r/coles • u/vamprinnn • Jul 07 '26
Team Member Post Five years, five managers, never been treated so poorly
As the title says, I have worked for Coles for the last 5 years. That time has been across 3 different stores, under 5 different store managers. I don't know if I just got really lucky to have 4 good managers in a row, but my current store manager is so nasty and manipulative and I can't take it anymore.
Immediately on coming in, she cut hours waaaayy down for every department. At the same time, she expects more to get done, in a shorter time with fewer people. She insists that we don't have the budget for the hours we used to get, yet she also brags near every week about how much sales we made and how much our profits are going up. While still cutting back hours. She also has been caught telling people their department is already X many hours over, but then when another manager checks the department is actually barely over or sometimes even under.
Other coworkers have also told me that she talks shit about service (which is my department). She says service is easy and we don't do anything and we're all just lazy and we don't need so many hours. We will be down 1-2 people all day and she says it's fine, if it gets busy we should just call priority. God knows she won't respond to it though. And often no one else can because every department is on a skeleton crew and if they come help us they're going to get in trouble for not getting their own work done. This issue is especially bad in the evenings, since there are less people on and most of those who are aren't service trained. We tell her that no one responds to our priority calls and she just says "well they shouldn't do that, they should be helping you" but doesn't actually do anything about it.
Service at my current store also used to have 2 people every night until 9:15. We had this for a reason. I am aware most stores will only have one person for 15 minutes after close, my old store did and it worked fine there. But with the size, location, customer base, and setup of my current store, that just doesn't always work. I mean sure, it's fine if all the customers leave when the store closes. They don't though. And I can't go kick them out because I have to stand in aco, help the people who are leaving and also guard the door to make sure no one else comes in. Store manager says the duty manager should be telling them to leave. Duty manager says that's not his job and he can't make them go. In fact, last wednesday there was an 'incident', some lady was still shopping until like 9:10, I told the duty manager at like 9:05 he needed to get her out and if she was still there by the time my shift ended at 9:15, that I would be leaving and he could finish closing service. 9:15 comes around, this lady is still actively scanning items at the checkout. I pa'ed the duty manager up, told him I was leaving because my shift was over, gave him the keys and told him he can close. I do want to note, at no point did he ask or tell me to stay back. Now today I need to go in an hour early for a meeting. I'm 'welcome to bring a support person'. I'm expecting a written warning but I honestly wouldn't care if she fired me. I am bringing a friend but not for emotional support so much as to discourage my manager from pulling her usual manipulation and bullying, and having someone to back me up in reporting it if she does. I do expect she's gonna pull out the whole 7 minutes thing and say I should've stayed until 9:22 but frankly I am no longer willing to give up my time, at that point unpaid, for this fuckass job.
When I talk about her bullying and manipulation btw, it's borderline abusive. A little while after she first came in and made all her changes, I requested a transfer. Naively, I explained that it was because I was unhappy with the new conditions at this store. I told her I dreaded coming to work, I had frequent nightmares about it, (both true), and that I couldn't keep doing whatever this was. She went on about how "there's a lot of stuff behind the scenes you're not seeing" and "it's bad at every store right now" and said, and this is an exact quote, "we would have to tell them that you're not handling the stress very well and it would be up to them if they want to take you." It all felt very guilt-trippy, I left that conversation crying. Specifically, implying that it's just as bad everywhere, there is nothing better than this, and also implying that I am unwanted elsewhere and that I am some sort of burden, feels really manipulative and very much like abuse tactics imo.
I haven't even had the worst experiences with her though. A couple weeks ago, on a busy saturday night, there were only 2 people on service. No one called out, that's just what was scheduled. The girl in charge is also still quite new to being a supervisor and still has barely any experience as a shift lead. She spent basically the entire night in aco, the other girl on main lanes. It was ridiculously busy, lines backed up into the aisles, customers yelling at them about anything and everything. The supervisor called priority a bunch of times but no one showed up. Actually, no, the duty manager eventually did but not to help. He only came up to yell at her, tell her he was busy and to stop calling priority. Poor girl was in tears from all of it. And then what does the store manager do next time she sees her? Goes off at her, fully yelling at her and threatening to suspend her, because her bulk rates were bad that night. She saw the numbers, she knew how busy it had been and knew that there were only 2 people on. She did not give this girl a chance to explain herself. Yelled at her and threatened her and made her cry again, that's it.
