Wanting to get rehired

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tabbykitty

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Hi!

I had a question about rehire.

I worked for a grocery store for almost 6 years. During that time, I was promoted, attended retail management classes, received multiple commendations for customer service and clean front end and cash registers. I truly enjoyed my job. I had worked under a total of 5 store directors, with no problems, reprimands or write up's. Unfortunately, the last store director that I worked under had a vendetta against me.

Here's some background to substantiate my claim:

My father had worked for the same company 10 years earlier, he worked for them a total of 12 years. Unfortunately, he decided to take a pack of cigarettes one day, and not pay for them. He said he was going to pay later, but being that it was considered a serious violation, he was fired.
It just so happens that he was fired by the same store director that 10 years later, came to work in my store.

The vendetta started the very first day we met each other, it was close to my 5 year anniversary with the company and corporate had sent my anniversary gift to the store. I went upstairs to meet our new director and receive my gift. She introduced herself, handed me my gift, and in plain words told me: "I just want you to know that your dispensable". I was horrified and did not no how to handle it. I don't think I said much to her after that, and i tried to let the incident go. A few months later, she was looking at the schedule while I was running the front end, and she suddenly called me by my last name. I answered, and she asked me if I was any relation to Joe ××××× (mine and my father's last name) shocked again, I said "yes, he is my father". Again, the conversation was dropped. After that, i was informed by other employees that she was "watching me" to which I replied, "watching me do what?, my job?". I was beginning to feel very harassed and intimidated at this point.
Later on that year, there was a very serious and unusually extreme incident in the store, to which all upper management was required to be upstairs, in a prolonged meeting, leaving me as the only one to run the front and whole store. Assisting cashiers, customers and ensuring safety and cleanliness.
It was time for my lunch break, but there was no one to relieve me. Already feeling intimidated, harassed and down right scared of this store director, I went through all of the possible scenarios in my mind, to make the best decision for the store, and to (hopefully) not receive any more intimidation from my store director. I was only working 20 hrs a week at the time, so I thought the best thing to do would be to stay on the clock, and work through my lunch break.

I was thinking that at least I was not working off the clock (disobeying company policy) I was not taking my due lunch break (could have been perceived as me abandoning the store in an extreme situation) and i would not be receiving overtime, because I was only working 20 hrs a week. Win, win...right? WRONG! When she found out I had worked through my lunch break, she told me "if you ever pull a stunt like that again, i will fire you and make it stick!!!"

At this point I was beside myself, broken hearted and seriously questioning my self worth. I had never been treated that way, and thank God, have never been treated that way since. I ended up transferring to another department and after a couple months, I gave my 2 weeks notice. She never acknowledged my notice or had a meeting with me. I simply came in on my last day to work, went to punch in, and was rejected for being "unscheduled". The store director and my department manager were not there that day, because it was a Sunday. I was never called or contacted again.

Here we are, 8 1/2 years later, and I'm thinking I would like to go back to work at that store. The offending store director is long gone, and there is some new management, along with my previous supervisor (who loved me) and wants me back now.

To finally get to my point, I had an interview the other day with the new store director. He asked me what director was in charge when I quit. He also asked me what she would say about me. I was honest, but I did not reveal everything, because I didn't want to seem like an ex - employee with a grudge.
I haven't heard back about the job, and I'm wondering if the former store director put something like a no re - hire in my file, or possibly just some bad remarks. There is nothing negative in my file that I know of, I was never asked to sign anything.

1.) Are employers allowed to put negative things in a personnel file without the employees knowledge?

2.) Would corporate office (in Boise, Idaho) even still have my file after all these years?

3.) How do I defend myself and clear my name with the the company, if this is what's happening?

What do I do now?
Thanks so much.
 
1. Yes - but you're free to request that you can review your file

2. I have absolutely no idea. Ask them.

3. It's probably not worth it. Whatever happened in the past (because it's not even vaguely heinous) likely won't matter now. They'll either want you, or they won't.
 
1. Yes - but you're free to request that you can review your file

She can ask if she can review her personnel file but in Fl. only public employees (current & former) have the right to review & get a copy of their personnel files. statute FSA 119.01 et. seq.
 
There are plenty fish in the sea, and there other employers where you can be all you want to be.

Go forth my child, you're free to become anything you want to be.
 
Having been a recruiter and interviewer many, many times, the "what does your former supervisor think of you" isn't because they really care what that person thinks about you. If they really wanted to know their true thoughts, they would call them up personally and ask in a reference.

One supervisor who didn't care for you nearly a decade ago isn't going to stop an employer from hiring you if you otherwise meet what they are looking for and present well. I think you are grasping at straws to assume that this one person has somehow sabotaged your chances of ever working for this store again, assuming your file is still collecting dust somewhereand isn't in that big recycling bin in the sky.
 
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