Conflict and Things

I almost quit at work tonight. Lucky for a certain manager I have a delayed anger reaction. I tend to get mad five minutes after the almost-conflict is over.

Since September, B&N has been over-scheduling me. Over the past several weeks, I've told 3 out of 5 managers about my scheduling issues...about how, I asked to work a maximum of three times a week, about how I have been working a minimum of four times a week. Managers 1-3 seemed sympathetic and implied they would try to do something about the situation. But there has been no change.

The annoying and reasonable part of my brain told me that I needed to speak to manager number 4, you know, the guy who actually makes the schedules for the book-side.

I approached him in a humorous, nice way, saying "I have a bone to pick with you" in a cartoonish fashion. Things went bad from there.

He told me to take up my issues with the cafe manager (she is counted in as one of the 3 aware of my issues)..."talk to her," he said, you know, HER, the manager who is NOT scheduling me to work three times a week, but is only scheduling me to work once a week. You know, HER, the manager who is new and only has new employees who are still being trained and may need someone who has worked at B&N longer than one month to help her from time to time.

Then manager number 4 went too far. He implied I shouldn't be making scheduling requests at all because I'll be gone most of December. You know, DECEMBER--the first time I'll be in Michigan for longer than one week within the last two years.

I remained silent, as I often do. This is the healthy path. If I wanted to take the other path, you know, THE OTHER PATH, I could have said, "there's a way I won't have to request off December. I won't be employed here. Consider this my notice." OOOOOOOh, ha ha ha, what fun that path would have been. What drama that path would have caused (especially for me...I would have never been able to pay off my Gap bill).

I must admit I have been fantasizing about quitting a lot recently. I still hope to hold out until April. I think it will be best for all future employment purposes if I worked at one place my entire stay in Pittsburgh.

Two of the managers I'd mentioned my issues to previously were witness to the conflict.

After the conflict, three minutes after, you know, two minutes before I got angry. I went to the cafe and spoke to the cafe manager (the third manager in the know, but the only one of the three to not witness the conversation--confused yet?). Manager number 4 had already struck. Cafe manager and I reaffirmed that I want to work a balance of both the cafe and the book-side. Another one of those requests that I had made way back in September...the only request that--at times--has been honored.

One on the witnessing managers (You know, one of the managers who knew my issues and heard me talk to manager number 4) came and talked to me 4 minutes after the almost conflict, encouraging me to encourage the cafe manager to stand up to manager number 4 and say that she needs me in the cafe. (Did I lose you in that sentence?) He also said that Julie (the only other long-term cafe employee who is trained with the books) is having the same issue as me. Which is why she cut her hours in half. I'm not optimistic enough to think that I'll see a similar reduction.

In other news, a former manager visited today. He was the manager who trained me with the books, the one I used to have a crush on. I talked to him for a few minutes (you know, during one of the few slow moments). During our conversation he said he liked my current hair color. (I appreciated the compliment, but I got over my slight crush on him many moons ago, so my heart didn't do a happy dance or anything...Plus, I have an appointment to change my color tomorrow and I'm not going to change my mind because a blond-haired, green-eyed, 30-year-old named Bob says he likes the current color.)
I'm still sad though. Bob told me that he has a rare form of bone cancer. So sad! I hate cancer, hate it! I had to hug him. During the rest of our conversation, I silently prayed over him.

Off to bed. Can't be late for hair appointment,