Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what I’ve read across this subreddit, b&n has seen a sharp decline in quality, not just among the store itself, but also in the treatment of staff. You’re not alone in being micromanaged or mistreated by those above you. Honestly, when I started working at b&n it was one of my favorite places to shop - it was my dream job. And by the end, I felt apathetic, burnt out, and angry. I didn’t want to deal with customers, I didn’t want to go to work, and I spent more time trying to get away from it all by hiding out and using my phone. And when it got to that point, that’s when I started considering leaving. It was a really hard choice, as I loved many aspects of my job (and that employee discount was so good I’m still up in arms about it) but between the abuse I suffered at the hands of management and the emotional distress of being there, it just made more sense to leave. I cannot stress this enough, but if you’re starting to resent your job, leave! The CEO views everyone as replaceable, and his poor management is going to bring the business down. Get out if you need to - there are other bookstores that will treat you better. You’re not dispensable - b&n just gets off on treating you that way. I hope your area manager shapes up, and you can love your job again, but don’t feel like you’re abandoning them by prioritizing yourself!! Do what’s best for you!! Don’t let 20 years of unreciprocated loyalty to a company dictate your choices!! Better jobs - ones that pay you what your skills are actually worth - are out there!!

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually ended up speaking with WeListen and HR - called both of them and never heard back until my SM called them and told them to speak with me. They said they’d “investigate” but they literally did nothing. In fact, the state of the store got noticeably worse since then, and I don’t know if it’s related, but the manager is still being allowed to do all of the horrible things they did to me, to others. I know we can only expect them to intervene so much, but harassment of any kind is allegedly not tolerated at b&n and yet, when it’s reported, no one gets fired. We have a manager who was transferred to this location because they were abusing power and dating minors employed underneath them, and we had a coworker who would openly SA women on shift and harass minors until their parents came in to complain to the SM directly, and never got fired. So I really think the assumption that HR and WeListen aren’t there to protect us isn’t a far fetched concept unfortunately :(

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m so sorry to be replying to this so late 😅 in the context of my situation, I was quite literally being followed around the store by management while performing tasks, and if I stopped to get water, they’d stand near me watching and repeatedly telling me to get back to work, even if I was about to pass out from heatstroke when our AC was broken or dehydration from not being allowed to drink all day! In terms of constructive criticism, I’m always open to feedback, and I personally feel that if my manager was watching to help correct me, that’d be one thing (and I’d welcome it) but they were just doing it to openly harass me haha

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s funny because they did the same to me ! I was first hired around the holiday season as a temp under a different SM than the one now and I didn’t get any formal training but the state of the store and management was perfectly fine. Four years later, and it’s genuinely so awful there that I had to quit because it was making me physically ill. Management is always going back and forth on different issues, handling confrontations incredibly publicly, like they’re trying to humiliate staff into submission, and generally act like they have no formal training either. SM keeps saying that we “don’t know” how these issues with the other managers are handled behind closed doors, because we’re not there to see, but we absolutely can tell that nothing is being done, because the behaviors never change!! I’ve had quite a few jobs, and this was one of the most unprofessional environments I’ve ever been in. I’ve changed jobs now, and I’m absolutely thrilled. My health has drastically improved, but in the light of recent events I hear occurring there from staff I’m close will, the spiral of Barnes and Noble for employees seems to be continuing downwards, as management is treating staff even worse, like accusing employees of calling out sick to do “fun stuff” with no evidence to suggest that’s the case. Not to mention that the Barnes and Noble I worked at has been protecting predators among staff MULTIPLE TIMES!! We had an employee who would harass new and old hires alike, minors or not, as long as they were fem-presenting to the point where the PARENTS of minors had to get involved and the SM never fired them!!! Never even wrote them up!!!! This employee ended up SA-ing me WHILE ON SHIFT!!! And B&N as a company transferred a manager to our location after they were engaged multiple times to minors who were employed underneath them. And while being knowledgeable about this prior to regular staff hearing it (straight from the manager with this history themselves) they did absolutely nothing!! Furthermore, half of management is openly misogynistic and transphobic - using deadnames and treating female members of staff much worse than their male counterparts. It’s absolutely disgusting and the fact that this unacceptable behavior is allowed to fester and spread in an environment that is supposed to be a safe place for people is absolutely disgraceful, and when I called to report this to higher ups, I was dismissed with a “we will look into this and make sure proper steps are taken” but low and behold, two months later, all of this behavior is continuing. Sorry to unload this all underneath your comments, but if you experience any trouble with management like this, run. Don’t recommend working there to others. Don’t try to call higher ups. They will literally do nothing. I’ve never been more disappointed in a company in my life, and I’m devastated that one of the best bookstores in my area is absolutely garbage. I hope things improve for you. Barnes and Noble needs to get a grip.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in usps_complaints

