Bad News :(

SerpentLust · 08-15-03, 02:09 PM

The manager took me aside today at work and said I have a week to speed up my work habits or I'm fired. She confessed that she wanted to fire me today but the owner told her to give me a chance.

Her general problem is that I do things thoroughly. So pretty much, stop taking care of the animals.

From day one I can honestly say that this woman has not wanted me here. My mom thinks there's some other reason why she wants me gone and we both agree that I'll be gone in a week regardless. She's already made up her mind.

So, I don't know what to do. I don't want to work my hardest just to be fired next Friday. I might hand in a letter of resignation.

My main problem is that I am not sure, but I THINK I'll have to give the sick animals back which means they'll be killed. I can't keep the leopard gecko unfortunately however I'm hoping at least mom will let me keep the cornsnake. After I get him eating on his own, or even now if someone would like to take him (for free I might add, as long as you pick him up) that would be wonderful.

So, I'm hoping that Aaron will tell me to keep the cornsnake. And after that, I'll find one of you nice people who I TRUST with snakes to take her under your wing.

So, I guess that's it for my affecting change from the inside. There's no room in the "evil" pet stores for actual animal enthusiasts. From now on, I'll hunt out the good pet stores, however few and far between they are...

*sighs*

So now I'm upset...one way or another, I'm gone in a week

Jenn

Lisa · 08-15-03, 02:12 PM

I'd say talk to the owner.

Siretsap · 08-15-03, 02:14 PM

yep talk to the owner and let her know the condition of the reptiles and what good you are birgning to them. If you still get fired, let us know where you worked, we could go pay her a visit and complain how all the reptiles are in bad shape (after you are gone) ...

Samba · 08-15-03, 02:17 PM

I would too... I would also check with your local employment laws as well... You are obviously doing what you were hired to do, therefore it seems to me that you are being fired for personal reasons. Being fired for personal reasons may or may not consitute discrimination, and, if you can prove that your employer had no professional motives to get rid of you that may or may not constitute wrongful termination. These are just ideas, but keep in mind I am a former legal assistant to a very prominant attorney who worked with cases such as this. Keep us posted, and whatever you do, Don't Quit! You're there for the animals! Good Luck, Jenn!

reptilez · 08-15-03, 02:19 PM

I agree with every on above.
Good Luck,
-Reptilez

Big Mike · 08-15-03, 02:41 PM

OR....you could get proof (pictures etc.) of the sick & mistreated animals there and take them to the media...just to stir up some trouble. It might make a good story if you tell them how you were fired for trying to help sick animals.

I'd say take the evidence to Animal control but they usually don't care about reptiles.

Yve · 08-15-03, 02:43 PM

definately don't bow out gracefully....the manager is probably intimidated by your good work ethics and might be thinking you're a threat to her position. Talk to the owner....be strong....you might win this one if you let them know you won't be bullied and most importantly.....wrongfully dismissed.

Lisa · 08-15-03, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Samba
I would too... I would also check with your local employment laws as well... You are obviously doing what you were hired to do, therefore it seems to me that you are being fired for personal reasons. Being fired for personal reasons may or may not consitute discrimination, and, if you can prove that your employer had no professional motives to get rid of you that may or may not constitute wrongful termination. These are just ideas, but keep in mind I am a former legal assistant to a very prominant attorney who worked with cases such as this. Keep us posted, and whatever you do, Don't Quit! You're there for the animals! Good Luck, Jenn!

unfortunetly it is legal to fire some one unjustly but there is a process involved. the gist of it is they have to give 2 weeks severance pay.

Wrath · 08-15-03, 03:27 PM

I think that if you talk to the owner, and have done everything that you can do, and you KNOW that you are going to be fired in a week anyway--> you should resign. That way you can always say that you left the job for whatever reason, and not because you had a difference of opinion with the management, or that they did not think you did a good job.

