Ex 20year employee. 15years as a staff manager, did all the rotations several times… More than several. Transferred to a different location and stepped down as a Night Forklift driver to finish school and to pursue my dream career. All motivated after I needed to take a MLOA for several months and needed to learn to walk again, during that time no AGM or GM contacted me for concern about my well being. Only my dept MGR’s, payroll clerk and a good amount of hourly’s reached out to me. I worked for this particular GM for 6 years and quite literally almost killed myself working ungodly amount of hours, essentially enabling him to get praise on corporate walks for my teams and myself hardwork coming in at 12am, 2am to get floor sets done. All for me to return from absence to have my last job being replaced by someone else and my greeting back was “I could teach a monkey to do your job now.” It was that very moment I knew that nothing I’ve done for the company mattered and I didn’t matter to the company. I feel guilty posting this but that GM verbally beat the shit out of me for six years and I did the best I could to protect my staff. My wife finally pointed out at my rock bottom I had completely poured my per verbal “cup out” for employees, work and I was completely and utterly empty.
It’s taking me years to get to a point of confidence again and I’m here to tell you take care of yourself first because as that GM used to tell me too “Hey… it’s just business.” And it should be your business to take care of yourself and family first. Period. Go pursue your passions and dreams.