Guys, I just got fired from a job for the first time ever.  Okay, I take that back.  This is my second time from ever being fired and I really don't consider the first one as being much since I was only making $7.25 an hour, and I know the people who got me fired.  Two women from high school who are obviously still the same as they were then.  There's no doubt that they lied to get me fired.  No biggy.

Getting fired from this job though, at dillons, for Kroger, has left me shattered.

I called in twice, once for when my mom got into an accident in the middle of March and had to leave from where I live immediately.  She ended up breaking her hip due to the car accident.  Then I called in the next day for when her surgery was scheduled.

My first no call no show was because I texted my department head to let her know that I wasn't coming in (after my shift) instead of calling in.  Totally wrong, but I was driving back and forth from 1.5 hours away everyday (to ensure that my mom was being taken care of) and since I was working overnights I was barely getting any sleep.  At the time that I texted her, I was going on 36 hrs without sleep because as an overnight stocker we were made to stay for as many hours as it took and wouldn't get done with our truck until twelve to fourteen hours later, so I was running on empty at this point.  I absolutely hate it when employees text bosses to let them know what's up, but I did this without thinking because of the circumstances I was under.  During mid March and until the end of April, I wasn't there physically nor mentally.  I was the only there to support my mom and unfortunately I couldn't get fmla because by law a person has to be with an employer for at least a year before they can file for this and for it to get approved, so there was nothing there to back me up.

I had to call in again because, yeah, my water pump in my car went out...while I was in Manhattan...taking care of my mom.  I called and spoke to my Assistant Manager, and he threatened me by saying that he thinks this will cause a suspension.  I called 2 hours prior before my shift which is standard.  Anything after two hours before your shift is considered as a no call no show.  He told me how I needed to find somebody to cover my shift.  I told him, well, if that's the case then I'll go to urgent care and get a Dr's note.  I had an abscess tooth while all of this was going on and needed antibiotics anyway to clear the infection.  He told me how this wouldn't excuse it.  Then he said how I needed to call in earlier than 2 hours so that he could get somebody to cover my shift.  At this point my coworkers and I were considered as a skeleton crew, so ANY TIME that we had off was extremely essential, so I didn't call anybody to come in for me because I knew how I wouldn't get anybody to come in for.

I called in again 10 hours before my shift.  My mom was supposed to have an unrelated surgery from her accident this day, but felt uncomfortable going through with it at the last minute.  When I phoned my ex job, I got the same Assistant Manager.  He did the same thing by his usual threatening and harassing response.  He once again told me how I needed to find somebody to cover my shift.  I said if you can't find anyone to cover shifts then what makes you think that I can?  After this he hung up on me. Really, after 10 hours of letting you know, you're going to be on my ass??  I didn't go in.

The second time I did a no call no show was because my tooth was bothering me...again.  I was worried that I'd get him as management, and didn't even bother to call in.  My fault, but he left me feeling, like, I couldn't call in for no matter what even during an emergency which he'd already proven that I couldn't.  I felt hopeless.  I ended up with a three day suspension because after two no call no shows this is what you get.  I took the suspension and that was that.

On the 10th of just this last week, I got a text message from the overnight frozen leadd asking where I was.  I didn't see this message from him because I was sleeping.  Hmmm, why is it okay for people to text to find out why somebody's late, but it's not okay to text to call in?  Also, why am I getting a text from the frozen lead and not my grocery lead?  Well, my fault again.  I changed my telephone number, and I didn't give it to him, so he was trying to text my old number.  Just forgot about it really.  My ex head had it though, but she lied to him that morning saying how she didn't.  I ended up being considered as a no call no show.  I looked at my schedule wrong and thought that I had Sunday evening off.  I didn't.  I wouldn't have done this on purpose especially under my circumstances because Kroger's policy is basically 3 strikes and you're out.

After I read the text, I immediately went to my store and spoke with my store manager and explained to her what had happened.  Absolutely no ****ing remorse.  Well, she did let me work until Tuesday going into Wednesday morning.

