Thursday, March 2, 2023

Why I left Crazy Candy

 Everyone is probably wondering why I left Crazy Candy. I have been quiet about my job for a long time. Only my family and close friends knew what was going on. Just warning I am going to get real and raw right here. I felt like I had no voice and now I am speaking up for myself and standing up for myself. When I first started there was a different manager. She made work fun and laid back. When I first started they made all these promises. Like we were going to be in a bigger building by September (that was last September). That after 90 days I was going to get a raise which I didn't and I was there for 10 months. That eventually we were going to get benefits and we still haven't. I was working full time Monday thru Friday with no benefits and just a 15 min break. Our old manager left in July because she was getting burnt out working all the time. The owners like to go on vacations left and right to Hawaii and everywhere else and would stick everything with the managers. When our new manager got hired slowly but surely she made things strict. Our old manager knew life happened and that if you couldn't be at work or you were going to be late you weren't going to be punished for it. We were a small production team so I don't know why they started to get strict with everything. Back in October or November they hired a manager specifically to be over in shipping and receiving but for some reason he wouldn't take care of that department. He is the owners brother/brother in law. He would be in the back of the warehouse watching us or specifically watching me and saying condescending things to me. He would always deny that he said anything to me. Everyone saw it and try to stick up for me. I don't know why he targeted me. I felt like I couldn't be comfortable at work and that I was being constantly watched and that I couldn't do anything right. I felt like they wouldn't do anything because he was family. So we have these numbers that we have to perform everyday like how many trays to cut, how many bags of candy we have to bag so they can determine what price to price the bags. And back in December I was pulled aside from J and S the managers and they basically tore me down. Said I wasn't a hard worker and that coming to work everyday that I am scheduled and on time isn't being a hard worker and that I shouldn't enjoy work. They said with how many trays I cut I should be paid 8 bucks an hour. They said that I am on my phone all the time and just tore me down to nothing. I left that meeting crying because when I tried to stand up for myself they would throw it back in my face saying that it's possible to cut 12 trays an hour and if you put your mind to it you can do it. Mind you they aren't the ones that price their candies. The distributors price their candies so I feel like the numbers were irrelevant. I felt like we were getting worked like slaves and if we didn't meet the numbers that we we weren't good enough and it wasn't always like that. I felt like the supervisors were favored and also certain co workers. Supervisors and certain co workers could do whatever they want and get away with anything but if you didn't make your numbers all the time you were constantly watched. Everyone knows that I am hard worker and that I don't play around at work and that I take it serious and I try my damn hardest because I am there to make a living and I am there for my family.  But when they say these things to you then you get inside your head and feel like you aren't good enough and you can't do anything right. Since S the shipping and receiving manager started we lost around 15 people that tells you something. His mind set was you had to constantly work and not take breaks and not even talk to people; we aren't robots. If you were caught doing those things you would get written up. At this point I had to be careful what I said to people because it would get back to the managers. I told myself that I wasn't going to stick around in a place that I wasn't happy and that I was losing sleep over and dread going to work everyday and I wasn't going to stick around a toxic environment and be around S and feeling like I was getting watched everyday so I started looking for a new job. No one knew this unless I trusted you or you were family. Just recently last Thursday I got pulled aside once again where everyone was getting reviews and I am pretty sure raises with it. When I got in there they said that I wished we were giving you a review but that isn't the case. I got a written warning instead. They said that I took the meeting in December the wrong way. What way was I suppose to take it? You were destroying me and breaking me down. They asked me why I hate them so much and I told them that hate is a strong word and I don't hate anyone. Then S said that he doesn't do anything or say anything to me which is bull. Everyone sees it! He said that he was joking all the time; which is harassment. He would say things to me like when I was on my break "Did you work hard enough to get a break" things like that. J said that if she took everything he said personally she wouldn't be happy. But there are just certain things that you don't say to a co worker