WorkplaceChallenges #HomelessnessAwareness #ConfrontationAtWork
Dealing with difficult work situations, especially when your personal life has been disrupted by something as severe as a tornado, can be overwhelming. You might be wondering how to address the inappropriate actions of your Assistant Manager and what steps to take next. In this article, we’ll provide insights and actionable advice on handling the situation.
Understanding the Context of Your Situation
Your living situation took a hit due to a tornado, forcing you to stay with a friend temporarily. Despite the challenge of being homeless, you’ve maintained your job at a fast food restaurant, working around 35 hours a week. Most of your coworkers have been supportive and empathetic about your situation. However, the Assistant Manager (62F) has made your work life difficult by inappropriately confronting you and reporting your homeless status to HR.
Recognize the Inappropriateness of the Confrontation
Being called to the bathroom to be questioned about your homelessness and being told that your situation is aggravating was clearly inappropriate. Such actions could be considered harassment, especially given the Assistant Manager’s history of making other employees uncomfortable.
- 👎 Inappropriate confrontation
- 🚫 Potential harassment
- 🕵️♀️ History of complaints about her behavior
HR Escalation: What Does It Mean?
Your Assistant Manager reported your homeless situation to HR, seemingly to get permission to send you home early or justify running short shifts without you. However, other managers and HR have not supported her stance, acknowledging that her behavior towards you is unacceptable.
Responding to the Assistant Manager
Contemplating whether to address the Assistant Manager directly? Here are some tips:
- Stay Professional: Approach the situation with a calm and professional demeanor.
- Document Everything: Keep a record of all interactions. This will be useful if you need to escalate the issue further.
- Seek Support: Involve a trusted colleague or supervisor in the conversation if you decide to speak with her.
Talking Points If You Decide to Confront Her
If you choose to speak with your Assistant Manager, consider the following talking points:
- 🗣️ Express Your Feelings: Clearly explain how her actions have made you feel.
- 🗓️ Stick to Facts: Mention specific instances of inappropriate behavior.
- 🤝 Seek Resolution: Ask for a constructive way to move past these issues and improve the work environment.
When to Escalate to Higher Management or HR
Given the Assistant Manager’s behavior and the impact it has on your well-being and professional life, you might consider escalating the issue:
- Speak to the General Manager: They’ve already acknowledged the issue. Request a formal meeting to discuss your concerns and seek their support.
- File a Formal Complaint with HR: Given her history and the inappropriate confrontation, consider filing a detailed complaint.
Building a Case: Important Steps
- 🖋️ Document Any Incidents: Write down dates, times, and details of any confrontational incidents.
- 📸 Collect Evidence: Save any written communications that could be relevant.
- 🧑⚖️ Know Your Rights: Familiarize yourself with workplace harassment laws in Florida.
Conclusion: Prioritize Your Well-Being and Rights
Your primary concern should be your well-being and rights as an employee. While facing an unsupportive Assistant Manager is tough, knowing your rights and having a plan can help you navigate this difficult situation. Remember, you shouldn’t have to apologize for circumstances beyond your control, and it’s crucial to stand up for yourself in a professional manner.
Final Thoughts
Navigating work while dealing with personal hardships is challenging enough without added workplace stress. By seeking support, documenting incidents, and understanding your rights, you can address the inappropriate behavior and ensure a respectful work environment. Stay strong, and remember, it’s your right to work in a harassment-free space. 🌟
You are not homeless. According to your own narrative you have made arrangements for a place to stay until you secure new housing. I dont see a need to address this with her unless you want to reassure her that despite the storm damage you’ve managed to keep your chin up, have a place to stay and are working to get back on your feet.
Dependent on your State/Local laws this may be considered harassment.
You stated you are in FL so I doubt it.. but worth looking into.
And important step in anything you do is to have a meeting with HR and document everything. Make sure it’s on paper.
Then if she continues to act up – report, report, report. Create a paper trail.
You do not owe her any explanations about your housing situation or your personal life. You get to work on time and do your job. That is all the information that she needs. If she makes more comments document date/time and what she said and give it to HR. Also see if the company has an ethics line and make a report to them.
And grey rock her if she tries to bring up your living situation or anything about your personal life. I like responding with “why do you ask?” Or “can you clarify your question please?”
@wowsocool4u – OP is, by definition, homeless. Part of that definition is not having a permanent address and living with others but not being part of the leasehold.
What a weirdo. Just keep doing your job and ignore her bullshit. HR knows she’s a problem and apparently isn’t going to stop her.
Half the people working in fast food would be considered homeless if your definition of the word was applied.
The assistant manager is a weird old lady. Since she’s the assistant manager, I’d assume this would be something the manager needs to deal with.
File a complaint for sure! Your manager is targeting you and tell them how you feel and that you want it to be addressed and never brought up again because she is creating a hostile work environment. Also bring up you feel harassed due to being cornered in the bathroom about this by a MANAGER. thats insane, don’t care if they are an assistant manager.
You’re living with a roommate temporarily, due to a storm damaged house/apartment. Why is this any of her business? The next time she says anything, tell her that your living situation is none of her business and has zero bearing on the work you do. You show up, on time or early, clean and dressed appropriately, you do your work, and you go home. The only thing she’s allowed to address is your with performance. So ask her if there is some issue with your on the job performance that she would like to discuss with you. She will likely have no response. Then tell her the next time you hear her say anything about your living arrangements or personal life, you will report her to HR for creating a hostile work environment.
Jesus Christ was a POS. I work in HR and if this hateful ass biddy came to me with this nonsense I’d put her in her place quick, fast, and in a hurry.
I do hope your situation gets better. I’m so sorry. Seems the world is just filled with assholes.
Can you put in a “change of address” with HR using your friend’s address? That proactively shows you are not homeless. I’d mention this to your friend, in case anyone would somehow ask them about it.
FIRST THING: Document everything the General and Assistant Manager has said to you or others and when those things were said the best you can. You will want to keep a paper-trail to look back on as needed and provide to HR. Or an employment attorney…
So not speak directly to the Assistant Manager. Minimize your interactions with her as much as possible and be neutral and professional when speaking to her.
Since the AM already approached HR to complain about you, I suggest writing with HR, and indicating that you are concerned that you are being targeted for having your housing compromised by the tornadoes. Depending state law, this might constitute workplace harassment. That this communication happen in writing is important (because paper-trail). If they ask to meet in person or via a phone call, take notes during the meeting and sent them your notes and ask them to confirm they are correct. If it legal to do so (this is state-specific), record any phone calls you have with HR or management. Remember, HR is not your friend. HR exists to remain in legal compliance and mitigate risk to the business.
Even if this does not constitute harassment, the optics are terrible. A victim of the tornadoes being targeting with abuse at work for losing their home? As an employer, I would not want word getting out that I enabled that shit.
Your GM is not much better here. They should not have told you about the AM comments. They should not be theorizing with you on why the AM hates homeless people. They basically should have nipped this in the bud when it occurred and told the AM to never make such a statement again or they’ll be PIPed or something. They are fueling the drama and making your workplace needlessly more hostile, rather than working to keep things professional.
you also talk allot about your personal issues, regardless of the mgr being a 💩 that will cause you a lot of issues periodt.
I would try to report her to hr for harassment and a form of discrimination
Are you homeless, or are you staying somewhere? Because if you are staying somewhere you are not really homeless. Even if it’s just temporary.