November 27, 2012 - ihatecorporatesluts
My problems and my cry for help.
I have always considered myself a sincere person, a noble person, a kind person and a real person.
I have worked for target for about 6 years. I started at a young age, and consider the place to be a part of my upbringing. There were both pleasant and unpleasant experiences, but recently I find myself in a dilemma but first let me explain to you my target history.
I started as a cashier and slowly moved my way up to guest service and GSA. After my third year of working there I realized that my hard work wouldn’t get me anywhere, and the workers that they like and dislike are the workers that they decide to either terminate or promote, regardless of their work ethics and accomplishments. When I demoted myself from being a GSA (because I found that doing a TL’s job for 50 cents wasn’t worth the stress) and because I hope that target wouldn’t be my career( I was continuing in school) and because some of their managing methods also. After this I became a cashier, I told my HR ETL that I no longer wanted to cover for GSA/GSTL and no longer wanted to be at the service desk and cover breaks. I wanted to be a simple cashier. She agreed to my demands and everything was back to normal. After a year had past and target and its’ unorganized ways, I did warm up to the idea of covering for GSA/GSTL, Service desk, Food Avenue, Starbucks and along with helping the floor out when needed, helping the GSTLs fix the registers and kiosks along with other duties that no one wanted to do like help the cart attendant with spills, pukes, and stool. Now at this time (which wasn’t long ago) I did these things not for target but the people that I work with. I have become friends with some of my co-workers and our friendships are more than just “Target deep” I understand what it’s like to be a unvalued cashier, salesfloor team member, pog, instocks, guest service, target café etc. because I have been one. I understand that everyone gets paid the same (besides the yearly “raises”) and we’re all working for the “big red bull’s-eye in the sky” (sarcasm) I understand that we all don’t want to be there, I’ve sucked up my feelings and prides more times over the past 6 years that my dignity is paper thin. But I know when I come to work; I come for the people that understand me. I am there and work my ass off every day for the people who come to me for guidance, the people that have a life outside of target and realize that not everyone that works at target is a corporate whore. I am there because to an EXTENT I feel responsible for leaving them.
The problem began when our new HR hired a new GSTL. She had never worked at another target store and had trained at a different store. I had met her a week after she began and she seemed nice, tough and a little fake. The cashiers told me that they disliked her because of her attitude and how she approached them. I wasn’t sure if they were merely being sensitive or perhaps we needed to “break her in” so she could get to know us and see that as coworkers and partners we would be able to run the front end better. I didn’t start to believe the cashiers until the day after when I was filling the registers of supplies (which I volunteered) and she said that things were going to change around here. That at this store we made things harder than what they should be and that if each cashier did what they were supposed to do then things would run a lot smoother here. She said if we didn’t that she would write us up. I’m all about the “brand” way and the “best practice approach” all within reason. Our store is one of the busiest stores in our districts and when “best practice” slows the front end down, causes guests to become angry and aggressive, then “best practice” isn’t always the way. This was the first warning sign. The second was something that I witnessed that proved that the cashiers won’t exaggerateing. A cashier had done something to upset the new GSTL, she yelled at her in front of her guest in front of peers. It was the most sorrowful thing I had seen in my target years , it was extremely petty. This woman is our supervisor, but she truly believes that she is superior than us. After this I believed all the rumors. As we know employees talk, in any facility people talk to each other and they told me of the things and words said to the cashiers. I’m not about to publically write “hear-say” (as target says). But the following is what was said in a summary. That there was a rumor going around that there were a group of cashiers that were out to get her. That she would talk down to cashiers, if they left their registers, if they didn’t do things her way, or if she believed that they were one of the cashiers in an alliance against her, along with inhumane things I’m choosing not to write. The front end has been separated into groups, the group that has been for years and loyal and hard working to target(team members), and the rebel group who is with this Corporate Monster. Later I heard rumors, that one cashier (the one who started this rumor about the group getting her out) said that it was a Hispanic group. I think he said this because he doesn’t like the other TL, and because he doesn’t like foreign languages. The truth is that there are black, white and Hispanic cashiers that are complaining. This isn’t at all a race thing but I’m not sure what other strategy they could use to get the other ETLs not to believe us. I believe that the HR is friends with this woman, the GE doesn’t have a spine to stick up for what is right, and the STL isn’t use to this confrontation and doesn’t know the cashiers well enough to know who to trust. This was the initial reason that I felt that if I did go to the ETLs that they wouldn’t do anything. Because I know how they act, and how they protect each other. And after this alleged rumor, I fear the consequences.
