A Work-related Issue

[Toast960]

I'm someone who's been known to overthink things way to much, but I believe the new manager I have is out to get me. Now let me explain my conclusion to this statement and hopefully anyone who comes across this can offer some advice on how to handle this situation because honestly, I don't know what to do.



I started working in the Music/DVD department of my local Barnes & Noble in September of last year. When I started, the guy who is now my manager was just another employee, like me. We both worked in the same department and seemed to get along. Not buddy-buddy but we at least SEEMED to get along. Now his wife also worked at the store in the kids department (they're both a few years older than me) and I tell you this cause it's important to later in the story. Now eventually this guy was pulled to the bookside of things and we got two new employees in Music/DVD who I get along with fantastically. Now for a year I've worked there and while I haven't been the world's greatest employee (My former manager was a hard taskmaster who never thought I did anything right. He actually thought I was an anarchist who was going to blow up the store because.... I like old school punk rock (I KID YOU NOT!!!!!)) I've done the best job I could.



Now I tried to become friendly with the guy who's now my manager but everytime I tried, I got the cold shoulder. I thought initially that we just didn't have much in common but he talks about stuff I like (the same movies, music, comics, etc) with the two other guys in music as though it's nothing.



Now despite my messing up here and there, my hours never got touched. Maybe a few hours got taken away here and there when I was going to school, but that was simply an availability issue. Now this past October the guy who I don't really get along with became Music/DVD manager and all of a sudden my hours took a hit. I went from being around 20 to 25 hours (sometimes even 30!!) to going from 8 to 15 hours a week. From the time he has been manager, I've not cleared $100 on ANY paycheck unless I've been called in to take someone else's shift. Meanwehile the other two guys (who he gets along GREAT with) have gotten more hours I'm starting to think this guy has it out for me. And I can't think of anything I did to offend him.



The only thing that remotely comes to mind is about a year ago (when I was still relatively new) I looked up this guy on our computer to see what his last name was because he'd gottten a special order. As anyone who's gone into a Barnes & Noble knows, if the store doesn't have it in stock, we'll try to order it. And one of the tasks in Music/DVDs is to call all special orders. And the number he gave wasn't the store number so I looked up his info. And later on I casually mentioned it to his wife and the guy had a shit fit. I apologised my heart out because it's not like I was malicious in my efforts. I just simply didn't know the guy's last name. And I didn't want to ask any of the booksellers because it was the holidays and they were busy with a million and one things, as were we.



So that's pretty much it. Am I crazy? What should I do? Does it seem like the guy has it out for me? Any and all help is appreciated.

[Wheretogo]

What you do, and beware cuz this will piss him off, but take your concernes above his head. Just do not say tha the is out to get you cuz that sounds paranoid. Just say you are very concerned because since he has become the manager you have not been getting the hours you usually and you really need them back. Explain how they have dropped to about eight hours a week. Say that you would like for the higher up manager to look into it and see if there is a problem, and if there is to let you know so that you can either solve it or work on it.

[FranklinF]

I agree with WTG, try not to sound like scared when you go up, and like they said no "this may sound paranoid"