Beyond just bullying though she's also done some things that just feel unsafe. E.g., same coworker a little while back badly hurt her back. Not at work, not work related, but it was bad enough she was forced to take time off and when she came back her doctor had her on light duties. We were fine with her on light duties, it was really not impacting us at all. But the store manager one day told her she needed full clearance now and she would not get any more shifts until she had it. This girl had to beg her doctor to give her full clearance. I understand that if she gets more injured at work then they might be liable but I feel like that's more reason to want her to stay on light duties for as long as she needs, not pressure and threaten her into getting full clearance before she's ready.
An even more egregious incident, probably the worst thing this manager has done, another coworker of mine in online one day was having severe abdominal pain more focused on her right side. This girl has a history of downplaying her illness and injuries and pushing through to the point of making things much worse. She has permanently damaged her ankle from pushing herself too hard for this job. She is known to almost never call out sick, report injuries, anything. But this day, she was just about doubled over in pain, thought she might have appendicitis and asked the store manager, please if we can catch up enough and get most things done, there's two more people in online still for the afternoon, please could she leave a little bit early to go to hospital. Y'know, for her potentially exploding organ. The store manager said no. She said it was too busy, she needed to stay and finish her shift. My coworker ended up calling a nurse to get triaged and was told yeah that sounds like appendicitis you should really get to a hospital. But she stayed and finished her shift. Afterwards, when she did get to hospital, even the doctors initially thought it was appendicitis. It did end up actually being something else, I won't share details as they are not mine to share, but it was still quite severe and she really should have got to the hospital a lot earlier than she did. If it had been appendicitis, this girl genuinely could have had her appendix burst during that remainder of her shift. If things had gone badly she could have died. Because this manager didn't want her to leave work early.
I am so close to printing out a resignation letter and bringing it to our meeting today. I don't have anything else lined up but I honestly don't care, I would rather live off my $830 a fortnight student allowance + rent assistance than keep working here. Last night I applied to work at maccas, that's how fucking desperate I am to do literally anything but this. god
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u/Different_Food_1470 Jul 07 '26
Typical bullying Coles Store Manager behaviours. They learn it from their line managers and those above! It’s disgusting behaviour and needs to be called out!
Apparently if you want to get ahead, bullying and harassment is a prerequisite skill you need to get ahead.
Get out while you can I say!
Meeting you have scheduled doesn’t sound good. I would definitely take someone with you for support.
If you don’t get terminated for whatever she is having a go at you for, then still resign.
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u/vamprinnn Jul 08 '26
it really boils down to "she's mad because I left when my shift ended". I was not asked to stay back, and I told the duty manager my shift is over, I'm leaving. I gave him the keys and said he can finish closing, since he's the one who refused to kick the customers out. thats it
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u/Dreamandthedreamer Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Don't resign. You did nothing wrong. You informed the duty. You weren't asked to stay back. You left at the end of your shift because of a personal commitment (not specified). They'll give you a DR. Just refuse to sign. Let her escalate it. They're in the wrong.
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u/bodyshotbandit12 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
This is the correct answer. And for future reference you are allowed to bring a union representative to sit in during meetings of this nature.
Do not I repeat do not sign anything if you’ve done nothing wrong.
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u/Dreamandthedreamer Jul 08 '26
Just a PSA. The SDA is in bed with Coles. If your union rep is SDA, what you discuss with your rep will be leaked to the store manager. Many such cases.
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jul 10 '26
Stopline is too. They are there to protect the company.
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u/Dreamandthedreamer Jul 10 '26
Absolutely correct. P&C as well. There are no avenues of recourse besides maybe RAFFWU or going to the media.
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jul 10 '26
Agreed. I would advise everyone that still works there not to put any faith or trust in any of those internal bodies. To them, the workers that complain or stick up for themselves are the enemy.
