In my store, we have a few different choices when it comes to what we wear. Today, my coworker and I wore the exact same thing. My coworker has also dyed her hair to barely a shade darker blonde than me. 

I notice the team lead walk by a few times and every time he does, he does a double-take at us. On one of the passes, he stops.

Team Lead: “You guys are throwing me for a loop today. You’re both wearing the same thing and you’re both blonde.”

I felt bad for him the rest of the day, even worse knowing in a few weeks I was planning to dye my hair red which would then confuse him all over again.

We have an all store meeting on a Sunday morning where they have multiple stations set up to have all employees working their opening and closing pitches to customers. It is some major push with corporate to better understand customers through pitching them products or some such nonsense.

As I work in the service department, it doesn’t apply to my direct coworkers or me, but we have to show up anyway. One of the stations, though, is actually with the customer service workers who are going over ways to avoid fraud. One of the store managers who is directly over customer service is there, too.

All the employees are put into groups. My group is the third group to go to this station, so two others have already gone. 

Representative #1: “We need to make sure that, on checks, the name on the check matches their driver’s ID as well as address. Standard operating procedure is to write the customer’s ID number on the check.”

Manager: “If the customer has stolen a debit card but has the PIN, there really isn’t much we can do since we never look at the debit card if they put in the PIN. With a credit card or a transaction going through as credit, though, we can stop fraud completely because we have to put in the CID number on the back of the card so we can match the card with the customer’s ID.”

Representative #2: “Honestly, it doesn’t matter if the name isn’t right because the whole thing would be between the person who had the card stolen and that person’s bank. So, we could technically stay out of it.”

Me: “So… when it comes to cards we don’t need to stop fraud or have no way of doing it?”

Manager: “With debits, not really, but with credit cards, you match the ID. Weren’t you listening?”

Me: “I was, but [Representative #2] just said that really the whole thing is between the person who lost the card and the bank. So, we can catch the fraud but honestly, there isn’t a point to if we still get paid and the person who lost the card isn’t technically on the hook for the charges applied to the card. Basically talking about cards at all is kind of useless.”

Manager: “Well… I mean, we can stop fraud by looking at the ID.”

Representative #2: *To me* “But it doesn’t matter since it’s between the bank and the person.”

Me: “Yep, we can stop fraud by looking at the ID of the person with the credit card, but if we were to skip that entirely and just take the card, the person who had the card stolen could call their bank and not be on the hook for those charges.”

Representative #1, Representative #2, and Manager: “Yes.”

Me: “We’re the third group through here, right?”

I used to be involved in one of those pyramid schemes in college. The woman who enrolled me said I could work around my classes, so it sounded ideal. I quickly learned I was not cut out for such a company.

My enroller called me several times a week to ask for leads and encourage me to buy more products. I did like the products I tried, but I was not treating it like a serious business, a fact I repeated several times. I made enough on kickbacks and commissions that I broke even, and I was happy with that.

Shortly before finals, I am overwhelmed and exhausted. The only thing I can cut from my life is [Pyramid]. My enroller calls as usual, so chipper that I question what she puts in her coffee every morning.

Enroller: *Super excited* “Hey, girlfriend! How’s it going?”

Me: “I’m exhausted.”

Enroller: “School got you down?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m just non-stop. I can’t keep going like this.”

Enroller: “That’s the beauty of [Pyramid]! We work around you!”

Me: “Right. About that. I’ve been thinking—”

Enroller: “Do you have any new leads?”

Me: “Uh, no. Actually, I need to take a break. Finals are coming up and I really need to buckle down.”

Enroller: *Sad* “You’re quitting?”

Me: “No, not quitting. Just… a hiatus. Finals are over next week, so it’s not long—”

Enroller: *Suddenly angry* “You said you were in this with me.”

Me: “I said I’d work around school. I—”

Enroller: “So, you are quitting. Really, that’s how you are?”

I’m already annoyed that she’s interrupting me so much.

Me: “No, I—”

Enroller: *Happy again* “Listen, I know it’s hard juggling work and school and friends. Girl, please, I’ve been there, done that, bought the T-shirt!” *Laughs*

Me: “I—”

Enroller: “But I’ve been with [Pyramid] for ten years, so trust me. When I started, I was so poor, I’d go days without eating and my kids had to split [Fast Food Kid Meals]. We were living in a spare bedroom in my parent’s house. Thanks to [Pyramid], I have my own roof over my head and a pantry full of food for my children and I don’t have to worry about anything!”

Me: *Uncomfortable* “And that’s great, but I—” 

Enroller: “I never quit. Not once. Not when I was living with my parents, not when I was pregnant, not when my mother died. I worked through everything.”

Feeling backed into a corner, my fight or flight instinct is gearing up.

Me: “Look, I’m sorry. This is stressing me out. I’m taking a break. I’ll call you when finals are over.”

