AIBU to walk out of work?

[LindaHoney]

Help me out. Maybe ESH.
I work in a fairly large salon. Large team and we are understaffed as salon supervisors or coordinators. Recently a young team member was given a huge promotion (above me) due to a relative she had in the company in a higher position. While the new manager is nice, she is 21 and has no maturity or experience at all. She is late to work, leaves early and makes constant mistakes that needs more experienced staff to fix. She is immature in so far as she will roll cigs in common areas, leaving tobacco everywhere, leave rolled cigs on our work desk in view of clients, sip water from gin glass whilst in the client areas, takes many smoke breaks, no respect for days off, constantly texts me asking me about work things on my days off, on sick days and after hours.

it used to be that one week we would be on earlies and the next week we’d do a late, but she always has me doing lates which means I have to close and sometimes I don’t get finished until after 9pm 3 days a week. If there is any issue at close, it’s always my problem. Staff don’t clean up, my problem. Staff don’t wash equipment, my problem, on a few occasion’s equipment broke and other staff members left with keys and I was left unable to leave at home time, as I couldn’t leave shop unlocked or couldn’t leave the clients unfinished. Everyone else gets to leave on time but I feel like no matter what goes wrong nobody asks me to stay, it’s just expected and it’s having huge effect on my diet (I can’t eat after 9pm but I get one break during the day if I start work at 10am) and sometimes after a late finish I’m expected to be back in work next morning to open at 6:30am. I can’t plan anything like the gym or plans with my partner it just feels my life revolves around work.

three months ago I got offered a new job, I told my manager who told me she’d try get the boss to match it, I turned other job down, I waited 6 weeks for an answer and they came back and told me I was earning more than the norm in the Industry (this isn’t true, I’m earning the standard wage) but in this industry the hours aren’t standard - 6:30 starts, 9pm finishes… salons are 10-6. Closed Sunday. We don’t get Sunday pay.

sometimes my manager doesn’t come to work on time and I miss my break, I rarely get to leave on time, the late finishes are never shared. The only request I had was my two days off together and even that is not being honored the last few weeks it’s constant excuses why she needs me to swap days with her, funeral, boyfriend travelling and all.

this evening I had enough, other staff member was not helping and she was the root cause of me having to do an additional two hour over time last week (11pm finish) and when I asked her to clean shelves she rang manager and threatened to go home. My manager rang me and I told her if that’s how the business works now; I’m going home too. And I walked out. Now I’m scheduled for a disciplinary meeting on Friday with the director of the company.

advice?

They do sound crap but having “material on them” probably wont help,especially as they don’t seem to care anyway.
If you are being disciplined for something that you did do then the not thing you can do is give mitigation for that action. The fact that they are generally shit employers wont help you. If you are being disciplined for leaving without (as they see it) finishing your tasks then the fact that it was well beyond your finish time IS relevant but a colleague drinking water from a glass you don’t approve of isn’t.
A new employer may want a reference from a current employer not your old manager

Write it all down so it makes it more factual and less emotional for you in the meeting. Don’t stand for any bs and tell them you turned down another job on the promise of better things and not one change has happened. Good luck.

So did you leave after your paid time was up? And they don't pay overtime? Does your contract state you have to stay until the job is done? If not, they haven't got a leg to stand on.
Definitely call in sick and phone ACAS today. Take someone with you to the disciplinary too, and check their policies to make sure they are following them - it should be an investigatory meeting not disciplinary.
Also make a list of all the things they have done - not the petty stuff, but the contacting you outside hours, making you stay late but no one else (that's discrimination or bullying), no breaks because the manager is late (that's illegal on a long day). If the person you are meeting is not on the shop floor and doesnt know all this stuff they won't have the full picture, I would also send your list in advance and say that you would like to discuss these issues in your meeting too, and yes they are relevant because this is why you have had enough.
Also look at putting in a formal grievance.

Fuck that shit. My advice would be to go. Hold your head up high and resign.

Write down everything about breaks missed. Workload not shared. Smoking by managers etc take someone with you and phone in sick today.

phone the old job offer and ask if it is still available

I woukd go in today. You don't want to look like you are scared of the meeting. Be factual, take evidence!

I would also give ACAS a ring as things such as the time between shifts ending and starting isn't legal.

OP says she needs the money unfortunately

I'd go in today and demonstrate your professionalism. Keep your head down and just get in with your job - don't chat with colleagues, particularly around these incidents.

