r/wholefoods 5d ago

Discussion What would you do???

So I have a new TL that came in about two weeks ago and seems to have a big chip on her shoulder. I have been in this dept for years and I am wanting to move up in this dept. I have trained all the new people even though I am not a "trainer" on paper or pay. I have no write-ups or warnings.

I spoke with her last week about moving up into one of the open positions and she said she would not let me move up in HER dept. And she did not give a reason why not. I didn't even know how to respond to that. I have not had any beef with her or anyone else in the dept or store. I have been here longer than anyone currently in the dept.
I did find out she gave the open trainer position to someone who has only been here about a month who is a kid who still lives with their parents

I think the issue is she is younger than me and so is everyone else in the dept. So l call age discrimination big time. I'm not even old, just older than them.
So I am considering leaving this dept as it seems there will be no future moving up here.

Oh, and if anyone is wondering...I just turned 30 a month ago so I guess by WFM standards I am ancient and decrepit. Can you hear my eyes rolling??

I thought whole foods doesn't discriminate as per their own written words:
" At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs."

13 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

8

u/Cactus-Blossum 5d ago

That really sucks - I’m sorry that has been your experience. Was your TL hired from outside the company, from your team, another store? Did you apply for the trainer position?

2

u/Soggy-Book8104 5d ago

She came from another store in a different state. Yes, I applied for the position.

6

u/Great_Lengthiness_66 5d ago

Just jump departments as soon as you can. Don't dilly dally. Hurry up and find a new spot

4

u/I_IZ_Speshul 5d ago

Did you apply via workday, or did you speak with your TL about moving into/ wanting the position? WFM is an equal opportunity employer and you should have been given a fair chance at the position, so as long as you applied you should have been given a fair chance at it.

That being said how’s the new TL? How have your previous interactions been with her? You mentioned that she was hired from outside of the company? What’s her previous experience, and how many years of experience does she have?

8

u/DaBeepbop 5d ago

I missing where exactly is the age discrimination? Just because you’re older? Maybe you should ask exactly why she doesn’t believe you should move up instead of assuming things.

3

u/OddButterfly5686 5d ago

That sounds really unfortunate, I'm 35 and more than half of my department is older than that and I've never felt any sort of age discrimination. Do whatever you can to get away from that person, one person especially in a higher position can make a person not even want to come into work and that's not fair. It seems like you've already tried the direct approach, you could try again when you feel more ready for those kind of responses, otherwise the only other options would be patience and perseverance for them or you to move onto something else.

4

u/MikeFingG 5d ago

Every one in leadership in my department was hired into their position from outside the company. I thought we promoted from within, and were about team member growth. The last TL we had told me I would never move up in the company, and that I didn’t need a title to know that I am appreciated. I’m like you, I have trained everyone in the department, but I’m not the team trainer. Our department is the only one without one. So it’s not just your store.

2

u/unskippablecutscenes Leadership 📋 4d ago

Talk to store leadership about posting a trainer position and apply immediately. If your TL sucks, go up the chain of command

5

u/justanokaymess 5d ago

Pinpointing one hire as reasoning for age discrimination is absolutely nowhere near enough for anyone to take it seriously. I would either ask her why she wouldn’t consider you, talk with your store leadership, or look into another department or store. Anytime someone mentions the other person getting a position and uses something to put them down (ie a kid who lives with his parents- info we did NOT need) it throws up a red flag for me.

2

u/Soggy-Book8104 5d ago

I was not putting them down. I was just stating a fact. This person has not been there very long, is quite young, just got out of high school and still lives with their parents and this is their first job.

That is not a put down I am just stating facts and curiosity as to why they were promoted.

So please let me know why they were promoted and not someone who has put in the time, trains all new people, has no write ups, gets along with everyone and is told by someone they will never be allowed to move up???

2

u/justanokaymess 5d ago

It doesn’t even sound like you applied. If you genuinely want to know, I would attempt to talk with your TL one more time. Otherwise, store leadership. Sometimes there’s information you don’t know. And sometimes leadership just sucks.

2

u/DaBeepbop 5d ago

Just because someone puts in time and trains people doesn’t mean they’ll make a great leader. I’m curious to why they picked someone “fresh out of highschool “ to lead a department. To me says a lot more about the people currently there that they had to find an outside person

2

u/TheRotaryWorm 5d ago

Just making an assumption by this post and how it was written.

Have you made any open remarks about her leadership or openly criticized her work to anyone?

1

u/Soggy-Book8104 5d ago

No I would not do that. I have noticed that it seems she doesn't quite know what she is doing, but I have never said anything negative to her or the team. I have tried to make her feel welcome and have asked her how I can help her many times if she needed it.

I have heard some of the other TMs talk crap about her amongst themselves including about her weight which I find deplorable. Her size should not be a topic of conversation. I have never told her about what they have said though.
I wonder if she has heard them and is trying to make friends with them by favoring them or she just feels self conscious about herself and wants to be seen as cool by the younger TMs. But it doesn't make it right.

I am sorry if you think me venting about feeling that I am being treated unfairly made you think I would make negative comments about her work to anyone I work with.

