Suspended from work

SiriusB · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:06

I have a manager at my place [Sainsbury's] and he is just like your manager - he loves his job way too much.

Not long ago he had an option to tell me I was making a mistake [I forgot to get a signature for a reduced item I was buying] and I should get a signature. But no, instead he keeps quiet and then I get landed with a suspension the next time I come into work.

I was suspended for a whole week on full pay, plus the store had to find people to cover my shifts, and they had to have a manager spend time "investigating" the incident. All that because some manager who is a numpty decided he didnt fancy mentioning my error when he had the opportunity to do so.

I got my own back though because I heard he got a right rollocking from a duty manager

SiriusB

Psymonkee · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:11

Believe me I'm looking for somewhere else to work as are most people

Spinal2k2 · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:13

Nanoman said:
I got suspended from work for letting my mate use my discount card, I attended a hearing the following day and was sacked. Hadnt had any other warnings or anything, was really shocked as i thought it was quite a petty thing, but it was infact gross misconduct. Not trying to scare you, but be prepared to put up a little fight, companies are b*****ds.

You'll find that with almost all companies, staff discount is that staff discount, not your mates, best mates mates discount etc, but staff discount for you an you only (apart from some companies that will allow buying stuff for the likes family - ie mam, dad, son, daughter, wife husband etc.

Mad old tory · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:47

Spinal2k2 said:
You'll find that with almost all companies, staff discount is that staff discount, not your mates, best mates mates discount etc, but staff discount for you an you only (apart from some companies that will allow buying stuff for the likes family - ie mam, dad, son, daughter, wife husband etc.

Agreed, I can understand getting sacked for that tbh. As for the OP, sounds like a manager with his head up his **** tbh, I imagine (and would hope) if this is being dealt with someone higher up in the company they will take a dim view of his actions and give you a slap on the wrist.

HighlandeR · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:50

Welcome to the world of Retail

Tbh you dont wanna do Retail, as a last resort yeah but what u gonna get in retail anyhow? 12-20k max unless u go Manager or Senior rank +....

Thats not enuff to even live on frankly, I know a lot of staff at purpleworld got there payslips today and some of them had done 4 weeks (mon-fri 40hrs) work and taken home £700 ?

£700? is that really enough to pay the bills frankly that should be a 2 weeks wages if anything....

Anyhow lol OT but I was in a disciplinary had a 1 to 1 with the GM (big boss) and he stared at me for a minute I looked at him with no guilt at all cos they dont bother to authorise my holiday request..... and ive explained that fact to them, Manager said its up to me to get it authorised which I have no time whatso ever to do (id be lucky if I can get my 1 hour lunch break frankly).... anyhow after 2 minutes he said dont do it again and im letting u off since u said im sorry and will get it requested next time....

Quite honesty if I went they would have to close the whole department down and I know that factor

In your case yeah get a m8 in and dictaphone to record all... but frankly that guy causing the probs aint gonna go away see your options like a transfer or to work in another dep.... see your options frankly.

Remember in Retail theres sod all equality, Managers can do what they want simply if they dont even like you even, doesnt matter what excuses they come up with... In retail your never gonna win

Chronos-X · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:52

Retail and leisure basically attract morons into positions of faux-management (50p an hour more than you) - steer clear.

paul@ · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:55

No formal meeting to hear what you have been acussed of?

Have they wrote to you explaining what you have done?

Vertigo · 28 Apr 2006 at 22:59

basmic said:
My best advice to you, is to take a dictaphone with you and a friend.

At the end of the meeting, walk out the door and make it obvious that you have stopped a dictaphone - then if any of their faces turn sour, you'll know you're onto something.

Oh please get real. You cannot covertly record any such conversations and expect the recording to be admitted as evidence in any future legal proceedings. If he wants to record the conversation for future use he'll have to ask their permission first.

Psymonkee · 28 Apr 2006 at 23:01

The Manager had a letter drawn up in Personnel accusing me of repeatedly ignoring management instructions and throwing items of my uniform at him

The ignoring instruction is partially true. The throwing uniform is a whole load of crap

"andy" · 28 Apr 2006 at 23:12

tell them he was stroking your leg tbh

seriously though if there was no where else to park then im guessing the higher up people will understand, surely its up to the store to provide parking for staff

youll be fine

Anewbe4u · 28 Apr 2006 at 23:34

I was suspended 3 times for morrisons. Twice for supposedly stealing and another for hiding in a secret little room.

The first two times they just warned me of my future conduct, third time I quit, being accused of stealing again wasn't fun.

Make sure to take some one in with you and stay calm.

danza · 28 Apr 2006 at 23:41

My mate who used to work at Sainsburys always seemed to be unjustly disciplined. He barely did anything out of line, and was also subject to some harsh false allegations. In the end he left, and upon leaving presented some line manager person (who din't get on with him) a book caled 'Managing People'. They clearly needed it.

