I think I'm getting lied to and screwed over

[armywalaby]

I started a new job cleaning up a local Macy's in the morning before the store opens. I told them I had experience with some of their heavy equipment, specifically floor buffers and carpet shampooers. They also have a floor scrubber that drives itself and you steer while it polishes the wax and cleans it. I did not have experience on this machine, but I said I was willing to learn. I was handed a manual and received no actual training from anyone.

My 8th day there, boss call in sick and the other employee walks out 30 minutes into the shift, I'm there by myself. I call the boss at home to tell her the other girl walked out and she gave me a list of things to do, one of which was run the floor scrubber. The last guy who ran the machine had not done any servicing to it; the return water tank was filled with wet lint and strings and hair that had been sitting in dirty water for some time, because in order to drain the tank completely you have to take a part off of the machine, and that was just too much trouble for him. Anyway, so after all of that I put on clean pads which I later found out were scouring pads when I saw I was actually removing the wax from the floor....not good.

Next day I'm asked to do a statement regarding the girl that walked out, and then I'm getting chewed out by the regional manager (in the middle of the store while customers are shopping, fwiw) cursing at me about how it's going to cost him a lot of money to fix this, and all I can say is "I didn't have any training, I told you guys that I hadn't worked a machine like that before" to which he replied "yes you ******* did, (my direct boss) told me that you had experience with that machine." so now it's my word against theirs and they are lying...ok. I take the chewing and then do the statement, after which I stated to my boss that I 'felt like a tool' because I just did them a favor when they just got done screwing me over. she went on to tell me why it was ok because I'd get another chance yadda yadda and if I had tried to hold that letter over their head that I would have gotten fired and this and that. what?

today, two weeks later and four more hires come and gone, and I show up to work to see someone I know there for work. so I show him around and tell him everything that I know, which was more information than I was given my first day and we start the work, no heavy machines. boss wasn't there because she had a doctors appt (at 6am, yeah right) so we call her before we leave to find out when new hire has to be in the next day. she then asks me if I'll train him on the floor machine that I already screwed up the floor with...

please tell me I'm not going crazy, that I am just in a crappy situation. I'm not going to quit; this is the first job I've had in three years, so I just need to stand my ground and be tactful when I tell her I'm not training him and I'm not going near any of their machines again; because there's a position for that which pays more, and I'm not in it, and I have to do this because you have already thrown me under the bus once.

TL;DR - was placed on a piece of equipment I was not trained on. inappropriately operated it without instructions. I'm being asked to train a new employee on that piece of equipment.

[sandmangeck]

Don't work on a farm and get upset when you cross paths with manure. Keep it until something better comes along.

[jmattbassplaya]

Guess you might as well pass the hatchet off and have the new guy be the next stooge I dunno, this situation sounds pretty nuts.

[IconBasser]

I agree, it sounds like a crap job. I also agree with your resolve to not quit. Hang in there buddy.

are you currently taking any sort of classes to increase your human capital?

[DblG]

Where I work we have to sign off on every tool or machine we use, stating that we received training. Good luck, sounds like a bad situation. VERY unprofessional of the company to yell at you in front of customers, especially droping profanities.

[Session1969]

Start looking for another job. It'll only get worse.

[Bass_Thumper]

Tell your boss that you'll give the new guy some training as soon as you get some.

[UncleJimmy]

Stick it out but document everything. That way if you end up getting fired, or can't take it anymore and quit you've got a good case for unemployment benefits.

A guy I know actually quit his job, walked out in the middle of his shift and locked the keys to the place in the safe, leaving nobody in charge. He filed for unemployment and got it because the company had subjected him to "udesirable working conditions". No joke.

[MakiSupaStar]

Start looking for another job while you have this one. Stepping stones and all that.

[LarryO]

Sounds to me like you just don't stand up for yourself. You will continue to get screwed over by people until YOU stop it from happening.

[macaroni tony]

Originally Posted by armywalaby

please tell me I'm not going crazy, that I am just in a crappy situation. I'm not going to quit; this is the first job I've had in three years, so I just need to stand my ground and be tactful when I tell her I'm not training him and I'm not going near any of their machines again; because there's a position for that which pays more, and I'm not in it, and I have to do this because you have already thrown me under the bus once.

You're not crazy; tell your boss that both you and the new guy need to be trained properly before going anywhere near that machine. Hang on til you can find a decent job...

[armywalaby]

Originally Posted by LarryO

Sounds to me like you just don't stand up for yourself. You will continue to get screwed over by people until YOU stop it from happening.

You must have not seen me around here before....I have a reputation for being too abrasive and opinionated..I'm actually trying to act differently. This is the first job I've had in three years.

I am going to hang on to it, and I am re-applying at places that I previously applied but never heard back from. Seems that having a job is like having a girlfriend....when you have one, there's more calling you. I need to hire a resume guy to help me add my vending machine experience in more professional terms...mine is pretty elementary. here it is.

Assisted a blind man with his vending business. Duties entail driving vehicle with trailer, inventory of stock, assessment of sales, procurement of new stock, handling monies, maintenance of machines, rotating stock

then I hit a block.

[LarryO]

Standing up for yourself doesn't always mean being abrasive. You are actually in a great situation because you have recognized an issue that compromises employee safety and wastes money. You can be the "hero" and create a standard operations safety guide and a training check off list for all future employees. Present your work to not only your boss but also your boss's boss to ensure you get credit. By solving the issue instead of arguing over whose fault it is you will show more professionalism and leadership skills than your boss

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by armywalaby

I need to hire a resume guy to help me add my vending machine experience in more professional terms...

You can also have him add
"Trained employees on the operation of a floor scrubber machine".

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

You can also have him add
"Trained employees on the operation of a floor scrubber machine".

'utilized my expertise to train new employees on proper operation of the floor scrubber thingamajig 2000.'

[armywalaby]

Originally Posted by LarryO

Standing up for yourself doesn't always mean being abrasive. You are actually in a great situation because you have recognized an issue that compromises employee safety and wastes money. You can be the "hero" and create a standard operations safety guide and a training check off list for all future employees. Present your work to not only your boss but also your boss's boss to ensure you get credit. By solving the issue instead of arguing over whose fault it is you will show more professionalism and leadership skills than your boss

I had considered this....still weighing pros and cons. these guys are really in it for themselves.

[armywalaby]

I might have to still get some actual training out of them to do this...hmm

[Phalex]

The job sounds horrible, and the regional manager SUCKS!

I used to work production with a cantankerous old man. One day the production manager comes down on the floor and just starts laying into Al about something that he may or may not have been responsible for.

Al let him go on for a minute getting madder and madder, and finally he interrupts the manager with a finger pointed at his chest and says "Your office. NOW!"

I have no idea exactly what transpired in private, but old Al worked side by side with me for years after that. It was one of the most awesome things I've ever witnessed.

The moral of the story: Praise publicly, but reprimand in private. The manager is a jackass.

[jp58]

Originally Posted by DblG

Where I work we have to sign off on every tool or machine we use, stating that we received training. Good luck, sounds like a bad situation. VERY unprofessional of the company to yell at you in front of customers, especially droping profanities.

This. I get a computer module and up to 3 hours of peer training on everything I'm supposed to use.

[EricF]

Originally Posted by Bass_Thumper

Tell your boss that you'll give the new guy some training as soon as you get some.

+1

Include a little remider that your lack of being trained resulted in your getting ripped for not operating it correctly, and this isn't a situation you want to repeat or put someone else in.

I susepct that you boss may not know how to operate it either.