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Circle K review: gross and unexceptable treatment of employees 17

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7:06 pm EST
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I am an employee at circle k and would just like to issue this complaint. I am not sure of the exact laws as of this moment, but I know that the way I was treated / am being treated has to be illegal in some way. I woke up yesterday morning feeling terrible. I vomited three times in the thirty minutes I was getting ready for work. I am pregnant, and just blew it off as morning sickness even though I had never actually vomited before during this pregnancy. When I got to work, I started getting worse. I was running to the restroom every 10 minutes and started burning up. I tried to talk to the assistant manager to see if I could go home because my body was giving out, and she told me I could not. So I stayed.
After running to the rest room a few more times, she proceeded to tell me that she and the manager were "pissed off" at me and that I was no longer alou7d to go to the restroom to throw up because she had to "pick up my slack". Instead, I was told that I must use the trash can behind the counter. I was forced to ring up customers until I had to throw up, and then afterward continue ringing them up. I was the only one on the register, I had no help at all. This went on for the rest of the day. There was a point that the assistant manager said to me "i know you don't feel well but come on, this is enough! You need to stop!" like I could control my bodily functions.
I have also been getting harassing text messages from this assistant manager. This morning, I woke up feeling just as sick but vomiting maybe once every 20 minutes instead of 10. I called to see if I could stay home and she told me no, because she was coming in late and refused to come in a little early to help me. She told me to call the manager and that he would be extremely upset and probably cuss me out. So I tried to suck it up and continue getting ready for work. I threw up a few more times while getting ready and fell on the floor. My mother saw me and refused to let me go in like that, so she took my phone while I was vomiting and called the manager to tell him I would not be in. He was cordial to her, but a few minutes later I got a harassing text from the assistant manager saying "you are not a child, never have your mommy call the manager ever again!".
After this, I am refusing to return to work. I plan on calling hr and telling them about my incident. Hopefully these people will lose their jobs. I am so angry that even though I am extremely sick and throwing up, I am writing this in between. I am sorry, but with a fever o 102, my baby is in trouble. I will not risk the health of my child for a job that pays me minimum wage and treats me like an animal.

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17 comments
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jill spires
, US
Jan 19, 2023 3:24 pm EST

Yes I had to quit in 3 days if training here in altamonte fl due to the fact they don’t terrain properly and are rude and unhappy people it’s sad.

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MR
, US
Jan 23, 2017 10:01 am EST

My time spent as an Employee with Circle K left me with such a negative view of how people in a setting of retail and service can possibly treat others in such a rude and unprofessional manner. I had the most courteous clientele it was management that needed a crash course in Customer Service 101. I was hired into the managerial position to be trained by existing store manager. She somewhat felt threatened that I would take over her position which was not the case I would have been assigned my own after training. I was never trained in store procedures I had to wait two days to get a simple computer password, comments such as I already have an assistant dirty looks when coming into the store and being shown the POS. There was my manager training, humiliating, I left after a month after discriminating comments no training and a store manager that did not want to train any one else but herself. Ugh. Revamp your management program.

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Donald Petteway
, US
Dec 09, 2015 1:15 pm EST

I am an employee of Store #4011 in Fairmont WV . I have been employed now a little over 3 months and On Dec 4 2015. I was starting my 3rd shift an had to walk into a store that was very much in disarray and unacceptable to start my shift because of health and various equipment hazards upon starting my shift my fellow employees did not make any concessions to the store and left me without notifying me of the potential dangers that existed.. I proceeded to call the general manager to state the condition of the store and say that I will not start my shift because of the problems that were present. I was told to remove myslelf from the store. I have given the company my best since arriving as an employee for Circle K. I am a dedicated worker and a very good customer service associate. I feel was treated unfair by the management and fellow employees and, I know that the Circle K Organization would feel that this is not what you want to be known as a employer/employee that neglects the needs and health of other staff.. Please look into this situation because this may cause serious injury to someone in the future. I have been terminated for trying to inform the proper chain-of -command.. I feel that the corporate offices need to look deep into this store #4011 because there are a lot of things that needs to be address immediately before the store gets an bad rep, for treating staff and customers improperly. I truly hope that this is address sooner than later, Its is a problem that could possibly hurt the Circle K Brand...
Thank You
Don Petteway
donpetteway@gmail.com

