Lodjic Letters - I inherited my father's gift for angry letters!

After being fired from my job at First Uniform retail outlet the day before we left for vacation to go home and see family and friends, I became a bit disgruntled.

Not only had I been fired for no real reasons: Starting a "Clique," undermining the manager by defending my fellow employees, and making her out to be the "bad manager" due to my comradery with two girls I worked with, but I had wasted 8 months of my life at I place you couldn't pay me to use as reference.

In the words of Lonnie Stoner, this whole thing ended up being quite a "blurse," a blessing and a curse, if you will. I found out I didn't hate my other job at the restaurant, got away from the terribly stressful store where I was apparently unappreciated, and now actually have time for a life, and am still making great money.

However, I left corporate Headquarters in Charlotte, NC these words. ENJOY!

Dear Bill White,

With much trepidation and regret I write to you in the wake of the termination of my employment at First Uniform in Tampa, FL just three weeks ago in an attempt to inform you of my disappointment with the management and their violation of my rights as an employee.

On March 20, 2009 Suzie Alday, or Santorsola, whichever she may choose to go buy, came in to the store and pulled me outside to talk to me about her disappointment in my personality traits and their effect on the workplace, inevitably firing me. She then, without fully concluding the conversation with me, and with my being in earshot, called my peer and co-worker, Heather Boyd, to inform her that I was no longer employed with First Uniform. This was none of Ms. Boyd’s business, should not have been done anywhere within my presence, violates my rights as an employee (to my understanding, of course) and is completely out of line and inconsiderate. Not to mention the fact that if any employee was to be informed of this decision first, it should be the one in the store with me, Ms. Jamie Johnson, not the one at home enjoying her day off. Also, she did not call my other co-worker, Jennifer Pantaleo to inform her, so I do not understand the point of this phone call anyway.

Suzie also told my, now, ex-coworkers, that if anyone asked where I was or what had happened, to inform them that I “went on vacation and never came back.” This is not only incredibly hurtful to me personally, but disregards my reputation, making me look terrible in the eyes of the Hospital Staff, customers I had come to learn by name, and any friends I had made at the University Community Hospital. I also feel that this puts my ex-co-workers in an uncomfortable and unfair position as well.

It hurts me to think that after almost 9 months with First Uniform in Tampa, it ended in such an abrupt and seemingly inconceivable way. However, these acts are a testament to the management of Suzie and I am hoping that you take the time to consider these issues among others I feel obligated to discuss.

I was told upon being hired that I would be evaluated within a few months of my hire date. This never happened. Instead, any and all issues that I ever had with Steve or Suzie were brought up in front of my peers, even if they were very personal issues and clearly only concerning myself and no other. I feel that if my position had been properly and personally evaluated, I would not have been fired. In nine months of employment I only ever had three altercations with Steve and/or Suzie Santorsola and I thought all of them had been resolved; apparently not.
Within about two months of my employment, during a time when I was dealing with a personal issue (a family emergency some 3,000 miles away) Steve addressed me about my “attitude.” This was not because I had offended a customer or a peer. It was because I had offended Suzie. I, of course, apologized to Suzie and explained that I was having a bad day and regretted that my personal life interfered with working in the store.

That situation is ironic because just a week before my termination, a fellow employee was having a fight with her significant other and was in a terrible mood. This employee was on her phone texting while in the store most of the day, ignored many duties, was rude to most everyone around her, and even broke a major rule at First Uniform – when she clocked in another employee who wasn’t even scheduled for that shift – and somehow escaped unscathed. To me, this all seems a bit unfair.

Let me make something clear: Steve and Suzie Santorsola are wonderful people. There was a time when I looked up to them and thought that they were amazing managers. I counted myself lucky to have such a wonderful job. I still don’t understand how I offended them, but whatever I did, resulted in my firing. The worst part is I still don’t quite know where I went wrong. The only reason I was given for the termination of my employment was that I started a “clique,” “undermined Suzie” and that my personality created an environment that Suzie didn’t like. I was seemingly fired for a personality clash, which is an unfit reason in my eyes.

When Suzie was appointed manager I was excited. I thought that things would improve in the store and she put a great deal of time and effort into becoming an active and present manager. Ironically, it was another employee who voiced a major problem with Suzie’s promotion; if Suzie is a person who lives by the mantra “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” she’s on the right track. However, her favoritism is definitely a hindrance in the store. Many times I felt like the only reason we had any problems was because she just didn’t like me, not because I wasn’t doing my job.

Within two weeks of her promotion, Suzie pulled me aside because a friend and fellow co-worker had expressed her concern about my being stressed out due to my second job. This created a major conflict as Suzie thought that there was some deep issue between the two of us and that it was her place to step in. Seeing as how my relationship outside the store with this employee was becoming a stress and a problem, I pulled away from it, to salvage my position in the workplace as an apt employee, and to act in the best interest of the store.

