Being forced out of a position

[Aveenolover]

I've been working at this company for about 6 months now. It's through temp agency with intent to hire. Mostly warehouse type stuff--put away, picking, shipping, etc.

 

I started in put away, which is really simple stuff. You just scan items and put them where your Telxon gun tells you. I did that for awhile and it is pretty physical stuff. You are expected to carry heavy items up a ladder if its overstock and also walk about ~12 miles a day on concrete (with steel toe shoes!)

 

After awhile, I was moved to picking. You build orders for the production team so they can create units or whatever they are building and then ship them out. I only did that for about 2 weeks then they needed someone in receiving and had me switch there because I'm pretty decent on computers/fast at learning and there's a lot to learn in that department.

 

I did that for awhile, about 3 months and I was recognized and even put in for employee of the month. I worked overtime everyday and would also go out of my way to help my other employees with questions and problem solving.

 

Last month, one of the team leaders from another department came over to receiving to help get it in order. Right off the bat, I was warned to watch myself around him and that hes hard to get along with. I didnt think much of it because I never had issues with anyone before--I'm pretty quiet and keep to myself. His first week in, my boss's boss e-mailed me and CC'd my new lead in it, asking me what MY plan was to clean up receiving and asking if I could e-mail her daily with whats going on with the receiving numbers. A bit after that, and my new lead had a problem with me. He asked me why he was even in receiving since I was obviously the new lead. THen mockingly, asked me what my plan was. When I told him, he scoffed and said he doesnt take orders from people who "arent as smart as him" and walked away.

 

He went behind my back to my boss and kept saying how all I do is sit at the computer and I dont do anything, constantly criticizing my work. I finally confronted him and told him i'd train him in receiving so he could understand WHY i spent so much time on the computer (receiving stuff in....) and he said NO, I dont have time for that. And never took the time to understand. A couple weeks later, my bosses boss came around with a group of people, doing a tour and asked me and my lead what the receiving process is. He looked at me like a deer in headlights...he had NO idea. I was nice, took one for the team, and went over the whole process. I figured he would respect me for saving him and back off me....no.

 

I had a receiving partner who was there 20+ years, and he had to go take care of a family member and was out for 3 weeks. Receiving is almost impossible solo--and i had only been there about a month or two! But, I was up to the challenge and did the best I could. Halfway through his absence, they cut our overtime which made keeping up with the work even harder but i trucked through. My partner finally came back about two weeks ago and we started getting things cleaned up (stuff did get a LITTLE behind, but it was expected since it was just me)

 

I come in last week and my partner gets in an argument with the new lead, so the lead goes and gets a guy from our put away team and starts training him on my job. I'm confused....and i message my boss and ask if I'm about to be replaced. He says my lead has ideas for receiving but we will discuss things the next day. So, I come in the next day and immediately, first thing in the morning meeting, infront of everyone, they say I'm going to put away and the other guy is coming to receiving. I cant believe it...I was doing pretty dang good there AND i liked it because with the computer stuff, dealing with drivers and buyers...it was getting good experience to finally get me out of warehousing...then i got thrown back into the monkey work i first got hired into. Like i had been making my way up in the company then just tossed down to the bottom again with no explanation. I heard later on, as a rumor spread, that i was demoted because i "flirted with the drivers" WTF? I was absolutely livid, not only that people would say that, but the fact that my boss, who i thought i was pretty close to, would just demote me without even telling me why.

 

A couple days later, after i cooled down, i called him and asked him. He said i was demoted because i didnt keep up with the reports when my partner was gone. I pointed out that there were currently three people doing receiving now (my lead, the guy from put away, and my partner) and theyre still not keeping up with reports but when i was doing it solo, i'm being punished for it?? and he said "well, one time, when there was a lot of pressure, i could hear you laughing loudly" okay? So, i'm not allowed to laugh and work??? then finally he said "you did talk a lot" i asked with who?? (I had reported to his boss that people said i was demoted because i was flirting with the drivers) and he wouldnt specifically say, he would just say "i dont know--with people" which confirms to me that he did infact demote me because i was "flirting", which is absolutely BS because i only spoke to the drivers as much as my own partner does, who is a MALE, so does that mean hes flirting, too???

 

He couldnt say anything about my quality of work, how much i received daily, especially when it was just me, or anything about me production wise. He just said all this BS crap. I asked him how he feels now that im not in receiving and if he feels my new lead made a good decision--if receiving is better now that im gone. He admits no, its not better and they are struggling, but doesnt want me back there. And i feel like its because hes too much of a spineless douchebag who lets my lead walk over him (hes ABOVE my lead...)

 

But it just really irks me and it's hard for me to just let it go. I was moving up in the company, I was getting so much GOOD experience and I felt so proud of the work i was doing. I felt confident with myself and my abilities (a lot of times i constantly worry im not good enough, or that i suck) and then to have it all taken from me and not even talked to about any faults i supposedly had to be given a chance to fix anything? Has anyone else dealt with this?

[UpwardForward]

IMO, your questions and responses to your boss regarding your job and work, were right-on.

 

Boss may have sloughed you at the time of discussions, but at least it gave him/her something to think about, and regarding your job - and current staffing.

 

As with any job, it seems that if you are being treated unfairly - all you can do is to gather experience for your resume, and in time - seek other employment.

[PhillyLibertyBelle]

I'm sorry you are the victim of office politics. My best advice to you is start looking for another job. The situation you described speaks to the business culture of the company and you will never change it.

 

I hope you find a much better job where people treat each other with respect.

[preraph]

Oh, he's probably buddies with that little toad he sent over there, and that guy was very threatened by you and the "tell" that he is buddies with someone is that he was confident he wouldn't get in trouble for mouthing off to you and treating you bad.

 

It's just not a good work environment, I'm afraid. They'll do whatever to make their little buddies happy and you were just caught in the middle.