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Ren_wolf
, US
Oct 07, 2015 7:55 am EDT
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just want to point out, having worked for circle k myself in the Denver area, he/she is not joking about the treatment of employees. management doesn't give a damn if you have a fever, are throwing up, just busted your leg, what have you, if you are employed by them, they expect you to be at work as long as you're still breathing. call ins are rejected, if you don't go in, you're fired on the spot the next day you can make it. not only that, but the over night crew more often than not gets the shaft, being expected to do 12 hours worth of work, in 8, and then being berated for it if your tasks aren't complete. also of note, if someone else is running your drawer, and it comes up short, you'll be held liable, as it's your drawer (i got around this with the fact that my drawer was only ever off when someone else was using it, but i've seen people fired for two bucks being lost as a result of too many people on a drawer, and only the person who's name was on the drawer was fired.)

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Jimiestarr
, US
Sep 23, 2015 1:09 pm EDT

My name is James I am a current circle k employee waiting to get fired... So this is what happened I make my 90 days have an outstanding review manger jumps ship. New manger comes in. Store comes up 11k short in product. Almost ameditly roomers spread that there plameing me for it.. So I look at schedule and my hours cut in half.. So I look at next weeks schedule and can't find it..? I latter that day found it hidden.. It shows that I'm off for almost 8 days..? So I think maybe it's just incomplete and go about my work. 2 days latter they kept me away from my assigned register most of the day with lots of dutys we're register was not visible. When was viable some one else was ringing on it. They finally have me close register at end of shift and it's 186$ dollars short. So I asume it's a mistake and not even thought 2 licks about it. 3 days latter they pull me into office and suspend me for 5 days..? The issue is the schedule never changed. I was scheduled for 8 days off befor the inca dent even happened... This leads me to believe Managment was in on it and ploted the whole thing. How could they know I was suspended befor anything even happened. Plus since I've been there I am lucky to have 1 day off a week. In addition they always have me on register because I'm fast, good at it, and don't get overwhelmed easily. So much so I never get to leve register to do chores. Ever now and then I'll get 2 min 2 power down a cig on a 8 to 10 hour shift with never a lunch break ever ever. And if you ask for one your told no then hazed and made fun of. There is just to many anomaly that lead me to believe new manger does not like me and is using me as an excape goat.

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Stephen Lombardo
, US
Sep 07, 2015 6:39 pm EDT

I spent 15 years In the Circle K system I went from a Sales clerk to a field rep. I did see some of what your talking about then. But when I got to a assistant and then store manager I was trained on harassment. I NEVER treated a co worker like that. If as a Assistant or Store manager or Field rep had heard of something like this and had proof It had happened HR would have not been called until after that Employee had been discharged. You have been harassed (If the statement above should be true) The Field rep should be called at once. No one can tell you you can't use the restroom. You should take the time off when needed. The only thing they can do Is ask for a doctors note. Yes your baby Is very important. I don't think Circle K would condone this at all.

BewareFindAGrave
BewareFindAGrave
Beverly Hills, US
May 03, 2013 6:32 am EDT
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Get a lawyer and sue them, individually as people and Circle K as a company. You will win.

YOUR BABY is what is important. Do not risk the health of your baby. Do nothing that will risk your pregnancy. You need to get a doctor... not to Circle K. Get a note written on a prescription pad, stamped and signed by the doctor... and take it with you when you go back to work at Circle K. And if they give you any trouble, be sure to take it with you when you go to your attorney's office.

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pratik45
manchestwr, GB
May 03, 2013 6:23 am EDT

This circle k is a not crazy but the manager were so crazy that they might had to taken to mental hospital n treat them with electric shock

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ExExCircleK
Bossier City, US
Jun 11, 2012 7:59 pm EDT
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@InnocuousPanda, I agree with all you said! Especially manager hours, I was off one half day one time, and i still had over 40 hours, but they docked my pay for the day i was off. It is amazing how much they expect to get out of you, yet if you get sick or anything else happens and sales start going down, they will not hesitate getting rid of you once they have gotten all they can out of you.
P.S. by the way, the EX-DM that got me terminated has been demoted to store manager again, LMAO, best news i have heard since i was termed, LOL

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InnocuousPanda
, US
Jun 10, 2012 12:12 pm EDT

