Testing
Just testing the iPhone app
Here is a copy of the letter I received yesterday from my manager, I fail to see how after nine years I do no meet the company standards, the attached performance action plan is a complete insult, but I suppose anything they can do to make me feel inadequate and push me to leave they will try. I am sorry to disappoint them but bullying at any level is a no no. The first of the supposed reviews falls on my Birthday surprise surprise.
I truly feel I am being persecuted, why if they do not wish us to continue being employed by them don’t they stop being cowards and tell us straight. I did enjoy my job so much and my colleagues are great, but I have to say in my opinion that Britain’s favorite department store with a big D is sadly lacking in integrity and man management skills in fact they could not manage their way out of a paper bag.
Appraisal
Had my appraisal the other day, to gain a pay rise you need to get thirty one points, I got twenty nine, apparently in one year I have dropped nine points, how I really don’t know, I am an expert in my department my work has not changed, I have done nothing wrong. On the desk in front of my manager was a mystery shop report which I had had earlier in the year, I was spoken to about it and thought the matter was closed, I queried why it was there and had been added to my appraisal, I was told it was evidence, evidence of what, as I have said I have worked for the company for nine years this mystery shop was the first negative thing I have encountered, A man asked for work boots I told him we did not sell work boots, but we did have cat boots which I promptly showed him he said quite sharply that is not what I am looking for, I acknowledged this and stayed in the area incase he needed further assistance, according to my manager I should have tried to sell him a pair of stout shoes, I must admit we really don’t sell stout shoes Britain’s favorite department store sells fashion. So this was held against me, apparently I did not open enough accounts all though I opened more that other people who got over the required number of points.
I have worked mostly on shirts for nine years, sorry I had a break of two years where I worked on shoes, and twelve weeks when I worked as a merchandising supervisor for women’s wear over the Christmas period, oddly enough the manager at that time was the manager I have now, who I caught wrongly accusing a member of my staff and I stuck up for that member of staff, so make what you will of that.
Back to the appraisal, I was told I never went on the till I am always first there should bell ring and even when it doesn’t, I could go on and on, all of it unfair and unjustified against me, at the end of the appraisal I asked how she could justify my loss of nine points she said she was over generous on the last appraisal. I did tell her that if she thought that this was a fair appraisal that she should be thou rally ashamed of herself and the fact that she and the supervisor had come onto my department and worked marking down sale for five hour without once speaking or acknowledging me was the height of bad manners, I usually do all my department markdowns.
The outcome of the appraisal was on Friday two minuets before I finished work for the weekend (they Always tell you bad things before your weekend to spoil the weekend it seems to be a company policy) that I was of shirts and as from Monday I would be just putting out stock, I have made the shirt department a welcoming and efficient place and have customers who come back regularly and ask for me and trust my judgment and honesty with their purchases. I am gutted that they will miss out but then again Britain’s favorite department store has really never been about the customers or staff, they only see pound signs, It’s a pity they were not very good with their pound signs then they would not be about five billion pounds in debt, therefore not have to squeeze out their staff or put up sale stock before it goes into sale, sounds like sour grapes doesn’t it, but just for once I am allowing myself to be not very nice and although its is now in print and I do feel ashamed of the sour grapes, it did make me feel better, but not for very long. They say it is easy to hurt the nice people and believe me I am hurting. But I have a lovely loving family a fantastic husband who is my world we have been married for forty one years, he was made redundant nine months ago which is why I have to put up with all this rubbish, I will count myself lucky to be in a job (Just) and stop moaning and get on with it, stiff British upper lip and all that.
This is true
In this age of recession you would think that employers would value hard
working long serving staff, where I work it seems to be quite the opposite,
where in my opinion staff are treated with total lack of respect bordering
on bullying infact I think bullying is a more precise word. As the recession
started my company decided to “change the store opening times” to make for a
more cost effective running, code for we can reduce peoples working hours,
my hours were cut to five a day as I could not commit to working past two o
clock as I was a carer, I was told that I would not be allowed a break as
you have by EU ruling and company policy that you must work five and a half
hours before you could have a break as I knew with my travelling time it
would be eight hours plus before I ate after breakfast I found I could not
do this, I do a quite physical job, so I asked if I could buy ten minuets to
have a drink and something to eat, my store manager refused, My doctor sent
a letter to them expressing it would be of benefit to me to have a break,
this they said did not contain persificts, my store manager said I would
have to see an occupational doctor, and even if I did he would add any time
I was allowed for a break onto the end of my shift, knowing full well I
could not do this. All this was put into writing by me to the head of my
company to no avail only more stress for me. The consequence of these
actions has made me ill with my stomach, I had eaten regularly for nine
years within this company now all of a sudden I was shaking and when I left
work I could hardly walk my legs felt so wobberly, I am on medication at the
moment, which is to be taken at the same time each day followed by something
to eat half an hour later I was of work for a week, when I returned I asked
my manager could they accommodate the fact I had to eat after my tablets, I
was told they would have to phone HR the answer that came back was yes you
can eat but it will be taken out of your pay, I said you caused the problem
and now you want to take it out of my pay I don’t think that is fair, the
upshot of it was I myself I had to make arrangements to be picked up from
work Luckily it is school holidays, The response I got from my manager was
that’s what we like compromise, soon my tablet will be finished, then I will
be back to square one, how in this day and age when we protect terrorist and
take care of their human right, that I a lady of sixty who has worked hard
for her company can be treated with such distain and cruelty. Do I work for
some backstreet company; no I work for Britain’s favorite department store.
BY the way if I smoked I could go out as many times as I like for a
cigarette as this is classed as an habit, isn,t eating I am also in work one
hour before we open and the will not even allow me to start fifteen minuets
early to fit in a break something that was always allowed.
