Just got fired yesterday from Home Depot!!!!

This will be good therapy for me...
I worked for Home Depot for 4 1/2 years...New Dept. Head was hired in, New Store Manager past 6 months...they decided to "clean house" nothing you can do because of the "at will" law in Ohio...Literally "fire" at will...you don't need a single reason why...In short I was making pretty good money as a kitchen designer $17.00 an hour..my reviews were always good and had excellent customer comments...I was third in "dollars per hour" among my peers....not bad, just not as good as theirs...this dept. head sat me down for the first write up which was rediculous...a few months went by, then a few days ago they told me to come into the office...since my first write up they added three more, which I wasn't even aware of, more crazy accusations....then I was "in there sights"...then a few days after that they called me into the Loss Prevention office and charged me with leaving the store property, which I did to go get coffee, they said it wasn't company policy to leave the property during breaks...everyone I knew did it so I never questioned it..worked retail all my life...it didn't surprise me...Only work there if, you're part time, a college student, or a retired person that has to get out of the house...not a good place to consider it a career type job...Think about it, they don't lay off at Home Depot,they harass you until you quit or transfer to another store, or they fire you.. I was making about 30,000 a year, fire me and nine other workers at the same pay scale, you just saved the company over $300,000..if you do work there, memorize the associate handbook, or "My Apron" as they call it and pray that you don't do anything wrong...oh, it wouldn't hurt to "kiss a lot of ass..."

Talk to friends and relatives that may have worked at a Home Depot...Home Depot may have been a good place in the past but I think times have changed..

think twice about the Big Orange Box!

If you worked there for 4+ years, you should know that you can't leave the property while you are on the clock. That is told to new associates at Orientation. Don't blame other people for the fact that you broke a clearly written and explained rule!

Do you or did you work at Home Depot? Did you memorize everything that was told during two eight hour sessions of orientation. Did you check any changes or updates ,on My Apron, which I'm sure have happened over 4+ years...for any change in associate policies? Plus, during my orientation, the trainer repeatedly said "It's up to the store manager to enforce certain store policies or be lax about them"....If you want to get technical about Home Depot policy....You're not supposed to leave the store during a break..since you're on the clock you cannot leave the break room...you are supposed to be able to be reached in case you're needed by management or a customer...If you work or worked for Home Depot, did you ever go "outside" on your break...even to get fresh air, get medicine from your car for a bad headache that you wanted to get rid of before your lunch break so you don't have to suffer another two hours...or go outside to smoke? if you did..."you are breaking Home Depot policy" It is also Home Depot policy, if you're an associate that wishes to smoke,when you are working your shift, you are supposed to smoke in your vehicle during lunch only...Not outside on Home Depot property...It sounds like you're either a "brown noser" or a Home Depot manager of some sort, if you are a Home Depot Manager, I would love to be a "fly on the wall" to document all the company policies you "bend" and get by with...Or if you work somewhere and abide 100% by company policy I say to you "throw the first stone", unless you work in a manufacturing facility and are a "robot" that works on an assembly line and doesn't take any breaks, go to the bathroom, or even think or have free will....sounds like you're and anal "propeller head" with no friends or no life...

Wow...you're misinformed and insulting. Yes, I do work for HD, and you clearly do not know the policy. SOP does not, in any way, state that you can not leave the store (to go outside or to your car). The policy is very clear that you can not leave the property, when on the clock, unless it is for company business. One can only wonder what other policies you were unable to understand.
As for your personal attack, I feel no need to respond. Good luck in your future employment.

I really pity your situation.Working for 4 years and get fired means ... nothing worse than this.I wish you all the best and hope you will be placed soon.

Wow,
SayNoToDepot it sure seems like you got the shaft big time. They should realize that it's the hourly people that are ones that face the customers everyday and should be supported at all costs. It seems that HD plays favorites to their managers and not to their hourly people. I was told about a district manager that barely puts in over 25 hours a week and spends time between stores shopping, running errands and side jobs. Tell me that's not a loss for the company. Well, good luck to you.

Maybe you can get a job at BlockBuster Video.

be glad that you don't work there anymore. company isn't what it used to be. i walked out of there last year when they eliminated imas after 11 years with the company, they told me i was making too much. i used to be proud working there, back when it was a respectable place to work. but thing changed so much after bernie and arthur left and not for the better. so now i'm making even more working in a medical field with a job security and a lot better benefits. thank you home depot for ending my miserable career with incompetent management and horrible company leadership. to the rest of you, i wish you luck because you're going to need it.

you can sue them for the way they fired you, the way they fired you.

Under what grounds can I sue for?