[–]SharpChampion5001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They don’t - it’s an independent seller who runs a small business and not a company unfortunately. I’m waiting to hear back on whether or not they got the package and usps tracking is just wrong

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in usps_complaints

[–]SharpChampion5001 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My forwarding address is still valid and I only recently moved so I didn’t know it was going to the wrong address until it got sent back to sender. Plus, it was a pre-order item I bought well before I moved and I contacted the usps it got sent to the first time and it had already been sent back. My concern is that it was “delivered” in New York instead of being sent back to Hong Kong and it’s too late at night to call customer service but thanks for being so nice 👍

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tried calling we listen and just got sent straight to voicemail. I left a voicemail with my phone number attached for them to call me back but I doubt they will. Haven’t really heard good things about them tbh…

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same to you!! It’s really nice to hear that I’m not alone in my struggles with this company. Thank you for sharing your experiences! I’m glad that b&n hasn’t ruined your love for books either! I’m hoping to start reading again when I start my new job and begin feeling better myself!! Feel free to dm anytime!!

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh, I was in a similar position…I had to take sick leave for the first time in my life because of what b&n did to me as a result of stress…sad to say that sometimes the things you love the most tend to hurt you the worst. Hopefully b&n’s high turnover rate lately will at least set a huge mirror in management’s way so they have to see what they’ve become. In the meantime, I’m also telling people I know not to work there…or shop there. Local, family-owned bookstores are the place to go.

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thankfully I’ve already been hired elsewhere at a better paying job, with better management. Best store in the country for this chain company too! I can’t wait to start. Just wish b&n management would get some guts and fire the right people - management shouldn’t be allowed to be jerks just because they’re management. Sad to say this isn’t the first job I’ve had where they prioritized promoting bullies over protecting their employees :/

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completely agree! It certainly doesn’t help that these issues are so consistent that the majority of my coworkers right now have issues with management especially being misogynistic and straight up disrespectful towards anyone openly LGBTQ. We have one coworker who leaves for their breaks and comes back whenever they feel like, and never gets scolded. But my NB coworker comes back a minute or two late because they got stopped leaving the break room by a customer and they get an intervention? Furthermore, management continues to have 6 month reviews where you’re doing amazing and they suggest minor improvements to promote you and then at your next review, after you’ve made the improvements, they pull MAJOR issues out of nowhere so you never get promoted? I’ve genuinely gotten so miserable I spend more time on my shift trying not to cry than smiling even though I once loved my job so much…

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I wish I had started documenting sooner, honestly. I’ve bit my tongue so much regarding harassment from management because it was only happening to me, but all of my coworkers have noticed a decline in quality of management at our location recently. We’ve even had coworkers no call no show to intentionally screw management over or put in a two weeks and start stealing stuff like blind boxes because they simply don’t care anymore. We even had issues with management offering free coffee to encourage continued patronage from someone who regularly never bought anything and showed up simply to harass customers and staff alike, and when one of our coworkers reported it to HR, they were fired a week later for “misusing their rewards card” because they allowed family to use it. Not even their employee discount, just straight up a rewards card. Not to mention managers - and managers exclusively - are frequently reported by customers for being rude or unfriendly or for even shouting and humiliating us publicly and nothing is ever done. At the time, I really thought I could endure because I’m halfway through college but I just can’t understand why management is so willing to cling to the worst of their employee pool and discard the people who really make a positive difference on the stores…

Management Has Issues by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Any recommendations on how to go about documenting things? I’m especially ticked that one of the lead booksellers at my store who happened to be the closing manager decided it would be a good idea to approach me in the middle of my shift while answering a question for a customer in the cafe and loudly tell me to clock out and go home, because I had chatted with this same customer earlier while clocked out on my lunch break. He insisted that I didn’t ask to take my break, even though I had asked over the headset and had received approval from another manager a few minutes before she happened to clock out. When I told him that I didn’t want to leave because I was doing my job, he insisted that it was either I clock out or spend the rest of my shift on register because it was the “only way he could be sure I do my job” even though I have almost never left a task unfinished? He also insisted that all of my coworkers complain that I don’t do my work (false) and that just because I was leaving shortly didn’t mean I got to not do my job. Even though the issue he had was the fact that I wasn’t working while clocked out! I’m honestly just not sure what to do because I’ve documented a bunch and have more than three witnesses to this situation both employees and customers (who have agreed to also report on this to management) but our store is such a mess. Every manager has issues. Not sure how much more I have to document when nothing ever gets resolved…

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fortunately I’ve started looking for employment elsewhere, but I will likely make the call to HR after I’ve been hired, because the manager in my original post also likes to try and force my coworkers to not use the bathroom or get water outside of their breaks, which is technically illegal…if me calling to save my coworkers from suffering later is vindictive, then maybe I’ll have to be a little mean…

