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- Nov 1, 2010
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Took a job in early March at a new grocery store chain looking to branch out across Long Island. Was hired at the lowest hourly wage at full time. This is the slowest time of the year with my side work so i was content to stay busy. Income i made was enough for bills and permitted me to tap into very little of my savings.
This company expects all employees to work six days a week at nine hour shifts. Overtime pay comes into affect once the employee breaches forty hours.
Was trained at one of their stores roughly thirty miles from my apartment. The new store was located two miles away from me.
Individual in charge of the hiring was aware that i spent six years as a deli clerk prior to my hiring. My first day of training consisted of me mainly getting back into the groove of such a job since i hadnt done it in nearly five years. Additionally i was hired to have my single day off on Mondays.
On day two of my training i was comfortable enough to start observing business practices. It became apparent that instead of hiring a single skilled worker they would hired multiple people for such a position. The saddest part was that while these individuals were clean cut, they came from low income homes. In many instances these employees didnt speak english and or were just out of high school with a kid.
Upper management consisted of friends or family members of the owners. First run in with them was on my fourth day of training. My time card (they used the old school punch in/out cards) went missing when i came back from lunch on Tuesday. Informed the kid in the office (who i believe was the owners son) on the situation and immediately asked what the pay week was, Sunday - Saturday. He yes'd me to death and was more content on looking at his phone. Once i pressed the issue he finally relegated the task to the cashier manager.
Cashier manager asked me to check for it twice which i obliged. Let him know after both attempts my card is still not there. Sadly he had to tend to one of the cashiers so i was stuck waiting for that task to complete. In which another office manager saw me standing there, asked what was wrong and told me "well standing there isnt helping". I was stunned, for it showed a complete lack of decency. Quickly replied to her on the situation to only hear a "Oh, i'll go get you another one".
I trained with six other people. Two quit after the first day, one quit on the stores grand opening day, another was fired on day two (guy should of never been hired) and the last two found better work only three weeks into the new store.
To back track slightly. On my fourth day of training i informed the management i was going to be unable to work weekends an if they wish to part ways with my employment i'd understand (for context, the employees i was training with an those who were seasoned employees thought i was a manager at the new store).
So the new store opens, im making two dollars an hour less than my previous deli clerk job at double the hours and at two thirds more responsibility.
After one employee quit that i enjoyed working with her i began contemplating quitting myself. The lynch pin was that they altered all our scales in the department that required people to sign in for every single use. However they werent unique in characters. They used numbers one through ten with the same number that identified the employee as their password. An hour in i informed the deli manager im putting in my two weeks notice effective immediately.
This was a week after the last two people quit for different jobs. As i expected they pulled me aside an offered me a raise. After i informed them i needed some time to think about it they came a day later upping the price. Now the pay was the highest of their non-management full time employees. An they even suggested a higher position being available at another store they planned on opening.
Was able to get weekends off on my fourth day of work. An now i was able to get a pay raise (which hourly was equal to my previous deli clerk position). I dropped hints during the short negotiations that i would only be willing to stay if i get major holidays off. The new pay raise and the non-guarantee for holidays sealed the deal for me to part ways.
On a side note management only showed respect to me once i put in my two weeks notice. An once it was clear to them i wasnt accepting the terms they avoided me at all costs.
Grand opening week one deli manager from another store was helping out an offered me the highest praise. Was stocking away a delivery in the back while he was talking to a vendor. Vendor questioned him on letting me do it solo. He replied with "He's the only hire they got right, one out of thirty aint bad".
First paycheck was sent to the new store. Meaning i had to go there to get it. First words out of that manager mouth ever to me on requesting my check was "It may be your last".
One manager in particular (who was a minority owner) was equally condescending in every instance. Prep work for grand opening he asked me to do something in passing. This instance i already had five other tasks to complete. Went to him a few hours later asking him to show me the location of the product he wished to have stocked. Received a nice reply of "I asked this to be done three fucking hours ago", followed by me saying "excuse me" to him changing the subject.
Same guy even dropped a gem to me a week later. Deli manager asked something to be stocked in a specific location to which he changed the location minutes later. Once the deli manager came over i informed him of the change only for this manager to see the conversation happening an jump in saying "Dont confuse him".
Some minor gems:
Each stores department had a single employee working twelve hour days with one day off. They were considered 'assistant manager' but didnt have such a title and from my deductions were only making in the ballpark of twelve an hour.
If a good looking woman/girl applied the same manager would interview them; he never did interviews.
Same line was consistently used during the hiring interview. "Do this work and you gain the experience for a restaurant/caterer"; which was a bold face lie.
Each upper manager had contempt for their staff that echoed in their verbal communications to them. Upon a employee quitting they took every opportunity to belittle them in front of the staff immediately.
I can go on, but chances are those with ADD have already hit their page back button.
Tldr please
