further training as requested, she quoted that I need to re-write my statement and told me what the head would like and woulnt like, and the OHIO paper should not be used and handed me a legal pad. I told her I would transfer what I had written to the other paper, but the statement would remain the same.
In this same time period, she said that she was sending me back to my base and would need to work in Missle, because the store was really in trouble making any money and she belived that was my strong department.
While in the other store, I was not treated as a manager, rather another employee, with the exception of doing what they told me to do with certain employees, I did as they requested, and believed it was good decision making.
3 weeks after returning, I was told I had to transfer to a store which at no time was indicated to me as part of the position, it is not in writing anywhere that I even had to transfer, but I did becasue I verbally agreed to 3 stores.
I told my district that the store mentioned was impossible for me, it was an hour and a half from my home and I had other obligations, before work! She told me to call the head first thing Monday morning, because it was his decision, and he would have to reverse it.
So I called, he said that he left transfers up to his district managers, so I needed to call my district, but he also added if I don't show at the store I abandoned my job. I immediately cantacted my districts pager, she called back within 10 minutes, I told her that the head said she was the one responsible for transfer decisions, and hence I was supposed to be finishing training, was there away that I could continue my training within the 3 stores aggreed upon until I could make arrangements to transfer that far, she said no, if I did not show at the store I had abandoned my job....hmmmmm his exact words!
Not to mention, another store was robbed only 3 days after I returned to my base!
Also the person who interigated me was a Police Seregent, but while being interrogated in the store he was on duty recieving calls from other POs, he was in full police attire including the gun and belt, and he also was the head of security for the company, up until the robbery I had never seen the guy.
This was completely set up, and I was indirectly being harrassed, they made me perform my duties as a lessor manager, and then was being forced to transfer to a store never mentioned to me. Several other managers in this "base" store had never been asked at any time to tarnsfer. Others were asked to transfer, rejected and they still have their job.
I can not say I did not question the robbery situation because I did. I asked question upon question, because everything seemed very suspicious. I was told very bluntly to keep my mouth shut about the robbery, I was not to say anything.....nothing at all!
Help! I seem to fall through the cracks when it comes to sueing this company for lost wages and mental anguish. However they must fall through the cracks somewhere. i need an attorney who will listen, and not pre-judge the situation.........I have not dicatated many facts, but if I had the robbery would be pointed at the company itself......set up! And I was let go so that info would not leak, know one from the company is permitted to speak with me at all.
What can I do, this situation is eating me alive, I did not do anything, I loved my job and the people I worked with, but this can not happen in America. I need a way to find there insurance company info and drop them a line and maybe have the police do an internal investigation, because I believe the 911 operator, the responding officer and the seregant are all involved somehow.
Also, this company a month prior was broadcast on the local news for their dishonesty, could have been losing money, needed to make up for it, why not set someone up make a false claim to insurance.
I was working for a for-profit organization. Originally, began work Sept of 2003, I was pregnant and left in Jan 2004, to have my baby. April 2004 I reaturned to the company, and in June was asked to accept a management position. I accepted!
As I witnessed and read on the companies website, management trainees were in titled to 9 weeks full, intense training. I recieved 3 weeks before being asked to transfer to another store. I did not feel real comfortable with the decision making, due to lack of training, however I continue to observe and do my best.
I was then transferred again, back to my "base" store. I was there for only 2-3 weeks, and again was transferred.
While it was my understanding that by accepting, the management position I could be required to transfer, however only 3 stores were mentioned, the 3 stores that were in my "base" district. So each transfer up until November was agreed upon, by myself and the company!
Again, in August I was transferred(again to a store inwhich I agreed), I was there up until October.
October 9, the store, on my shift was robbed, by an unknown person. The company claims, that the person who commited the crime was a black man, but the tape was just to distorted to get any more than an image. However, I and my husband(who did not work for this employer were indirectly being accused of the crime). Its very obvious by looking at my husband and myself that we are of a diffrent race, than proclaimed.
The night of the robbery, my keys disappeared......I took all precautions that I was aware of, but with the little training I was really unsure how the company wanted this kind of situation handled. When contacting my GM, she was very unconcerned....know one was concerned but myself. Finally I got my GM to bring her keys so I could enter the office, to complete the nightly transactions, in the process(after the GM left)I noticed the safe had been robbed.
I contacted 911, because I did not know if we were in iminent danger, while speaking to the operator, she said this was not an emergency and hung up on me, I redialed and again the same operator happened to answer(this is columbus, they only have one operator), she again said this is not an emergency, but this time transferred me to non-emergency, and I was told it would be 60 minutes for a squad! I was distraught....I did not know if this person was in the store, so I immediately moved all customers to the front of the store to check out.
A squad arrives, I told the officer the safe had been robbed! He immediately accused me of leaving it unlocked. I do not believe I did, but at this point I was not in a position to argue my beliefs, my mind was a bit cloudy.
