On Jan 15 I was terminated for violating Ross Policy. I was the store manager and had worked for Ross 8 years. Ross implemented a new hiring procedure which was outsourced by another firm. When the new procedures were introduced to the managers, we were shown how the system worked. We were also given a training session to help move us into understanding how it all worked. We were not told that there will be disciplinary action against us if we hire someone who fails the background check. This wasn't shared with me until months later when someone that was hired, was deemed to have failed the background check. (Basically this new system conducts background checks which highlight potential associates that have legal matters in the works or which are pending. No one ever shared that with us. To this day no one has shown me any proof that Ross has a hiring policy.
The problem is that the status of the applicants can change from "passing to delayed to failed." When an applicant fails, and if that individual is hired, the store manager recieves a corrective disciplinary write up.
Anyone employed at Ross that recieves a written corrective is basically put on final notice. If there is a second occurrance, then the employee is eventually terminated.in my case, the first notice was given to me because my assistant hired someone deemed to have "failed" their background check.in this case my assistant informed me that the applicant passed. I then gave him approval to hire the individual. Approximately 3 mths later my district manager came by to give me a written corrective for something I didn't even do. She said that I am getting it because I was the Store Manager and I am responsible for everything that occurs under the store operations. The problem I have with this is that at another location; that same district manager didn't write up another store manager when her assistant hired someone that failed their background check.
The second ocassion I was accused of hiring an individual that failed. When I hired the individual, her status was passing. It is unfortunate that I couldn't find the copy. I had a feeling that Ross was going to make it my word against the system, so I printed a copy of the individual's status. I no longer said "pass" it said delayed decision. Up to the day I was terminated, her status never said "failed."
The system Ross uses is flawed. It changes just as individuals change. No one can predetermine, stop or avoid facing changes in life, even if they are later found to be innocent. Since Ross says I violated their policy, it is impossible to find similiar work. Whenever a potential employer contacts Ross, they are told that I violated their policy. This is thuggery at its worst.
I do plan to take this matter to the court no matter the costs. I have nothing to lose because I have been robbed of a 12 year career in which I was very successful. Within the first 12 months of being store manager, we moved from the bottom of the district be being awarded Store Manager of the year. The second year our store exceeded sales plan by $1 million. Ross lost more than a manager in career status, they will now have the courts to deal with.
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