I was fired today offmychest

As the title says I was fired for the first time from a job. I have been working as a dishwasher at my local Co-op for the last three months. It was a good gig. I got a steady pay slightly above minimum wage, there were bins of free food, and wi-fi. The first red flag was in May.

I got my first evaluation in May. Technically I was supposed to get an evaluation in April but my supervisor Michelle was sick with pneumonia. Therefore she gave me both of my evaluations in May. According to her I needed to improve my dish washing speed. Then she mentioned several other duties that no one had told me about. These involved cleaning of the sink area, cleaning of the back walk in refrigerator, and putting away produce orders along with taking out trash and washing dishes. I said I was up to the challenge.

I was given a brief overview on how to put away produce orders. I was supposed to get two weeks of instruction. However, after only one week I was left on my own. I was unable to fulfill the order and someone else had to cover. I was given more instruction and then just given the task.

I was able to get the orders put away promptly. This was also when I had to put away misplaced produce orders, consolidate the shelf space, consolidate dairy, and put away misplaced meats and cheeses. I checked in with other senior clerks and they all said I was doing a good job with the produce.

Next was the cleaning. I made it part of my daily routine to clean the sink, sweep the area, and take out the garbage. Twice a week I swept and mopped the walk in refrigerator.

Finally there were the dishes. I was able to increase my pace without overexerting myself. I also changed when I took my breaks, so they would coincide when the kitchen was least active, and I had gotten more than half of my dishes done. I also organized dishes so that there were at least 10 before I would go out to put them away.

Doing all of these tasks was an effort. I had began working a 4 hour shift 5 days a week. After my first evaluation my shift was increased to 4.5 hours for four days and 4 hours for one day. I saw this as a positive sign.

I made sure to check in with my supervisor everyday to see if there was a particular area that she wanted cleaned or that I should focus on.

The next warning came the day before I was fired. My supervisor had pulled me aside to give me some advice. According to her I was still lacking in dish washing output. Others were having to wash dishes while I was on my break and during my time putting away produce. She also stated that I was not cleaning fast enough. That I should be able to get all of the dishes washed and do all of the extra duties within 4 hours instead of 4.5.

I listened intently. I acknowledge her criticisms and stated I would work on them. I also stated how I felt I had improved in my dish washing output which others including herself had complimented me on. Finally, I stated that everyone had told me it was a common courtesy for others to pitch in on the dishes while I was preoccupied for the produce. After that I returned to work.

I also inquired as to my coworkers if they had been washing during my breaks and none of them said they had. Also they told me that the produce order was originally Michelle's responsibility. However, she couldn't handle it so she decided that everyone in the deli department had to pitch in on it.

The next day I was fired. I was brought into the office and told that I was being terminated. I was not fulfilling my duties adequately. Michelle stated that I was not being efficient in putting away produce, washing dishes, cleaning, and that I had interrupted her numerous times. I took the situation calmly and stated that I felt that I had been preforming my duties adequately. I stated how I checked in with other senior clerks who said I was handling the produce just fine, how I had increased my output of dishes with the sink being empty when I left, and that I had been actively cleaning the sink and walk in refrigerator. I also countered the claimed interruptions by saying that it was never my intention to interrupt her and every time I had spoken to her it was about my job. I was again told how I was not measuring up to their standards.

Seeing the situation as it was I calmly retorted that my shortcomings were not solely my fault. I said that my evaluation was not properly done. I was forced to take several responsibilities much later then I should have. I also retorted how I knew produce was originally Michelle's responsibility, and she delegated it to everyone else because she couldn't handle it. Since the meeting was over I bid them goodbye. I ended my conversation in saying that while it didn't end on the best note I did enjoy my time at the Co-Op because I did.

That is my story.

Submitted June 18, 2016 at 11:33AM by CCV21 http://ift.tt/1Say4Rb offmychest