Back home.
Made it there and back safely. We left early Wednesday morning and got in this afternoon. The services were lovely, as lovely as they could be, really, given they involved death. Funerals are always upsetting, but they tend to bring people together who've not seen each other in years--sometimes decades--and that was the wonderful part of all this, and what helped get most of us through the sadness. There was family drama as well, but that isn't surprising at all. Those things tend to happen at all gatherings, no? Still, I'm glad to be home again. I can only take so much of all that emotion, you know?
So it's back to work tomorrow--and what a mess I have waiting for me! I had to go in today to get my check and learned that my associate quit. I had a feeling this was coming, as he was a pissy older man who was irritated that he couldn't have the schedule he wanted (no nights, no weekends--in retail? c'mon!). He's retired, you see, and so has "earned the right" to have the sort of schedule he wants. My assistant manager had a conversation with him the other day--his last day--and explained that he should never have chosen to work in retail with those demands, as they are simply impossible to meet, especially when you are a new associate not even beyond your 90-day temp period. While he was a good worker, I did not appreciate his attempt to intimidate me into giving him what he wanted. Nice try, but I don't have any particular weakness for old people, nor do I back down before men, regardless their age. He was attempting to back me into a corner and give him what he wanted, but after having a long talk with my manager, she and I agreed that he was being unrealistic and rather rude. He also didn't win points with either of us for complaining to other department managers and associates and not the supervisor (me) or manager who actually has control over his schedule.
My opinion? Good worker, and losing that will suck, especially now, but personally? Good fucking riddance. I respect my co-workers and the associates I supervisor, but I demand no less than the same respect in return. He had an unfortunate sense of entitlement to a schedule he had not earned and he was never going to be happy with what he was going to be working. Basically, it worked out best for all of us. He left and can go back to hunting for a job that will cater to his needs and I no longer have to deal with veiled threats and behind-the-back gossip.
It's been an eventful couple of days, to be sure, and I won't have a break from any of it until Friday. But I did want to come on here with a general update in case anyone was interested or worried. I'll just get on with dropping off the face of the earth, now. ;)
So it's back to work tomorrow--and what a mess I have waiting for me! I had to go in today to get my check and learned that my associate quit. I had a feeling this was coming, as he was a pissy older man who was irritated that he couldn't have the schedule he wanted (no nights, no weekends--in retail? c'mon!). He's retired, you see, and so has "earned the right" to have the sort of schedule he wants. My assistant manager had a conversation with him the other day--his last day--and explained that he should never have chosen to work in retail with those demands, as they are simply impossible to meet, especially when you are a new associate not even beyond your 90-day temp period. While he was a good worker, I did not appreciate his attempt to intimidate me into giving him what he wanted. Nice try, but I don't have any particular weakness for old people, nor do I back down before men, regardless their age. He was attempting to back me into a corner and give him what he wanted, but after having a long talk with my manager, she and I agreed that he was being unrealistic and rather rude. He also didn't win points with either of us for complaining to other department managers and associates and not the supervisor (me) or manager who actually has control over his schedule.
My opinion? Good worker, and losing that will suck, especially now, but personally? Good fucking riddance. I respect my co-workers and the associates I supervisor, but I demand no less than the same respect in return. He had an unfortunate sense of entitlement to a schedule he had not earned and he was never going to be happy with what he was going to be working. Basically, it worked out best for all of us. He left and can go back to hunting for a job that will cater to his needs and I no longer have to deal with veiled threats and behind-the-back gossip.
It's been an eventful couple of days, to be sure, and I won't have a break from any of it until Friday. But I did want to come on here with a general update in case anyone was interested or worried. I'll just get on with dropping off the face of the earth, now. ;)