Ok I need to vent for a change....
I wokr for morrisons, which is a supermarket chain in the UK, and I do so very well and very hard. So much so i was one of the best couple of performers at anything I do, as well as solving problems created by others.
Now due to budget cuts and staffing problems, whilst my hours are in no danger of being altered (39 a week) I now have to do one full shift on the tills. Now, this myself I dont have to much issue with.... I like the tills, I am good at them... and you get to see lots of different people. No problems so far.
Now.... after my second shift on the tills... I started getting some lower back pain... which lingered around till after my second shift on the tills, when it became quite bad. However, I had one more shift and then a week off... So I just did my job. My back got so bad, it felt like someone nailed through my hip to my spine, I couldn't twist.. couldn't get up or down... and halfway through my week off from work I could hardly move. Now, stupidly, I decided against going to the doctor, thinking 1 week off Ill sort it out with stretching and such.
my back got a bit better, to the point I was able to get around and move about with only a little pain. So I went back to work, and in 2 days.... my back became a huge problem. On the wednesday of that week I got a doctors appointment, which was my day off for the week.... The doctor said I had inflammed hip joint, and lower back region.. wasn't much good apart from giving me pills for it, and telling me it could take a few weeks to heal. He did say twisting and such would cause problems.... He gave me a week off, and said if it wasn't better to come back next week.
Next week came and I felt a lot better, I could move around.. and just had a bit of discomfort. My limp (which i had because i couldnt use my hips at all... was gone. So I didn't go back to the doctor and went back to work. First day back I was on tills, and when I finished I was quite sore. I felt a little ... stressed... about it all.. but the next day it didn't feel so bad... and it was reasonable for about a week. Then I had another shift on tills... and after I came off them, my limp was back... as well as the hip pain (which also means I find it very painful just trying to roll over in bed). its slowly getting worse, which I think will get to the point again where I am basically incapacitated.... So I go in and have a meeting with personel, at my own request.
After a talk, they said they will get my shift changed..from 1 8 hour shift, to 2 4 hour shifts... which I thought might help, given I wouldn't be doing as much work in one go. They also said I would be on kiosk whenever I go down there, meanding I dont have to do all the twisting and turning on the tills. I was happy with this, and vowed to keep battling on... They said that I might even think about having 3 30 min breaks in a day, instead of 1 hou.. and another 30min. I said i'd think about it.
On my breaks I go home (though, I forgt when thistle is around lol) I stretch... and depending on how I am feeling maybe take some pain killers (havent done this for a while mind you) and have a cold drink.... If my back is sore I might stand the entire time... or lay down for a while.
Anyhow, I worked on the kiosk on thursday... and was sore.. but then again not as sore as I would be on the tills... so it was ok. However, today I have gone in... and I am still feeling it.. and have been thrown onto the checkouts against for another 5 hours. Now dont get me wrong, I love working there... but I just cant physically cope with it.
Now, as I stand there in pain and work my arse off all day... I take my break, come back and everything fine. THEN one of the supervisors comes over and tells me that I am not allowed to leave the premises on my 30min breaks, only the hour.
So basically they are trying to tell me that I have to do any stretches and stuff (including ones where I lie on the ground) at work... in front of everyone... and that If i need a cold drink or something to eat, I need to spend money.. when my flat is about the same distance from the front of the shop as the canteen is.
I blew up at her, and told her that I'm sorry.. but I need to do stretches and that for my back.. and I refuse to do it here. This woman is a complete incompetent cow... who was doing MY job... in fact she was the manager of our department.. but she was removed because she was completely hopeless. I basically took her hours in the cash office.. and she is a supervisor (demotion from dept manager) down the stairs.
i have walked home for Every break, since I started in the cash office.. which is all of 1 year ago... and suddenly now its a huge problem. its not like I have keys or anything. She says its in case she needs to contact me.... why is that the case for 30mins.. but 1hr its just fine????? If they need to contact me when I am away for 30min... then that is a huge issue, but if I am away for an hour and can't be contacted its perfectly fine.
Anyhow i told her where to go, and she just shut up. I signed off my till *whilst a huge queue of customers waiting that i was battling through pain to serve* and just left for my break (I told them beforehand i had to go for my hour at 430)
Anyhow, I am going to complain to my manager today and make a huge deal out of this.. because if I am expected to put up with back and hip pain just so I can man the tills so they don't have to hire another body.... and they then take away my methods of trying to deal with the pain... then I am going to find out some more information on workers injury laws, considering I never had this problem till this place. not only that, they supposedly didn't have the ability to give me the 4 hour shifts, due to me not being of use on the tills anymore..... and needing me upstairs on 4 days to make sure we had enough staff. Well, with this attitude.. wonder how they would go for a month without me doing either.
This is what I get, for being a hardworker who pushes himself too hard... and for putting work first. Well.... screw them...