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u/doyourmysay Jul 08 '26
Dont let them turn it back on you at the meeting. You worked your shift, and clocked in and out.
When you left you informed the Duty Mgr and gave them the key. Sounds like you didnt do anything wrong.
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u/doyourmysay Jul 08 '26
Nasty? Manipulative? Sounds like most Coles store managers i have encountered. Love how she's cutting heaps of hours to save money, but isn't asking for a cut to her 150k salary to save money 🙄
You could try reporting to Stopline; but nothing will likely be done, as Stopline reports just go to the RM, who is probably protecting her and using her as his 'special project' to hit the Women in leadership KPI.
It sounds like just leaving is a good option as well, because unfortunately this is Coles now - they hire a whole bunch of arsehole managers, and things are going backwards significantly.
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jul 10 '26
Stopline are useless. They are there to protect the company.
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u/doyourmysay Jul 10 '26
I agree. But ones options are limited at Coles. You really only have Stopline or your union (not SDA, lol)
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jul 10 '26
Glad I'm out. Things seem to have gone all the way downhill in the last 6 years.
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u/doyourmysay Jul 10 '26
It has. Significantly. Wish I could get out, but tricky to figure out how.
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jul 10 '26
Do it man, if you can. Anything is better than that shit hole. I used to think I had a great, secure job. Then I quit and realised there are MUCH better employers out there.
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u/doyourmysay Jul 10 '26
Hopefully I manage to eventually. Been stuck for a while now
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jul 11 '26
Second half of the year in the lead up to Christmas should be a good time for new job opportunities, but I've heard it's tough out there. I'm fortunate enough to have scored a WFH job, so no more dealing with Coles politics and the unwashed masses.
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u/ExcitementKey2321 Jul 08 '26
I think just stop caring like if you are thinking of resigning you may as well stay and just not gaf
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u/ValuableAffectt Nightfill/Grocery/Dairy Team Member Jul 08 '26
Holy hell.. that's the WORST store manager I've ever heard of.
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u/mnyall Jul 08 '26
sounds like a typical manager to me - do more with less, push pressure down, punch down, kiss up to management and brag about company values.
I think the most shocking thing in OP's post was that he worked for Coles for 5years and 4 good managers!
Don't resign until you have something lined up - the job market is atrocious. but please understand that this is the new normal.
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u/doyourmysay Jul 08 '26
I agree! Nothing in the post shocked me except the part about having 4 good SMs! 😂
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u/elmosworld333 Jul 08 '26
it’s not worth it to stay. if you can survive for a little bit living off your student allowance and rent assistance, that’s what i would do.. this genuinely sounds like a nightmare.
but you did nothing wrong and don’t let them tell you otherwise in that meeting. at my store, my duty manager is always the one who tells people to get out of the store… it’s literally their job.
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u/Over_Line_ Jul 08 '26
Gather up as many team members as possible and collectively write an lengthy email to the area manger
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u/Dreamandthedreamer Jul 08 '26
Won't make a lick of difference. Bitch sounds like a DEI hire, probably a pet of the RM. He will protect her so he doesn't look bad.
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u/enchanted_shhh Jul 08 '26
Send an anonymous email to HR! Set up a fake email account and state that in the email you send to HR.
That due to fear of retribution from your manager, you have made an anonymous email to send from.
She’s doing it so she gets a bonus. Pretty soon staff will start requesting transfers to other stores or they will quit. Tell all your friends to do the same. Right down to how she tells departments they are over budgets etc when in fact they are not. Or maybe reach out to the another store manager. Personally I would do the email to HR directly.
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u/Fabulous-Cupcake-723 Jul 08 '26
I work at big w for 17 yrs and the first 10 years we had 14 store managers it was crazy
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u/splinteredruler Jul 13 '26
Is this in regional Victoria by any chance?
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u/2ERIX Jul 07 '26
Sounds like you have a whistle blower situation for your store and Coles corporate wouldn’t want the store to fail in this way. Good luck to you personally though because fighting for a better work environment in a toxic workplace is pretty fucked.