Imagine working in retail, and it’s just you and your manager. If your manager needed to leave for a half hour to run a quick errand, would you feel comfortable handling the store by yourself, or would you freak out and report the manager to your supervisor?

In this story, one woman is in this situation, and she chooses the second option. Blame it on her anxiety and PTSD, but she does not want to be left alone.

Now, she’s wondering if she overreacted. Let’s read all about it.

AITA for telling my store supervisor that the MOD was going to leave?

Some obligatory background: I (29f) work at a drug store that includes a pharmacy. I work at the front end of the store with store merchandise (so not pharmacy), I’m just a basic cashier. I’ve been with this company for a little over a year.

Tonight I worked a closing shift (ended 10pm), and I closed with a supervising manager (also called manager on duty), we’ll call them MOD (23). They’ve also been at the company over a year.

MOD is typically a laid back manager, they let me do my thing, and I just call them to the front if I need assistance (i.e. second cashier, customer complaint, order void, etc.).

The manager really shouldn’t have left her alone.

In January, I had an issue with MOD leaving the store unattended with just me left alone for a period of time.

During their absence, I had an aggressive customer come in (~50y.o. man, they were mad that I asked for ID for alcohol, as our policy states we have to card everyone),and the customer was verbally abusive as well as increasingly physically violent (they repeatedly beat the card reader device).

The manager still wasn’t there after the aggressive customer left.

Side note, I personally have mental health issues, including anxiety and C-PTSD. This encounter sent me into an anxiety attack that I couldn’t do anything for, as my meds were in my locker in the break room.

The manager eventually came back.

After greeting a couple that came in, the manager finally walked in (I don’t recall why they left, but they came back with food).

Im standing there shaking and explaining what happened and they didn’t seem all that much concerned about it.

I asked them to let me get my medication because at that point I was crying and felt embarrassed to do so in public in front of them and customers.

My medication did eventually help, although I spent the rest of that shift highly anxious and unable to focus on my tasks.

She told the store supervisor about the situation.

That following day I sat down with the store supervisor (we’ll call SS) and explained everything and how I didn’t feel safe. I also told SS that I didn’t want MOD to know I told them so that it didn’t impact the workplace relationship.

SS assured me that they would be talked to accordingly.

Tonight’s issue: A few hours into my shift, after the day-crew had gone for the evening, MOD comes up to tell me that they need to leave at 6:30 and they’ll only be gone a half hour.

MOD: “Hey will you be okay for a half hour by yourself, I have to leave at 630.”

She didn’t want to be left alone again.

Me: “Who’s coming in while you’re gone? I’m not going to be alone again.”

MOD: “No one’s coming in, and you’re not alone, the pharmacy is still open. I can have the pharmacy tech come up here if it’s an absolute emergency. And I’ll leave my credentials in case you need to do an override while I’m gone. It’ll only be a half hour, and nothing’s going to happen.”

At that point I feel defeated, so I go back to doing my duties.

She talked to the supervisor again.

On my lunch break (it’s 5:30 now), I take the opportunity to text SS and explain what was going to happen, and that I didn’t know what I should do, and that I wanted to remain anonymous again, as I still had 4 more hours working with them.

SS informed me that they need to address it now which would mean MOD knowing that I told them, as SS could not let MOD leave.

I spent the remainder of my break dreading having to face them.

After my break, things didn’t seem too different, until around 6:20.

She immediately knew when the MOD knew.

I heard my MOD’s voice from the office mid conversation say my name in an angry tone. It was at that point I knew that they knew.

The rest of the night was awful.

The silence was deafening, making time drag on even more. MOD even went out of their way to avoid me when they grabbed the pharmacy’s tills when they closed (8 o’clock).

I did every mundane task I could think of after my other duties were completed to avoid having to call them up for anything.

The MOD finally broke the silence.

I didn’t call them up to relieve me for my last 10 minute break.

By now it’s getting on to 9:45,and I finally give in to sit as my body aches, and MOD finally walks up saying they wanted to talk, otherwise the silence would be too awkward.

MOD: “Was it really that bad that you had to go and tell SS about it?”

Me: avoiding eye contact bc I hate conflict “I didn’t feel comfortable and I didn’t think it was right.”

The MOD thought she overreacted.

MOD: “I get that, but literally nothing happened all night. The only reason I needed to go was to meet up with my sister to do her makeup for a play tonight, she was counting on me to be there.”

Me: after pause of silence “I was afraid of the same thing happening again.”

MOD: “I know, but nothing happened tonight, you know I don’t even do this often. And I don’t even see it as having different titles between us, we both know the same things, I just count tills at the end of the night.”

She apologized.

Me: anxiety and guilt looming ” I’m sorry.. ”

MOD: “You don’t have to be sorry, I just thought I’d say something before the silence got anymore awkward.”

I’m scheduled to work with them again tomorrow night, and I’m thinking of just calling in sick so I don’t have to be around them. AITA?

What’s not a big deal to the MOD is apparently a big deal to OP. That needs to be taken into consideration. But, did OP overreact by running and tattling to a supervisor?

Let’s see what Reddit has to say about this situation.

This person suggests talking to the supervisor again.

Here’s another vote for telling the supervisor what the MOD said.

A former store manager weighs in.

Another person thinks the MOD should be fired.

The manager is the one who messed up, not the cashier.

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