Workplace Bullying At A Popular Grocery Store Chain Warehouse

by Michele
(Tully, NY)

I worked in a very popular grocery store chain warehouse, for 5 years I worked day shift and had friends and good coworkers (about 30 employees).

I’m in my 40s so the physical job was getting to be too much so I switched to the receiving job at night with about 10 employees. I loved my job. I would go in at 3 am happy and smiling.

Just a couple months into it the picking started from a couple of the women. It wasn't unbearable because I did have a couple "friends" on the shift. After about a year my very good friend couldn't deal with the harassment so she went back to days. It got much worse after that.

They would follow me around and wait for me to make mistakes then "tattle" on me. It was just little things but when it's constant it wears on you. I went to my supervisor several times and he'd say you're better then them don't let them bother you. Then they all turned on me we would sit together at break time and one day they all sat somewhere else.

I went to my bosses supervisor she said the same thing. Then told me I have to break down the wall and go sit with them. I went to her a few times with no help from her so I researched workplace bullying and presented to the president of the division. He did nothing either.

In the meantime my health was affected I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and anxiety and put on meds. Then one day I didn't get to something because I was busy. One woman ran to the boss an told on me so I fixed it and wrote a note that said, “thank you sorry for the mix up.” She ran back and told him he said if you want respect from them you need to give it. At that point I just lost it I had a mental breakdown and swallowed a full bottle of Xanax in front of the two supervisors I walked out to my car.

I called back into the warehouse and asked for my friend. Her boss sent her out but my boss stopped her and told her, "She made her choice. You're not going out there." She got past him anyway.

I've heard from people with police scanners they heard the call. It said don’t send an ambulance 'til the police get there. I live in a very small town and the ambulance is 5 min. away. We have no local police.

I spent 5 days in the mental hospital. When I called from the hospital to tell my bosses boss I could come back she said I couldn’t come back because during my breakdown I told my boss my husband was going to kick his ass for not protecting me from the harassment.

It’s been a long recovery 4 1/2 years but I’m finally doing much better. I am married with 4 wonderful children and it affected all of us terribly.