Circle K is an absolutely wretched company. It does nothing to investigate claims and allows shady stuff to go on all the time if the numbers are "good enough." One Market Manager has no idea how to do her job - essentially she sets unrealistic goals and gives no feedback on how to meet them. She gossips about people and tells managers assumptions she has made about their employees (assumptions that are not only irrelevant to the job but often completely erroneous). She will immediately accuse you of theft regardless of if there is any proof at all. She doesn't do any of the controls that are needed to make sure things are above board. There is blatantly unfair treatment that goes on and people become backstabbers just to cover their ###. She won't even do the basics of her job, something as simple as forwarding an e-mail so schematics can be correct unless called on it by a different division. She complains about stuff she has no idea about while the store has empty pegs for 4 different products because she ignored the 3 emails from the store asking her to please, please contact the product manager about the product being in a schematic but claiming to be delisted.

In addition is the fact that they show a okay hourly rate on the manager pay because they base it on 40 hours. However, managers are expected to work 53 hours and that is how they determine your actual wage. Take the MIT pay, multiply it by 53, and then give a 1-5% raise (but then divide by 40 so looks nice). So all these new managers are making almost the exact same hourly rate as they were when an MIT but with no OT now given. And of course if you have to cover shifts or work late your work week could become 70+ hours with no extra compensation but god forbid you fall below the 53.

I have talked to tons of former and current employees in various aspects of the company (SA, Manager, CSR, technicians) and I have literally only heard *one* person say anything positive about this company. There is zero oversight. One former manager use to be horrible and constantly tweaking his numbers and the MM was told repeatedly but she ignored it. Then he leaves the company and it is found his store is missing at least 10K in product. People have complained about the MM to higher ups and they do nothing because her husband was higher up in the company and protected her. She promotes an MIT to Manager who can't do 80% of his job because he doesn't know how and is incapable of learning. Instead she ignores it and tells other managers to "help him" and expect them to essentially carry a second store.

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ExExCircleK
Bossier City, US
Jan 01, 2012 2:17 am EST
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@hippiechick91, I hope you do call HR, and if they do not do anything then call a lawyer. Make sure you write down everything said, have a witness if possible, record anything, and keep texts. this is total harrasment. Maybe if Circle K gets sued more often then they will start investigating the things going on in their store. the only problem with reporting is that most of the management people know each other and stick together, so be careful who you tell. good luck to you, i hope it gets better.

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ExExCircleK
Bossier City, US
Jan 01, 2012 2:07 am EST
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@Concerned-Employee--Although you have been treated good, (you lucked in to getting a good boss like i did for the first years) there are a lot more of us that has not been treated as well. I was also employed 15 years at Circle K in bossier city, and no i don't think Circle K cares about the empoyees.I was a store manager, always at work as scheduled, cared about my store, kept it clean, good customer service, won trophies for number one in sales, won plaques for sales increase and manager of the year, and manager of the month several times, won 2 cruises, never had a problem with upper management until the new DM(Robert) took over the district. He talked to the managers like we were idiots, he would get on to us about things that he did not know about(he jumped on us before he knew all the facts), threatened our jobs all the time, etc. I also understand that he was investigated previously, although i do not know the reason(he was a store manager before he became DM) He made a statement that one of the managers was trying to get rid of all of his black girls(this is a racist remark), he stated they could pay 2 or 3 people for what i get paid, told my employee that he should have my job (which i was training him because he wanted to learn), etc. There are more people like this working for Circle K than people that actually care about the other employees. I went to his boss, and he said that he was going to make sure that Robert made it as DM no matter what.If you call HR, they will hear about it, and you will be demoted, hours cut, or termed soon after. So it does no good to tell anyone! I know a few people this has happened to. Anyway, after all the time, hard work, honesty, and reliability that I put in at Circle K, Robert could not find honest things to fire me for so he made up things such as:I did not review video daily(listed days that i was actually off work), said I trained my employee to order groceries before 90 days(which, first of all, it was over 90 days, and second, we were never told not to train anyone before 90 days and was always encouraged to get them to train), said i was out of stock on a lot of items(have McClane's Invoices that items were out of stock, discontinued, mfg discontinued, bad item #'s, and not authorized items)I was told he also brought some of my groceries to other stores when i was not there, and bad turnover (most of my employees quit because of him). I was a really good manager, they lost a good person and kept the worst one. There was no investigation, no questions from his supervisor, nothing. So after all I put in that company, I have absolutely nothing to show for it. I felt the same way you do for the first 10 years or so, but i honestly believe you will not feel the same when you get a bad supervisor, or something comes up in your life and you get written up or termed for being sick or something else. So good luck to you, and i hope you don't get the same treatment I did.

