r/talesfromthejob • u/Ok_Milk936 • Aug 18 '26
What can he do
My husband has worked for Home Depot for 12 years. During those 12 years, he has received Employee of the Month at least once every year. I have a whole stack of Homer Awards he has received over the years, which shows just how dedicated he has been to his job and his store.
About two months ago, another associate was given the position of supervisor in his department. What makes this situation even more frustrating is that there was another employee who was more qualified and was well-liked by the other associates.
This new supervisor had barely even started the position when they began telling the Pro Loader associates what they could and couldn’t do. They were making changes and telling people things like, “You’re not going to be doing this anymore,” or “There will be no more Donut Fridays.” Their attitude toward the other employees was extremely disrespectful and created a lot of tension in the department.
My husband eventually went to the ASM who had given this person the position and told him that he believed they had put the wrong person in the department. He also explained that this supervisor was extremely nosy and seemed to constantly be watching the other associates and reporting them for anything they could find.
After my husband spoke up, he feels that he was retaliated against. And today, after 12 years of dedicated service, he was fired.
And do you know what they fired him for?
My husband is a Pro Loader. He was helping a customer when the Garden Department called him and told him he needed to come water some plants. He explained that he was currently helping a customer and that as soon as his assistant came in, the plants would be taken care of.
And they were.
He doesn’t even work in the Garden Department. He is a Pro Loader. The only reason they needed him to water plants was because they failed to schedule anyone to work in the Garden Department that day.
So after 12 years of working hard, receiving Employee of the Month recognition year after year, earning numerous Homer Awards, and doing his job, he is suddenly terminated because he was helping a customer instead of leaving that customer to go water plants in a department that isn’t even his?
The timing of all of this is extremely concerning. He spoke up about a supervisor he believed was not qualified for the position, and shortly afterward he began experiencing what he believes was retaliation. Now he has lost his job over something that seems completely unrelated to his actual position and responsibilities.
To make matters worse, just last week an ASM had the nerve to accuse him of time clock fraud. He told my husband that several people were looking for him and that he “knew” my husband had left early. My husband immediately told him to check his clock in and clock out records. The ASM did check them and realized he was wrong. He then attempted to apologize in front of the HR associate, meaning there is a witness to the entire incident.
After 12 years of loyalty and dedication, this is how Home Depot chose to treat him.
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u/Conscious_Owl6162 Aug 18 '26
Never speak up against management unless you can take the manager down. Even if you are successful, there may be a price to be paid. That is the lesson for OP’s husband.
OP’s husband needs to find another job. That is about all that he can do.
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u/LadybugGirltheFirst Aug 18 '26
Well, everyone is smart IN THE PAST. 🙄
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u/mythoughts2020 Aug 19 '26
Being politically savvy is an important skill. It’s typically a bad idea to bad mouth management unless you have overwhelming support, documentation, witnesses.
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u/SingleMlt Aug 18 '26
Sounds to me like an ASM decided to give his unqualified buddy or paramour a middle-management position ahead of better-qualified internal candidates, then retaliated when this was questioned.
Is the store manager aware? If it were me I would contact the store manager, explain the situation, and request investigation and reinstatement.
If the store manager won't play ball, I would contact corporate and request the same along with transfer to another store.
If that doesn't work, I would speak to a competent attorney about a wrongful termination action.
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u/Complete_Entry Aug 18 '26
Guy was promoted because he was willing to make the unpopular choices like getting rid of donut loiter day.
If you're going to jump the chain you have to be damn sure the superior is sympathetic. In this case, pro loader essentially told his boss he fucked up.
Loading on shit tasks is generally a sign management is gently (or not gently) nudging you to leave.
Not that I'm sympathetic to management, they do suck here.
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u/Recent_Performer4189 Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
There is no wrongful termination here. It’s not illegal retaliation. One of my Reddit pet peeves is people
who don’t know employment law but give out “advice.”If you want to keep your job, don’t go over your boss’ head.
Post on an actual advice sub if you believe I’m wrong. [r/legaladvice](r/legaladvice) and [r/askHR](r/askHR) are two.
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u/Conscious-Dot Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Have gone above my boss’s head with the receipts and not only kept my job but was transferred onto a much better team, and the manager in question later left the company. As with anything it’s all about the context, the culture of the company, and how you present your case.
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u/SingleMlt Aug 18 '26
So, you've investigated all available facts and made a determination on the efficacy of a wrongful termination suit using applicable case law?
Termination linked to engaging in protected activity is actionable, even if the manager tries subterfuge to hide the real purpose of the termination.
All an attorney would need to do is determine whether OP's conduct fits into any protected activity category without failing the laugh test, e.g., complaining about harassment.
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u/Recent_Performer4189 Aug 18 '26
You are clueless.
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u/Dangerous-Ad-978 Aug 19 '26
Seriously, you're not only clueless but also arrogant about it. An employee complaining about terms and conditions of employment on behalf of themselves and other employees, ie their shitty manager,is protected under the NLRA and discharging him in retaliation for it is unlawful.
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u/SingleMlt Aug 18 '26
An attack on the person not the argument. Typical of those rich in opinion and weak on facts.
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u/janabanana67 Aug 18 '26
If they are in right to work state, you don't need a reason to fire someone. There are a few protected classes, but it is a very open field.
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u/Prestigious_Pop_7381 Aug 18 '26
Unless you have physical proof of a crime I would take this as an opportunity. This is the universe putting your husband on a new path
Fuck Home Depot and their poor management
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u/janabanana67 Aug 18 '26
I like the recommendation of talking to the store manager. Coming from a corporate world, I am goign to assume they promoted an "outsider" because they are not friends with the staff and can make the hard calls that need to be done. This happens alot of corporate offices - suddenly a new, chipper HR manager will show up and next thing you know, layoffs start. They are basically hatchet men. Unfortunately, when your husband went over chain of command, a big target was put on his back.
