I'm A Bad Boy.

I should feel so guilty. I am enjoying a situation at work more than I should be. The biggest shame of all is I feel no guilt whatsoever. I wrote last month about actually wanting a department manager job. Of course I didn't get it. The person who was chosen has had no management experience, and had never worked in frozen foods or dairy. Now they are reaping what they have sown, and let's be kind and say it's less than a bumper crop.

Before I begin, I am not really picking on the new manager. Well in one case I am but you will see why. She was thrown into the job with very minimal training and at the worst possible time for a newcomer, inventory. The pace has slowed down but it does not appear that she catches on quickly. one case in point, setting layouts. A layout is a sheet that informs the manager about product placement. It tells what shelf any given product goes on. Our manager set the layout for frozen pies. In displaying them she committed a major no-no, she stood them all up. So what is wrong with that, you ask? Frozen food cases go on defrost three times a day, the cycle lasting from 45 minutes to an hour. The product thaws slightly during that time. It is not enough that it will hurt most products. The exception to that of course are the pies. If they are stood up eventually they will start to slide down in the pie pan. If you opened one that had spent a month or more on the shelf, you would have about half a pie. Not very appetizing, is it? Pies move quickly around the holidays, but the rest of the year you might go a week or two without selling one.

The night I was told about the pies standing I was working dairy. The guys working the department knew not to stand them up because I had preached that too them. Several nights later I told the manager directly above frozen foods and dairy that she needed to have a talk with our new department manager. So why did I not say something directly instead of going higher up? Our new manager seems to be punctually challenged. She is supposed to be on the clock at 7:00 A.M. That is when my shift ends, but I rarely leave on time. I have never been one to leave things half done, so I usually am a little late clocking out. I was asked how I knew the department manager was the one who had done that. I whipped out my deerstalker hat and put it on, clamped my meerschaum pipe between my teeth, and said it was an elementary deduction. The layout page was still taped to the door and the manager had signed it showing the job was complete. The only response I got was "Oh". They hate it when you have evidence to prove your case.

I realize it appears that I am doing what I said I wasn't going to do and pick on the new manager. After all, if she is totally new so how was she supposed to know not to stand up the pies. Answer that, you big bully, you. The answer is simple. On three different layout pages,(each door has one) it said all pies must be laying down. She only looked at shelf placement. Reading the directions, what a concept.

What else is going on? There is too much merchandise in the back that should be on the shelves. Items that should never be out of stock are. Better control needs to be taken with the other shifts. My job is to work the new freight that comes in everyday. Others are supposed to take care of what is already in the back. Part of being in charge is to make sure the work gets done. So far, that is not happening. If the new manager gets replaced, I will not be the one replacing her. They had their chance to put me in charge. I do not want to go through that process again.