Poor Decisions, Lagging Pay, Distribution Mistakes, Not Enough Labor Hours, Constant Broken Promises, Hostile Environment, Unqualified Store Management and Middle Management
I was hired into the company to be a Retail Parts Pro because the store they wanted me in did not have an assistant manager position but they needed someone with a strong automotive background and management background. I was told that I would be considered for my own store just as any other assistant manager would.
I was beloved by my entire staff and had a great relationship with my store manager who had told numerous others I am store manager ready myself. I had zero disciplinary items on my record and multiple compliments from customers to my store manager. I was even invited to their Christmas party long after I had left that store for another (against my will, more on this shortly) because of how well I was liked.
At another store that was in horrible condition, an assistant manager hired by our new district manager was doing a terrible job. She would later finally be fired for stealing time, but not after this district manager took many steps in the various stores this assistant manager was in to cover the evidence up. The store manager at this new store was at their wits end and ready to quit. At some point my name came up as being made the assistant manager at that store, probably by the store manager as he was familiar with my work ethic from times I filled in there. The district manager decided to swap me and his hire and told my current store manager of this. I was not asked if I wanted to make this change, as it was a much longer commute or even allowed to negotiate the raise I would need just to cover the cost of travel difference. I came into work one Wednesday and was told this was happening, here was my new pay (that did not cover the cost difference so I would effectively be making less) and I would start next week and had no choice.
I went to the store in trouble and began cleaning up the mess that was there. This included working off the clock to clean up the paperwork mess because the district manager made it clear it had to be done by a certain point for an audit but would not give us extra hours to handle it. The store manager of this new store was already in the process of leaving for the competition and the tasks of the store manager quickly became my tasks. I was effectively running the store without any of the benefits of being a store manager (which really only include better pay since they do not provide you with enough hours to cover all shifts and that means that 50 hours you were suppose to work as a store manager was really 65 to 70). At some point a store up the road opened up and I put my name in it, only to be told by this new district manager that the promise that I would be considered for any store openings would not be happening. Even though most management in the district agreed I was ready and the most qualified to take the position, I was told I was not eligible by the district manager.
The store manager told me not to worry about it, because when he left I would certainly get this store as I knew the operation and was ready. He told me he on numerous times spoke with the district manager and told him I was ready and was all but positive I would get the next store.
When that manager left I was left to run the store a week on my own. I expected to be called up to discuss the future of the store by the district manager, but it never happened. I had to reach out to him in which I found out he didn't even consider me and was just going to drop a new store manager in without even consulting me. Though he still expected me to do the job of the store manager and get the store ready for the upcoming inventory in a week. I told him I was very disappointed by this and that the pay I was making for my current work wasn't even covering travel and I may need to return to working on cars for a living.
At this point the district manager made a string of lies (excuses) over how he didn't even know I wanted a store, my store manager never told him I was ready, this store was too much of a monster for me, etc. He went on to tell me that I was next line for a store and to not worry about it.
All of a sudden an employee began making false accusations against me and I was suspended from work out of the blue. I vehemently denied these accusations and even workers from other stores came to my defense. I was eventually reinstated and told to not worry this would be buried and would not effect my standing in getting a store. I was asked to continue on at that store because I was needed there despite my request to be moved elsewhere after the incident.
Later on I found out through an employee involved that the district manager was the driving force behind this complaint. That he continued to try to press it further and further and led the employee in his statement. Meanwhile on the other hand I was being told by this district manager and my new store manager that they would be using me to run the aforementioned store I was denied because the new manager was out on leave. The new manager told me I did not get a raise because I was getting the next store anyway within probably 6 to 8 weeks and he too was telling the district manager I was ready for a store.
A few months later the employee who filed a complaint against me apparently got hurt at work. I was there but he never made sure to bring it to my attention and the first we discussed it was the next day on the phone in which he told me it happened after I left. I left around 6:30 so I put 7 on the claim form and submitted it, which I had to do because our store manager was at another store and we had 24 hours to do it or get fined. I submitted the papers and thought nothing more of it.
About a week or two later the store manager called me and asked me if I am sure that was the time the incident happened. I said yes, I didn't really discuss it much with the employee and since this employee is known for his absent-mindedness, I thought nothing more of the call.
A month or so later I was the opening manager and doing ad set when the store manager and the district manager came in, shook my hand and continued on letting me complete the ad set when they then asked me to come in the back office. They were letting me know I was being fired for falsifying company documents by putting the wrong time on the paper, they admitted everything else was accurate but the time. I stated again I only put the time I thought the associate said. That is when they let it slip that the employee told the insurance company it happened at 2. I said I recall him saying it happened after I left for the day so that is what I put down, it must have been a miscommunication. They then told me that no matter what I said they were firing me for this.
In the subsequent investigation by the state on my unemployment claim (which I won and the state agreed with me that my termination reason was unsubstantiated by the company) we learned that the store manager had already known about the accident, so the claim that I denied letting the associate go to the clinic when it happened was made up, once the store manager knew he has absolute say over anything that happens in the store. They also couldn't furnish the statements they claimed to have against me.
Afterwards, I have it from a few sources that the district manager let it slip that he was working on getting people out of the company for his own crew he was bringing over from K-mart.
