Kroger/Travis Vent

[Hound dog]

I'm so mad right now I could easily spit nails.

Travis came in this morning (he takes a taxi home on my early morning school days) upset yet again for being yelled at by the manager because someone complained about the job he did on the floors.

He has been putting up with this sort of thing since the first week.

Now it doesn't take a flippin' genius to figure out that if you hire someone who is legally blind to mop and wax your floors that they just might not do the job up to par.

Those of you who know Travis well know he's no complainer. Actually I have trouble finding out about this sort of thing, which tells me they've really been giving him a hard time.

He's requested several times to be transferred into a cashier position if they didn't like his work. And they need cashiers for pete's sake. But each time they refuse.

What Travis doesn't know is that easy child wrote a very informative letter to the District Manager and to Corporate over this harrassment describing in detail the manager's treatment of him. She also informed them that if he were to be fired there will be a lawsuit filed due to the fact that the managers were aware of his disabilities when they hired him. She also decribed the poor treatment of other disabled persons working in the store. (odd how when you have one in the family it really makes you pay attention to the treatment of others) easy child has taken it upon herself to pay for such a suit if it becomes necessary.

That letter should be being read soon, if it hasn't already.

When easy child first told me she was fed up with how Travis was being treated and intented to write the letter I was on the fence. I didn't want more trouble for the boy. But after this morning, I may be writing a letter to join hers. No one should have to go thru this constant harrassment over something they have no control over. Travis is once again ticcing both verbally and physically quite bad, which tells me the stress level for him is quite high.

Honestly, I want to go in there and rip those people up one side and down the other. But since he's grown.....well, I can still work with easy child behind the scenes. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[nvts]

I'll come out there and kick some but+ as well. I hate that they're doing this kind o' **** to him!

How's he feeling physically? Have you heard anything on the medicaid front?

Beth

 

[Hound dog]

No news via medicaid as of yet. I'm still making phone calls, too.

As for physically, no, he's not feeling better. More symptoms are appearing. So I'm not waiting for "help". My student loan check ought to be in this week and I'm calling his oncologist and making the appointment. I'll pay for it out of pocket. Cuz he really needs to be seen asap. And I'm hoping she'll know a more direct route that will cover the cost.

 

[tryinghard]

i am so sorry....

 

[Fran]

I can understand. It's pretty amazing how mean people treat a disabled person if they think no one is watching. For some reason they think difficult child's are stupid and won't notice being treated poorly. My difficult child is pretty tolerant but he knows what they are doing.

I hope they work with Travis so that he can be a great responsible employee. He will be good if they treat him with some accomodations.

Hope this gets resolved for him. It makes me so sad to see how hard our son's have it.

 

[Nomad]

I would be upset as well. I know our son worked in a little store once and some of the employees did this type of thing as well. They cruelly made fun of students working there who were Learning Disability (LD) or even other kids who were just knew and made an error. In a certain kind of way, it reminds me of how frequent students didn't hesitate to call our difficult child daughter "fat," and using language that would curl your hair. Although it was not unheard of when I was younger, it was not done commonly. I think I would give your child some ideas on how to handle bullies, but if it gets out of control, talk with a manager on the QT.

 

[Star*]

Daisy,

Contact your local GOod will and see if they can place him in a better job with a staff/boss that understands him or would at least take the time to find a way to help him do his job to their satisfaction.

Smacking poopy people only makes your hands stink.

 

[Wiped Out]

Lisa,
This is so sad. I'm glad easy child wrote the letter and hope they pay attention. No one should have to deal with that! I've been saying prayers daily for Travis that the medicaid will come through!

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

Good on easy child for looking out for her brother!

It makes my blood boil that employers think they can mistreat employees.

 

[flutterbee]

Shame on Kroger. That's just horrible.

After I read your post, I asked Devon to ask his friends about this kind of treatment. He has several friends that work at Kroger. They said this kind of treatment doesn't surprise them.

I spend a nice chunk of change there every month. I think I'll be putting a phone call into corporate - not naming names - and let them know that until these issues are resolved at all of their stores, I will be taking my business elsewhere. I will also let them know that I will be telling this story to anyone who will listen.

Good for easy child for standing up for her brother. This kind of stuff just burns me up.

 

[Abbey]

One thing I have learned in my never ending job search is that there are SO many laws in place for people with disabilities. In fact, they tend to hire people with disabilities because they get some sort of government funding.

They NEED to accomodate. He's hard working. They cannot deny his job because of this.

I imagine if you contact corporate office, they'll be scrambling around like bees.

Wish you all well.

Abbey

 

[Hound dog]

Thanks Heather for the support. I zipped my kill 'em with kindness letter off myself while at school. And I didn't pull punches either. This isn't the first kroger's I've encountered this sort of thing with. We have one about 25 miles from us in another town that they treat their disabled employees badly, too. So I know it's not just here.

Might even be different if they had to make tons of accomodations for him, but all they have to do is stick him on a register and he'd be just fine.

You know, I thought walmart was hard on the kid, but they were nothing like krogers. Well, let's just say Travis would be more than happy to return to walmart.

 

[susiestar]

Krogers should be ashamed. They are really variable from store to store. One person at corporate told me it was because they were tkaing on the "local attitudes". That is bs, they are letting management and other employees abuse the disabled who are usually among the hardest workers inthe store.

My boyfriend from childhood had a job just after she got married - she stood and kept an man about 60 on task sweeping floors and emptying garbage cans in a grocery store. Her job was to be his "job coach" which meant all she did was walk around with him. He was the hardest worker she had ever seen. She was never ever very sensitive to anyone with disabilities before that. But she is a tiger for them now! this man had done this job for 30 years, with a job coach most of the last 3 years or so. He was getting senile but loved to work. The customers LOVED him. As long as they didn't change things he knew where stuff was and would help customers. He gave candy (first that he bought with his own $$) to EVERY child or child in an adult's body that he saw. boyfriend got the store manager to see he was buying the candy, so they then jsut made sure his candy bag was never empty.

The people with handicaps who work can add so much to the store, they can REALLY increase customer loyalty. But not if they are treated like crud.

You hae raised a great easy child, to take up for her bro like this. Glad you sent a letter too. If we had a Kroger I would be sending letters too. Still might.

Hugs,

Susie