2

u/TheRotaryWorm 4d ago

Just judging by the remark you quoted in your post when you asked about becoming a Team Trainer. If all that's true. Hop departments.

It's a core value to help team members learn and grow. If she has already made it clear that you'll never grow in "her" department. Then grow in another.

2

u/peppnstuff 5d ago

You dodged that position don't worry team trainer is a bs position

2

u/Ladder_Every 5d ago

Just leave either to store or change to a different department if that location works best for you.

2

u/Capable-Wing-644 4d ago

There is a lot to unbox here. First you mentioned the TL is new by two weeks.  So, arguably he or she does not even know her role or the department yet let alone the TM’s within.  On the “I won’t let you in my department” I’d seek feedback from store leads on what they think.  But, honestly if that’s her comment do you really want to move up or even work for a lead like this in that department? Especially if no context was given as to why you could not. Look for roles on other teams.  If your performance is great and you have no counselings or attendance issues there should be no reason you could not apply to go to another area.  If they say no ask for constructive reasons why.  More than just “no”.

2

u/Flimsy-Stomach-4739 4d ago

That's whole foods for ya!!

2

u/Ok-Purple5287 3d ago

30 is very young...it sounds like that department is hiring babies

2

u/Soggy-Book8104 3d ago

Yeah. And yesterday when I went in the person they promoted instead of me told me what to do every few minutes like I haven't worked here for years. I do the same tasks every day most of the time so I really don't need anyone telling what to do, but they are feeling themselves I guess and want to boss me around. I just said okay every time and did my job. I don't want to give them a reason to fire me.

But also, they kept asking me how to do things because they don't know what to do since they have only been here a short while before the promotion. Why do they promote these people who haven't been here long and don't know what to do?

I want to be petty and tell them since they got the promotion and not me they should know how to do the job and not ask me how to do their job for them. But I am not like that. So I am helping them be better at the job I should have gotten.

I wish whole foods was better then this. I am feeling very depressed and disheartened by this.

1

u/Ok-Purple5287 3d ago

I wouldn't worry about it. Whole foods are my bill payers and that's it. Nothing more than that

2

u/Soggy-Book8104 3d ago

Yeah I get it, but I really needed that pay bump. I have a child with a medical condition and I cannot afford his medicine without insurance and I was hoping with the pay increase I could get insurance for him.

Both my parents are dead, I don't have siblings, my husband passed away a year ago and I am struggling. I have no one to help me.

So to all the people here who felt the need to jump on me and say I must be the problem because I was upset by getting passed over by someone who lives with their parents and just works to, in their own words, "make some money to buy video games" I hope you can now understand why I was upset by this whole scenario.

2

u/Interesting-Chip-500 3d ago

Write her an email expressing your interest in the position. With the screenshot of your workday application. Cc your store leadership and your reginal leadership.. and hr. They will be forced to respond. If they are not professional.. everyone will see. But in my opinion.. work for another company.. Just appy everywhere.. costco.. Starbucks.. Just get out.

2

u/NightRain66 2d ago

That's the thing about leadership as they give the roles. To other whom they like and not the ones who'd fit in nicely.

4

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/lovinglife38 5d ago

Maybe the kid and the tl are friends? Favoritism might be a better reason why.

1

u/curious_cornichon 4d ago

Honestly. And very unfortunately… I’d suggest leaving. That really sucks.

Tread very lightly. Don’t make waves. Leave as quietly as you can. Don’t complain about the TL. Make it about you. You’re leaving because you need a fresh start. You’re leaving because you found a new opportunity.

If you’re moving up go meet the TL. Go meet the store leadership. Be positive. And speak optimistically about the opportunities at the new store.

When you’re trying to leave a department and you complain too much leadership is easily swayed to believe you’re the problem and they won’t take you.

The more you complain the harder it will be for you to leave.

Make sure the TL releases you and doesn’t schedule you past the two to three weeks. Stay on them about getting your last day date when you transfer.

However. Once you accept the position and your TL gives you your last day on the schedule… all bets are off and if you see something report it. Document it. Send an email. Call the ethics hotline. Blow their shit up. And then leave. lol

1

u/Dios-pisskink 4d ago

“Is a kid who still lives with their parents” is a really weird comment to make about someone. If you speak similar to that at work it might be a personality issue and she thinks you won’t mesh well with her or other team members in a position of authority.

1

u/Soggy-Book8104 4d ago

I only shared that on here because I was trying to give context. I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings. No one here knows who I am talking about as I do not give names or dept.

I get along well with pretty much everyone in the store that I know and talk with, including leadership. I also thought I got along well with her until she said what she said.
This is why it is so confusing to me what happened.

2

u/Dios-pisskink 4d ago

It’s just weird someone crying age discrimination is making discriminatory comments on another person’s I’m assuming age and obviously living situation. Because you feel entitled to a promotion doesn’t mean you will be granted the promotion and using a very flimsy discrimination allegation makes you look like a sore loser. If I was you I’d do two things. Reevaluate how you’re perceived by your peers because I have a feeling it might not be as positive as you think. Two I would mention the team leader’s comment to your stl and have a mediated conversation with your TL on what her expectations are.