Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Stein Mart
278 Williamsburg Shopping Center
Williamsburg, Virginia
United States
Phone: 757-2202749
steinmart.com

I was employed with stien mart for seven years with a one year break because of finding another job but in beginning of june i was asked by management to come back so because i loved my job so much i decided to do so i love customers and i had many threw my time working there knew me by name and came there asking for me by name as time went on i developed loving relationships with regular customers along with employees will to make a long story short sept 18, 2008 me and another employee were working we had a long couple weeks for she worked in my department she was full time and i part time we just finished getting a temp sale together and running fitting room it was a good day we worked together that day to knock out tasks quicker i admit we did talk to each other but never lost focus of work as day went on we learned that out lost prevention team was there we were told they were there to look a cameras in hopes to catch shop lifters for we had been having many episodes with theft we were told not to acknowledge the female LP agent so customers wouldn't know we knew her they had gotten there at around 3 that afternoon and were in office viewing tapes about sevenish the other the employee that got fired in my department along with me was called to office i was cleaning up department but i couldn't help to think why she was taking so long id say 15 min went by and she walked out office walking toward me i said kim (thats what ill call her to protect privacy) i gave her a look like what took so long and smiled she lipped to me she got fired i said what why she said because we were talking but that she couldn't talk to me that she would call me later i went on working shocked and nervous trying to understand 5 min later i was called in office the door was closed so i went in sat down beside lp lady and my boss asked me how do i think we prevented shrink in my ladies department i told her by making sure customer took six items in fitting room and helping them on floor and filling out ticket requisition forms she shook her head telling me that today me and kim were being watched and that she so us on tape talking for a hour i said yes we did talk but were were also talking about operation in store and temp sale etc she told me my story didn't match kims and i said well sorry but thats what happened i cant control what she said i am telling you what took place she looked at lp lady and said anything you wanna add she said well thats not what it looks like on tape i am like how do they know cameras don't pick up volume only visual so i was told i was being terminated no verbal or written on sheet it said as reason that i was being fired for visiting with kim ignoring customers and not watching fitting room all not true i was hurt because after 7 years of hard work and weeks before time coming in on days off and working backroom my manager told me thank you and how she owed me this is how she paid me back just cause we were working and talking i signed sheet saying i was talking but we also talked about sales that had to be set that night and floor moves she told me to hand her my badge and when i clean out my locker leave it open i was upset and confused i had never been fired by any job and never thought id ever be i am a single mother trying to raise my 7 year old autistic little girl on my own and now i am worried about how i am going to make rent and bills all i ever tried to do was my job and this is thanks i get but i will be following up with this with my lawyer because theres others in company that already left that were to scared to speak up that instead quit i will be that voice.