Hello everyone, it's is me again. I am very sorry to return here, but i must ask, in light of all this store assurance visits and stuff and just usual management pressure, how do you all deal with management pressure and occasional negative comments?
You see, I was moved last autumn, and unfortunately I am very poor at my new role within sainsbury's(it also causes me stress and mental, physical problems due to the nature of the tasks and a brain problem I have developed) I was asked to go and cover a department for 1 week due to other staff complaining about a high workload, meaning that during a transitional phase, I was asked to step in. A manager left (the one that asked me to cover) and a new one came in, to oversee operations, but as they told me, not to get very involved in the department as they had other more important things to do. I respect the management and their choices. In sainsbury's, my managers work with a very high level of professionalism and care, and they embody the sainsbury's values. So, i have nothing against them. However, every time this department needs help, i am put there, which i try to do, but I'm terrible at it, and it causes me great distress, including physical and emotional toll. Also, I feel as though there has been real unfairness in the way I was lied to at the beginning, the fact that if roles were reversed and I needed help, i would never get it, so the inconsistency bugs me, and also in the fact other trained, better quality, stronger, wiser, more experienced and knowledgeable and capable staff could easily go there, but management don't put them there. I understand, they don't want to work under pressure or stress and will shy away from this department.
But, verbally, and in written terms(I still have all these documents) I was only meant to be there for 1 week. However, nearly a year later, I am still there. And I must say I knew from the beginning that I would struggle due to this role being a extremely tough one, and one that out of 50 staff, only 3 will do it alongside me, which means little to no cover. It's a very public facing, demanding department with a lot of pressure and stress and extreme deadlines, and lone working. It also affects my body significantly due to handling certain items which can be hazardous, meaning extreme anxiety occurs, making the time pressure even worse, because I'm cleaning myself up after most tasks.
I also receive shorter hours than other employees on this department(smaller contract, I don't blame anyone) so, I have all their jobs to do in less hours. Also, I never had a training or probation period there to confirm I could definitely do all the work(which i can't, there are several tasks i just can't do well and need help, but there is no support available) and I never did a full 2 week training course with the department. I have asked for full day and night training but have been told the hours just aren't present for that. There were serious hour cuts to this role several times in the past years, meaning lone working is the norm and pretty much standard.
My manager has recently become very critical of me(which i understand and accept), saying" you really need to do much better here, at the moment it isn't good enough, task x and x isn't done and customers are asking me for this" and " come on, hurry up, you're very slow" and the latest being " I'm not having a go at you, but this is the worst I've ever seen this department be, it's a f*cking joke" however, they offer no coaching and don't seek to identify the root cause of the problem(which I don't know either) also, customers are brutal in this public facing role, I would go so far as to say they even harass the staff on this department and behave in a intimidating manner which is really not good for my mental wellbeing.
and to top it off, as i feared at the start of this venture, I have received several disciplinaries for not being able to complete tasks on time leading to negative consequences. I am extremely scared for my employment with the company despite a medium ter partnership we already shared.
There was no negotiation or communication about these dramatic changes to my employment, just one day written and verbal confirmation " you're going here tomorrow, just for this week" but then, that was that and my fate was set.
How do you all deal with the manager criticism and disappointment and anger that sometimes they may have towards you in your jobs? I have gone away and thought about it and I have realised it's impossible to be a better colleague, so it is a very, very sad situation.
