Ok here is an update on the work situation that happened to me this last week. I requested a meeting with the store manager JS (the one who took the picture) and the store assistant manager JE who is female I had spoken to her the night of. I wanted her in the room so I could I have a neutral party present. My emotions were very high and I very much wanted to maintain my professionalism. We met behind closed doors in his office and I requested that I be able to start first.

I told him that this was not the way an employee whether they had worked at the company for one day or ten years should be treated. That this was a very bad alcohol induced decision of juvenile, and disrespectful behavior. Had this been any of the female staff he would be looking at the end of his employment with the company and the company would be facing a massive lawsuit. We as employees are taught to trust management and that they will act in our best interest this was a massive failure of that trust on his part. I also stressed that if this picture or the story of this incident got around to other management staff, how would they look at me as an employee or how would I be able to look at them as my superiors if I knew they had been in on the "joke". Would I not feel threatened? What about my coworkers in the same store? I said so far only the three of us know in this room but what happens if it gets around will they lose respect for me or my position. I asked him at what point did I ever joke around with him that I gave the impression that I would find this funny. I kept my professional attitude and an even voice I did not flip the table or do anything I might regret, once I was done he started his response.

He stated that first of all he does value my work here in the store he did understand that I while not having the best tech metrics in the city am a huge repository of knowledge because of my tenure he said this a great resource to have and he takes pride in other stores contacting him to ask questions about M&P's, reports, and the like of me. He stated that yes he should have deleted the picture when I requested and letting another manager see it was a failure on his part to let another manager get the file was an even bigger one. He said that yes a bond of trust does exist between employees and managers and he was very sorry he violated that trust. He stated that it would never happen again and that he is extending his sincerest apologies to me. It. Was quiet in the room after that. I said if that was it I would take what I could get and walked out of the store.

I think that scared him which is fine with me some of what happened next is third hand told to me by JE the assistant manager I had requested be in the room. She told him he was very wrong to have done this regardless of whether they thought I would think it funny or not. He asked her if she thought I was ok with his apology and that he really was sincere about it and recognized that he had damaged any type of relationship we would ever have professional or other wise. (Duh) At this point I had texted JE and said it had been very hard to keep control in the office and thanked her for her support in the matter. She told me latter that after I texted her JS had asked if he should call me to make sure I was ok she said you better give him some time first. I was actually still in the parking lot trying to come down when JS call came in twenty minutes later, he said he really hoped that i accepted his apology the picture was deleted and he hoped that I would not feel threatened in the store and would continue to be part of the best team in San Antonio. And once again how much he valued me as an employee and a friend he could talk to (we are the two oldest employees in the store all the others are 34 or under with the average in 20's) I was thinking whatever in my head and I was starting to get heated up again. So I said sure whatever JS and hung up on him. This according to her made him feel that I was still upset (uh yeah) he got on the phone and called the other manager involved in the incident JG and told him we really fucked up he is really upset and taking this really badly he thinks we will spread this around and feels threatened that other managers will find out about it. So I received a call thirty minutes later from manager JG who I have worked with for eight of my ten years here at the company i answered the call and he asked how I was doing. I said fine what do you want he said he was sorry and did not know this would be taken badly he said that because we had know each other for so long that I would take it as the joke was intended. I told him that I that while I might not agreed with him in all his decisions as a manager I had always given him respect and never disagreed with him in front of other employees I had always been loyal and had even helped with matters not related to work and had been there for him and his family. This is precisely why this upset me because I have known you eight years personally and professionally that you would do something like this shows exactly what all those years are worth he apologized again he said he did not want to hurt my feelings I told yeah ok then hung up. I think both of these men understand how much they screwed up whether the apologies are genuine or just covering their assess eh who knows but I think both are sweating it out as I have been noncommittal whether I have accepted the apologies or not. I am off the weekend so will not see JS until Monday.

Now on to what I plan on doing. All text and pics have been backed up and saved on two different memory sticks. I have decided to not pursue this any further at this point i am going to visit the HR rep to document a visit was made but not be specific. I have a friend who knows an attorney he charged me a dollar to tell him about the incident to get it on the record that I have spoken to legal counsel in the day after it happened in case I do want to pursue legal action eventually. Why am I not going after them now? This was not an easy decision as I have said before that my job is tenuous at best we are also about to be bought out. So I need to hang on to my job for the moment with the job also comes insurance which my family needs. If I proceed with a complaint the company would classify me as un-hireable and I have not found a new job yet. The resume is out waiting for some hits. I think from this point I am going to concentrate on finding new employment and getting out of there.

I want to thank all of you for the support and advice you have given me in pm's and comments. I had considered everything you wonderful folks have sent me and have never felt so supported and loved as now. I will keep you all posted if and when things progress beyond this point. For now things are settled. Wow that was long maybe I could write a story eventually. I will see y'all around the Big Closet.

Jenn