or is my boss? Pretty sure it's her actually

[cupcakesandbunting]

I am SO angry that I am on the verge of tears. Sorry if this gets a bit long/ranty

I work 8 hours per week in a shop. The shop trades from 9-9pm during the week. My days tend to alternate between wednesday and friday and despite my persistent asking, I am usually only told of my shift patterns with a couple of weeks notice (but that is another thread...) My manager keeps a diary that we can all write dates that we can't work for whatever reasons, exams/holiday/whatever. The general culture there is if you give enough advance notice it is not a problem to change your working days. I checked with my manager in april if I could pop a date down for October that I would be away (next friday). She said that was fine and I popped the date down.

Fast forward to now and I went back to work last wednesday after a two weeks annual leave and she has put me down to work next friday, when I told her I would be away. She huffed and puffed and I pointed out that it had been in her diary since april and she went "the diary has gone missing" So she'slost her diary and obviously not remembered. I have paid £130 for train and accommodation to go to Manchester so I told her as much and that I couldn't do it. She said she'd put me in for wednesday instead (which is what she should have done anyway) and she'd get someone else to do friday. Turns out no-one else can do it so she's just sent me a really shitty Facebook message saying that now she'd got to do it and it had messed up her plans, I should have booked it off as holiday (even though I don't do every friday) and that she'd speak to me next week. What the fuck?!

I replied saying that I don't think it is fair that I should book holiday for a day I don't always work and even more so because it had been OK'd over six months ago! I said that if she had wanted me to book it as leave I would have done but when I brought it up initially it was said that it was enough notice for someone else to work instead of me.

I think that giving notice in april for a date in october is far enough in advance for her to sort her shit out. If she loses her diary, that isn't anyone else's fault. She is a scatty person and she has done this sort of thing before (cocked shifts up and got angry when the onus has fallen on her to sort it) but the onus isn't on me to sort this, is it?

I am so angry with her. She is trying to intimidate me into working it.I know what's coming next; threat of conversation with the area manager. After the shite week I've had (and she knows about it) I am insulted that she has invaded my personal time via fucking Facebook to try and intimidate me. -fume-

Sorry for rant, but I needed it!

Nah you want to give 2 weeks notice three weeks before Christmas, that would be far worse for her!!!

I agree, de-friend her after printing message out

How do I do a screenshot? Is anyone technical? My printer is farked so can't print it out but definitely want some hard evidence of this...

Urgh yanbu! Stupid unprofessional cow!

You can screencap the FB pages to keep as evidence.

I feel better now that I know the general consensus is that IANBU. I was sure I wasn't but just needed to hear it from others!

YANBU. But don't worry about it. She is human and has got the hump because she messed up and can't find any cover for it. She will calm down and it won't be a big deal. She has probably kicked the cat and is now taking it out on you. She'll be OK once she has calmed down.

Is there anyway you can get the area manager involved now? Like Lollie said? Why wait until you're next in for her to try and shift blame. Get your story straight now and told to the Area Manager before she does iyswim? You haven't done anything wrong and you're being given such great ideas here. You could write a very well worded e-mail.

Screenshot - press Alt and Print Screen together and then go into Word and paste.

Press print screen (prt sc) and it copies the entire screen to clipboard. Then just paste it into Paint and save.

I had a similar situation when I worked in a shop as a student. I gave three months notice for wanting to take time off, then was put on the rota to do the shifts I could not (I was travelling abroad), as someone forgot about my time off. I had to have a talk with the bullying manager, who accused me of being rude, when I really could not have been more polite. Completely unreasonable and I feel angry that you are being bullied in a similar way.

Best of luck with finding a new job!

Sadly, in retail, when the hours are long, the staff who only do a couple of short shifts usually come off worse when it comes to the pick of the hours, holidays etc. As though the managers resent you working less than them. I've been there.

I think I'll wait and see what her next move is before involving area manager. She might, just might, have read my reply to her shitty message and seen thast she is BU. Just maybe. But if when I go in on monday and she kicks off, I'll be on the blower.

Who knows, it might even induce a bit of work-related stress. If she wants to do dirty tactics, I am well good at them

I would be tempted to take the initiative and speak to the area manager about her first rather than wait for her to do this. Using facebook for work communication is totally unprofessional and she is clearly a bully - but helpfully documenting this. She is failing in her job as a manager.

I wouldn't escalate it, as managers usually always back up their managers and staff end up losing out and get branded as trouble makers. Hopefully she is just blowing off a bit of steam, and the storm will blow over by the time you see her on Monday.

But do you think it would count against me that I replied via Facebook?

Oh God she is on now again. I'm fretting, waiting for my nibox to ding with a new message :(

On a slightly separate note I find it very stressful working shifts (I am a nurse) and if you can't/don't get the hours you need it can be tricky. Thankfully I have a fantastic manager, very hands on with his own kids and accommodates requests wherever possible.

I recently had a last minute very special invitation for October and rota was already done. I just went and said very politely that I really needed that day off and he was very kind and helpful indeed.

YANBU and I'm with all the others who have said to call her bluff re the area manager. Send her an email to this effect now (not facebook, to her work email). Politely state that you are sorry for her that she is inconvenienced by her mistake in putting you on shift when you have given her months and months of notice that you are not available but that this is afterall a managers responsibility when they make a mistake.

YANBU. She is.

I would get the area manager involved about her lack of organisation, unprofessional conduct and bullying/threatening ways.

Fucks me right off when power pissed idiots like this think they can treat other staff like shit.

power pissed idiots

Actual LOL.

Dont forget she is being paid for the responsibility of managing and it doesnt sound as if she is doing that properly.

She does not manage properly.

If I'd been vindictive enough, I could have filled a diary with the unprofessional shit she gets up to.

Totally agree StayFrosty I have recently had loads of pathetic phone calls from people who are officially "senior" to me wanting me to advise them/the buck to stop with me etc etc.

I so feel like saying "look, you are the manager/senior here. You have more status, you get paid more, you did actually apply to be a manager. Stop hassling me because you like the money but not the responsibility that goes with it"

That's what I felt like telling her, StayFrosty. YOU ballsed it up, YOU manage it. You get paid about £6 an hour more than I do to sort shit out.