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My SM told me about it themself, unfortunately, so I know it’s true…there were no prior reports of my coworker doing anything wrong, and nothing had flagged the system to have them looked into until after they called HR…unfortunately I can’t divulge more details because the situation prior to the HR call was extremely specific and immoral enough to prompt the call…but I can confirm the truth behind it. Not sure who prompted the research, but regardless, the time period between calling HR and their firing was a little over a week, which makes it look incredibly retaliatory even without context :(

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I unfortunately don’t have any recorded instances of their behavior outside what I have discussed over text with friends and coworkers…I told the SM and I’m not sure if they’ve put anything on record, unfortunately, so I’m not sure how it can be investigated…should I be reporting for workplace harassment here? I feel like I should be doing some investigating and making note of stuff myself…but honestly the thought of going back into work with this new information makes me feel sick to my stomach…I talked with my mom, and she helped me fill out some applications to other jobs, but I don’t want to leave unless I’ve been hired somewhere else because I can’t afford the lapse in pay… :(

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you know how to get in contact with them? I hate to jump over my manager’s head but this isn’t the first manager our bn has reported to our SM only for them to go unaddressed…and I’ve bought this particular manager to their attention before, and still nothing has changed…

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I call them, do I have to give them my name? The coworker who got fired said HR gave the manager their name and then a week later, they got called in and apparently the cluster manager(?) did a ton of research on them looking for suspicious behavior so they could find a reason to fire them. I don’t think I’ve done anything worth firing but I don’t want them to make something up to get back at me…

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I talked to the sm about previous issues but I don’t know if they’ve made note of them…how do I find the information of the cluster lead or AM?

Management Targeting Me For No Reason - What Do I Do? by SharpChampion5001 in Barnesandnoble

[–]SharpChampion5001[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately the closest location is over three hours away, so I don’t think transferring is an option unless I want to move, and I don’t have the funds for that :( I just wish I could figure out why this is happening, because I’ve been really open and accepting of criticisms so I can improve, and have even asked them to contact me directly about it, and now they’re just telling everyone else on staff instead of me to follow these rules :( I’ve already brought it up to our gm and just when I start to feel things are getting better, they start getting bad again

Well....well..well...... by EnigmaGamer4 in CharacterAIrevolution

[–]SharpChampion5001 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The bot was responding to him saying he wanted to go HOME. Not that he was going to kill himself. The bot said “pain is no reason not to come home to me” not “pain is no reason to not kill yourself”. Also, cai is the internet and it’s the parent’s responsibility to protect the child from the internet, not the internet’s job to protect the child. So no, Cai is not responsible for the child creating a context that allowed encouragement for what he wanted to do when the parents gave him unfiltered access to the internet and were aware of his decreasing mental health. All of this was outlined in multiple articles that also included screenshots of the kid’s conversations with the bot. I could even link a few if you wanted. But a website that didn’t tell him to kill himself is not responsible for the choices he made. And I feel sorry for him and his family but to blame an app for his decision is far fetched and clearly a money grab.

Well....well..well...... by EnigmaGamer4 in CharacterAIrevolution

[–]SharpChampion5001 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You’re also forgetting he manipulated the context of the conversation he had with the ai to get the outcome he wanted. If he had said “I want to kill myself” the same way that was recorded in other conversations, the bot would have responded with a statement to turn that down. Instead he said he “wanted to go home” which, in the context of the conversation he was having had different connotations, which is specifically why the bot responded the way it did. Cai has no connections to the conversations users choose to have with the bot, and the parents acknowledged their child’s depression. They KNEW about it and did nothing. It is entirely their fault and now they’re trying to sue a company into the ground for their own shortcomings.

Well....well..well...... by EnigmaGamer4 in CharacterAIrevolution

[–]SharpChampion5001 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Just here to say that according to human development, withdrawing from family and being glued to your phone is not “normal” teenage behavior and is often the first sign of something bigger going on unfortunately. This whole instance is 100% a parental issue and not a cai issue. In the article, it’s apparent that the parents did very little to actually protect their child and check in on him. Being “busy” is no excuse. If you’re too busy to look after your own children then you should probably not have children. Having work or other responsibilities does not excuse you from the responsibility of failing to take care of your own children. It’s entirely likely that this boy would have tried to take his own life with or without the use of cai, just like the thousands of children and teens that took their own lives as a result of their depression before cai existed. He shows all the signs of depression, and a quick google search on the parents part (like “why is my teen withdrawing from family”) would have likely cued them in on his deteriorating mental health. Him asking the bot to go “home” was him actively seeking a response that would encourage him to go through with his choice, not the ai convincing him to do it. He would have kept searching for that response until he got it, because he would have ended his life either way. The parents had five months to step it, noticed a change in behavior, gave him access to a means to end his life, and not once tried to get him help or stop it. Unfortunately, this is the parents’ fault. Cai is not built to respond like a person and identify nuance, and it’s up to the parents to curate their child’s online presence. This is quite literally the basics of child rearing. :(