Happened yesterday and im still shaking tbh. Think ive proper fucked my life but couldnt take it anymore.
Been working this warehouse for bout a year now. Pays shit – £12 an hour but I needed the job, kept telling myself itll get better. My manager Dave, hes one of those proper power trip types. Got his clipboard and hi-vis vest, thinks hes running the bloody country.
From day 1 this guys had it in for me. Always giving me the worst shifts, heaviest loads, making me stay late when everyone else gets to go home. Asked him about it once and he just said “thats how you learn son” with this smug grin. Im 27 years old mate, not your son.
But yesterday was the final straw. Id been working since 6am, it was nearly 8pm and I was absolutely knackered. Everyone else had gone home but Dave tells me I need to unload one more lorry before I can leave. This massive delivery that shouldve been a 2 person job, but he goes “youre young, you can handle it.”
Im halfway through unloading when I slip and nearly drop this heavy box on my foot. couldve properly injured myself. When I mention it to Dave he just laughs and goes “maybe if you werent so clumsy youd be better at this job.”
Thats when I lost it. Properly lost it. I turned around and said “maybe if you werent such a power hungry dickhead, people would actually want to work here.” The words just came out before I could stop them.
The look on his face was mental. He went bright red and started shouting about how I cant talk to him like that, how hes gonna write me up, how im lucky to have a job at all. I shouldve just apologised and kept my mouth shut but I was so angry I kept going.
“Lucky to have a job? Mate you pay minimum wage for back breaking work and treat everyone like shit. The only reason anyone works here is because theyre desperate.” Then I said the thing thats probably gonna get me sacked: youre nothing but a bully with a tiny bit of power and everyone here knows it.
He went mental. Started screaming about how im fired, how hes gonna make sure I never work in warehousing again, all sorts of threats. I just grabbed my stuff and walked out while he was still shouting.
Now im sitting at home realising ive probably fucked everything up. I need this job even if its shit. My rents due next week, ive got bills to pay, and now im probably unemployed because I couldnt keep my mouth shut.
The worst part is I know Dave’s gonna make up some story about me being aggressive or threatening him. Hes that type. And whos gonna believe the immigrant warehouse worker over the British manager with 10 years at the company?
I keep going back and forth between feeling proud that I finally stood up for myself and feeling like a complete idiot for throwing away my income. I dont know if I did the right thing or if im just an idiot who cant control his temper.
So yeah, TIFU by finally standing up to a bully manager and probably destroying my financial stability in the process. Ngl im proper stressed about this and idk what to do next.
TL;DR: TIFU by finally standing up to my warehouse manager after a year of him dumping the worst shifts and heavy jobs on me. Yesterday after working from 6am to nearly 8pm he made me unload a lorry alone and laughed when I nearly dropped a box on my foot. I snapped, called him a bully with a tiny bit of power, and walked out while he screamed threats about firing me and blacklisting me. now I’m home stressing with rent due next week and no idea what to do. Part of me feels proud I spoke up, the other part feels like I’ve just ruined everything.
Comments
You started work at 6am and yet you were still there after 7pm, that’s illegal here. Raise a complaint about this to your hr. It will (or should be) a bigger issue than you saying some words to your supervisor.
One bad manager doesn’t define your worth.
Are you on a zero hours contract? Do you work more than 48 hours per week? Did you agree to? He sounds a prick alright, I don’t blame you for flipping on him.
If anything comes back and you lose your job go to Acas, do you have timesheets or a clocking out system to prove you’ve been working nearly 14 hour days?
Sounds like he’s already taking the piss and there’s probably some racial prejudice behind it if you are the only one treated this way and you’re an immigrant.
I bet American english sounds weird when we write about things being “proper mental.” — anyway, buddy… You gotta find a way to let shit go. You’ve been building that energy up for a whiiiiiile. (Didn’t you guys invent keep calm and carry on?)
So, he’s a dick. Fine. He thinks he isn’t and will win that argument. My motto about work is “get good, get gone, or get fucked.”
Might be worth getting into contact with ACAS & seeing what support they can give you. Those hours are insane & he sounds like a bellend
Speak to your union or to acas and get help (chat gpt will be great here) drafting a formal grievance for age discrimination. Submit that as quickly as possible. You have little to lose.
Bro don‘t worry I did the same thing. It was a weird feeling, finally standing up for myself but knowing it was like the last day on work for me. In the end it will be all good, you did the right thing. You will find a job easily, I‘m sure.
Get in there early
Contact HR on writing explain what happened and include that you’d like to apologize to the manager for unprofessional behavior but are concerned this may lead to further conflict of you engage him in a 1 to 1 setting. Also explain that you would like to formally raise a grievance against him for [explain issues calmly and where ever possible include examples], also for his behavior with shouting at you in public etc
Re comment on making situation worse, if you really think your going to be fired this may be your only life line, by rasing a formal grievance they have to address it and if they don’t can leave themselves open for wrongfully dismissal claims, at the very least it will be on record against him and cause him a headache to deal with.
Also if you’ve seen him do it to anyone else etc ask them to confirm they have witnesses his behavior.
Listen man, people have arguments at work. Mine have been elevated to CEO levels at one of the world’s biggest companies and I’m just contract. Just go in on your next shift, say “sorry I had a long day and had to get some stress out but I’m here to do my job”, shake hands and move on.
People get pissed, it’s part of the job. Even though he sucks be cordial and he might actually respect you more for telling him off.
I know you’re stressed, but hopefully you will look back on this one day, and realize taking other people’s shit is optional. Best of luck to you!