This happened when I worked at a grocery store. The pay was bad, our managers were idiots, and the customers were looking for something to complain about more often than not. Needless to say, after two months of working there, I was highly motivated to go anywhere else.
It was also the first job that taught me that accepting extra shifts marked you as the go-to person when they needed someone to stay late, and our managers were not of the mind to take “no” for an answer. Worse still, they directed other employees to ask me if I could take their shifts whenever they wanted a day off, and each time I did come in on a day off or stay late, I got treated worse than usual by my superiors, with even more talking down and horrible extra duties than usual.
I was sacking groceries, and the rush had just died down when one particularly nasty supervisor came up to me.
Supervisor: “[My Name], we need someone to stay late tonight, and I was hoping you could step up.”
Me: “No, I have plans.”
This was sort of true; I would normally get off late, but my plans involved fast food and sleeping off another miserable day.
Supervisor: *Crossing her arms* “I was hoping you could step up, [My Name], and be a team player.”
Me: “No, I have plans.”
Supervisor: “Can’t you put them off for tonight?”
Me: “No.”
Supervisor: “Why not?”
Me: “I have plans for tonight. My answer stands.”
She glared at me for a few seconds and then wandered off. I had a sinking feeling that wasn’t the end of it, and sure enough, she walked up again with one of the managers in tow.
Manager: “[My Name], [Supervisor] said you might be interested in working late tonight?”
Me: “No, I’m not. I told her I had plans.”
Manager: “Well, can you put those plans on hold? We could really use someone to step up and be a team player.”
Me: “No, I have plans.”
Manager: “I would really appreciate it, and [Supervisor] would appreciate it, too.”
Me: “No, I have plans.”
Manager: “I don’t think you understand. We really, really need someone to stay late, and we’d really appreciate it if you could step up and be a team player.”
Me: “Then maybe you shouldn’t treat people who ‘step up’ like s***.”
Manager: *Pauses* “What do you mean?”
Me: “Every time I’ve come in on a day off or stayed late, the supervisors here are even worse to me than they usually are. I get run ragged, trying to do four people’s jobs at once, while people like [Supervisor] are whining at me, and when I say no because I’ve got plans, I need to study, or I’m just plain too tired, no one respects my answer. I told [Supervisor] ‘no’ four times, and I’ve told you ‘no’ three times, and you’re trying to keep asking me until I cave. You don’t appreciate it when I ‘step up’, so I’m not going to anymore.”
Manager: “You know, it doesn’t reflect well on you as an associate when we need you to step up and you fail to do so. I’d like to remind you we’re in a right-to-work state, where you can be terminated without cause at any time.”
I took about three seconds to consider what I was putting up with and the negative effect it was having on my college classes. I then took off my badge and placed it on the counter.
Me: “Thanks for reminding me. I quit.”
I walked over and punched out, left a message under the Store Manager’s door saying I was resigning immediately due to poor treatment, and then went to my car and drove off.
My parents, whom I lived with, were slightly peeved that I had quit a job without one in the works, but they eventually agreed that I needed to study more than I needed to work at a dead-end job.
Two days later, I got a call from the Store Manager — not the manager from before, mind.
Store Manager: “Hello, [My Name]? I got your note that you quit because you felt unappreciated. Do you have some time to talk?”
Me: “My decision stands. I told [Manager] and [Supervisor] several times apiece that I could not stay late — again — due to having plans, and they continued to badger me.”
Store Manager: “Well, we’re out several people this week. Do you think you could delay your resignation and come in so you could cover for them, and we could talk about this? I think you’re making a hasty decision.”
Me: “…no. Ever since I started working at [Store], things have gotten progressively worse. Whenever I would get cajoled into working on my day off or working late, I got verbally abused and put down, even when I was working my hardest. I’m not going to tolerate that kind of abuse.”
Store Manager: “Look, I know sometimes our supervisors use more stick than carrot, but they’re just under a lot of pressure, and we could really use people like you who can step up regardless of that.”
Me: “I’m not sure how to put this in simpler terms. Your staff treated me and other employees like s***. Going above and beyond resulted in more abuse. None of you know how to take no for an answer.”
Store Manager: “What we’re trying to do is help you make the journey from ‘No, I can’t’ and ‘No, I won’t’ to ‘Yes, I will’.”
Me: “Then you need to treat your employees better. I’m done with you. Do not call me again, or I’ll file for harassment.”
I hung up. After picking up my last check, I avoided that store like the plague. When I did go in later, none of the supervisors or managers I knew were still there. As to what happened to them, I never found out, and I frankly didn’t care enough to ask.