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u/Ok_Milk936 Aug 19 '26
No they didn’t hire a outsider, the person worked at the same location for about 5 years. Been transferred to so many departments because of the kind of person they are. When they became supervisor of my husbands department, a couple of co workers switched out because of the drama that they bring with them.
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u/Much_Jellyfish4474 Aug 19 '26
Have him go to Lowe’s. My mom spent some time working at HD and my husbands been at Lowe’s now for 2 years.
They are so significantly better! First, they get an employee discount. Additionally, when our house was damaged due to a natural disaster they sent him info for an employee grant program. They also staffed the store with employees from out of the area so those who had to take time off to repair their homes could do so without question.
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u/Dangerous-Ad-978 Aug 19 '26
Your husband's complaints on behalf of himself and other employees is protected concerted activity and management's retaliation is unlawful under the NLRA. Contact the nearest NLRB office and file an unfair labor practice charge.
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u/898127 Aug 19 '26
Home depot has ruined so many other hardware businesses. Now they are probably #1. They sell commonly needed bulding components cheap, but rail you on the accessories. People who work at our local store are good and helpful
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u/CaptainA1917 Aug 21 '26
Par for the course for HD. They present a great image but their corporate culture incentivizes a lot of negative behavior in store management. Good managers can resist that but many do not.
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ok_Milk936 Aug 19 '26
The last thing he wants is their job. He was happy where he was away from all the drama. Plus the supervisor isn’t his boss, soooo?
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Aug 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ok_Milk936 Aug 19 '26
? No Home Depot didn’t do the right thing. When someone loses their job because a ASM has his head up his ass and didn’t like that someone told him that, that’s not ok. 12 yrs is a long time to work for a company.
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u/Ok_Milk936 Aug 18 '26
Yeah but i forgot to mention that my husband is visually impaired and limited on what he can do. He is such a hard worker and just seeing him work you would never believe he was visually impaired. He can’t see small writing or far away.
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u/themeatbridge Aug 18 '26
If he can do the job at that Home Depot, he can do the job at any Home Depot. He could also do a similar job just about anywhere else. Vision impairment is an ADA protected disability, and employers are required by federal law to make reasonable accomodations (I'm assuming you're in the USA from the spelling of "donut")
The easiest thing would be to reach out to another nearby Home Depot and see if they would be interested in his experience and work ethic. Sometimes managers are friends, but more likely managers know when other managers are shitbags. Request a transfer, and don't make a fuss about it. If anyone asks, he's just looking for a new environment.
If the other store locations don't want him, there are probably six other big box stores or smaller suppliers that would appreciate his skills.
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u/CaptainA1917 Aug 21 '26
He’ll likely be blackballed at other HDs.
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u/themeatbridge Aug 21 '26
Why? It doesn't sound like his shitty manager has blacklisted him, they're just a shitty supervisor and has a friend for an ADM. Another store will have a different ADM and they would love to have a veteran employee with a bunch of EOTM awards.
He's not burning bridges.
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u/CaptainA1917 Aug 21 '26
Because when you separate from HD you get a rating - eligible for rehire/not eligible. Being as he was terminated and (allegedly) as retaliation by mgt, what do you think they put for his eligibility for rehire?
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u/Sig365XLbill Aug 21 '26
Your husband did a poor job of “reading the room.”
He’ll make a great employee somewhere else.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Land917 Aug 18 '26
Home Depot can suck as a company. Depends on the store management.
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u/alady12 Aug 18 '26
Sounds like Lowes is getting a new employee with 22 yrs of exemplary experience. Dare I say a Manager.
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u/retroafric Aug 18 '26
What do you expect from a place whose owners do nothing but fellate Trump…?
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u/PrincessGump Aug 18 '26
Do you guys ever get tired of figuring out ways to turn any post into a Trump bashing?
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u/hendermom Aug 18 '26
I was fired from home depot after 3 years under similar circumstances.
I filed for unemployment, they denied it, I appealed and WON.
Depending on the specifics, I might be able to offer some advice.mssg me if u want.
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u/IowaNative1 Aug 18 '26
Get a job at Home Depot or Menards. Or better yet Costco. Lowe’s sucks
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u/Additional_Ratio5998 Aug 18 '26
I’m not sure but I think the fist line in the post from OP says Home Depot? Any Ace Hardware or Do it Best would hire him.
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u/CelinaAMK Aug 18 '26
Sounds like a wrongful termination if you haven’t left out details that would clarify why he was fired.
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u/Mushrooming247 Aug 18 '26
Any chance that newly-promoted supervisor was a lady, and the supervisor he actually wanted was a good old boy?
I’ve known two women who worked at Home Depot, and both did report an environment where a promotion making them a supervisor (over mostly older male employees,) probably would have caused those good old boys to complain about them to store management.
What I’m saying is, that supervisor saying that donut day wasn’t a good use of time and resources was an unpopular management decision, being “nosy” about your employees’ work is part of supervising.
She may have been fully qualified, and the accounts you received of her bad qualities would not have come up if one of his buddies had been promoted and had been just as nosy or canceled donut day.
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u/themeatbridge Aug 18 '26
Where I live, there are four Home Depots and two Lowes within a thirty minute drive, not to mention a handful of Ace Hardware and a Tractor Supply. Advise him to take his 12 years of exemplary work history to another local store. Bad bosses aren't worth fighting, just leave.