I started writing this blog for my co-workers and people in the grocery retail industry, so we can have something that we all can relate to. I was also hoping for customers to see the other side of the retail biz and maybe, just maybe, employees in the industry would be treated better.
I’ve written within the employee handbook guidelines just in case the blog would come into question for violating company policy, and I think I do a good job of concealing my co-workers’ names. For the last 5 months, my co-workers and I managed to share our stories without upper management finding out. Well… it’s no longer a secret to management anymore…
One of my bosses was griping about customers and how they act. He’s also proactive on websites that talk about the grocery industry and it’s employees. There’s always negative things that are said on those websites about grocery stores but their isn’t many responses to defending its employees. Here’s a conversation with him I vaguely remember a week ago…
J the Management : They ought to make a website about our views.
Me: [Hesitant] Well, there is one…kinda.
J the Management : Really? Some people just don’t understand us.
Me: Yeah, its Mostlygrocery.com… I think. Its about stories working in a grocery store.
J the Management: I’ll have to check that out.
It’s one week later and I totally forgot I told him…
J the Management opens up the checkstand behind me to get the line of customers down…
J the Management: What’s up PK!
PK? I said to myself. No one calls me PK at work…
Me: Ohhh… crap.
J the Management: I saw your little site.
I figured its over. No more stories, no more postings, no more comments.
I’m checking out customers and my forehead is beginning to perspire with sweat. I’m shaking and nervous. This usually happens if I know I did something wrong but I didn’t do anything wrong, I followed the employee handbook!
I’m on break and J catches me sitting in the break room.
J the Management: You know it was pretty funny as I was reading it. Then as I was reading through it more, things started to seem familiar. Too familiar! Checker Irv, Johnny J, and David… then it hit me… IT’S MY STORE! ITS A BLOG ABOUT MY STORE!
I’m slowly sinking in my chair… I don’t know whether to be scared or embarrassed.
J the Management: I was thinking, PK, PK Wynn… Who’s PK Wynn…
J the Management:
If you were the boss of a company, how would you act if one of your employees wrote a blog about your workplace?
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I can totally picture you sweatin’ in your boots!
Well, I think if you didn’t drop any real names, and give out the name of your actual store, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.
I gave my supervisor my website addy as well and the poems I post sometimes are erotic and I wonder what she thinks or if she is reading it as well lol…I feel you here…
I’ve thought about doing the same thing MANY times! Sometimes the people we work with or for can do the damnedest things and there is just this little ‘itch’ that makes you want to share it with the world.
I think you’re okay, though. I love the site and have recommended it to all my co-workers at the store that I work for, as well as my DM. He thinks you work for him, the stories are so familiar.
Keep us informed on your manager and keep the the great job!!
That’s too funny. I purposely don’t write much about my extended family (there are books there let me tell you!) nor do I tell them I have a blog. Funny I started getting comments from my cousins…my sister (the only fam. member who knew of the blog) told them when I wrote something funny about her. I think she gave it out to more people this past week. Now, I can be assured to never, ever write about them although it is such good material! I hope your boss enjoys your blog as much as the rest of us!
hopefully he found it lightheartedly amusing? Sounds like he might have a sense of humor. We can’t all take ourselves so seriously. Helps to rachet down the stress by laughing at the funny stuff. And I have to admit, there is a lot of funny stuff that just shows up in y’all’s store.
Oh gosh, I purposely don’t put any private details about me on my blog simply because of this possible scenario.
How nervewracking that must have been for you! I’m glad your boss saw it in good humor though. That’s a relief!
My workplace is waaay more strict. (I work at a newspaper). Even though my blog has really nothing to do with work, I still keep it under wraps. It’s just too risky for me.
Heads up, Gropius tagged me, and you’re being tagged in my post tomorrow!
It turned out J was really cool. He had a great sense of humor and that’s such a relief. He’s only been with us for about 4 months but everyone has enjoyed working with him. He’s one of the good guys but unfortunately because he’s an assistant he gets shipped around a lot so we hope to have him for a while. OK, J if your reading this … I did what you told me to. Can I have my paycheck back?
