Manager's Shady Activity...

[SixthSt.Girl]

I work at a small, locally-owned store - the three employees are the owner (my boss), the manager, and an associate (me). I have been there for almost one year. We recently got a new manager. I was not here when the owner hired her; the previous manager and I both left around the same time to take other jobs. Mine did not work out, and I ended up coming back. The owner has basically given this new woman the run of the store because he's fed up with the store not doing well, and thinks she can turn it around since she had several years experience at a similar store (which went into bankruptcy several years ago). I honestly don't think much of her nor can figure out what the owner was thinking bringing her in here. She's a nice person, but she has a hard time relating to younger customers, which are a large part of our business. She has been spending her time re-organizing the store several times over. I'm not sure why because it creates mass confusion when we try to help customers and can't find anything. I have kept my mouth shut about this because I have leads on a few other jobs, and really think that this store is going into the wrong direction. I originally wanted to get a part-time second job just so I could stay on, but it's not worth it to me anymore - it's changed so much under this new manager and I think it's best I concentrate on finding a career with a future.

 

Anyway, to the heart of the situation: this manager has done a few things that concern me. She has friends inside the store when we're putting stuff in the cases (which, no one but us is allowed on premises during opening and closing). She has said that they're in there because they've given her rides to work and wanted to come in and browse. If the owner knew, I think he'd be upset. I let it go, but it made me uncomfortable. We sell high theft merchandise and I don't want something disappearing, esp. during my shift. The problem is that the owner has two other businesses and can't spend as much time overseeing the store as he should. He's trusting this woman, and he's gotten burned trusting previous managers too much, too soon. When I came in today to get some food I'd left when I went home sick last weekend, there was someone working on the computer - and it looked like they had this month's sales up! He's not someone I know, nor do I think the owner knows him. The manager was talking to a vendor and basically ignored my presence, so I didn't get to talk to her at all. I just have a weird vibe, and feel like I should say something. The owner and I have never had any problems with trust issues. I just don't want something to go wrong (not that I think that it will, since this woman has had several years exp. at one place), because though I've been reliable, he seems to totally trust this manager as well. I've been thinking about calling him anyway, since I probably won't see him until he comes in Friday, to let him know what's going on with my career situation. I'm planning on talking to this career counselor and I heard back from a company I've applied to. Should I bring any of this up? Maybe I should just wait to see if anything's changed when I come back in. I'm the only one who does the computer work for the store. I'll know if something is changed or missing. I think this manager is bad news, and if the owner was in more, I'm sure he'd see it, too. I know he probably doesn't want to hear me badmouth her, but I do have an education in management - my dad is a business management prof and has made the same remarks about our business. I don't have much to lose because I don't plan on being there that much longer, and I have grown attached to the store and want to see it succeed. It hurts to see sales down and the store in disarray. Hopefully, he will take time to see this and do what's best for the business.

 

Any advice will be appreciated!

[MWC_LifeBeginsAt40]

You should tell the owner as soon as possible. However, before you do, try and gather some information to back up your story. Do you have anything that you can use to prove any of the activity that goes on?

 

Maybe ask the owner to come by sometime before opening when you think the manager might have "friends" in the store.

 

The main thing I worry about is you getting implicated if anything goes awry. If this manager is as shady as you say, she may have her butt covered and put the blame on you.

[SixthSt.Girl]

D[color=orange]o you have anything that you can use to prove any of the activity that goes on?[/color]

 

No, not really, except to physically drag his butt in there. There are no security cameras (at least not any that I know of). I keep most of our monthly sales on disk because we've had problems with QuattroPro crashing, but all of Feb's are not updated on disk because he found some tax errors and re-did them. Hopefully, he made a copy so if they are messed with, he'll know - and I haven't worked since Sat., so he'll know pretty much it was her or someone else. I worry about the inventory more, because with her moving things constantly, there is no way to tell something's missing right away. A previous manager actually made up fake invoices, took the stuff out of the system and left with it. He had a hard time pinning her to that - he only found out because she had been closing down the store at random to leave and that led him to suspect her of the stealing. Hopefully, he will trust me enough to know that if something goes wrong, it's not me. I never had trust issues with the past manager or vice versa. Things were in order so that if something was in the wrong place, it was easy to track down. Maybe she's not up to anything serious and I'm making a big deal of it, but my dad said I should tell him. But how do I even bring it up? "Oh, I just wanted you to know I heard back from x company about y job, and BTW our manager's acting shady." Sigh, I don't know how I get myself into these dramatic situations...