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Concerned-Employee
Atascadero, US
Mar 15, 2011 5:16 am EDT
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I am a Manager for a Corporate owned store and I am sad to hear this. @ Hippiechick91, the treatment that your received was not fair. Under no circumstances should management talk to you in that way. In your hiring process you should have done training that told you how to handle the situation if it were to happen. If you call the HR SOLVE number you can talk to the HR department and they will handle your issues. They will take into consideration your performance up to the point of the incident.
@ ExcircleK, I am sad to hear that after 15 years of employment that you would say that the company does not care about her or her baby. That is very hard to read. I have been with the company for about 4 years now and have been shown nothing but compassion and caring for me and my family. When the recession hit us this past year or two the company has done a lot to keep us employed, no one lost jobs, stores were not closed, and for the most part everyone has remained happy.
@Cashier1, I am sad to hear that you think Circle K only cares about themselves and the "higher-ups". This statement is very false. In California all pumps are pre paid, you cannot open the pump unless there is testing going on. So we do not have drive offs. I would speak to HR about the drive off situation. Call the 888-HR SOLVE number and ask what the rules and regulations are for your region. As far as the soda is concerned, it is my understanding that this rule applies to ALL Circle K stores, if you bring in your own cup you can drink as much Fountain, Froster, Coffee or Capuccino as you want while on shift. You cannot just get a cup and drink (unless you pay for it).

I love working for Circle K. They have their little areas that I may not agree with, however, as a whole the company is one of the best that I have worked for. I have never felt like they do not care about me or they care more for their upper management than they do about me. I started working as a part time clerk working 4 hours a week. I have now been a Store Manager for 3 years now. I just hope that anyone that is currently working for Circle K that reads this knows that if they are being treated poorly they have the HR SOLVE number to turn to and report what is going on. IF it is not reported then how can anyone look into it and get the problem fixed.

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NotMuchLongerAtTheK
, US
Jun 18, 2017 6:03 pm EDT

HR Solve only tells you to go to the "ROD" to discuss, and when you do that you are on her "list" and the write ups begin. That's their way of getting you out the door. Circle K is no longer what it used to be. They have left people of the companies that they bought out in charge and they should have been sent down the road with the buy out. It's all over when you make a complaint and don't just be the "sheeple" they want.

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cashier1
st louis, US
Jan 19, 2011 2:19 pm EST

i agree with both of the comments. i work for a circle k near st louis mo. i work long hours usually by myself during the busiest hours. circle k cares about nothing but themselves and the "higher-ups". the things they do to their employees should be illegal. there are numerous things they do that they should be held responsible for. for example, they hold their employees responsible for drive-offs when they refuse to make their gas pumps pre-pay. i have never worked for an employer who accuses their employees so much of theft. i swear would it hurt them to give their employees a soda? good lord!

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excirclek
, US
Jan 17, 2011 9:34 pm EST
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If you have a good attendance record, this is plain and simple harrassment from the ### mgr, you should talk to HR and if they try to fire you then you should get a lawyer. Make sure you have a doctor excuse and keep the text from them. You should not have to work while throwing up in front of customers for one, and another thing, what if you make customers sick if you have some kind of virus. Maybe your boss will get it. I was a store manager for 15 years, they will get all they can out of you, they dont care about you or your baby.

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Chanel77
Shelby, US
Jan 13, 2011 7:38 pm EST

For future reference, it's "unacceptable", should you take this matter further. Your ASM does sound like a witch but just know that she cannot force you to come in nor can the manager for that matter. They cannot "reject" a call off but they are not required to be happy about it. However, it is in bad taste to have anyone else call in for you unless, of course, you are completely incapacitated. It's obvious that you were not since you wrote this post clearly for the complaints board. This is something you could/should have taken care of yourself and the ASM was correct about that. This is the same for any job you will ever hold, regardless of the pay rate. I'm not sure how far you will get with HR but I imagine it depends on your length of time with the company and your previous attendance record. Now you know what they (management) cannot do and going forward in your future employment hopefully you will not run into this issue again.