While working in retail, all I can say is that management are nothing but narcissistic sociopaths. They don't give a **** about anybody, and love to complain about how things aren't done to their liking even after fourteen hours that you've been there.  They have a certain way of how THEY want things done, but then there's a way to do things by company standards and this should be the way to go.  I was forced to do it their way though or else.  They're also lazy as ****.  They saw how we needed help and didn't do a damn thing.  They had the ability to step in themselves and help to get the job done or pull people from other departments who could afford to be taken away, and they were also able to call other stores to have them send people our way.  They never thanked anybody for their hard work, and really, they wouldn't even recognize us after awhile, like, we were non-existent to them.  They'd forget that were were even there.

I'm so much better off without them, and yes, I'll find something more suitable for me because, gawd, working 60hrs a week for what I was getting paid, and for paying for their crappy benefits isn't ****ing worth it.  I worked my ass off for a year for that ****ed up corporation.  It truly makes me feel sorry for the people that are still working there after 20+yrs who are getting paid the same rate as I was and some less.

I understand how rules are applied because people have abused the system in so many times, but then again, I've never worked for a company who disregard every situation.  None of the events that have occurred while I was with Kroger were planned and my absences during these emergencies were unexcused.  They have no compassion whatsoever.

SIDE NOTE:

A month ago i asked for the 4th of July off.  My ex Department Head pulled me into an "office" and told me how I wasn't allowed to request any holidays off or a week prior to a holiday.  I told her that I didn't think about it since the system wasn't showing it as a black out week.  She told me how I can have the fourth off.  I worked the night of the third going into the fourth and let my ex "Lead" that she gave me the night off.  He came to me the morning of the fourth and told me how she was saying that I worked that night.  I was so pissed and as I was walking to where she was I was already thinking of how it was going to turn out. I was thinking about how she's just going to lie about it.  So, when I got to where she was, I was super defense.  She ended up lying about it and stated how she wouldn't have given me the 4th off.   After I chewed her out for it, I went outside to calm down and smoked a cigarette.  She came out, still denying, it, and then said that we can make a deal.  She said that I didn't have to go in on Wednesday evening (the 4th) just as long as I could go in on Friday the 6th.  I was forced into saying yes because she would've made me come in that night if I didn't.  She ****ing emotionally blackmailed me and after thinking about this, before Friday came around, I decided to not go in even after our verbal agreement.  I didn't get in trouble for this since after all, it was nothing but a verbal agreement.

She would also patronize every coworker of mine and me by saying how I'm or them are the only ones that she could trust to get things done the right way.  She'd lie straight to ones face and then go off and lie to somebody else.  Kroger has this whole "Uplifting" thing, and I'm not exactly sure how they define it, but I don't feel like lying to your employees is an uplifting approach.

Anyway, I'm  trying to draw unemployment from the kroger ****s, but we'll see how it pans out.  Their so cheap in so many ways, that I doubt I get it.  If they can't provide working equipment that HAS to be used on a daily basis then they're already obviously super greedy.

It's sad how a billion dollar corporation can't give the money to 5he people who work hard and for other necessary items.

END RANT

Oh, and I also transferred from one dillons to this dillons because I was scheduled more than five days in a row and was already at sixty hours on the fifth day, so I'd call in once a week.  I was extremely sore.  Everything on my body was swollen and I couldn't move.  I'd go to sleep and when I'd woke up, I couldn't even open my hands because they hurt so bad.  Oh, and OMG, my thighs.  When your body says no, it says, no.  Anyway, it was super painful, so when the store that I worked at previously to this store hired new people, cut mine down to one day to two days a week out of spite.  This store wasn't helping either, and this is why I transferred...and yeah because they cut my hours and treated me like crud.

I was a hard worker at both stores and find it it extremely hilarious how they're both super understaffed now.  They don't let new hirees know that they won't be getting off at the time they're scheduled for, so those new employees quit.

The turnover rate for Kroger is ridiculous.

This their karma.

The 9th of this month was my one year anniversary with the company, and I was super proud to be there, but I missed it.  Oh well.  Life's, tough.

EDIT:  To be in the position that I was in meant that you couldn't have a life.  Gotta a family?  They don't care.  Your kid has a school function to attend in the a.m.?  Well, if you leave at your scheduled time (7am without your work complete) to get there on time for it, then you'd get written up for insubordination.  I know this because my ex Department Head did this to me...and she has kids around my kids age herself.  I was married to Dillons, and I'm glad it's all over.