Frustrated; need help and advice

[snugglegirl05]

I have been working as a fuel center clerk for a *major grocery store chain* since 2020.
The *major grocery store chain* has their fuel centers located in the same area where their grocery stores are located.

I was asked by the fuel center lead earlier this year if I would be interested in becoming the lead.
She told me that she was moving up within our employer.
Roughly a month later the store manager asked me if I would like to become the fuel center lead.
I was honored that he thought of me as a lead, and so I said yes.

A department manager who works at the grocery store is also over the fuel center.
She has been over the fuel center for several years.
I was told by the fuel center employee who trained me in 2020 that this particular department manager was over the fuel center when he started working there in 2014.
She makes the fuel center work schedule, staffs the fuel center, is supposed to order merchandise for the fuel center, and so on

I was in training to become the fuel center lead starting in Februarly of this year
2 weeks ago I was certified as fuel center lead by the District Manager over the *major grocery store chain* fuel centers in the city where I live.

The day after I was certifed was one of my off days, and so my husband, I and a friend of his went out to dinner to celebrate.
I left my iphone at home since I was off that day.
When I go home there was a voicemail message from the department manager asking me what do we do when the fuel pumps shut down.
Apparently there was a storm in the area where the fuel center is located that knocked out the power to the fuel pumps.
2 employees were working there at that time, and both of them have been working for the *major grocery store chain* for a while.
There was a fuel center clerk and a store employee working at the fuel center at that time, and the fuel center clerk was training the store employee as back up fuel center staff.
The phone number for the help desk is located inside the fuel center kiosk.
The department manager over the fuel center referred me to the help desk number while I was training as a fuel center clerk back in 2020 regarding any issues with the fuel pumps.
So, I did not understand why she left me that voicemail.

A week after that incident happend, I received an e-mail at my work address regarding a meeting that is being held for the fuel center leads at the end of this month.
The body of the e-mail stated the following...

Fuel center lead meeting at location 913

I replied to the e-mail asking "What is the address for location 913?" and carbon copied my resposne to the department manager over the fuel center.

Several days later the department manager told me in person the that what I did was unprofessional.

When I asked her why was it unprofessional, her response was "We do no do that here. We generally do not respond to those types of e-mails. We keep everything in house. Senior Management sends those e-mails, and they do not want to see those types of responses. Senior Management does not care to see those types of responses."

I am frustrated because the department manager really did not answer my question as to why my response was unprofessional.
Plus I am frustrated that she called me on my off day to ask what do the fuel center clerks do when the fuel pumps shut down when the number for the help desk is located inside the fuel center kiosk, which she knows.

What is the best way to deal with her now that I report to her?

[Kristev]

Asking for a location address is unprofessional? I don't think you can work with this lunatic at all.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Someone feels their empire is being threatened. Make sure everyone above her knows it.

[snugglegirl05]

Someone feels their empire is being threatened. Make sure everyone above her knows it.

So, how do I deal with her knowing she feels that her empire is being threatened?

[csquared]

I see it slightly differently. You are not a threat to her empire. You are part of her empire and therefore must be controlled. Can't allow any radicals to run free. Can't allow you to get any odeas by talking to outsiders,

[snugglegirl05]

I see it slightly differently. You are not a threat to her empire. You are part of her empire and therefore must be controlled. Can't allow any radicals to run free. Can't allow you to get any odeas by talking to outsiders,

So, how do I deal with her knowing she feels like this and wants to control me?

[Ironclad Alibi]

Talk to the district manage about how she is behaving and ask for advice on how to handle her.

[RealUnimportant]

Different perspective:

I don't see anything here that needs addressing. I don't see any link between these events. I definitely don't think she sees you, a freshly trained lead, as any kind of threat if she's been doing this for a decade.

Regarding the phone call, why she called I can't say, maybe she was trying to test your recall of the training you've been undertaking for months. You're not on call, so you did nothing wrong, which is why nothing's come of it. Nothing needs to come of it now either, unless and until she tries to call you for a work related issue outside of and unrelated to your shift again.

Regarding the email, I'm sorry but I agree with her. There was no need to reply to it with that question because there's probably in-house ways to find that information; if there wasn't, they wouldn't have used only the location code in the email to begin with. Along with email, is there an intranet, perhaps with a store directory? Emailing your manager was okay, and without it also going to management would possibly have gone without remark; it would have been nice if she'd also included the information (or where to find it) in her reprimand, but there's probably other people in your store who'd also know where to find that info if you've not yet been shown. As a lead you're now part of the group of people who will be looked to for these answers from lower ranks, so it's time to find out where to look. You've been trusted with responsibility, this is part of that.

Deal with her as a person with her own motivations, same as you deal with anyone else. You don't know what they are, but there's no need to immediately assume she's planning ill. How long was your last lead there for, did they seem especially harrassed or encouraged to leave? It certainly hasn't sounded that way, which suggests that this manager doesn't automatically have it in for anyone taking over a job that is frankly well beneath her now.

