Being unfairly treated by management?

barr182

I have just been sent home two hours early by my Line manager. His reason being my attitude. This afternoon I was 10-15 minutes late back from my hour lunch break. I went home for the first time in months on my break, insted of staying on site. I dont know how i managed to underestimate the time etc... When I got back my line manager called me into his office, which made abit of a scene infront of everyone.

In the office he had a go at me for being late. I held my hands up, said i messed up and said sorry. I dont take pleasure in turning up late and i really did rush to get back when i saw the time. He carried on telling me off. He asked why i didnt go and sit in the staff room. I explained over the weekend i had left my wallet and didnt have money with me to buy lunch. I also explained how our staff room is an awful place to be. There were 3 people in there already. Our staff room is very dark and small. People get changed in there and it stinks and is very dirty. There were no spaces in which to sit and eat as the seats were already taken by others. I made a point that you cannot be expected to relax and eat in there for an hour. I said there should be a cleaning rota for the staff room. I myself have cleaned it on numerous occasions but two days later its filthy again. I said i would be more than happy if a cleaning rota was enforced. Or even the actual cleaners. We have cleaners who clean our resteraunt, but not our staff room....

Sorry I went off track slightly there! He told me I would not accept i was in the wrong, and that i should go back t work and he would pick it up with me later.

We work in a busy resteraunt. All evening anything he told me to do i.e clean tables etc i did without hesitation. I didnt feel i was giving any attitude to him. I definatly felt i was being singled out here. At one point there was about 8 of us in the kitchen 4 other people were eating and offered me some food. In one hand i had abit of food and in the other i was clearing a tray of dirty plates. He stormed in and told me to stop eating and get back to my tables. He said i had unlaid tables, which was not true all my tables were laid up. I looked around the kitchen and everyone was laughing because I was the only one he had told off about eating.

He literally treats his staff on shift like children. Sometimes you will go 7 hours straight without a break and if you sneak somthing into your mouth, he will come down on you like a ton of bricks.

I said to him i feel like im being singled out here, he called me into the office again. Twice in one shift. Told me i have to cut out my attitude or im going home. I explained i have no attiude, I had done everything he asked all evening. He told me i gave him !!!!!! replies all night, which i said was not true. I said to him he has a way of aggravating situations. Just a quiet word will do fine.Just speaking to us with some respect would be nice, If you try to defend yourself it only makes him worse. The whole time hes talking over me, not letting me get words out. Then told me to go home. I told him i wanted to finish my shift, he said he didnt want me there. He said he would be speaking to our General manager about this tomorrow.

After this I phoned our sites general manager. I explained the situation. and that I didnt want the first he hears of this, my line managers greatly exaggerated explanation. He was angry I called him on a sunday (If i cant call him, who am i supposed to tell?) and said he wold look into it tomorrow. I was just trying to cover my back.

I feel like ive been unfairly treated by my line manager. Over the last few years ive been sent home on shift about 3 times by him. Ive never had any issues with any other of my line managers.

If youve taken the time to read this then thank you.

KiKi

Are you absolutely, really, definitely certain that you weren't !!!!ed off with him calling you in, and that was coming across in your tone and attitude?? I can't think of many people who wouldn't let it affect them.

You were late back after your break - he has every right to haul you up about that. You then appear defensive by excusing what you did by complaining about the staff room (I'm saying this is how he would have seen it). You're then caught eating at the same time as clearing up, and he asks you back to the staff room. You then tell him he's doing a bad job, that he's aggravating situations - plural - and then tell him what he should be doing.

He tells you he'll take it up with the GM - but instead you call the GM on his day off to complain that your manager is mean.

It's impossible to tell what *really* happened, as tone and language and attitude say a lot, and most people don't judge their own attitude accurately, or are very convinced that they weren't rude when actually their tone said otherwise.

But sounds like six of one, half a dozen of the other. And even if he is a crap manager, telling him how to do his job, and that he's aggravating - after going off site and being late back during restaurant hours - is inappropriate, and you're just as bad as each other!

KiKi

sniggings

Good for you for sticking up for yourself.

The general manager might try and calm the situation down or might take the line manages side, they tend to in these situations.

Not knowing the size of the company, the general manager may be the highest you can go, if so all you can do is carry on sticking up for your rights and don't take his crap.

If things don't change all you can really do is look for a new job.

Better to be somewhere you enjoy, then putting up with people like that.

barr182

It takes alot for somthing to bother me. But this manager in particular winds EVERYONE on shift up. Even the other staff on shift said they felt like he was treating me unfairly...Also i didnt so much defend what I did by saying our staff room is a state, But I did bring up that you cannot be expected to stand up in a dirty smelly room with cobwebs and dead flys and eat. With regards to the being late thing. I was in the wrong and admitted that and said sorry. But I believe he had it in for me for the rest of the shift.

But i agree. Its imposable to tell what really happened, im sure his version will differ from mine. But I was working equally as hard as everyone else on !!!! today.

One point i missed out was that another member of staff was 20 minutes late. Just so happened to be 20 minutes late the same say i was late from my break. I pointed out that nothing was said to him. My manager said that it wasnt on his shift (He had not come onto shift when the other guy was late) so it was not down to him to say anything. I asked for some consistancy with the managers . I said that prehaps i was unlucky being late when i was, because if i was late on another managers shift i would have been fine.

