I am a 18 year old university student, I work in a corporate retail environment to tie up loose ends.
(I am a part-time employee. I hardly work any hours apart from during the summer because of my academic workload…)
A few days ago, I was confronted by my manager with a flyer, owned by the corporation, that I had absent-mindedly doodled inappropriate things on while at work, which had gotten into a customer’s hands. The customer was not impressed, as she filed complaint(s).
Aside: The things written could only be seen as vulgar in the eyes of a person with a very limited imagination, restrained and puckered from living their entire life within a rigid, creativity suppressing environment, without ever attempting to open up to other types of thought processing possibilities. (eg. The word ‘virgin,’ The denotative meaning of the word ‘chastity’)
I apologized, and asked for the flyer back, taking the entire incident in stride. When she refused to give me the flyer back, as she said she “wanted to take it home to remember this event, because it really hurt her” I flipped out and told her to destroy it, still angered at the fact that it should have been given to me.
(Was the flyer mine, as I did deface it/slide it under the counter before it ever got into a customer’s hands, or no?)
Anyway…
I was then prompted to apologize to my manager (for defacing the flyer), but I refused, finding it ridiculous to apologize to my manager, who claimed to be hurt by the incident personally and simply wanted my remorse. I didn’t think my apologizing to her was the point - other than on a personal level which I found completely unprofessional. I was then prompted to apologize for indecent conduct on company time. I refused, not wanting to apologize to a corporation that wouldn’t be able to forgive me/internalize my apology in any substantial sense. (It would be like apologizing to the flyer itself.) Secondly, I didn’t find my conduct indecent, but done at an inopportune time. I apologized for that - but it wasn’t enough.
My manager, out of anger, (because I didn’t say sorry, which she pointedly told me out of idiocy) took the entire situation into more authoritative hands, (I’m now watched 24/7 while at work, can only work with two managers on duty) and generally treats me like a scumbag at work.
I’m in the process of deciding whether I should quit. I’m not a wage slave or anything, but it wouldn’t be in by best interests to quit right now.
So I ask - am I making a huge deal out of absolutely nothing?