Please talk me out of handling my notice in

[QuestionableMouse]

Really really sick of my job right now.

My boss is awful and petty and keeps pulling me up on stupid things (example - my lace broke yesterday at work. I had a blue pair in some shoes in the car so switched them to finish my shift. He knew why but had a go at me because the laces weren't black. He's also just emailed me to 'remind me not to wear trainers at work.' I'm wearing Sketchers safety shoes.

I have enough saving to be comfortable for four months and will be starting a MA (with the associated finance) in September. While the income is nice, I'm not reliant on it at the moment. Leaving would mean losing some perks such as private health insurance but I've been eligible to use it for seven years and never have.

I dread going in. Absolutely dread it. I sat in the car before shift the other day and felt like throwing up.

The email today was the last straw and I honestly feel like handing my notice in. I'm so so sick of the place and the horrible petty people who work there. But I'm also equally aware of the current situation and it's a secure job that I've had for just over ten years.

@QuestionableMouse

No union or professional association.

I've been basically working to rule but I hate that too. I miss having a job I enjoy and actually want to do well.

Manager now wants to 'inspect' (his phrasing, not mine) my shoes on my next shift. I'm starting to feel a bit like I've gone back to primary school.

Do you need a reference?

If not, I'd be very tempted to walk out.

Can you be indifferent to your manager? What they think of you doesn’t matter and they just sound mean and petty so absolutely no point getting worked up about it or trying to improve the relationship.

Can you ‘grey rock’ your interactions - so nod and say “no problem“.

That's what I do now but it wears me out because he's so volatile.

A reference would come from HR, not my boss, and they can't give a bad one.

Someone as bonkers as your boss is very likely to have pissed others off too. There’s always a chance that if you wait it out, he might be given the boot. I’ve seen it happen before. Plus if you keep this position and the work situation goes bad, you’ll be liable for compensation if they fire you. If you leave, you’ll get nothing of course.

But only know you how every day feels!

OP, if he is volatile you are not the problem. You said that this is a large company? If this is the case then you should be able to progress this above him. Is there any reason they would not take a complaint seriously?

I've already made a complaint about him and his behaviour. He full on screamed at me in front of staff and customers because he'd given me the wrong bag for an order and apparently me asking him about it was talking back. He said that if blown it out of all proportion, that it was corrective coaching and unfortunately none of my work mates were willing to back me up (not that I blame them) so he managed to twist it all back on me.

And unless he does something really bad, we're stuck with him for at least another year.

If it is a large chain could you put in for a transfer?

resign. but make a formal complaint about twatface manager, or state factually and clearly that twatface's actions and lack of manegerial capacity are the reasons that you are leaving after ten years.

Is there a chance they'll make you redundant due to the Covid downturn? In which case you could hang on for that payment.
I would hang onto the job until you get another one. Say in your head 'oh piss off, I'm leaving soon anyway'.

Too late now, but the full on screaming should have been a call to the Police for threatening behaviour. They would not have taken him away, but it might have made him realise that his behaviour is unacceptable.

Is the company very media conscious, and would not like to be known as one who tolerates such behaviour?

elstree assuming it's the fast food chain we are all thinking of, then it's unlikely they would be bothered. They've tolerated poor behaviour for years.

Most of the local stores are franchise so I'd have to apply for a new job. Worth looking into though.

It's a fast food restaurant so any chance of redundancy is probably tiny unless there's another lockdown or something.

If I named and shamed and they found out I'd probably be sacked for gross misconduct per their media policy.

If its the fast food chain the police could be spoken to when they come in to purchase something.

Put your notice in, best thing i ever did and I actually found a job in less than 24 hours after putting my notice in with immediate effect

I worked in a fast food chain for over 10 years in my younger years, so can relate with this type of behaviour. Interestingly, the management teams were often full of people who got too big for their boots, and thought their management status made them superior human beings. Very odd, and not something I’ve come across in other industries since (or maybe it was just the chain I worked in!).
You need to make a formal complaint at this stage to your boss’s boss. If this boss is your Restaurant Manager then you need to speak to HR or your Area Manager. In saying this, if you are in a franchise of only 1 or 2 stores then this may be more difficult as I assume you would need to speak to the franchisee. The problem in this industry is that management is much harder to replace than team members, so depending on your role and the company’s complaints procedure, this may prove difficult. What is the job title of your boss? Could you request to work opposite shifts?

The screaming thing happened in Jan so no point in speaking to the police. Same as making another complaint - the outcome wouldn't be any different.

He's the business manager so there's no one above him in store. It's a company store, not franchise though.