I really need some advice on how to proceed on the following situation. I know it is long, but please bare with me and let me try and explain as briefly as I can
I work at Wal-mart and for about 3 weeks I was working without a vision center manager and manning the store pretty much by myself 60-70 hours a week. The new VCM (vision center manager) started yesterday. He has proven to be a complete jerk and a typical alpha male manager who has made everybody miserable in only 3 days, turning all of the policies and procedures that were in place up side down towards his way.
I was working in the computer system when I noticed a screen was open and when I looked to see what it was, my VCM had logged under my name and e-mailed some corporate heads requesting my immediate termination at the end of the day. In the e-mail he noted that I had dispensed contacts without a RCLD on the clock. I was very very upset and went to talk the store manager in the back.
The store manager said that the VCM (who requested my immediate termination) told him that I was dispensing contacts without a registered contact lens dispenser on the clock and that I was going to be suspended until the investigation was over. But here is the dilemna on a couple counts.
I am currently ABO certified and licensed and I passed the NCLE in May and the Medical State Board has had all the necessary paperwork for more than 2 weeks.. As soon as the Opticianary officer comes back from vacation in a week she will process it. Nobody has told me what I can or cannot due while I am waiting for my SL number to appear on the medical board, so I have assumed that the registration on my part is complete and I have fulfilled the necessary requirements. I have worked at a contact lens company for 8 years and have a total of 10 years optical experience.
Furthermore, since I was so short handed and at times I had to leave the store, another associate who is a RCLD came to the store from another location used my nickname to dispense contacts. So on paper it seems that I did it when someone else has..
In addition, my previous VCM told me a specific procedure to order the contacts: ring the order through the register, and go ahead and give the contacts to the customer, but not to dispense the actual order out of our computer system till a RCLD was on the clock. We at the time had 2 RCLD's and now we have one still on staff. So I continued to do that even when my previous VCM left 3 weeks ago.
Furthermore, I was advised to continue on the same procedures by another VCM who has been very helpful in assisting with the shortage of staff at my store.
Also, my district manager was recently under investigation for sexual harrasment against the staff at my store. I am the only full time optician remaining at the store that was questioned during the investigation. He was addressed about it, but I feel that he had a part in requesting for my termination by having the VCM provide as much ammo against me as possible.
Furthermore, the current VCM is dual licensed, and I had the impression from the very beginning that he was threatened due to me being or going to be dual license. I had customers come in and request specifically for me during the 2-3 days he started working there and he was insulted that they did not ask for his help. I believe that he thinks that if he gets rid of me, he and his NCLE licesne will be more valuable. He was a manager for another optical shop, but was fired due to reasons I don't know. This guy is an *******... not exaggerating one bit
My current VCM never once sat me down to coach or counsel me on what to do about dispensing contacts. I do not lie when I say that he has made the remaining 2 part time opticians seriously seek other places of employment
As I am also aware, numerous other associates from other stores that aren't even ABO or NCLE certified have performed even more aggregious violations of the state contact lens dispensing regulation, doing the whole process without an RCLD even on staff. Yet I am the only one where action of termination has been brought up against.
There are a lot of holes to fill in but do not want to overwhelm everyone with details. I provided a 8 page statement on my account, but I do not know if I even want my job back. I am seeking legal representation for damages, but due to the politics of this matter, I was wondering if any of you guys could give me any possible insight. I have already sought the advice of optical managers that I know of and are close to me. I love my job guys and I have sacrificed so much for that store including cutting class ( I graduated and double majored this past May :D ) sacrificing my other work to cover shifts, etc. But I don't know what to do anymore
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Originally Posted by drk
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