[snugglegirl05]

Different perspective:

I found out from store management 2 days later that the fuel pumps did shut down on the day that she left the voicemail. So, the department manager's voicemail was not a test. She wanted to know how to fix the issue even though she told me when I was training to be a fuel center clerk in 2020 to call the help desk regarding any issues with the fuel pumps. She showed me where the help desk phone number is located inside the fuel center kiosk back in 2020. So, I do not understand why she left the voicemail when she could have told the fuel center employee to call the help desk.

As for the meeting, it is a 4 hour meeting later in the afternoon. According to the department manager over the fuel center, I have to be on the clock while attending the meeting. Our employer does not pay overtime for these meetings. Our employer also does not want anyone working 6 days a week. So, I have to work an 8 hour shift that day. Half that day at the fuel center, the time traveling, and the 4 hours at the meeting. Then she has to find coverage for me that day when I leave to attend the meeting. She knows that I do not have a car and that I depend on the bus for transportation. She has known that since I started working there in 2020. I guess I will uber or take lyft to the meetings. It is the logistics part that is frustrating to me, but it is what it is.

[csquared]

RU does make a good point. The email chain may not have been the best place to pose that questions, Local management probably would have been the better place, Department Manager's reaction was described as overly critical/hostile. This leads my to believe that she is trying to control. Along with the stereotyping of most retail managers as petty, control freaks.

So, how do I deal with her knowing she feels like this and wants to control me?

Talk to the district manage about how she is behaving and ask for advice on how to handle her.

Ironclad, if my assumption is correct, that could be a problematic answer. SG05 would be going around Department Manager. That would be violating the controls. That aside, might not be a bad idea.

Dealing with it is not that difficult. Annoying, but not difficult. All questions, fuel center related, go to her. You probably will want to verify the authority that you are given. Are you allowed to make decisions, or must they be deferred to her?

Knowing where you stand will help you navigate.

[snugglegirl05]

There is another issue regarding the department manager who is over the fuel center.

She is supposed to order product for the fuel center, but she only does it when she wants to.

According to the fuel center employee who trained me, the only way for her to do that is to ask her to do her job.

But I am not her manager.

The fuel center sells tobacco products, products for your car, such as windshield wiper fluid and so on, but she will not order those products even though she is supposed to.

The district manager over the fuel centers does not want the fuel center staff to do that, but I end up having to do that since she will not do that.

The district manager noticed the amount of missing product *meaning the holes that had a price tag, but no product* when he came to certify me.

When the products arrive depends on 1) if what I ordered was approved by her, and 2) when she approved and placed the order, and 3) how long it takes for the products to arrive.

Regarding the tobacco products, she is supposed to order those products for the front end and for the fuel center.

Every Sunday through Saturday the fuel center opener has to replenish what was sold the day before.

A hand held device is used to do that, and that device keeps track of what needs to be restocked.

The department manager over the fuel center is notified of what needs to be restocked, but she does not order those products on a consistent basis.

She orders when she wants to whenever she wants to.

This is frustrating and irritating.

What is the best way to handle this?

[Ironclad Alibi]

The best way to handle this is to do nothing. Let her fail at her job. There may eventually be an opening above you, and maybe a promotion for you into her soon to be vacant position. One can dream.

[RealUnimportant]

Yeah, if someone higher than her has noted the issue but you're now covering for that by ordering things anyway, you're going to end up pissing her off for going around her and saving her ass by hiding the fact she's not doing her job.

Regarding the meeting, the info you've added does change things. There's a difference between "doesn't want" and "won't allow", will they not allow you to work 6 days out of 7? Yes, the meeting should indeed be on the clock because otherwise it's unpaid labour; as this isn't at your home store and you're going to need to travel to get there, the travel time could (over here, *would*) also be counted as working time - so if they won't let you work 6 out of 7, then it's the company's (ie. your manager's) responsibility to roster you off for the entire day. This may even be company policy especially if they're this strict about not paying overtime for meetings they require you to attend, I would check into it before agreeing to do more work (or at least spend more time beholden to your job's requirements) than you're being paid for.

[snugglegirl05]

Yeah, if someone higher than her has noted the issue but you're now covering for that by ordering things anyway, you're going to end up pissing her off for going around her and saving her ass by hiding the fact she's not doing her job.

Regarding the meeting, the info you've added does change things. There's a difference between "doesn't want" and "won't allow", will they not allow you to work 6 days out of 7? Yes, the meeting should indeed be on the clock because otherwise it's unpaid labour; as this isn't at your home store and you're going to need to travel to get there, the travel time could (over here, *would*) also be counted as working time - so if they won't let you work 6 out of 7, then it's the company's (ie. your manager's) responsibility to roster you off for the entire day. This may even be company policy especially if they're this strict about not paying overtime for meetings they require you to attend, I would check into it before agreeing to do more work (or at least spend more time beholden to your job's requirements) than you're being paid for.

The purpose of what I posted is to explain my frustrations. Not to change things. I realize I cannot change things.

What would you do if you were in my shoes regarding my direct manager not ordering product for the fuel center?

[Ironclad Alibi]

I would not do it for her. Let her not do her job and face the consequences. And tell customers to complain about the lack of product.