My boss is horrible

[Rubystars]

Last night he was telling me that it wasn't personal but I don't see how I can believe that.

There's inventory coming up and I've worked at my current job since 2007 and the rest of the crew has been hired in the last year or two except for one guy I know of who has been there longer.

Apparently there are budget reasons why not everyone will be able to work inventory. I never expected when he said that, that he meant me.

I told him last night how unfair that was because I'm a senior associate and should come under first consideration for hours and overtime. He claimed that it wasn't performance related it was just the budget, and that basically there is no thing as seniority.

I feel horrible now asking myself over and over again what I did to deserve this and why he hates me enough to pass me over for a junior associate.

I feel slapped in the face, and when I confronted him, he said nobody else was "coming at him" like that, or acted upset, and that now he was upset with me.

So not only does he take that overtime and give it to someone else, he won't even tell me why. I was crying most of my shift last night because I thought I was one of the top employees and I've always gotten good reviews and have good attendance, etc. I can't figure out what I've done to be passed over like this. I thought I got along with him really well prior to this but I feel horrible now.

[csquared]

It is in the math. You are probably paid more than the newer people. It is cheaper to work them. That is of course failing to take into consideration that you are probably better and faster, therefore more cost effective, than the cheaper employees.

Of course nobody else is coming at him. As you pointed out, you are the only employee that has been there that long. Nobody else would view it as a problem.

Cutting the hours of senior/higher paid employees is one way of driving out the higher costing employees so they can reduce costs. Might be time to polish up the resume.

[Rubystars]

I know I'm more accurate. I don't know about always faster but usually I am faster too because I have been doing this job for so long. I came to the same conclusion earlier that you posted that it must be it. When I got hired on I was being paid around $7/hr and now it's over 11/hr plus the overnight bonus of a dollar an hour. Still I earned those raises and they won't give me the hours to benefit from them.

Last year I made less money than I did the year previous to that because of all the stupid hour cutting they've been doing. I effectively didn't get a raise at all. I don't know about this year yet until i see my W2 but I doubt I am earning what I really should be.

[sportsmom]

This is probably going to seem harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but I can't really come up with a way to say this that won't.

Your boss did give you a reason. Budget concerns. That is the reason. As csquared pointed out, you probably make more than everyone else, so it will cost more to have you for those hours.

Now for the harsher part...the fact that you said you spent most of a shift crying about it makes me wonder how you approached your manager about it in the first place and how you reacted when he told you why you weren't getting the hours. If I had an associate who spent most of a shift crying about not getting what they wanted, I sure wouldn't consider them for extra shifts or other responsibilities because that's unprofessional. If that is a normal reaction to getting passed over for extra shifts, then that is probably part of the issue as well. Why reward someone who behaves that way?

I'm sorry you got passed over for the hours, but you did get a reason, and there may even be more to it than that. Perhaps it is time to brush off your resume, but perhaps it is also time to take a look at how you talk to your manager and how you react to things.

[Rubystars]

This is probably going to seem harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but I can't really come up with a way to say this that won't.

Your boss did give you a reason. Budget concerns. That is the reason. As csquared pointed out, you probably make more than everyone else, so it will cost more to have you for those hours.

That's not a justification for passing me over for a newer associate. That's an excuse. I have worked there for eight years without a single write up. I have had good reviews every time. I earned that overtime. If they don't want to pay me the rate I earned, then they shouldn't have given me all those raises.

Now for the harsher part...the fact that you said you spent most of a shift crying about it makes me wonder how you approached your manager about it in the first place and how you reacted when he told you why you weren't getting the hours. If I had an associate who spent most of a shift crying about not getting what they wanted, I sure wouldn't consider them for extra shifts or other responsibilities because that's unprofessional. If that is a normal reaction to getting passed over for extra shifts, then that is probably part of the issue as well. Why reward someone who behaves that way?

I work alone most of the night on my own projects so this wasn't happening in front of other people and I couldn't stop my eyes from watering up. It's not like I was hammign it up or anything else unprofessional. I literally could not stop my eyes from watering up. I was completely blindsided by what seemed to be an arbitrary and very hateful decision. I was deeply hurt and betrayed by his behavior and it came as a total shock to me that he would do this after my work history.

I'm sorry you got passed over for the hours, but you did get a reason, and there may even be more to it than that. Perhaps it is time to brush off your resume, but perhaps it is also time to take a look at how you talk to your manager and how you react to things.

I am brushing up my resume but in all honesty I think I could not have reacted any differently. I did tell him he was wrong for what he did to me and that I was angry with him for taking my hours and giving them to a junior but if you're imagining some hysteric person then you've got an inaccurate image.

Up until a couple of years ago I was treated as almost an equal by all the managers. They would tell me stuff I wasn't technically supposed to know, trusting that I wouldn't blab it to everyone (and I didn't, I kept it quiet). They would vent to me, they would speak to me as a fellow human being, and because i was a senior employee, they would consider me first always for hours and overtime. Now I'm supposedly the same as someone they just hired off the street and the difference is shocking. I feel deeply disrespected now. The culture of the company has changed very much. I don't think it's fair to show actual favoritism but I also don't think it's fair to treat everybody exactly the same either because after so many years of service to my company I've earned some loyalty and respect.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Welcome to 2015 retail. It's all about the budget; nothing else matters. Cut wages, cut hours, cut benefits, but still expect the work to get done.

I don't blame you for being emotional; it's a slap in the face to be told "my raise comes before your livelihood." But your manager likely didn't have much of a choice. If he has to keep payroll below a certain amount of dollars, this is the kind of decision he has to make. Or else he has to kiss his boss's B-hole until that shit is paid back.