You'll need to have an answer as to why you left the other evening. Was it the end of your shift and the other worker was rota'd to close? Were you stressed and this was the straw that broke the camels back (and which you regret)? Were you feeling bullied and unfairly treated? Be remorseful for the impact it created, but have a clear, unemotional list of everything that's making you feel bullied, unsupported, unfairly treated.

And get job hunting!

If you need the money, then you need to do what it takes to keep this job for now, which means going in to work today. That doesn't mean being a doormat - you should still prepare for the meeting by having that chronology that people have mentioned, and ideally have someone with you to support you. And of course you should start looking for alternative jobs immediately.

Take a friend or union rep if you can.
No wonder you lost it.
Look for another job with hopefully a supportive environment.

Bullet point your complaints in a precise and factual way so that it doesn't sound like a rant.

Only include things you can evidence. Try to remember dates, times details.

Keep names out of it.

They will ask why you didn't raise a complaint formally before walking out so have an answer for that.

Call ACAS for advice.

Will they struggle to replace you? They weren't willing to increase your pay so don't sound too invested in keeping you.

If you need the job, you need to do whatever it takes to keep it, hopefully with some assurances about your own greviances. Then look for another job.

Grab all client phone numbers you can. Give them yours

two friends of mine worked for years in a salon owned by sensible people. Everyone was happy. When the salon was sold to a chain, the ‘old’ staff were systematically targeted one by one, in subtle, sneaky little ways so that their working lives became untenable. One by one, they left, to be replaced by younger, sleeker girls who perhaps fitted in better with the aesthetic of the chain . Oddly, there was a young relative of the new owners involved there as well

we’re a small town and there is a great deal of loyalty between customer and client. The salon is a desert now. My friends both started working as mobile hairdressers at first, largely with their old clients, and now both do a few days a week in other local salons while keeping the best of their mobile clients. Occasionally, we have lunch or coffee in the place opposite the old salon, so we can have a good snigger at its emptiness

Sorry if I've missed anything, I've skim read a bit.

1. What does your contract say about Sunday pay? If it is written out that you should be paid more, and they are not doing that, then I suggest you speak with ACAS about your employer breaching contract.
2. This should be in your contract or staff handbook, but you should be entitled to bring a second person to your disciplinary. If you do not have time to find someone (it can be a colleague) then you are able to request that the meeting be moved.
3. Turn up to that meeting with as much ammo as you can find. Dates/times of incidents, statements from other members of staff, etc etc. Management will not be expecting you to go in on such a defensive, so you should be able to put them on the back foot.
4. If you do choose to leave (which you should) negotiate hard for compensation. Particularly if they are in breach of the employment contract (you can always offer not to seek legal action provided that they provide a good reference and x amount of months pay)

Good luck, stop letting the little princess walk all over you. Literally do what your job entails and no more. If they leave you to lock up with no keys, then I would message the manager (who should have keys anyway) and anybody higher up that you have closed up but were not left with keys and there was no manager/supervisor present to lock up.

You need the money and can't afford to just walk out so here is what you need to do until you have found another job.

Go to work today and be a model employee

Go to the disciplinary tomorrow. Take a colleague with you. You are legally entitled to do this.

Read this https://www.acas.org.uk/disciplinary-procedure-step-by-step Its the process they must follow by law.

Take notes of every step.

If you are given a written warning you can appeal it. But you might want to just carry on being a model employee till you can find another job.

If you are dismissed you can appeal that too but need to call ACAS straightaway for advice on whether you have a case for unfair dismissal.

WTF did you turn down the other job offer?!

Blimey @LindaHoney how on earth could you even think there’s the slightest chance that ESH here? Your employer is totally out of order, good for you for walking. Get job hunting now!

Why did you turn the new job down?? This place sounds like an absolute nightmare. Even if they matched the new salary (which they didn’t as they knew you’d passed it up), why would you want to stay there anyway?

This!

Be a model employee until you have a new job, and get one asap.

three months ago I got offered a new job, I told my manager who told me she’d try get the boss to match it, I turned other job down, I waited 6 weeks for an answer

This is on you tbh! You had your new job and you chose to decline it on the basis of someone "trying".

@LindaHoney speak to ACAS.

make orderly notes if all your complaints.

make it clear how manager and current work conditions break either your contractual terms/job role or breach company behaviour and expectations and any issues that may bring company negative PR (manager behaviour and mistakes in shop).

you’ve been there over two years so have more of a leg to stand on.

have you a union you can join pronto?

This. I really don’t get it either.

Your a scapegoat. Leave . It won't change. When you leave someone else will be the scapegoat. It's a toxic workplace.

I think we can all agree it was daft but that doesn’t help OP now does it?

Absolutely this ^