when you are a manager. They also said that I need to stop leaving to go to interviews during the day. Like they can stop me from getting a new job. If they aren't going to pay me PTO or sick time why should I give them the respect to tell them where I am going. I tell a supervisor and isn't that the point of having supervisors. I don't have to tell the managers everything. I had other obligations on Thursday as well that involved my kids. They said I lied to where I was going on Thursday and I said that I didn't lie I did have things with my kids. I wouldn't lie about my kids. And then they asked when my interview was. Which is none of their business. They told me that I need to stop talking about my interviews with my co workers. I can't control what they do with that information. They said that they don't know if my co workers are applying at the jobs that I am applying at. Once again not my problem. I can only control myself. They also said that I am disrespectful to the managers and supervisors and I don't do what I am told which I do all the time. That I don't put my trays on the racks which everyone stacks them on the table. And that I throw trays which I don't. And that they heard from multiple people that I do all this stuff but they wouldn't tell me who. And that I am always on my phone which everyone is. I just don't understand why they were picking on me unless they wanted me to quit. So they sent me home for the day on Thursday and I couldn't go to work on Friday and that it was my decision if I wanted to return back to work on Monday. So it fueled something in me. I worked everyday since Thursday to get a job so I didn't have to return on Monday. I was dreading going to work on Monday because I didn't know what the vibe was going to be. I decided that I was going to kick ass concentrate on my work and don't really talk to anyone. I left my phone in my bag on silent and worried about myself. I was kind like I am always am and got up to put my trays on the rack. I didn't want them to find a reason to fired me. I was a new me with my new hair and I think everyone saw it. J and S were extra nice to me. And it seemed like everyone else was having conversations around me and I didn't know what the hell was going on. I don't know what happened on Friday and what J told everyone. I felt like I was in my own world. Both me and Chris decided once I found a job I wasn't even going to put in my two weeks notice because they didn't even deserve it. I am so thankful I touched base with Alisha. I think something was telling me to reach out to her. She was always a great manager to me and valued my potential. I don't feel like Crazy Candy ever did or ever will no matter how hard I tried. Alisha was also thinking about me when the assistant manager position came up at her store. She wanted me to apart of her team again. She was surprised that everything went down at Crazy Candy. She knew something was up when I stopped talking about my job. I didn't want to say anything on Facebook and get backlashed. I am so thankful for her giving me this opportunity and trusting me again. She was surprised that I even went into production in the first place when I am so great with customers. I am excited for this journey and to have a better job that fits my family needs with benefits and someone that values me. We have this app called Homebase for Crazy Candy to clock in and request days off and everything and I messaged J on it saying yesterday was my last day and I wasn't returning to Crazy Candy because I found a better job opportunity that treats me better. And J said that this is the worst way to quit and that she wishes me the best and that for the record no one treated me badly. Someone is delusional. If she thinks nothing more is going on there then I don't know what to tell her. Chris wanted so bad to tell her off but I told him don't give her that power. I just left it alone because sooner or later she is going to figure it out. Then I messaged the whole team on Homebase that it was my last day and that I got a better job opportunity and thanked them for working with them and supporting me and J said that this wasn't the place to do it. Where was I suppose to post it at? I wanted them to hear it from me and give them a voice. I didn't want them to hear it from J. I wanted to leave by March 1st because February 28th was the end of the pay period anyways. I am glad it worked out. In the long run Crazy Candy lived up to their name. It was a toxic environment that the managers didn't see why their business was falling apart. I didn't want to supposedly move to the new building that they were supposedly going to move in next month anyways. With it being in Farmington in the middle of nowhere and where I was getting paid 14 bucks an hour with no benefits; it wasn't worth it. It was just a bunch of empty promises anyways. I wish my fellow employees the best of luck and I hope it works out for them and if they decide to leave it's not my problem or my doing. They can control themselves like I am taking control of myself and my life and doing what is best for me and my family. I couldn't do it all without my husband and my family and all of the support from my love ones. I thank you all!!