[Rubystars]

Thanks IPF. I've always enjoyed your posts and stories by the way. I remember reading a lot of your stuff back in the day.

The company used to be a family owned company but once it got successful enough it got bought out by an investment company and that's when the culture began to shift and now I feel like all the good feelings I had toward the company are being stomped on. I never used to have to worry about any temporary dips in budget, etc. because I knew I'd be taken care of. Now I feel like garbage.

[Heksubah]

The company used to be a family owned company but once it got successful enough it got bought out by an investment company and that's when the culture began to shift and now I feel like all the good feelings I had toward the company are being stomped on. I never used to have to worry about any temporary dips in budget, etc. because I knew I'd be taken care of. Now I feel like garbage.

You pretty much answered everything right there. A family-friendly company is more concerned about the day to day of the business and the staff and really will take more effort to keep valuable staff happy. Corporate just wants to know where they can shave things to save the almighty dollar and see less expense on the paperwork. You make 11 plus an hour for overnights, so to give you overtime is 18 bucks an hour. But they can take a newbie and pay them 10.50 instead! And they are probably beating it into the managers that money oversights will cost them bonuses and their own livelihood so managers are doing what they can to promote that sort of corporate culture. It sucks and I'm sorry.

[Rubystars]

You pretty much answered everything right there. A family-friendly company is more concerned about the day to day of the business and the staff and really will take more effort to keep valuable staff happy. Corporate just wants to know where they can shave things to save the almighty dollar and see less expense on the paperwork. You make 11 plus an hour for overnights, so to give you overtime is 18 bucks an hour. But they can take a newbie and pay them 10.50 instead! And they are probably beating it into the managers that money oversights will cost them bonuses and their own livelihood so managers are doing what they can to promote that sort of corporate culture. It sucks and I'm sorry.

Thank you. I feel deeply hurt and betrayed by them because I was always acknowledged in the past but now I feel like I am not valued at all regardless of my performance.

I may need to try to move on at some point but in the mean time I feel like I'm going to be in a hostile environment.

[Shyla]

I understand why you're upset. I would probably feel the same way. But for your own mental health, try to take the explanation at face value. Your boss couldn't base his decision on your work or your loyalty or anything else. He was forced to be on that budget. Try to work your hours then go home and relax. Of course you should job hunt if you want. But try not to hate going to work in the meantime.

[Seshat]

The company used to be a family owned company but once it got successful enough it got bought out by an investment company and that's when the culture began to shift

That's happened to my husband a few times.

Investment companies see people as identical cogs, and treat us that way. It doesn't matter if you're more accurate and efficient: you cost more. It doesn't matter if my husband has the knowledge: he doesn't have the formal paperwork (ideally a Master's degree, if not a Doctorate) that declares it.

Etc etc etc.


Get the idea?

It's not personal - because it's TOO IMPERSONAL. You're employee #45783623-AQY. Not Rubystars.

Take some time at home to think about that and the consequences of it. Develop a stoicism about the idea of being treated that way, and being able to accept it.
And look around for a place of work that treats you how you want to be treated; or at least one that treats you in a way you can deal with. (Sometimes you can be employee #whatever to corporate, but your local place treats you as Rubystars.)

[SimonF12009]

That's happened to my husband a few times.

Investment companies see people as identical cogs, and treat us that way. It doesn't matter if you're more accurate and efficient: you cost more. It doesn't matter if my husband has the knowledge: he doesn't have the formal paperwork (ideally a Master's degree, if not a Doctorate) that declares it.

Etc etc etc.


Get the idea?

It's not personal - because it's TOO IMPERSONAL. You're employee #45783623-AQY. Not Rubystars.

Take some time at home to think about that and the consequences of it. Develop a stoicism about the idea of being treated that way, and being able to accept it.
And look around for a place of work that treats you how you want to be treated; or at least one that treats you in a way you can deal with. (Sometimes you can be employee #whatever to corporate, but your local place treats you as Rubystars.)

I agree with Seshat

[raudf]

Yep, it's all about the bottom line. A family company sees the value of a properly trained and experienced employee, but a corporation only sees the bottom line and that properly trained and experienced employee is going to cost more per hour than the untrained/half-trained employee. I mean, if the experienced employee quits, so what? There are always more low-paid peons where they came from!

In spite of the Koolaid and training videos, the hard working peon will NOT advance beyond their current level. All hard work gets you is more shit dumped on you, for the same amount of pay. THAT is what corporate culture has become.

[Seshat]

It's actually a consequence of a limitation of the human brain. We can only perceive approximately 150 people as people: as individuals who we know well. We know their quirks, their skills and abilities, their weaknesses. And so from a business perspective, they're people we can place into the best position for the individual.

Once an organisation exceeds about 75 people (let's say we leave half of that 150 for the friends-and-family of each person), people start to not-know folks. If you work in the shop, the folks at the office and the folks in the factory are just 'the office' or 'the factory', not Bill and Jeff and Alice and Kathy.
And likewise, to the folks in the office, you in the shop are 'the shop', not Lisa and Ruth and Pete and Mark.

One way to TRY to solve it is to split the organisation into units, each of which is no larger than 74 (so the boss of the unit can have HIS boss in his 75), and give the boss of each unit authority and responsibility to organise their people in the best way for the individuals.

The problems come up when the bosses of each unit don't get enough authority (eg enough pay hours!) to do so.

Sadly, it takes an intentional effort, and probably intentional study and will, for us to make decisions while being conscious that people outside our personal 150 ARE PEOPLE. So whoever decides on the staffing budget for shop X does so while thinking of cardboard markers on a game board, not 'oh yeah, the staff of shop X are people - I should email the boss and find out how much he thinks it'll take to have the best people on the job'.