The Salvation Army USA

I was employed by the Salvation Army from July 1997 after being in the same position since January 1995. I resigned my position on 11th May 2009 to take effect 25th May 2009.

I believe I have been a loyal worker for The Salvation Army throughout this period.

During my employment at the Salvation Army I have seen several other workers driven out of their jobs by terrible management, these workers are Myrel, Barbara, Kim, Tammie, Kate, Melissa, (last names withheld) and many more.

During the period July 1st 2000 to April 2002 I was promoted to senior worker which has the same conditions as manager without the title, I was informed that as there was not 5 staff at Gippsland I could not have the title but could have the conditions. With this position came a pay rise and a car to take home at night.

When the Salvation Army GippsCare took over SASHS Gippsland in April 2002 there was no discussion with workers as to what they did and what their roles where at SASHS Gippsland. But rather informed me that they were going to employ a manager to which I replied I would like to put in for that position, I was informed that I could but I would not get the job as they would be looking for someone with management experience. They employed Ken Parkin. Sometime after Ken was employed I was asked why my wage was so high, I replied because I was manager when you employed Ken, I am the IT resource person & I am also the Crisis Housing Worker, I advised them that the IT position and the Crisis position where funded positions and it was a lot cheaper to pay me to do these positions than employ someone else, I was told that they were not aware the Crisis Worker position was separate funded and they would look at it ( I felt they did not believe me). I was informed that they were looking at my pay and the position of IT was possibly not needed as there was a good help desk in Melbourne. GippsCare have then decided to charge me for the use of my vehicle for taking it home, this vehicle was part of my employment. Ken Parkin agreed to pay for my vehicle and I was to give him the mileage sheet and he was to pay. I went to give Ken my mileage sheet one day and he informed that he is not paying the mileage at the moment and he has told them he will not until they sort out the FBT as they where double dipping ( I do not know who he spoke to as I did not ask).

I have been called to meetings twice and prior to the meetings I was advised that my budget was in the red, at the first meeting I was able to prove it was not. I was advised by Celia a couple of weeks later that I needed to attend a meeting with Robert Martin as my budget was in the red, I said I already proved my budget was not and I felt I needed not attend, Celia said, “Yes, you will”. At the meeting I was able to prove that my budget was in fact $21, 000 in the black. I believe that the budget for GippsCare Social Housing Service was in the red overall, but not my part of the budget, both meetings where held with Phil (the accountant) present and he agreed my budget was not in the red. I believe the rest of the budget was in the red due to mismanagement from my superiors. I am not responsible for the whole agency budget. Robert Martin stated at the end of the meeting that we cannot afford to have my budget in the red when Red Shield Housing was coming on board this was despite me proving I was in the black. There is no funding in our budget to pay the top heavy management Ken, Celia & possibly Robert Martin. Ken Parkin drives his work vehicle all the time including to Melbourne for private things which there is no budget for.

Celia, a few days after our budget meeting asked me why I was not paying for the vehicle, I replied Ken was paying for it, she immediately asked why Ken would be paying for it, I replied ask him, Celia then said I need to pay as my name was on the paper. I was then angry as I realised Ken had spoken to no-one about not paying the mileage. I then resigned. I believe I was pushed into resigning as this as a way for management not to pay my wage and possibly pull themselves out of the red prior to Red Shield Housing coming on board. I have done nothing wrong except to be the pawn at the bottom of the ladder that was chewed up and spat out by the Salvation Army. I do not want to be unemployed but I cannot handle going to work and being used as a scapegoat.

I have visited your store on Harland Dr. in Bellevue, Ne. There is a few things I would like to complain about. You have a blonde assistant manager there who is very RUDE to her employees and customers.She had sent one of her employees on break, and when she left for her break she started saying mean things about her and said that she was trying to get her fired to another employee. I think this was very rude! Also she repremanded an employee infront of customers. There is another shorter girl that is also unfriendly. When I walk in the door there are some of the employees that greet me and make me feel welcome, then there are times when I get nothing except a look as if to say "Oh Great" another customer and I feel unwanted. I think this is unprofessional and before I stop going to the store I thoughtI would make you aware of the situation, and I also have another friend saying the same thing! I also have heard the assistant manager talk badly about a couple of the older women that come in the store, also she talks badly and contradicts her own boss. That is definatley unprofessional. I have often wondered how she can get by with all of that. I have to say being the professional that I am, how much more disrespect do the employees and customers have to take from her?

We recently bought a dryer from our local salvation army. It was forty dollars which was a reasonable price for what it was. The cashier told me upon check out that if it didn't work they would be able to give us at least a store credit. Sure enough the heating element did not work. We returned the next business day to speak with a manager about a refund. He was called to the front three times and we waited over half an hour with a increasingly cranky 1.5 year old. Finally my husband went to the back of the store trying to find the manager. He was right there in the store. He crossed his arms and looked at him and said "what?" my husband caught off guard by his bluntness politely explained our problem. Jim the manager interrupted him and said "we have a no return policy". Now we have a 250 pound hunk of metal sitting in our house and have forty less dollars. Because one person (Or many) was dishonest the consumer was punished. I thought the salvation army was meant to help people like my family better afford reasonalbe accomidations, not to rip off the working poor. How christian is that? I'm pretty sure jesus didn't steal from the poor to pay the poor.