Hi NotoDepot,

That's exactly what I say regarding that horrible excuse for a company. I just came across this thread and wanted to tell you that my husband was fired for misconduct after 15 years with the Big Orange. He was not in management but made very good money as far as retail salaries go. He had no problems at the store he was at for 5 years until a new young Manager came aboard. He then was transferred to a different dept., given a bad review and told he needed to step it up and act like a long term employee. They had it in for him because he was not in management yet he was making more than some DH's. So, one day he was fired for something he didn't even do. They lied and said he was given warnings and was retrained. Yeah, after 15 years he suddenly became inept at his job! Bogus! I'd love to tell you more but not in this public forum. Let me know if you'd like to chat. I hope you haven't let that company ruin your self esteem. They don't deserve you and it's probably a blessing in disguise that you were let go.

Hang in there!

Ooogha

Ooogha....

If you, or anyone else would like to talk about
this topic, but not in a public forum....

You can email me at anthonypapay@yahoo.com

thanks for your comments.....

Ooogha in Reno, Nevada said: Hi NotoDepot,

That's exactly what I say regarding that horrible excuse for a company. I just came across this thread and wanted to tell you that my husband was fired for misconduct after 15 years with the Big Orange. He was not in management but made very good money as far as retail salaries go. He had no problems at the store he was at for 5 years until a new young Manager came aboard. He then was transferred to a different dept., given a bad review and told he needed to step it up and act like a long term employee. They had it in for him because he was not in management yet he was making more than some DH's. So, one day he was fired for something he didn't even do. They lied and said he was given warnings and was retrained. Yeah, after 15 years he suddenly became inept at his job! Bogus! I'd love to tell you more but not in this public forum. Let me know if you'd like to chat. I hope you haven't let that company ruin your self esteem. They don't deserve you and it's probably a blessing in disguise that you were let go.

Hang in there!

Ooogha

I am so glad I came across this site. I just walked out on HD after 5 years. The management at 4626 unbelievable. What I am reading didn't happen to me but happened to friends of mine. The day I walked out, Crystal Williams ASM, tried to get me to write in a statement some boogus BS about another associate DH things that would get him fired! Stuff that she was witch hunting for. Management doesn't like him. They have the new greatest transfer in with NO Dept to go to. I got writen up, first one in 5 years! All because I wouldn't confirm what she wanted. I worked in the vault. I took care of my people on the floor first and formost.

I've been at the Depot for almost 5 years and I've seen many people come and go...Based on my observations, I noticed that all the terminated employees, (apart from eliminated jobs) were those who's attitudes have changed somewhere along the lines. maybe they were a highly motivated employee at some point and just got tired of their job. They're orange blood was getting a little stale and they just stopped liking their job. I've yet to see an employee with a great attitude who's highly motivated and loves their job get termed...I don't mean to burst any bubbles but those who want to succeed at the depot generally do. I think it's a great place to work and they do reward hard work. I'm not sure some of you ever had a sucky job before. God bless the home depot for taking care of its employees...

tarheel00 in Batavia, Ohio said: If you worked there for 4+ years, you should know that you can't leave the property while you are on the clock. That is told to new associates at Orientation. Don't blame other people for the fact that you broke a clearly written and explained rule!

He went out to get a cup of coffee, big deal.....

tarheel00 in Batavia, Ohio said: If you worked there for 4+ years, you should know that you can't leave the property while you are on the clock. That is told to new associates at Orientation. Don't blame other people for the fact that you broke a clearly written and explained rule!

As SOP states: if you leave the building for a break you need to remove your apron and punch out. There is NOTHING that says you need to stick around for your break. lets get real here ppl. There must be consistancy in our stores. That is the problem. Not one store follows policy. There are favorites who get away with everything. We all need to set examples for one and other. Mgmt. shouldnt allow others to get away with breaking the rules ,ALL should be held accountable. I am sorry but the blame goes to upper mgmt. They put on a blind eye for some but not all. Perfect ex. I was approved holiday. Mgmt took away all approved holiday for everyone. Find out those who applied for holiday after myself and others were granted holiday off with pay. The favorites. Aware line knows about this. Ex. if you are going to get coffee for Mgmt. you dont need to punch out for breaks. Ex. No call no show more than one occasion for associate, no counseling, no write up, no documentation. Another calls out and gets written up even after drs. note submitted. HR really needs to hear what ppl have to say. Sitting in town hall meetings is not counter productive if no one comes up with a resolution.
MGMT. meetings: worthless. If dept heads dont know how to read or set adds, they shouldnt be in their position. HD needs to let dept heads do the job they hold them accountable for. We dont write our schedules, there is no room for creativity, our suggestions are always shrugged off, we dont have associates to delegate to so guess who does all the work. Definition of a Dept. Head: A person who takes the blame for all upper mgmt.