Closing the door...

Well, I must say, the door slammed as I walked away from my job the other day... regret, I have NONE! I worked there  as an assistant for a little over three years. What did I learn?? Well, I learned what it was like to actually work in a hostile environment... Do any of you truly know the meaning of Hostile Work Environment? Here let me tell ya, cause I did... but didn't really so here... OH... and this is copied from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile_work_environment  Anyway... here...

A hostile work environment exists when an employee experiences workplace harassment and fears going to work because of the offensive, intimidating, or oppressive atmosphere generated by the harasser.

A hostile work environment may also be defined as when a boss or manager begins to engage in a manner designed to make you quit in retaliation for your actions. Suppose you report safety violations at work, get injured at work, attempt to join a union, complain to upper level management about a problem at work, or act as a whistleblower in any respect. Then, the company’s response is to do all manner of things to make you quit, like writing you up for work rules you didn’t break, reducing your hours, scheduling you for hours that are in total conflict with what you can do, or reducing your salary. The company’s reaction can be viewed as creating a hostile work environment, one that makes it impossible to work and is an attempt to make you quit so that the employer does not have to pay unemployment benefits.

I stayed with this company for the time I did why?? Well, I know, what I am about to say is NO excuse, and it actually embarrasses me... but I stayed because in this area of the US, the pay was awesome! During my management hours I was payed right at $17 per hour... my husband is disabled, we have 3 kids... and the checks were awesome! So ya, I stayed for the money... while doing so, my boss tells me I would soon start training to have my own store... this pay is $6-7,000 PER MONTH! Yip, you read that right... dang that's crazy huh?! Well, how would that NOT excite?? So I did what anyone else would do and I told my family and friends... hey I WAS EXCITED ...but only 3 days after this... I was told the position wasn't available, WHAT??T they gave my promised position to someone hired off the street... WOW-REALLY?! Okay, so what did I do? HA... nothing. I got mad, upset sure... again who wouldn't? My lesson there, listen to what someone says will happen, and but blow it off, this way when it doesn't happen there is no embarrassment... and yes, I was embarrassed! 

Okay so our boss sits everyone down one at a time, documents in hand and shows us our bonus for the year... COOL! That stinkin checks gonna be enough for the kids Christmas and extra.. how awesome is that or what right?? LOL... get this... After the day the check was suppose to be in the back leaves and is gone for a week, I called and asked my boss.. .where's it at? Here is the excuse given to EVERY ONE in the entire STATE of OK  was simply "Oh, sorry that was a lack of communication" WHATEVER!  ... any way, the lesson I was taught there was, don't spend it until you got it... this I already knew. My reasoning was seeing the exact amount on paper... and because of that, I of course, went on a Christmas shopping spree... I am FINALLY caught up from that...FINALLY! 

I guess I should tell you, the boss is the DM... he/she of the company dictates the happenings that goes on, whether approved or not, he/she has the last word...

So, here I am bustin my rear for this company, picken up the slack of others, and yip they were given all credit... all the while squeezed out like a pimple. The manager and assistant that was under me...there are best of friends...need I say more?? My manager hours dropped... on paper (the schedule) looked as though they were still there, but when I would go to work, I would find that I was pushed back while the friend took the hours and was the charge manager... WOW really.. So I did what I was suppose to do, according to their guidelines and order of operations, and mentioned it to the DM, practicably begging him to NOT let on the I said anything about anything, if he did, things would get worse for me, in a devious way... I was assured nothing would be said, so he calls me a couple of days later and says... I talked to her about what we talked about... and didn't mention you... he must have cause they got WORSE! 

I was taught growing up to respect my elders, and the ones in authority, maybe I let to much happen... I don't know... maybe I didn't speak my mind as most would... there are a lot of maybe's that I am sure I should have done and didn't. In my mind, I was respecting the decisions and wishes of the manager. I was shocked when I gave my two weeks notice because as soon as word got around everyone except the two friends said to me... "If your leavin, I am too, I will not stay here if your not here" Okay, that made me feel good, and bad at the same time. This company runs each store with only a handful of employees... with everyone but the two gone, I actually felt bad knowing their stress lvls were going to be heavy. I kinda think its funny... I think... but really it's sad because the two friends will have to come face to face with their ways... and when they do, they'll have no one... with all said, and all that has been done... and I haven't even skimmed the surface...this may sound crazy... when it happens,and they find themselves alone,  I will still be praying for them, and if they ever needed anything at all... yes, I would be there for them too... 

What I will miss... the people I met through the years... Mr. Ed, he comes in every other day and will buy 8 grape fruits, or 3 bundles of oranges... Clara, I have several of her recipes... Bob and Mary, she has systemic Lupus and Bob would give updates on her progress... I can't name them all, there are way too many, but as I told them I was leaving, many tears were shared... That truly touched my heart, that was something I didn't know would happen... I feel blessed to have met the ones I did, I will miss them, but hope to see them again someday...