In my experience, supermarket chain management staff are all a bunch of, well, not so nice people. Very arrogant, self centred and unfriendly to those who don't 'play along' with thier stupid games.

Good luck Psymonkee

Sirrel Squirrel · 29 Apr 2006 at 00:42

This is why retail sucks big time, the media is where its at

as long as I get in on time I can do pretty much whatever I want and that includes going home 2 hours before my shift ends plus going on the internet and just walking round the building chatting to people, breaks whenever I want and just a dos in general although the actual job is awful

AthlonTom · 29 Apr 2006 at 01:00

Having done quite well for quite a long wjile at Morrisons and having seen several conversion stores; Do not ever expect any leeway with this, after this Morrisons try to promote a forced redundency - your fault or not. Just done make an erro again.

P.S. Once you card is marked you wont get a promotion or the profit shared you are entitleted to unless you are extremely lucky!

sunama · 29 Apr 2006 at 01:12

Nanoman said:
I got suspended from work for letting my mate use my discount card, I attended a hearing the following day and was sacked.

Damn that was harsh. When i used to work for Sainsburys, my colleagues and i would sometimes use eachothers discount cards when buying our lunch. Never knew this could be a sackable offence.

Nix · 29 Apr 2006 at 01:20

sunama said:
Damn that was harsh. When i used to work for Sainsburys, my colleagues and i would sometimes use eachothers discount cards when buying our lunch. Never knew this could be a sackable offence.

My parents used my staff discount for 2 years. Tesco are much easier on it though I think. My flatmate works for Sainsbury's and he's told me that he'd get in serious trouble for doing it. Might just be different stores too.

I know what you mean about certain managers being asshats, as there were a couple where I worked and one supervisor who absolutely hated me. I played them at their own game, and when I got put onto management training, the supervisor started being sickly nice to me. I just told her up straight that it aint gonna rub because when i've got that tie, she'll be the one doing all the jobs she hates. The other supervisors loved it (they didn't like her either).

I think I might have been lucky where I worked because I got along with pretty much every manager. I remember randomly chatting to the duty managers on several occassions. One guy left the store as a section manager and came back over summer as a duty manager from another store and I just got chatting and asked him how he was doing etc. Not all retail staff are bad people, try not to tar them all with the same brush.

Jonny ///M · 29 Apr 2006 at 01:20

sunama said:
Damn that was harsh. When i used to work for Sainsburys, my colleagues and i would sometimes use eachothers discount cards when buying our lunch. Never knew this could be a sackable offence.

Yeh i didnt think it was that bad until this new tax year i was issued with my discount card and trade card. Sign this sign that and this.....jeeezo. About 3 pages of rules. I get two so just made the second one out for my dad to use as my brother works here aswell and his other one went to my mum.

To be honest mate,go through with this nonsense and then leave. I want to leave this job but i need to get back my missing 20 hours OT that went missing! My boss had a go at the three of us for something that wasnt even our fault,just trying to help the guy and the guy gets the manager.I put the manager in his place and made sure it was me and another guy that had did the deed not another member of staff that stood there doing his own work.

MY boss also threatened to sack my brother because he refused to work an extra 2 hours one night.....he also forces us to take OT sometimes....if you dont do this for me you wont get the holidays you put in for etc etc...load of **** if you ask me. Im putting in for september weekend.If i dont get it away to **** with halfords im off to party!(blackpool)

My manager was brought in to turn the shop around.All the supers are brand new......head of cycles which is my dept. is cool doesnt give hassle at all,the rest of them are all pretty cool aswell and help you out. The boss can be ok but he gets on everybodies **** with his talking down to people and thinking everybody is thick.

SidewinderINC · 29 Apr 2006 at 01:29

Nix said:
My parents used my staff discount for 2 years. Tesco are much easier on it though I think.

tesco are much easier on it thats for sure!!! you know how much easier they are on it? when you get your discount card and the pack that goes with it, you also get a complete formal form to change the name on the discount card to your parents name if you're a "young" worker!!!

lukechad · 29 Apr 2006 at 09:50

I wouldnt worry too much mate, a few at our morrisons have been suspended recently, for really petty things as well, the managers are walking on very thin ice at the moment with us staff, I dont know about your store but for the past 6 months we havent been allowed to recruit new staff, so as people have been leaving for whatever reason things are getting more and more stressful. In total on our department alone we are 250hrs/week down on what we should have to function properly.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is these people who have been suspended have had a disciplinary are soon back on the department, afaik I dont think they had anything put in their staff file either, but I cant be 100% on this.

Hope it all goes alright for you

DiG · 29 Apr 2006 at 11:10

I must have been really lucky as I've been working in Tescos for a couple of months now and my managers are really nice! The customers arn't to moronic either