I began working at Food Lion in Columbia NC on April 4 as a deli associate.in November I took the Customer Service Manager Position. I was making $9.20 an hour as deli associate and received a DOLLAR raise when I began as the customer service manager.
I was told upon my "1" year appraisal (April) I would receive another raise, and each year here after.
I began the new task of fixing "old" problems. I absolutely LOVED my job, I was told on numerous occasions from my customers, that the attitudes of cashier's we improving. They told me before I took the dreaded coming into Food Lion.
I continued to thrive. I was able to raise the most money ever for my store during our annual EASTER SEAL Fundraiser.
I was giving an award for bringing up out Customer Through Put to the highest it had ever been.
As I continued to learn the in and outs of running Food Lion, I some how kept being giving jobs that were not in MY job description. Such as, I was made to FIRE a deli employee, who had her own Department Manager.
I also, went from being CSM most of the week and Manager on duty (MOD) a few times a week.
My job description call for me to work as MOD for NO more then 12 hours in a week, being I had so much to do every week as CSM.
I would say right around the time my appraisal should have been, April I was the MOD at least 3 to 4 days a week. Eventually, each day I came to I was the MOD. However, Nerissa and Paula would "doctor" schedules to look real pretty on paper but in reality were never used.
If I wasn't scheduled as MOD that day, it meant I was working 10am to 6pm. When I would come in the MOD, be it Paula or Nerissa, they would leave almost immediately. Their last words being, GET SALES and CUT HOURS. I was told, in order to cut back, I needed to leave when the Grocery Manager got in.
This is a very small town, where Everyone knows Everyone. I loved being at the hub of the town. I never complained and continued this schedule as summer was approaching. Keep in mind NO appraisal and NO Raise at this point.
I was informed by my son's elementary school in May they would not be able provide after school care for the following year. That is when I informed Nerissa and Paula I was going to have some trouble next year when school starts.
ALL together, we came to a compromise. I would let my son go spend the entire summer with my parents in Virginia and I would be able to spend the entire summer working any schedule they needed me to.
I am a single mother and at a pay rate of $10.23 an hour, there was no way I could afford after care for my son. I was paying $100 dollars a month for after at the school, $550 for Rent, $100 on Electric, $40 for Water. 4 monthly bills monthly bills: $790*
* This does not include Food, Gas, Car Insurance and house hold necessities
I bring home every week $250.00 to $275. Roughly a Months Pay: $1000 to $ 1200.
The only daycare's around our area were asking $90 to $120 A WEAK, and that's only after being on a waiting list. That's at least an extra $400 a month.
That is why I choose to sacrifice my Whole summer of being with my son. I worked any schedule they gave me with a smile on my face because I knew they would work with me when school started.
They were completely working with me UNTIL, I started asking questions about my appraisal. I then called John Mullen to inquire why I had not yet had an appraisal. I knew how important the are because as a CSM I am required to to Appraise all front end associates. Which I did in a very timely matter. You and everyone above you are reminded a lot, that an employee's is approaching their year anniversary.
My conversation with John Mullen seemed very sincere. He explained different steps he can take to "check" on what was going on with it. I also mentioned that again I was doing others jobs. While I was hiring a Deli employee I called the Deli Manager to see what pay rate she was hiring them at.
She told me $9.00. I almost dropped the phone. Here I sit hiring another managers associate and I am getting paid $10.23.
I was getting very upset by mid August. I had yet to hear back from John Mullen. The next week we had a real big inspection. John Mullen came to our store with 2 other Food Lion Corporate Persons.
Inspection went great. Passed with flying colors. Afterwards John Mullen and myself went into the office so he could speak with me in private. He said he was still "looking" into my appraisal. He was in the process of collecting the pay rate's of ALL the CSM's in his 12 stores, and that is what I will get paid. Never heard back from him.
The week before school started, Paula and I sat down to create our schedule's for the upcoming week. We worked out a schedule that a loud me to work 7am to 3pm on days I had to work during the week and anything they needed me to work on the weekends. My mom agreed to drive here every weekend and keep my son to do so. Remember, this is very temporary. I knew when I received my over due raise I would be able to pay for some sort of child care.
I asked for 3 weeks. I really thought it would be no problem since they work with the Grocery Manager for years, which allows him to work split shifts so he can drive the school bus. He comes in after the morning route and leaves 30 mins before the afternoon route and then to returns to finish out his shift.
A few days before school started I received a text a text from Nerissa Johnson which read "7am to 3pm is not going to work if you want to be a manager". The next day when I got to work I read the "new" and revised schedule. I was scheduled for 3 days 10am to 6pm and 2 days 3pm to Close as MOD.
I was clearing dumbfounded. I begin to panic and started thinking "what is going on". The only thing that happened between the agreement we made, my random schedules all summer and the inspection, which ended with the conversation between John Mullen.
The brightest light bulb went off in my head. I checked the appraisal web site and saw for myself that not only did Nerissa sign my appraisal, Mr. John Mullen him self signed off. Back in April.
I knew then that they were Corporate and had all the power. I knew then John Mullen was not "looking" into anything and if he was, it was him trying to figure out how to get himself out of hot water by signing a false appraisal.
I was let go.
I applied for unemployment and to my surprise, I was denied. Food Lion and my former employers stated I quit without notice.
Without notice being the key word. The word that disqualified me, without notice. I believe I gave them ample notice.
0 comments