blueeyesrose
08-15-2005, 08:59 PM
I have worked for a retail company in Florida for the past three years. I love my job. I love nearly all of my fifteen co-workers. We are like a big family in the shop. The shop is owned by a local family and managed by their son, Gary. During the last three years, I have come to respect and admire this family. Three months ago, Gary's wife, Barbara, began working in the shop part-time to help with paperwork. Officially, her job title is the same as mine, except she has not been there as long.
On a side note, our shop has never hired family or close friends as it detracts from our goals of excellent customer service.
At first, Barbara was really nice to everyone. She did her job in the back room and work life was the same. After a couple of weeks, she began doing less in the back room and working more on the sales floor. This was difficult at first because she doesn't have the best customer service skills. However, our assistant manager discussed this with Barbara and things seemed to be okay. After she had been there about a month, Barbara began to be rude to people she didn't like, customers or employees. Everyone joked that maybe she was having a bad week. (Most ladies do at some point or another.) However, she did not change from that moment on. The one employee that she had targeted and was treating badly just up and quit one day. After that, Barbara was okay for about another week.
Then she targeted me. I have been treated increasingly unfairly. I have been bullied and harassed to the point that I would quit, however, I cannot afford to do that. I went to Gary to let him know of my concerns and he told me I was over-reacting. Since then, it has gotten much worse. My weekly hours that I work were but by 10 hours per week. I am still being bullied. I have had malicious rumors spread about me. I have been ridiculed and demeaned in front of customers and fellow employees, so much so that friends of family in the store shopping called my mother and commented on it. Other employees have noticed it as well. My assistant manager told me that she admired the fact that I was still there, she would have quit already.
I feel like I am being singled out and treated unfairly. I realize now that I can no longer talk to my manager about it. Barbara is his wife, of course he is going to side with her. I cannot talk to the store owners, Barbara is their daughter-in-law. They will also side with her.
How can I handle this situation? I can't afford to quit, but I can't put up with this forever.
On a side note, our shop has never hired family or close friends as it detracts from our goals of excellent customer service.
At first, Barbara was really nice to everyone. She did her job in the back room and work life was the same. After a couple of weeks, she began doing less in the back room and working more on the sales floor. This was difficult at first because she doesn't have the best customer service skills. However, our assistant manager discussed this with Barbara and things seemed to be okay. After she had been there about a month, Barbara began to be rude to people she didn't like, customers or employees. Everyone joked that maybe she was having a bad week. (Most ladies do at some point or another.) However, she did not change from that moment on. The one employee that she had targeted and was treating badly just up and quit one day. After that, Barbara was okay for about another week.
Then she targeted me. I have been treated increasingly unfairly. I have been bullied and harassed to the point that I would quit, however, I cannot afford to do that. I went to Gary to let him know of my concerns and he told me I was over-reacting. Since then, it has gotten much worse. My weekly hours that I work were but by 10 hours per week. I am still being bullied. I have had malicious rumors spread about me. I have been ridiculed and demeaned in front of customers and fellow employees, so much so that friends of family in the store shopping called my mother and commented on it. Other employees have noticed it as well. My assistant manager told me that she admired the fact that I was still there, she would have quit already.
I feel like I am being singled out and treated unfairly. I realize now that I can no longer talk to my manager about it. Barbara is his wife, of course he is going to side with her. I cannot talk to the store owners, Barbara is their daughter-in-law. They will also side with her.
How can I handle this situation? I can't afford to quit, but I can't put up with this forever.
