Retail Store Manager Needs Advice

by Kim
(Wisconsin)

I am a manager at a well known retail store, my issue is with another manager who is on the same level as myself. We used to be ok with each other I used to go to her kids b-day parties and we would talk on the phone here and there and suddenly everything changed.

I have been a manager with the company for longer than she has however she has been with the company 2 years longer than I have. I believe that she is intimidated because she has been with the company longer and I know more aspects of the business than she does. Recently our store manager resigned, now things were bad before she left but she tended to keep this manager in line for the most part.

Things have recently gotten out of control, we got a new store manager (who is someone that I've known and worked with for a long time) She is a bit of a pushover and doesn't really do anything with any complaints that have come about.

This manager is condescending, talks down to not only myself but a few other employees. She targets people that respect me as a manager and tries to pit us against each other. She falsely accuses myself and other empoyees of making statements or not being willing to help out. She recently told me that one of my backroom employees used a racial slur in the backroom and that I needed to have a conversation with her. I did speak with her and when it was brought up she was nearly in tears as she is a tenured associate and also of a different race and she was mortified that anyone would ever say that she would use the word she was being accused of. However, I had another employee (who knows nothing of whats going on) come to me and state that this manager made a racial comment about the backroom employee and also was making comments about her religion.

She purposely keeps information from me that I need to do my job and twists situations around to fit her sick rules. She criticizes associates who are great assets to our team and makes them feel as though their contributions don't count as well as holding back information on open positions to other associates because she wants to keep her "power house" team at our store. I don't feel it is fair to hold back info on jobs for people who would do great because you are selfish and want to keep them at your store.

Myself and about 5 other employees who are victims of this abuse have banded together and called the proper people to have this situation taken care of. As of yet we are still waiting on results.

I did contact a lawyer to discuss if we would have a case and what our next step would be but because we have no bully law in Wisconsin I feel at a loss as to what to do not only for myself but these employees who are physically getting ill if they have to work with this manager. There are 2 of us from the 5 that are now having to take medication for anxiety and depression and I have the worst insomnia I find it hard to function on a daily basis. I don't really know where else to turn and could really use some advice. As a manager and a mentor I feel that I need to step up to help these employees that are being harmed as well as myself.

Now it's just the waiting game as the investigation for the phone calls that were made can take up to 2 weeks before they have results as to what happened with the complaints. We are all scared of losing our jobs but sticking together as a team which I think will help us in the long run.
Hopefully no retaliation will occur... anyone else dealt with something like this and had positive results??