Maybe things are different up there in Canada, but here in the US, thats what I would do. Over here, staying till the bitter end can make you look bad, I've seen it happen to my friends. :-/

Whatever you end up doing, good luck!

On a side note, this is a pet store right? Not a pet hospital? You should definitely get some animal realted authority involved. They should not drive animals to illnesses in a place that sells animals to the public.

Oliverian · 08-15-03, 03:32 PM

I agree that it might make you look bad, but you probably wouldn't want to resign just before you think they're going to fire you, because of the chance that they might not. But it sucks that they feel that way... I know you were doing so well and trying so hard to do the best you could for those animals.
~TR~

lilyskip · 08-15-03, 03:44 PM

i agree that you should talk to the owner with evidence of animal neglect, and don't give up. from my view, it seems like all of this is happening because you were doing a fantastic job and were well on your way to reforming the care of the animals in the store. don't let this threat defeat you. there's no struggle without resistance...

08-15-03, 04:12 PM

I really don't think you'll have much luck, it is a petstore, not an animal care facility. The purpose is to sell, not care for outside your own good sense. They are a business and if someones sales and/or task completion rate are not up to standards they do have a reason to terminate them.(but I'm not on their side, petstores seldom see a penny of mine)

Invictus · 08-15-03, 04:54 PM

Don't resign. You don't know for sure how this will turn out. I do hope it works out for the best for you Jenn, and if it doesn't, hey... you gave it a warrior's effort, and you deserve to feel proud for taking on a job whereby you actually tried to make a difference, not just collect a paycheck.

Youkai · 08-15-03, 05:33 PM

It's sad, but your story is quite familiar.
In two years, I've worked at two pet stores. I figured it was something I could do to help pay tuition.
I've found that the last thing the employers want is someone who takes the animals seriously.
Despite the fact that I was one of the best sales people in the store, supervisors HATED me because I knew stuff. It threatened them, and they wanted to ignore things instead of address problems.
It did not matter that I was a hard worker.
It did not matter that I would have the best sales in the store.

I have friends that work in other pet stores. They suffer the same. I recently left a place that takes deplorable care of the reptiles. I mean, they keep like 10 anoles in a tiny plasic critter keeper (no more than 3 gallons) that does not get proper heat or light. They've kept chams like this until they started dying. In fact, the reptiles are lucky to get a proper tank with proper temp gradients and light. When I gave suggestions to you know...help keep them healthy and alive...the owners would get more and more grumpy with me. The same when I insisted sick animals should not be for sale, I was met with hostility. The same with the fish.

Anyway, do not feel bad. You've probably done a fine job. But nothing hurts more then working as hard as you can, and then being treated unfairly because of your knowledge.

They don't want the extra work.
They don't want to bother with the extra money it may cost.
They just want someone to sell anything to anyone.

You will find, that unless you find an unusually amazing pet store, that caring about the animals and knowing your $*** will make working in the store quite challenging.

sapphire_moon · 08-15-03, 07:58 PM

You know what. Let them fire you and if you are truely determined to either shut this store down or make them change do something like that. Get a camara.....go in the back while you still work there and take pics, of how the animals are housed when you don't do it, take pics of the display animals, all of them, not just the herps. Take pics of everything from how the food is kept (freezer burn for f/t mice, not enough food, water or gut load for crickets anything you can think of ) and get doubles printed of them, get more if you can afford it. Give the owner one set of pics and tell them that they basicly have a month to change. (This might be considered black mail).If you don't want to do this, just send a set of pics to everyone that can affect the pet store. I'm sure that the pet shop has to have some kind of liscense(sp) to run, send it to the people that issue the liscense (sp?) And keep a set of pics and the negatives for yourself...........I would do this if I had access to the pet store by myself for a few min.........Take the pics to the local paper, or send a few pics to the editor with a letter.........go to your local t.v station.......Did I mention that this pet store I'm talking about is keeping 2 wallabee's (sp?) in something about the size of a mini van?????? Good luck what ever you do! (Try and get pics of everyone that works there to!)