I'm Lost! How do I file a complaint?

Amaylyn

"THIS SUM BULLS-...eye."
Joined
Nov 11, 2018
Messages
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Before you ask, it's really not worth repeating unless it's to HR.

An SETL of ours who was an LOD today crossed the line of abuse I'll tolerate and I'm sick of it. How do I file a complaint?

He is the type of manager that doesn't coach in private, but rather berates and scolds loudly over the walkie and in front of guests. Today he went at a cashier for asking for change. I mean it was loud and obnoxious and clearly made guests uncomfortable while all cashiers were blinking for change. He was heavily angered by the fact he was ASKED.

(Note: They don't deem us advocates as responsible enough to hold keys. One cashier ran out of change earlier in the day and he was supposed to be watching the front, but it took 2 calls, 15 minutes and one angered guest having to wait for change for him to even come up.)

He's reprimanded us for calling him up for anything. And I mean anything: including helping guests avoid scams, calls for supervisor numbers, and guests returning high dollar items with non-matching serial numbers who get hostile. His catch phrase for the front end is "I don't care, I don't care, and I don't care." For any concerns including scheduling, keys (GSTL, jewelry, etc) getting dropped into guest bags accidentally... I could go on and on about the things he blatantly says he doesn't care. His favorite things to talk about are football and girls, otherwise he doesn't care. Has us breaking policies on our own because he refuses to enforce most of them.

He elevates the TMs he finds attractive (girls) or those who engage in his favorite conversational topics (guys). He chats: makes it clear to TMs and guests he hates being up front and will coach if anyone offends him (during the chats he initiates).

He's stated he thinks he deserves a promotion. Good lord.

I've had it. I can't work like this anymore but I don't want to just slink away into my new job. I want them to know he shouldn't be in this position if their/our Target still wants to be known for friendly TMs, because he's made the friendliest cashiers cry in the middle of their shifts: it's heartbreaking to watch him dim the lights of my coworkers one by one, even the one's I'm not chummy with. These people I've been working with for God knows how long all becoming Walmart drones.

Some of the things he's called the cashiers as a whole ("replaceable", "annoying", "dumb") should never, ever be tolerated. All this just from the past four months, that's when we lost our old GSTL to SFS and he got "promoted" to SETL.

TLDR: How do I (and can I?) file a complaint against a manager who should NOT be in his position?
 
Before you ask, it's really not worth repeating unless it's to HR.

An SETL of ours who was an LOD today crossed the line of abuse I'll tolerate and I'm sick of it. How do I file a complaint?

He is the type of manager that doesn't coach in private, but rather berates and scolds loudly over the walkie and in front of guests. Today he went at a cashier for asking for change. I mean it was loud and obnoxious and clearly made guests uncomfortable while all cashiers were blinking for change. He was heavily angered by the fact he was ASKED.

(Note: They don't deem us advocates as responsible enough to hold keys. One cashier ran out of change earlier in the day and he was supposed to be watching the front, but it took 2 calls, 15 minutes and one angered guest having to wait for change for him to even come up.)

He's reprimanded us for calling him up for anything. And I mean anything: including helping guests avoid scams, calls for supervisor numbers, and guests returning high dollar items with non-matching serial numbers who get hostile. His catch phrase for the front end is "I don't care, I don't care, and I don't care." For any concerns including scheduling, keys (GSTL, jewelry, etc) getting dropped into guest bags accidentally... I could go on and on about the things he blatantly says he doesn't care. His favorite things to talk about are football and girls, otherwise he doesn't care. Has us breaking policies on our own because he refuses to enforce most of them.

He elevates the TMs he finds attractive (girls) or those who engage in his favorite conversational topics (guys). He chats: makes it clear to TMs and guests he hates being up front and will coach if anyone offends him (during the chats he initiates).

He's stated he thinks he deserves a promotion. Good lord.

I've had it. I can't work like this anymore but I don't want to just slink away into my new job. I want them to know he shouldn't be in this position if their/our Target still wants to be known for friendly TMs, because he's made the friendliest cashiers cry in the middle of their shifts: it's heartbreaking to watch him dim the lights of my coworkers one by one, even the one's I'm not chummy with. These people I've been working with for God knows how long all becoming Walmart drones.

Some of the things he's called the cashiers as a whole ("replaceable", "annoying", "dumb") should never, ever be tolerated. All this just from the past four months, that's when we lost our old GSTL to SFS and he got "promoted" to SETL.

