Ok here is the deal... Back when I was only 3 months pregnant (beginning of 2nd trimester) I was told by my dept head that he talked to the store manager, without me present, and he told him to let me go out his dept. First, I admit with this being my first pregnancy, I honestly don't know what trials I'll be going through. So I can admit some days I called out and some days I stuck it out at work having the time of my life majority of the time in the bathroom from morning sickness (I worked night shift). So in March, he let me go. I was still in the system but didn't have a job to my name. Yet he told me later on that day,via text, that he talked to the store manager that same day I had worked to go talk to the store manager because he couldn't find nothing else for me to do in dept and because of hours. Mind you, it took for me to call in to say I was severely sick that I couldn't come in for him to come out and tell me that. If I never would've called in he never would've told me he talked to him. So instead he let me go. So I talked to the store manager and in comes my dept manager into our meeting which at that point had nothing to do with him, and towards the end my dept manager says I was one of his hard workers, he'll miss me on the team, he was going to train me to do things as far what a back up manager does but its too late for that and no point. The store manager told me he couldn't help me and it was up to the HR manager to decide what to do.
I talked to her and she told me it was up to the store manager. Mind you I have given them every piece of paper from my doctor as needed, every request to be transferred int another department which would be mild on me due to my pregnancy and yet they still sent me on a merry go round. So after me calling and coming back and forth to the store to see any progress has been done, which it was not, I took it upon myself to file for unemployment, seeing that I'm currently out of work.
Whatever the convo was between my store manager and unemployment rep was, I was not able to get it due to me still employed there but yet just floating in the system with no job to do. So after that fail, I noticed on my paystubs that I was getting paid $8 for 0 hrs worked. How? Idk myself but it was for the end of March, April, then May. It wasn't consecutive days back to back, just once per month. I couldn't live off that and that made me evenore determined to figure out why they weren't doing their job to just find a place for me to work! So I decided to take action was needed and called corporate, union and district on the store manager and hr of my store. Come to find out, the hr never sent any of my paperwork in to corporate headquarters office for a WHOLE month!
So June comes around and they finally put in a dept that I mentioned back in March and started back working. Only to work, 16hrs compared to the 32+hrs I was used to working. And my doctors notes states I can only work 40hrs a week and making an average of $103 if that, don't pay the bills. Now I'm hearing from other ppl in my store to file a grievance to get back the money I lost for those months I was out unnecessarily due to poor management system, and I was told I need to do it before I take my leave of absence from work which is soon. I'm grateful for being able to get my job back or at least go back to work but I just feel like due to me working for a difficult dept manager in a store that screws ppl over and has changed store managers ever since I've been working there for the past 3yrs, I just want what is mine to provide for my new family and leave it be.
So does anyone know how I should start the process of getting back pay for the months I was out? Sorry for the story but had to make sure I filled you in with the whole situation. I feel like I was discriminated against starting from dept head, to the store manager and to the HR. I have proof of almost every convo given, paperwork and paystubs that went with those months. What should I do?
Talk to your union rep. Most talk from "people" in the store about the back pay for you is just bs.
If you fought to get your job back, then you should have asked for back pay then.
As for the hours: My contract guarantees 12 hours a week. There have been instances of cashiers getting 0 hours and then 12 the next week. You changed departments and they might not have extra hours to give you. You probably got someone's 16 hours. They are probably working 16 hours now instead of 32. Plus, you put up a fuss(which is understandable from an employee view but not from a managers' view) so you might be getting low hours on purpose. Maybe, they are hoping you will quit after all that drama.
I suggest finding another part time job if you need more money. Not going to be easy working two jobs with the new kid.
I didn't know about being able to get back pay until another employee told me I could which was recently. My dept manager kept saying to me EVERYTIME I came to the store to see the store manager or hr about my paperwork, if I quit yet like he really wanted me to quit. No one in the store likes dealing with him because of his attitude and mouth. He even disrespects the customers too. But since he's been in the business for yrs and is respected by someone in corporate, no one says anything to him to make him want to change his ways of business. I contacted my union rep. Just have to wait on the call back. I'll have to wait until 3weeks or 4weeks after I deliver to start back applying for jobs. I don't want to be going into labor soon and have an interview...
What about the baby's father? Does he work? Or does he sit at home and play video games? Kroger does not work the same way America does. You cannot get knocked up and expect a handout.
I was still logged into the system. They could not find me a position for me to do even though there were other depts looking for more ppl. So hr and store manager did not do their job to file my paperwork nor send it to corporate office for them to have on file that I was pregnant and changing depts. They just kept my paperwork for a whole month and didn't do anything which kept me out if work for 3 months.
As far as the father of my child, he has jobs that he do and he helps out alot more than most significant others do. I'm not asking for a handout. Never have. But for a company to be at a peak in its years in service, it's messed up that some stores don't hire ppl who actually know what they are doing or at least know and want to do it and stop screwing ppl over who have worked for them for yrs and was always dedicated to their work with no problem. I just know that I should get something back for being out work due to somebody else's negligence instead of nothing when I did everything I was supposed to do on my end.
