My complaint:
I was hired for a part-time job as cashier in Cookeville, Tn. Spring Street. This was my 2 nd time working at this store. I workef 5 years prior and decided to take care of my mother and keep her at home. I enjoyed my job at Food Lion. I enjoyed several customers daily and they appreciated the customer service i provided. This last time I worked there, I saw alot of those same customers and they told me how much they missed me and was glad to see me back at this store. When i interviewed for the job, I told Joseph about my mom being in the hospital at this time. My father in law of 32 years was also having some serious medical issues. He said we would work things out. Food lion to go was starting a week later. After several weeks i still wasnt set up to get my schedule thru the application. Joseph would text me and tell me when i would be working. My father in law was put on hospice and they called his children to be at his bedside to say goodbye. I called the store and told them i would be going out of town to support my husbands family during this time to take me off of the schedule the remainder of the week and weekend. I was called and quedtioned why i wasnt there for my shift. I told them i had requested off until he passed. I wasnt even notified of that schedule via text from Joseph. Had no idea i was even on the schedule. He passed 7 days later. Ee laid him to rest and i was ready to return to work. I was scheduled about 15 hours the following week. The next week my mother was put on hospice and they wasnt expecting her to be with us maybe 3 weeks. I had to have someone relieve me before i could leave for work. One day I called the store and told them i would be late because we had to call ambulance to take mom to hospital she had fallen. They refused to treat her because she was on hospice. When she was leaving the hospital she coded and the
Nurse performed chest compressions. She was DNR. No records were written on this incident. I worked that night and the next day she was declining quickly. I called out of work to spend all the time i could with her before she passed. We had more than enough people to cover my shifts. Several front end workers standing and talking while customers were waiting 3 or 4 in each line. No help with bagging because several working up front to get their hours were for Food Lion to go. They only had one order all day. So i know they were fine to cover. Mom passed on Sunday May 30th at 3am. Services were on Wed and Thurs. I contacted Joseph via text and said I would be ready to return the following week. No response. I called the store to get my schedule because i still cant utilize the app. I was informed by Charlie that Joseph wanted to talk to me before putting me on the schedule. I called on the following Saturday and he was at lunch. Attempted several times that afternoon it was busy or he was in the freezer or whatever. I called the store to check about schedule and again was told to call Joseph. I called the next weekand Joseph was on vacation all week. I finally talked to Joseph when he returned to work and he informed me i was terminated because I had missed some days during my 90 days probation period. Not only did I lose my Husbands father and my precious mother but my job. He said corporate terminated me. In my devastated state of grief i was so disappointed how this was handled. Its not like the store was short handed without me being there. I was told the store had too many employees up front and hours were being cut. The college kids would be getting more hours since school was out and the cashiers that didnt attend school would get less until fall. I wasn’t told this during my interview. But reguardless this company stresses Customer Service is important which I agree but employees are important also. This proved to me with no employee support when unfortunate deaths happen within these 90 days. I cant believe corporate would do this to an employee. This action shows me and the public how much the company really cares about employees when its all said and done. By the way underneath the scales are so nasty at each register its disgusting. That is just one of the problems among several that needs to be addresssed. I doubt this would pass inspection for cleanliness and definately not sanitary.
Suggested solution:
Have some heart. not just for customers but for employees. If this had been your loved ones wouldnt you feel betrayed too? I would much rather have interacted with customers, than grieving over the losses i have endured. Lets get bsck to the days when employers genuinely cared for their employees.