Enroller: *Angry* “So, you just come and go as you please?”

Me: “That was part of your pitch: that [Pyramid] works around my schedule.”

Enroller: “FINE!” *Hangs up*

Ten minutes later, the texts start coming in.

Enroller: “I’m glad you’re putting your education first if that’s what matters more to you. But you’re missing out on a great opportunity with [Pyramid].”

A few minutes pass.

Enroller: “I dropped out of college to work for [Pyramid] full time and you know everything I earned because of that decision!”

Ten minutes pass this time.

Enroller: “I’ll do the work for you! Just give me some contacts; I’ll tell them you’re studying so I’m picking up your slack!”

Half an hour passes and I think it’s over.

Enroller: “You said you were dedicated. This isn’t dedication. It’s desertion. I’m disappointed in you.”

I finally give in and send one text.

Me: “You’re crazy and I quit. Do not contact me again.”

I filed a cancellation through the [Pyramid] website and blocked her number. I’m sure there are people out there making lots of money from companies like that, but I was not one of them.

I work at a big chain bookstore. One morning, we come in to discover a large chunk of concrete has fallen through the ceiling in the business section. We cordon off the area, warning all customers — cue customers, “But I know what I need! Couldn’t you just run in there real quick?” — and at around midday a contractor comes in to take a look at it.

We’re told the area was stabilized and we shouldn’t have any other rocks falling, but word also gets around that he found up there an old form of insulation known to contain asbestos.

We’re all expecting an immediate store shut-down, but the general manager hems and haws and stalls, saying that he needs to be in touch with higher management to decide what to do. 

The next day, we’re back in as usual — now worried about getting cancer, rather than being knocked out by falling concrete. After a few hours, a call comes in over the walkies we all use to communicate:

“[General Manager], there’s a representative from OSHA on line two. OSHA, line two.”

The store is closed for several days.

It is in the middle of self-isolation, social distancing, and panic buying. My small local grocery store is still open and I head down to get some desperately needed supplies. Other stores have been limiting the numbers of customers inside at any time and have had shoppers waiting outside in lines, six feet apart.

Not so this store; it’s as busy as any given time. As worrying as this is, I am wearing a mask and gloves, and I really need these supplies, so I decide I will be okay.

I get to the checkout, and the poor woman working the register looks very pale, and I can see she is desperately trying to stifle her coughs.

Me: “You shouldn’t be working if you’re sick! H***, you shouldn’t even be outside!”

Cashier: “I tried, but my boss said I had to come in.”

Me: “What?! Call your manager!”

She does so and we wait. She has to call a second time before a grumpy-looking man storms up to the cashier.

Manager: “What?!”

I interject before the poor cashier gets any more bad treatment.

Me: “Your cashier is sick. She needs to go home and self-isolate right now.”

Manager: “I need her to work! Too many people have been lazy and called in! She has to work.”

Me: “She has to do nothing! She is sick, coughing, and handling other people’s food! What you’re doing is—”

Manager: *Interrupting me* “Buy or don’t buy. You’re holding up the line.”

Realizing the manager is a lost cause, I turn to the cashier.

Me: “Go home, now. Call this number for medical advice.”

Manager: *To the cashier* “Leave and you’re fired.”

Me: “Wow, seriously? That is it.”

I call the police. They arrive surprisingly quickly and I explain the situation. They step into the store, see the cashier, see the lack of social-distancing, and approach the manager.

Officer #1: “Sir, why are there no social-distancing procedures in place? Everyone here should be at least six feet apart, with controlled entry. Also, your cashier is obviously sick; why is she not self-isolating at home?”

Manager: “Look, all these policies are ridiculous. Everyone is saying they’re sick, and I have a store to run!”

Officer #2: “They’re probably sick because you don’t have these procedures in place! Also, they are not just policies; they’re also the law.”

Me: “He also said that he would fire the cashier if she went home.”

Both officers look shocked at this and they turn to the manager.

Officer #1: “Is that true?”

The manager, for the first time, begins to realize how much s*** he might be in.

Manager: “I… uh… Look, you have to understand.”

Officer #2: “That’s it; I don’t need to hear any more.”

[Officer #2] shouts out to the entire store authoritatively.

Officer #2: “Ladies and gentlemen, please put down your shopping and leave the store immediately! This establishment is being closed due to health and safety violations!”

Manager: “What?! You can’t do that! I—”

Officer #1: “And you, you’re coming to the station.”

The manager was led away to the car, cursing and screaming. All the customers did end up leaving but took all their unpaid shopping with them anyway. The sick cashier left immediately and another member of staff closed up the store, with the officers leaving him some documentation and explaining what he should do next.

The store is still closed. I have to go further to a larger store which, thankfully, is adhering to the state-wide health and safety mandates.

This story was featured in our May 2020 roundup!

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