My district and GM come in, my district immediatly calls the head, and all the head wants is the report number. The officer gave the number and left. The building was not checked for safty,.......nothing you think they should have done was done. One of my cashiers claimed to have saw someone who acted a bit "funny" she said she did not notice anything pecular about him, but he acted strange. I asked if this man could be documented, my GMs reply to me was "What do you want us to do, post his F******, picture on the front door", I said no but it would be nice to have a discription of the man.
The company, not the police, asked for a statement from me and one other co-worker. They also asked for a statement from my GM, who was not even in the building that night, she claimed that earlier in the day, she advised me that I had left the safe open....(I only know this because they left her statemnet lying on the desk), the truth of this is, earlier that day she told me she had left the safe open for me to drop my hourly money! I did my drop and very clearly remember locking the safe! I confronted her and the district of the truth and know one said a word.
Two weeks later, I am in conversation with my district, I told her I felt it was fair and practical that I be treated fairly, by the company to allow me to continue the training, which would be 6 more weeks. They really chewed on that one.
The next day I recieve a repremand, not for leaving the safe unlocked(inwhich I was accused)....but for losing my keys. Within the write up, it said I was being transferred back to my "base" store, with very flexible hours.
Well, if I was reading this right, and what they did not want me to see was, that within this I was being demoted! My district said I had the right to agree or disagree, and with that write a statement. I did.
I agreed that, I should be repremanded for the loss of my keys, or for whatever really happened to them, however I stated that I do not agree with a demotion. My GM also suggested I agree to pay the money back for the robbery. In which I did, but clearly stating that I was not in any way responsible for the robbery, but because I felt bad I would agree to repay, in small payments the money they lost($857).
My district says she needs to read my statement because she knows what the head would like to see and what he woulnt, I in the meantime went back to work. She calls me back again, and informs me she destroyed the first write up, she did not say why, but read a new one.....the knew one said That they were transferring me back to my "base" for further training as requested, she quoted that I need to re-write my statement and told me what the head would like and woulnt like, and the OHIO paper should not be used and handed me a legal pad. I told her I would transfer what I had written to the other paper, but the statement would remain the same.
In this same time period, she said that she was sending me back to my base and would need to work in Missle, because the store was really in trouble making any money and she belived that was my strong department.
While in the other store, I was not treated as a manager, rather another employee, with the exception of doing what they told me to do with certain employees, I did as they requested, and believed it was good decision making.
3 weeks after returning, I was told I had to transfer to a store which at no time was indicated to me as part of the position, it is not in writing anywhere that I even had to transfer, but I did becasue I verbally agreed to 3 stores.
I told my district that the store mentioned was impossible for me, it was an hour and a half from my home and I had other obligations, before work! She told me to call the head first thing Monday morning, because it was his decision, and he would have to reverse it.
So I called, he said that he left transfers up to his district managers, so I needed to call my district, but he also added if I don't show at the store I abandoned my job. I immediately cantacted my districts pager, she called back within 10 minutes, I told her that the head said she was the one responsible for transfer decisions, and hence I was supposed to be finishing training, was there away that I could continue my training within the 3 stores aggreed upon until I could make arrangements to transfer that far, she said no, if I did not show at the store I had abandoned my job....hmmmmm his exact words!
Not to mention, another store was robbed only 3 days after I returned to my base!
Also the person who interigated me was a Police Seregent, but while being interrogated in the store he was on duty recieving calls from other POs, he was in full police attire including the gun and belt, and he also was the head of security for the company, up until the robbery I had never seen the guy.
This was completely set up, and I was indirectly being harrassed, they made me perform my duties as a lessor manager, and then was being forced to transfer to a store never mentioned to me. Several other managers in this "base" store had never been asked at any time to tarnsfer. Others were asked to transfer, rejected and they still have their job.
I can not say I did not question the robbery situation because I did. I asked question upon question, because everything seemed very suspicious. I was told very bluntly to keep my mouth shut about the robbery, I was not to say anything.....nothing at all!
Help! I seem to fall through the cracks when it comes to sueing this company for lost wages and mental anguish. However they must fall through the cracks somewhere. i need an attorney who will listen, and not pre-judge the situation.........I have not dicatated many facts, but if I had the robbery would be pointed at the company itself......set up! And I was let go so that info would not leak, know one from the company is permitted to speak with me at all.
What can I do, this situation is eating me alive, I did not do anything, I loved my job and the people I worked with, but this can not happen in America. I need a way to find there insurance company info and drop them a line and maybe have the police do an internal investigation, because I believe the 911 operator, the responding officer and the seregant are all involved somehow.
Also, this company a month prior was broadcast on the local news for their dishonesty, could have been losing money, needed to make up for it, why not set someone up make a false claim to insurance.