[Craig]

SixthSt.Girl, you would be doing the right thing by talking to the owner regarding your concerns.

 

A good way to talk to the owner is to show him a print out of this post. Also see if you can collect any evidence of wrong doing on the part of the manager. Keep notes and please, please do tell the owner. He'll appreciate your concern for his business.

[soccorsilly]

First off do not print out this post. I do not want to see my business failings on a public board.

 

Secondly, call him and ask him if he has hired someone to oversee the books? That you came back in and saw someone working on the computer while the manager was busy with a vendor, and because he was unfamiliar to you, you wanted to ask. It might be his accountant that was there and that may be all well and good.

 

On the friends in the store routine, I would also say that while you have no reason to believe nothing is going wrong, you understand why there is the rule about no one in during closing and opening--due to high theft merchandise. You just want to be sure that it is ok.

 

You won't come across as confrontational, and it will show the owner that you are honest and have a desire to see his business succeed.

 

Make the call tonight before something happens. And, my own gut instinct tells me that you are probably right on target!

[SixthSt.Girl]

Well, I talked to him. I was really nervous about doing it, but I feel better that he knows. He said that he is going to ask her what's up because he's curious about this, too. I tried to make it clear that there is no bad blood b/w this manager and I and I'm not looking to start something - I just wanted him to be aware of what's happening. He was really understanding and thanked me for telling him. I just hope that she doesn't get all defensive and take it out on me. My dad said that I should leave in case she starts saying things about me that aren't true in defense. I don't know if she's the type of person to do that or not, but she's not going to be too happy after talking to him. Hopefully, she will just take this as a warning and the shady stuff will stop.

[soccorsilly]

Do not sweat it. Your boss will look into it and handle it. If she gets pissy, I am sure he will be looking for that and will probably fire her anyhow. Remember this is a new girl with no track record who may (or may not) be up to something. Do not quit.

[Craig]

SixthSt.Girl Bravo!! I am glad you talked to him!! I think your dad is right about leaving too. Unfortunately some people can be downright immoral, unethical and unpredictable and there is no way of telling what, if anything, the manager might do.

 

Your boss had the response I thought he'd have, I think you have an ally in him. Once again, congrats on doing the right thing!

[SixthSt.Girl]

As in real life, I have two different people telling me two different things that I should do concerning this job. I actually have a few people on both sides. I don't want to have a hole in my resume to explain to future employers, but I don't want to be in a jewelry store with someone I don't trust. I went to work today, and apparently he hasn't talked to her yet because she mentioned that he had something to talk to her about, and would come in or call her today or tomorrow. All three of us will possibly be there tomorrow (the manager will come in only to meet a vendor who *might* be in), so I'm afraid this thing will blow sky high. A piece of jewelry disappeared today. It wasn't a very expensive piece, but we looked everywhere and couldn't find it! Nothing has ever gone missing for more than 5 minutes during the time I spent there w/the other manager.

 

I think if I get a chance to speak to the owner alone, I will say that I like the store, but don't want to chance taking the heat for something she's done - I've seen how easily it can happen - we were robbed under a previous manager's watch. We were robbed by her from both behind the scenes and an actual full-on robbery, which she is suspected to be behind. I don't know if it will get to this point, but I have distrust building already, and plus, she's not going to be thrilled once she knows I went to the owner. I'm afraid that she'll get defensive and badmouth me to him - I still talk to our last manager, and she will stand by me if this lady tries to say I've broken rules. Once before, though, when I got into an arguement with the last manager, the owner basically gave her permission to fire me if we couldn't get along. I don't trust him not to do that again. He will give the manager authority in crappy situations that he doesn't want to make. I think my best bet is to leave. It just depends, I think, on how it plays out - who comes in at what time and says what to whom first. I know that I do not want to wait around to possibly lose my position. The sad thing is that this manager has experience, but it was at a failure of a store that couldn't make it in modern times. He trusts her to turn this store around, and it's going to end up just like the other store if she follows their business practices. I just don't want to be around to see this place either go under or be robbed blind (again). It's just a totally frustrating situation to be in.