Im not innocent, I can be cheeky somtimes and say things that I shouldnt. But i see it as banter, i still work hard and get my job done. I Think this particular line manager over-reacts. I need to learn not to speak my mind around him.

I wish it didnt come to this. I dont want drama at work. I want to turn up, work my shift, and go home. Im not even sure how it escalated that far. But i called my GM because im not in for a few days and i know what this line manager is like, will !!!!!!!! to make out I was 100% out of order...And also calling the GM on his day off...Everyday seems like his day off! he lives upstairs for crying out loud and ive seen him on site maybe twice in the last month.

sniggings

barr182 wrote: »

Everyday seems like his day off! he lives upstairs for crying out loud and ive seen him on site maybe twice in the last month.

:rotfl::T I think you will be Ok.

barr182

sniggings wrote: »

:rotfl::T I think you will be Ok.

Haha Thing is the GM is actually a nice guy and I get on well with him. ..But our last GM would work 7 day weeks all day. He was always around working his !!!! off. This one I see once every 3 weeks if im lucky. I only fear the line manager exaggerating the story which is why I got in there quick.

Unfortunatly Im already on a verbal warning. Our site has mystery geusts from time to time. I served one on a really busy shift and didnt complete all my "service steps". I was given a hearing and explained my side, That it was really busy, id asked for help with my tables but wasnt given any etc. And they still felt the need to give me a warning.

getmore4less

barr182 wrote: »

I have just been sent home two hours early by my Line manager. His reason being my attitude. This afternoon I was 10-15 minutes late back from my hour lunch break. I went home for the first time in months on my break, insted of staying on site. I dont know how i managed to underestimate the time etc... When I got back my line manager called me into his office, which made abit of a scene infront of everyone.

In the office he had a go at me for being late. I held my hands up, said i messed up and said sorry. I dont take pleasure in turning up late and i really did rush to get back when i saw the time. He carried on telling me off. He asked why i didnt go and sit in the staff room.

As has been said don't get distracted from the key issue in any confrontation

You were late back,

I will work late to make up, or is there something else I need to do?

Any other approach leads you into a dodgy managers hands.

Better to say when I need to be away from the workplace during my breaks I will be back on time,
than
the workplace rest area is rubbish.
("one off mate, xxx needed doing traffic dogs danglies")

it's when they start to stop the breaks away from workplce you need to take action.

barr182

getmore4less wrote: »

As has been said don't get distracted from the key issue in any confrontation

You were late back,

I will work late to make up, or is there something else I need to do?

Any other approach leads you into a dodgy managers hands.

Better to say when I need to be away from the workplace during my breaks I will be back on time,
than
the workplace rest area is rubbish.
("one off mate, xxx needed doing traffic dogs danglies")

it's when they start to stop the breaks away from workplce you need to take action.

Yeah ok. I did say that i messed up and it wouldnt happen again. Would have stayed on to make up for it but was sent home!

He asked me why I went home, when i normally stay on site. Reason was ive actually left my wallet at a relatives about 2 hours away over the weekend. Our place charges for any meal you have on your break. Also my staff discount card which would get me money off my meal was in my wallet. So I didnt have any money with me to pay for a meal.

The staff room being disgusting was more a side issue that I probably shouldnt have even brought up at that time.

baldelectrician

My tuppence

IF this goes further I may suggest;

You complain to your GM about unfair and unequal treatment for

1. You being singled out for lateness when somoene else was not
2. You being singled out for eating when others were doing the same
3. The staff room is not maintained in accordance with the law (see employer guidance from HSE -below)
4. You also have the grounds for victimisation as you were singled out infront of your peers by this manager on more than one occasion.

What arrangements should I make for meal breaks?

• There should be a suitable seating area for workers to use during breaks
• it needs to be clean and located where food will not get contaminated.
• There should be washing facilities nearby, and a means of heating food or water for hot drinks. You must maintain good hygiene standard

You should also note that you require to be paid for the whole shift (less the time you were late) as you did not agree to your shift being shortened- the law states that you should be given a definitave start time and a defined end time- the restaurant trade commonly use 5 - close as a shift, which is illegal
If they think you are a risk they should suspend you on full pay pending a disciplinary investigation.

I went to a well known chicken chain 4 months ago and they fluffed up the order (not unusual) but I went back and asked them to remake it, which they did. The manager was professional and polite dealing with me and then went through the back and shouted at the girl who made a mistake - loud enough for the most of the restaurant to hear. He then compunded the issue by forcing the girl to deal with the mistake on her own, she was nearly in tears.
I felt awful and told her I wasn't bothered as mistakes happen - it's how they are dealt with that matters.
I also told her that if she wanted to raise a greivance against her manager I would provide a statement (they had my contact details already taken by the manager at this point).

Sambucus_Nigra

How long have you worked there?

Acc72

First comment - please disregard the post from baldelectrician.

As per Sambucus Nigra - how long have you worked at your current employer?

In a nutshell, you were 15 minutes late from a break - this is not acceptable.

You said that you went home and underestimated the time it would take - honestly ?

Ideally you should have spoken with your manager before going on your break, and explained the situation.

Failing that, you should have just held your hands up, apologised and offered to make the time up - problem over.

You could have then addressed the other issues about facilities at another time (ideally all together as a group).

Instead, you effectively challenged your managers authority in front of your colleagues. Although I am not saying that your manager was correct, you clearly should not have done this (particularly as you were in the wrong about the lateness).