I am wondering whether I have a case for possible harrassment. I am a male over 45 years of age.
I have worked as a manager for a publicly traded company for the past three years. This past summer my store was assigned to a new regional manager who from day one at my store has been confrontational with me. He has screamed at me in front of employees and has made reference to my age in the following manner. Well, XXX your management style may have worked for AAA and BBB ( my former bosses) and it may have worked 25 years ago, but it wont work for me!!!! He has also sent an email referencing my families well being by stating: "XXX I am going to ask you to dig in deeper than you probably ever have, but I guarantee you it will pay off for you, your family and your team, if you will make the necessary adjustments." I kind of think of that as a threat.
A little history, I have worked successfully for this company for the past three years and have enjoyed a reputation of being a strong manager who has received good reviews. Up until I received this new boss that is.
From his first visit to my location, he has always had HR present at any meeting with me. It is very weird. I have had two other bosses who found no problems with my work and never partnered with HR regarding me????
On his first visit I, along with my entire management team was put on final warning for a certain innocent process error. In the meantime, we have learned that there were two other stores who have knowingly committed this same process error, without being put on any kind of documentation.
My location is scheduled to undergo a huge remodel this winter which will decrease sales floor and staffing by 50% to reduce expense in an attempt to make this location profitable. My best guess is that along with the 50% staff reduction is the plan to eliminate my salary, as if there is 50% less people and space to manage the company has no need for a manager making my salary. I think this guy was sent in with a mission to get rid of me and is documenting everything he can to build a strong HR case. Funny thing is, the only thing he is coaching me on are subjective items all up to his opinion. All objective measurable items are never included in conversations with me, because I run an operationally sound store on a daily basis and am meeting all measurable matrixes as well as or better than most of my district, so he is fluffing all this subjective stuff to get something on paper.
I have spoken to my bosses manager regarding this sudden change in corporate opinion of me and his statement was that each of the regional managers gets to run their region how they deem fit as long as they are making their numbers.....aka I am in on this too???? He instructed me to ask my new boss for help with some items, which I did. When I asked for help, my new boss refuses. I went to regional HR for help with certain HR tasks and she also refused to help me and then I was repremanded for the very thing I sought help for.
Some of my employees have gone to other managers in my building stating that they are extremely uncomfortable witnessing the way my new boss is treating me. My employees have also gone to other members of the regional management team to share that they are uncomfortable with the way I was being treated and were told by the regional team. "It is ok, it just sucks to be me today"
My managers and many of my employees are telling me that they think that I should seek legal counsel as what is happening to me is not right.
But I understand, that as an at will employee, I dont have much of a chance and just because I am not being treated right, doesn't mean it is not legal>>>> Looking for advice as to wheter I have some sort of a case.
I have worked as a manager for a publicly traded company for the past three years. This past summer my store was assigned to a new regional manager who from day one at my store has been confrontational with me. He has screamed at me in front of employees and has made reference to my age in the following manner. Well, XXX your management style may have worked for AAA and BBB ( my former bosses) and it may have worked 25 years ago, but it wont work for me!!!! He has also sent an email referencing my families well being by stating: "XXX I am going to ask you to dig in deeper than you probably ever have, but I guarantee you it will pay off for you, your family and your team, if you will make the necessary adjustments." I kind of think of that as a threat.
A little history, I have worked successfully for this company for the past three years and have enjoyed a reputation of being a strong manager who has received good reviews. Up until I received this new boss that is.
From his first visit to my location, he has always had HR present at any meeting with me. It is very weird. I have had two other bosses who found no problems with my work and never partnered with HR regarding me????
On his first visit I, along with my entire management team was put on final warning for a certain innocent process error. In the meantime, we have learned that there were two other stores who have knowingly committed this same process error, without being put on any kind of documentation.
My location is scheduled to undergo a huge remodel this winter which will decrease sales floor and staffing by 50% to reduce expense in an attempt to make this location profitable. My best guess is that along with the 50% staff reduction is the plan to eliminate my salary, as if there is 50% less people and space to manage the company has no need for a manager making my salary. I think this guy was sent in with a mission to get rid of me and is documenting everything he can to build a strong HR case. Funny thing is, the only thing he is coaching me on are subjective items all up to his opinion. All objective measurable items are never included in conversations with me, because I run an operationally sound store on a daily basis and am meeting all measurable matrixes as well as or better than most of my district, so he is fluffing all this subjective stuff to get something on paper.
I have spoken to my bosses manager regarding this sudden change in corporate opinion of me and his statement was that each of the regional managers gets to run their region how they deem fit as long as they are making their numbers.....aka I am in on this too???? He instructed me to ask my new boss for help with some items, which I did. When I asked for help, my new boss refuses. I went to regional HR for help with certain HR tasks and she also refused to help me and then I was repremanded for the very thing I sought help for.
Some of my employees have gone to other managers in my building stating that they are extremely uncomfortable witnessing the way my new boss is treating me. My employees have also gone to other members of the regional management team to share that they are uncomfortable with the way I was being treated and were told by the regional team. "It is ok, it just sucks to be me today"
My managers and many of my employees are telling me that they think that I should seek legal counsel as what is happening to me is not right.
But I understand, that as an at will employee, I dont have much of a chance and just because I am not being treated right, doesn't mean it is not legal>>>> Looking for advice as to wheter I have some sort of a case.