@Alicia – Omg, I was sweating really bad Alicia! I felt exhausted like I ran a marathon.
@JStar – Your poems are great. I hope she can appreciate the artistic views of them.
@Barb – I have been itching for quiet sometime. Thank you for sharing Barb and I have some “corporate” stories as well!
@Suzicate – That would be hilarious for readers to know that you wrote about your family. I’m sure there are many that would be able to relate to the material but just having that personal touch makes things even more amusing. Thanks Suzicate!
@Diane – He’s a really cool guy. That’s one of the things I’ve actually learned is that we can’t take ourselves too seriously and nothing critical in our line of work. People get mad but what can we really do?
@Jennifer Fabulous – Haha, it was pretty intense until he finally talked to me. Since you work for the newspaper they would probably want first dibs on any stories you write Jennifer =).
I hope this doesn’t mean your blog is going away. I like it!
Yeah, I can totally see you all panicked and stuff. I think it has been pretty appropriate and funny as hell. I usually keep my stuff pretty secret though. Ha, sucks to be you…but from your comments it seems all good, good luck.
Ha! Yes, I’d be shaking in my boots, too, but I’m glad to see your manager is good with it. I think if it was me and the employee stayed within guidelines and wasn’t rude about his colleagues/bosses, and didn’t give away any secrets, I wouldn’t have a problem either.
I hide my blog from friends and family as well, even the ones who don’t make it into my stories. I’m just uncomfortable with people I know reading my stuff. I was a cashier in a very tiny grocery store 20 years ago. Back before most stores had scanners like they do now, and you had to enter each price by hand. And the parking lot was one row and a lane, so it wasn’t much trouble to keep up. The worst I had to deal with was little old ladies trying to use expired coupons. lol
Oo!! Scary! I’m glad you’re not in trouble! (yet!)
What’s nice though is that your boss isn’t a d-bag so he won’t ever have to worry about his name being dragged through the mud. Plus, none of us know who you are or what store you work for, so I’d say you’re still safe as far as legal issues go.
I’d be sad if your blog was gone. These stories are priceless AND they make me a better shopper. Haha!
Wow Paul, blog privacy seems to be the hot topic nowadays.
There is no wrong or right…it’s a matter of what is best for yourself, what you are most comfortable with. However, we all have to be careful because lots of employers (esp. large corps) don’t like their image being tarnished in the blogosphere.
And boy do they watch.
Back on 12/20 I posted a little thing about how the cashiers at my local Vons kept calling me “Mrs.” Just a “whatever” kinda post, nothing major. I don’t recall the exact time frame, but within a week one of the IP hits I got on my blog for that post was from Safeway company LOL. I had never seen that before and I haven’t seen it since.
@Sharon – I hope not. It was an eye opener though for sure Sharon.
@Mepsipax – Ha you have no idea. Yeah thinks seem cool for now hehe…
@Jay – Yeah he told me the same thing. No secrets or such… darn!
@AuntJuicebox – Wow! 20 years ago? I bet you have some stories! And to think I bitch about modern technology.. I feel like a jerk now.
@Kallay – Aww Kallay, Thank you for the words of encouragement.
@Phoenixism – dAMN brotha, they were all over that already? Yeah as long as I don’t tarnish the image I think things will be OK.
That is funny. I work in grocery and at one time I had a couple hundred blogs on the page and I began to think…what if…my management is not the most forgiving so I try to be more careful. The more careful I try to be the more I want to rebel. You got a new reader here brother.
Paul I am glad you did not get fired. I got fired for blogging about a previous job. You also forgot to tell him about my blog…lol….
Since I was once your old boss I could have been having that similar conversation with you. Oh how I wish I could have seen that go down. I would have paid tickets for that moment. I don’t think you have said anything that has been out of line. I remember when we wrote little stories on receipt paper while on our breaks….that was the beginning of this brian child. I love your site and it helps me release all my tension to laugh at the blogs. Keep them coming.