Manager driving me mad

catkins

I started a job in December last year and almost from day one the manager has driven me mad.

She obviously has mental health problems which I can sympathise with as I suffer from depression and anxiety. I think she may well be bi polar. One day she will be absolutely hyper literally running around the shop floor, talking very loudly, laughing hysterically at just about anything, dancing, manically cleaning the floor, shelving or anything that doesn't move. The next day she will be in a foul mood having a go at everyone about the most minor thing. One day she said the till point was not tidy so she swept everything on it apart from the tills on to the floor with her hands. She also threw loads of things from the staff room away including mugs and containers which staff had brought in

She also says things and then seems to forget she said it, sometimes less than 10 minutes later. She will then insist she didn't say any such thing.

Recently she told me and a young colleague that we should be doing something in certain circumstances which we queried as neither of us felt it was good customer service.

Last week the young colleague did exactly what she had said to do and she went mad, shouting at him in front of customers. When he said that is what she had said to do she completely denied it (I wasn't in that day so couldn't back him up). In frustration he hit the till point and she shouted at him again. She then demanded he went to the office with her where she gave him a verbal warning.

I worked with him yesterday and he was still upset and annoyed. The manager has been on holiday since so I haven't had a chance to say anything.

Both myself and my colleague are still on probation. He is scared to go to head office and/or HR because he feels she will sack him. If he chooses to go to them I will back him although I am pretty sure I too will get sacked. I am lucky in that I can afford not to work but he can't. Also it's only his second job so it wouldn't look good for future employers.

I also wouldn't be that bothered because I can't honestly see myself staying for that much longer. I am trying to stick it out until June when I go on holiday.

I really enjoy the job but the manager is a nightmare. She really is not suitable to be a manager (first time she has been one). She is disorganised and totally unprofessional - dancing around and screeching in front of customers alone is, in my view, unprofessional.

The assistant manager is a friend of the manager - they socialise a lot out of work - so will always back the manager no matter what.

So my questions are: should I advise my young colleague to speak to someone about her and back him? Or should I leave either more or less straightaway or when it suits me more and tell head office and HR exactly what she is like?

I have no idea how she got the job but the assistant manager got promoted as she was the only applicant - they never bothered to advertise externally!

sangie595

You will have a grievance procedure. If you don't follow it then HE or the head office will either send it back through that, or ignore you completely.

I'm not clear what you want. She isn't likely to change unless her management see a problem and deal with it. Is that going to happen? Is that what you want to happen? Or do you just want advice about when you leave? If you've already chosen to leave, then unless you have a particular wish to support this colleague, and think it would make a difference, would it not be better to keep your head down and leave in your own time? And if you go to her now about what she said to him, what will happen to him and is that something he wants? Being angry or annoyed about something is not the same thing as being willing to take it any further.

trailingspouse

In the meantime, keep a diary of all the goings on. You never know when it might come in handy.