January 31, 2013
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Unemployed.
BS policies are hell.
Okay. So here it is. I was "let go" from my current job tonight. I had put in a request a little while back to have my birthday off (I'm supposed to have it off automatically but as the date drew closer I got paranoid that I'd get screwed so I asked a person from HR and she said to put in a request to be on the safe side) and the new schedules were put up today. I saw that my request was denied and I was going to have to close on my birthday (worst shift to give if you have to give one but w/e). I complete my shift today and literally had my hand on the time-clock machine to clock out when Juan asked me to wait a minute because he needed to talk to me.
I don't clock out as he asked and follow him to his office (he's another HR person). He tells me he had been looking at my file (no doubt to verify it was actually my birthday coming up since all requests would go to him) and realized there was a corrective that needed to be given to me (so had he not been looking at my file it might've been forgotten is what I took from his statement). Apparently I supposedly failed to scan a case of Pepsi (worth $10, the MINIMUM amount for a write-up) last week or the beginning of this week. My last corrective was evidently two months ago (could've sworn it was much longer, but according to their records no) and it was a "final warning" so since this new one wasn't at least 90 days later, policy says they have to fire me. Juan said he tried to fight for me, try to cut me a break so-to-speak but HR/Home Office wouldn't let him [and it has already been established in previous strikes that I can't just pay for the thing myself/taken out of paycheck]. But of course, as always, since they only document the object and price and not the time, register, or customer description, there's no way for them to check the cameras (or whatever) to actually confirm whether or not I did in fact fail to scan the item or if it was just an attempted theft/lost receipt/etc.
I surprisingly kept calm and proper (though visibly disappointed) with him and shook his hand and turned in my stuff; but I was just so so very angry inside that a damn pepsi case cost me a job and they can't even take the time or make an effort to make SURE I even screwed up in the first place. That's what kills me. That there is a chance I may not have even made the mistake.
I know I hated that place, I still do, and those policies are just ridiculous and they evidently don't take suggestions seriously (though they say they do) because I've and at least two others have suggested a better system for handling correctives but no one seems to be looking into it or trying. So I know it's not a big loss. But it was money. Money I and my family needed. Money that puts a hold on a bunch of my resolutions. Money Ma's going to be bitching about non-stop now and I'm going to have to comfort her about it when I'm the one that got fired.
*Sighs* I figured I'd get canned before I quit but I really hoped I would have something else lined up before they did. I applied to all the local federal/entry-level jobs that this job searching website connected me to (there were many more out of city/state but obviously those aren't an option) but no takers.
Ugh. Today was actually a good day too. It was slow but steady so it was finally a little more casual for everyone, and Andrea (one of the supervisors I was convinced hated me) was warming up to me and acting as if I was... well, not a friend, but... a good egg, I guess.
And the shift ended like a movie.
Since my shift ended at 9, Andrea looked at the chart at 8:45, looked around at the nearly empty store, then looked at me with a smile and said, "Ready to go home?" I gave her a surprised look (since I'm not supposed to be pulled for another five minutes) but then shrugged because, clearly, she didn't need me (the traffic had slowed down to a halt and she still had three other cashiers) so I gave her a 'Sure.' She kept her smile and said I could go.
I pull my till, as I'm doing so the cashier that was across from me (Genesis) pretended to be mad at me and said "Lucky" and playfully glared at me while saying, "have a good night!" I played along and said, "I will!" and we both laughed as I walked away. After sending my till up I head for the time clock and see the schedule for the week AFTER next week was up and thought, "Wow! So I actually know what I'm working beforehand! I can make plans for once!" I give my name a quick glance and see that while my request for my birthday was denied for next week, my second choice (you always gotta put one) for the following Sunday WAS approved and that I'd still have a decent week. I lift my hand to clock out and that's when Juan caught me.
I went over all the dialogue and stuff in my head in the car and realized that my night was a movie script. You're supposed to only MAKE UP that kind of irony.
I gotta read through the BJ's manual tomorrow and see if there is a time limit to file for unemployment (there was one for when Virgin closed down, I had to wait 3 months or so) because I forgot to ask Juan. If not then it's off to hunt for the website again and see if I can get any. I hear it's been getting harder to qualify for those so I'm really hoping I can... (Actually I might have to wait until after I pick up my last paycheck [which won't be until next week] since as far as legal papers go I'd still be on a payroll until then).
Damn it. -_- What a way to start off February.
And I didn't get to use my vacation hours. Mulligan.