Two weeks after this, three of the four young ladies employed at First Uniform were gathered together for a meeting during a slow period of the day. Suzie talked to us about communication, upkeep, updates and then somehow the conversation turned to being about me and my personality flaws. I had offended Suzie at work as she thought that I was poking fun at her (which I was not, a co-worker explained this as well) and she discussed this issue with me in private, where I, of course, apologized many times over. She brought this up again, after I thought it had been resolved, and in front of my peers and publicly chastised me for my “attitude” and overall, for my personality. I had one co-worker come to my defense and say there had been a large amount of miscommunication. I took a deep breath, swallowed my tears of frustration and continued to work the day. I thought it was all behind us and I focused solely on customers and my duties at the store.

I thought things were getting better. Suzie and I had, what I thought to be, many constructive discussions about store morale and increasing sales, schedules, and the like. I was always honest with Suzie and very up-front. However, one particular conversation apparently helped lead to my employment termination. Suzie had expressed her frustration with an employee’s lack of understanding and her lack of willingness to listen. Myself, and another peer, tried to explain to Suzie that sometimes this employee whom she was so frustrated with just needed to have things rephrased or explained in different terms for her to fully understand…she did not offend with intent. Suzie didn’t seem to care about our thoughts and later accused me of “deciding to steer the conversation in the direction that I wanted to undermine her.”

There was also an instance where a co-worker approached me concerned she had offended Suzie and asked if anything had been said about the situation. I answered her honestly saying, Suzie had brought up the conflict as an example of “what not to do” and would probably speak to her in greater detail about it later. This situation led to Suzie accusing me of making her out to be “the bad manager” and my trying to get the girls to “rally” against her.

These situations are clearly misconstrued and misunderstood. What is important isn’t who is right or wrong, what is important is that Suzie used situations that could have been avoided, better discussed, or completely ridiculous as a reason to fire me. I was easily expendable to her because I had another job, so she could fire me with a clear conscience – another testament to her managerial character.

I think it is imperative that you understand that Suzie’s capabilities as a manager are not even in question, but when you rule with your heart and not your head things can become unnecessarily complicated. I watched Suzie let one employee get away with things once deemed “unacceptable.” I’d heard customers both in the store and at outside First Uniform events complain about Suzie. I watched Suzie claim other employee’s ideas as her own to Steve, and micromanage employees giving her “favorites” simplistic tasks like making a sign, while forcing another to straighten every piece of Cherokee in the store alone.

I don’t think there is any legitimate reason for the termination of my employment, and if there was, I hope you can send me some form of explanation because I still don’t know. Two of my peers thought I was a wonderful employee. I was 100% there for First Uniform. Part of my upset comes from the fact that just a month ago Suzie asked me if I planned to stay on the team throughout the next few months and I said “Yes, nothing I will take on will affect my position at this store, but I wouldn’t stay if you didn’t want me here.” Her response was “You are valued, that isn’t even a question in anyone’s mind.” Also, a week prior to my getting fired she asked me if my second job would lessen my availability at the store as they were getting ready to hire a new team member and I said “You were my first job and I will not let my second job interfere.” If I had known that these problems existed, I would have gracefully resigned for the good of the company. Instead I was fired the day before I left to fly home to see my family, never having been fired before from anything, and feeling as though I wasted 9 months of my life without walking away with a reference, or any appreciation.

I don’t doubt that the store sales will continue to increase, but I will tell you that you will continue to gain and lose employees under the management if Suzie is not evaluated and trained by someone other than Steve. When I returned to the store three weeks after my firing to pick up an order I had placed, I smiled and said hello to Suzie and she wouldn’t even look at me and quietly just said “hey.” I find this ridiculous and rude and the last testament to Suzie’s management.

I really liked working with everyone at First Uniform and I thought I was part of a great team and a valued member of a company I supported. However, if you support a manager who is able to fire someone based on personal conflicts and likeability, I cannot sit back idly and wait for her to do it to someone else. I have lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and I hope that this note and this complaint will have some resonance and make First Uniform in Tampa, the “positive” place that I kept it from becoming.

I encourage you to call or write me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your time,

Alison Chriss

Bill White has since responded with the following:

"Alison,

Thank you for your letter. I appreciate your sincerity as well as the amount of through and time you put into it. Rest assured that I have read it carefully and we had detailed discussions with both Steve and Suzy on the matter. I can tell you that they both had many positive things to say about you, that you will be missed by all, and they certainly wish you the best as you move on. Clearly they agonized over the decision, but they felt it was unfortunately the best course of action in this case, and I agree. And yes, there is always some room for improvement.

Alison I can tell you care a great deal about your job, and I'm sure this trait will serve you well in the future. Thanks again for your letter and the work you did for our company.

Sincerely,

Bill White
Director of Business Development
First Uniform"

If this doesn't apply to my "Art of Letting Go" post...I don't know what does! Sometimes we have to let go of the fact that we have no power, were wronged and there is no right. It's freeing to think that this is all behind me, and I will walk away as the adult of the situation. Now I just fear for the girls I once worked with! Hang in there ladies!