Thousands of dollars turned to Rocks.

[u/Stumpy6464]

First time poster on this sub, and on mobile. I work for a large chain hardware store.

Also Important to note that I Don’t get “yelled at” at work, most people don’t yell at some with my body size and composition.

Today we had trucks drop off some concrete and non treated lumber for the building materials department (I work in this department)

Both of these categories of product cannot get wet. If they do they cannot be sold or must be sold at reduced price. The bundles of wood and pallets of concrete or unloaded shortly before I get to work and clock in, (in the afternoon to work a closing shift). So I arrive and all this product is outside, this is normal. I check the weather and have about 3 hours until rain is forecast. Okay it will be close but I can get it done in the timeframe. So I begin. I bring inside a few pallets while also helping customers. We are mildly understaffed today. Well Mr Manager says the pallets cannot be inside because they block the aisles. This is the issue, we don’t have enough employees in my dept. to work product and help customers. He is correct about policy saying not to block the aisles but we do this all the time so we can work together on product and help customers. Doing both is part of the job. I wanted a clear answer, my associates and I all want a clear answer. So 30 mins into me working it begins to absolutely downpour with crazy lightning, about two hours before it was forecast in the weather. So instead of all the product being inside, it was outside, so it would not block an aisles.

I normally would not let this happen and just bring it inside and take getting chewed out. But today i figured, if I was going to get chewed out, I was going to get chewed out for following the rules. So product is outside and it’s raining sideways.

Manager now is not happy. the forklift is also outside and covered in rain only because “he doesn’t like it being inside” and half of the lumber and concrete is already toast. He then asked why it was all outside in the rai I reminded him about what he told me and also reminded him about the operating procedures that he was angry with me for not following the previous times I have blocked aisles with product to keep it out of the rain. At this point 50% the concrete bags are saturated through and begin to harden into just big rocks. And all the MDF and particle board is blistering and falling apart. So he gets to explain why the store had a couple thousand in markdowns today to HIS Boss. And his boss like me so I doubt any of this will even come back to bite me. Feels good.

TLDR; Me: * I should bring all this inside because it can’t get rained on.

Boss: don’t bring all that product inside, It’s against operations procedures.

Me: okay boss :)

• rain downpour begins 30 mins later

Boss: frustrated and holding back anger

Me: _(. .)_/ I followed the rules and your instructions. *probably a couple grand in product damaged beyond the point of sale.

[u/Pyrhhus]

Can't be Lowes, OP said slightly understaffed, not criminally understaffed