I was asked to come to work for the JoAnn ETC store because I have 2l years of custom apparel experience. I super enjoy helping people with thier creative needs.
On my first day, I was warned to watch out for a woman named Ann Pollard, a co-manager, I didn't think anything of it and committed myself to modeling a positive, conscienscous, team oriented example.
Within one week I was told that my salary had been revealed to the other employees, and the fact that I had my own health benefits. This was personal information that should never have been discussed.
I decided to turn the other cheek and do the best work ever. Within a few months I recieved an award from the corporation for exemplary service. However, about every other day Ann would vent some negative opinion at me, the management was"out to lunch", " the corporation doesn't have a clue about what they are doing", "apparel fabrics are just stupid", "these customers don't know what they want", and on and on and on.
I continued to simply ignore her. The management was stressed and when I would ask questions about what they would like to have done they would respond with comments like " well, do what you want, have at it, its not a big deal"
I really wanted to present the department in the best possible light and when I would ask how the managers would like merchandise displayed I was told " Nobody really cares, it doesn't make any money anyway" I knew the attitude was terrible but was convinced I could help turn it around by not coming alongside and agreeing with it or doing anything to indicate I condone it.
I am a Christian and a few times I would say to customers " God Bless" or "isn't that a Praise!" I was asked into the managers office and told by the manager that my religion made people nervous and to lay off it.
I explained that I never discussed my personal beliefs with employees or anyone else for that mattter. I asked Ann if my faith was a problem and she said "It does make us feel uncomfortable and your just too syrupy nice".
It was then I realized that I was dealing with a real gossip and slanderer. The verbal attacks continued. As the amounts of work increased (one day over 300 bolts of polar fleece arrived in the backroom) I had, had no job description or direction and when I would ask Ann Pollard to help she would just make an excuse and walk away.
Recently the company's stock has dropped and the managers told us they would be downsizing to meet budget. The last week of December I requested a leave of absence as my Mother-in-law was dying of cancer and needed immediate assistace.
Upon my return, Ann Pollard told me that another employee was angry beacuse I did not thank her for doing my job while away, and that other employees no longer wanted to work with me as they thought I was cold and unapproachable.
She then asked if as part of the budget decrease I would be volunteering to go part-time. I said if they needed me to I would, but as of that moment I wasn't planning on it.
She walked out of the work area and ten minutes later the manager called me into her office and said that I was such a problem that she was going to have to transfer me unless I apologized to the employee and started giving written directions to the parttime people in my department.
I said I would be glad to, they called in the angry employee and I apologized. She said she didn't believe me and left, whereupon the manager told me she would be transferring me. (this whole drama was surreal!) I have watched others fall victim to slander in order to get them to quit. Jo-Ann ETC does not pay into Unemployment and therefore abuses women in order to get them to quit to meet budget. I have seen customers and employees mocked, ignored, insulted, lied about, gossiped about, put down and swore at (employees are swore at). I been in sales since I was l4 (a long time ago) and have never experienced such an atmosphere of animosity and lack of integrity. I know this company has laid out alot of money for some big, nice stores. While the window may look good there is some real rot inside, if you go, watch you back!
NL
Andover Minnesota
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