Im not sure if this belongs in this subreddit but anywaysss..
I’ve known my girlfriend for a year now, dated her 5/6 months before I worked in the same workplace as her. When I joined, she was a crew lead 17y/o and I just basic crew, also 17y/o. For context, we have a 9month difference between us.
Recently, my partner had a conversation with our District Manager and since she is now a Certified Shift Supervisor, the DM said that we can’t work in the same store as each other until I’m 18 and become a manager myself.
My partner now has to move to a completely different area and store due to this and it’s taking quite a toll on her mental health as not only is the store she works at her workplace for the past two years, but both her and I have a strong relationship with our crew members.
So the question is, can anything be done in regards to this? I don’t see why she should have to leave and ‘wait for me’ to turn 18 just to work back in our store.
We do have a very professional attitude when it comes to working together and none of our coworkers nor managers have had an issue or say she’s ‘playing favourites’ as we prefer to keep everything professional
TL;DR: Partner has to move stores as she can no longer work with me since becoming shift supervisor.
5 comments
Maybe you should look into other employment opportunities so you can both stay in the same workplace.
Be realistic. This is not about your ability to remain professional or work cohesively but about the company playing smart and minimizing potential drama. A supervisor in a relationship with a minor is naturally concerning to them. How many ways can that situation blow up on them? The smart move is to smother fires before they start.
Your District Manager is exactly right. No person should ever be permitted to supervise their romantic partner. This will be good growth and learning about professional boundaries for you both. And how to discuss career challenges as a couple.
At this point it seems like you are starting to run up against corporate policies or possibly laws, so I don’t feel like there’s going to be a lot of wiggle room. The two of you simply will not be able to work at the same location.
I doubt that there’s much that can happen.
Your DM may not, personally, have a problem with what’s going on, but DM’s have bosses and who knows how far this information has spread. Your DM may have been advised to take action for whatever reason(perhaps a jealous coworker said something- who knows!).
From their point of view, they may be thinking about possible liabilities. If someone were to report the situation, and it’s discovered that management allowed an 18 year old to date someone underage(I know it’s a 9 month difference- I’m just saying what they may be thinking)- they could find themselves in deep shit(bad press, social media exposure, loss of business, etc.).
Sounds like they’re protecting their business.
It’s usually a big no-no to supervise someone you’re in a relationship with, but I’ve been to several places where the manager was the husband of someone that was a regular worker. They likely brushed it off at first but later figured that it was too big of a risk.
Sucks to have to adjust your relationship around the workplace, but it’s the reality of the working world. You’d likely be happier overall by finding something else- it would cut out a lot of headaches for you two ❤