TLDR: How do I (and can I?) file a complaint against a manager who should NOT be in his position?
You'll have to sit down with HR leadership about it most likely. Your other option is to chat with the ETL of that area, though I wouldn't recommend that as it could be mistaken for going over his head about it without first trying to talk to the SETL in question.
When you do decide to sit down with HR leadership, be as polite as possible and do your very best to not accuse the SETL of anything directly. Instead approach it more along the lines of asking for clarification of a best way to work with the given circumstances, or some such that doesn't accuse the SETL of being bad at his job directly.

Odds are if it's as bad as you're noting it to be, his peers and leads will have noticed too and are working on it. Sometimes the process is just painfully slow.
 
Odds are if it's as bad as you're noting it to be, his peers and leads will have noticed too and are working on it. Sometimes the process is just painfully slow.

Oh, I know they've noticed. You can't say his name without some ETLs rolling their eyes. Would it help the process at all if I go to HR? Or do you advise me to peace out and hope it gets better for my TMs?
 
Hard to say for certain since you understandably don't want to get into detail. Given that ETLs seem to be aware, I would generally recommend laying low.

Thay said, though, if there was a specific incident that could be legally actionable with witnesses, I would absolutely get it documented. yelling at cashiers for requesting a supervisor over-ride or cash reload would not fall under that category, but harassment in basis of gender or race anxiety would be.
 
Thay said, though, if there was a specific incident that could be legally actionable with witnesses, I would absolutely get it documented. yelling at cashiers for requesting a supervisor over-ride or cash reload would not fall under that category, but harassment in basis of gender or race anxiety would be.
Oh... maybe that's why HR said an attorney wanted to meet with me: because I witnessed something. I've been trying to remember what it could possibly be - now I think I know.

So no complaint? Just let the cards fall where they may?
 
you could talk to HR, but if the ETLs are already aware of their behavior then they're almost certainly working to get him out. the issue is that the whole process takes a long time. it could be months before they're able to finally terminate him because this process is very thorough and time consuming by design. just keep your ETL informed of these behaviors.
 
you could talk to HR, but if the ETLs are already aware of their behavior then they're almost certainly working to get him out. the issue is that the whole process takes a long time. it could be months before they're able to finally terminate him because this process is very thorough and time consuming by design. just keep your ETL informed of these behaviors.
Got it!
 
Wait, so HR is asking is you to meet with an attorney because of something you witnessed? If that's the case, then HR is certainly aware of the situation. If there are lawyers involved likely everyone is moving veeeeery carefully right now. I would do as asked by HR, note that you are willing to provide any information you can, and if you can document, then, yes, do that. I know we don't exactly have easy documentation of stuff like this, but if you can note, for example, the date & time he's yelling a TMs in the presence of guests, that's the sort of thing they should be able to check on video for additional corroboration.

If any guests make comments to you about such things, you can note that there's a survey on their receipt that they're welcome to fill out. I'd encourage them to call the store, but if the LOD they get is that guy, then, well, that's not much point, now is it?
 
When you go to HR, mention a scenario that will stick with them. Say something like, "You know, virtually everybody now has a smartphone and I'm just worried that some guest will see how he is behaving, record it on her phone, and upload it to Facebook or YouTube. The other leaders and executives here are nothing like that and I would hate to see them and the whole store tainted by the behavior this one individual."

Also, encourage other FOS TMs to go to HR and tell what they see, hear, and how it makes them feel.

Like others have said here, it takes awhile for Spot to cross all the "T"s and dot all of the "i"s. Good luck, and keep us posted as to what happens.
 
If a manager calls you names in front of guest or not, you go to HR. NO ONE should speak to you like that. You do not lay low. You go to HR, give them the facts no frills.Get it on the record. If it continues and you do decide to leave, you can use this in an umemployment claim. I have seen it done successfully, the terminology they used was "bullying" Spot has an obligation to their employees to provide a harassment free workplace. Even if he is being watched because of what he has done to others, you report what he did to you. You stand up for yourself.
 
If a manager calls you names in front of guest or not, you go to HR. NO ONE should speak to you like that. You do not lay low. You go to HR, give them the facts no frills.Get it on the record. If it continues and you do decide to leave, you can use this in an umemployment claim. I have seen it done successfully, the terminology they used was "bullying" Spot has an obligation to their employees to provide a harassment free workplace. Even if he is being watched because of what he has done to others, you report what he did to you. You stand up for yourself.
Lol
 
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