After this I chose not to help her, the way I would help other GSA/GSTLs. I refused to cover her break and guest services. I said that I didn’t have any paper work to qualify me so I didn’t have to. (When I got trained there was no paper work). She then proceeded in trying to reprimand me in front of the guests and the coworkers. It went so far that I had to excuse myself from the guest. She said that if I didn’t listen than I would get written up or exterminated. I told her she could try, but that she couldn’t.
My following work day I was asked to go into my GE (Front end LOD) office with the GSTL. There I tried to explain my reasoning, and they bullied me. The GSTL called me a liar and things got heated and then they called the HR. when they did call her I asked for AP because I refused to sit in a crowded room with 3 TLs, yelling at me without any cameras. First she refused, and then later he came. The GSTL was excused. Words were exchanged, apparently I was being “hostile” though I didn’t move from seat or make any threatening gestures, but from my “facial expressions” I was. I admit I was angry, but not hostile, she also had an attitude but like I said before the word of a TL is worth a thousand of a cashier. Anyways she said that since I was a GSA previously that I did have paper work, and just because I stepped down from being a GSA that it didn’t excuse me from covering guest service. I told her that it was damaging my mental health and she insisted that I need a doctor’s note to verify this. At the end of this hour conversation I ended up in tears, voicing my distraught on how things were handled and after my service to target for so many years; how could they not believe me. from all the employees that have passed through the store i and the cashiers have never had a problem with anyone. i don’t understand how they think that it’s logical that a group of cashiers would be vindictive towards a stranger without any reasons, simply because she’s new? it’s stupid, their stupid. Now I don’t do anything that is outside of my work area. I tried calling HR hotline to see that if what she said was true about getting a doctor’s note (though the previous HR hadn’t asked for anything) they referred me to the integrity hotline which every time I call, it disconnects and the ring tone comes on. I’m not sure if this is purposely done. I’m asking for help or any other solutions that are possible, or resources. Thank you for reading.
(1)Dislikes
(0)Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Ha! You said stool. 🙂
PS. Target Integrity is an oxymoron.
Tough it out till you find a new job then stop showing up to work for like a week then go in for your pay check and be like yeah I got a new job but because you decided to shit all over me and mistreat me I was like all Fuck you, and flip em the dbl bird.
1800-541-6838. Are you dialing the right number??
A stl, leader a duty, a senior team lead or a team leader are the only ones allowed to relieve a gsa/gstl for lunches and breaks. Cashiers are not allowed to relieve the gsa's or gstl's for breaks and lunches. Hr serves no purpose in lots of these stores
You got this right. All the time "trainers" cover breaks for our GSTL's.
Thanks for responding, I know that only TLs are supposed to relieve the gstl/gsa, at my store they only do things the “brand way” if it benefits the management not the employees. When I was a gsa, and I would ask for a break from a TL they would say that they didn’t have time to relieve my break (it’s a busy store) and I would either find someone else to cover it or I wouldn’t get one. They only really cared about lunches because they didn’t want fines, I got ahold of the integrity hotline and I told them what happened. They said they would investigate. I tried calling the head of HR, or the support center and they said that they didn’t have any policy information at all. And they couldn’t comment on whether it was necessary to have a note from a doctor saying that guest service was causing me stress. I tried to look for a free counseling center, (there aren’t any) and I don’t have insurance (I refuse to pay $100 for a possible note). Now I’m looking at what is the best way to leave the company and get unemployment. Any suggestions? Today was my first NC/NS.
Simple. Stick to the rules BIG TIME. If they give you shit about ANYTHING, quote the rules, and shove it in their faces. If it's time for your break, just announce that you're going on your break as you don't want to go against the brand way, etc... Then they'll make up some shit and fire you for being annoying...or just take a shit on a register. That could work too. 😉
Target really is full of corporate whores, as you put it. They bully and group together and get what they want. If they don't want to deal with your crap, they will try their damnedest to corner you and either get you to quit or find a way to "let you go." Their egos and comfort within the store outweigh you by TONS because that's all they care about. You don't make salary or big decisions for the store, therefore- to them, you are dispensable and replaceable, no matter how long you work there. In fact, because you've worked there longer, you are only making more money than they would like to fish out. The job still gets done- whether it's with a higher paid, experienced worker like yourself, or if it's a lower paid, inexperienced, careless worker like so many others.
Was anything ever resolved with this?