I wokr for morrisons, which is a supermarket chain in the UK, and I do so very well and very hard. So much so i was one of the best couple of performers at anything I do, as well as solving problems created by others.
Now due to budget cuts and staffing problems, whilst my hours are in no danger of being altered (39 a week) I now have to do one full shift on the tills. Now, this myself I dont have to much issue with.... I like the tills, I am good at them... and you get to see lots of different people. No problems so far.
Now.... after my second shift on the tills... I started getting some lower back pain... which lingered around till after my second shift on the tills, when it became quite bad. However, I had one more shift and then a week off... So I just did my job. My back got so bad, it felt like someone nailed through my hip to my spine, I couldn't twist.. couldn't get up or down... and halfway through my week off from work I could hardly move. Now, stupidly, I decided against going to the doctor, thinking 1 week off Ill sort it out with stretching and such.
my back got a bit better, to the point I was able to get around and move about with only a little pain. So I went back to work, and in 2 days.... my back became a huge problem. On the wednesday of that week I got a doctors appointment, which was my day off for the week.... The doctor said I had inflammed hip joint, and lower back region.. wasn't much good apart from giving me pills for it, and telling me it could take a few weeks to heal. He did say twisting and such would cause problems.... He gave me a week off, and said if it wasn't better to come back next week.
Next week came and I felt a lot better, I could move around.. and just had a bit of discomfort. My limp (which i had because i couldnt use my hips at all... was gone. So I didn't go back to the doctor and went back to work. First day back I was on tills, and when I finished I was quite sore. I felt a little ... stressed... about it all.. but the next day it didn't feel so bad... and it was reasonable for about a week. Then I had another shift on tills... and after I came off them, my limp was back... as well as the hip pain (which also means I find it very painful just trying to roll over in bed). its slowly getting worse, which I think will get to the point again where I am basically incapacitated.... So I go in and have a meeting with personel, at my own request.
After a talk, they said they will get my shift changed..from 1 8 hour shift, to 2 4 hour shifts... which I thought might help, given I wouldn't be doing as much work in one go. They also said I would be on kiosk whenever I go down there, meanding I dont have to do all the twisting and turning on the tills. I was happy with this, and vowed to keep battling on... They said that I might even think about having 3 30 min breaks in a day, instead of 1 hou.. and another 30min. I said i'd think about it.
On my breaks I go home (though, I forgt when thistle is around lol) I stretch... and depending on how I am feeling maybe take some pain killers (havent done this for a while mind you) and have a cold drink.... If my back is sore I might stand the entire time... or lay down for a while.
Anyhow, I worked on the kiosk on thursday... and was sore.. but then again not as sore as I would be on the tills... so it was ok. However, today I have gone in... and I am still feeling it.. and have been thrown onto the checkouts against for another 5 hours. Now dont get me wrong, I love working there... but I just cant physically cope with it.
Now, as I stand there in pain and work my arse off all day... I take my break, come back and everything fine. THEN one of the supervisors comes over and tells me that I am not allowed to leave the premises on my 30min breaks, only the hour.
So basically they are trying to tell me that I have to do any stretches and stuff (including ones where I lie on the ground) at work... in front of everyone... and that If i need a cold drink or something to eat, I need to spend money.. when my flat is about the same distance from the front of the shop as the canteen is.
I blew up at her, and told her that I'm sorry.. but I need to do stretches and that for my back.. and I refuse to do it here. This woman is a complete incompetent cow... who was doing MY job... in fact she was the manager of our department.. but she was removed because she was completely hopeless. I basically took her hours in the cash office.. and she is a supervisor (demotion from dept manager) down the stairs.
i have walked home for Every break, since I started in the cash office.. which is all of 1 year ago... and suddenly now its a huge problem. its not like I have keys or anything. She says its in case she needs to contact me.... why is that the case for 30mins.. but 1hr its just fine????? If they need to contact me when I am away for 30min... then that is a huge issue, but if I am away for an hour and can't be contacted its perfectly fine.
Anyhow i told her where to go, and she just shut up. I signed off my till *whilst a huge queue of customers waiting that i was battling through pain to serve* and just left for my break (I told them beforehand i had to go for my hour at 430)
Anyhow, I am going to complain to my manager today and make a huge deal out of this.. because if I am expected to put up with back and hip pain just so I can man the tills so they don't have to hire another body.... and they then take away my methods of trying to deal with the pain... then I am going to find out some more information on workers injury laws, considering I never had this problem till this place. not only that, they supposedly didn't have the ability to give me the 4 hour shifts, due to me not being of use on the tills anymore..... and needing me upstairs on 4 days to make sure we had enough staff. Well, with this attitude.. wonder how they would go for a month without me doing either.
This is what I get, for being a hardworker who pushes himself too hard... and for putting work first. Well.... screw them...
