Dollar Tree Dollar General False hours & dates of employment causes FRAUD case against me from state I have to fight! Tucson Arizona

 This is regarding the hiring, treatment, & unfair labor practices I personally experienced at Dollar its Tree in Tucson, AZ: After having been a regular shopper I applied for work. I was interviewed and "hired" within a couple of weeks. I was told to start on a Wed at 8 am. However the night before I was told "don't come in Wed we don't need you then come in next Tuesday at 8am". The following Monday I again was called and told to "come in on Thursday not Tuesday at 8am". Strange beginning but okay... Arriving on Thursday at 7:45 I waited for mgr to show up. Finally at 8am he arrives, unlocks the door and we (I) walk in.

I ask about the punching in etc and the mgr then tells us " I have to do deposits and you all cannot be inside the store while I'm not here. You'll have to wait outside". Going back outside still not having punched in we wait for another 30 minutes for him to get back. As we are allowed in the store to begin working I again ask about punching in and I am told " I don't have any paperwork on you but I'll make sure it's taken care of". Okay...I am then told to start restocking and I am told to work with a young man who is very helpful for the next 8 1/2 hours of my day.As I finish my shift I again ask about punching the time clock. I figure by now he has had time to get me a time card etc. Again I am told " you'll have to talk to the mgr but I'll make sure she credits you for today".

I then ask about the schedule and my hours. I am told that " I don't have hours to give you because our hours are based on the prior weeks/months total sales amount. Last week/month was very slow so I don't have any hours available. Then I am told that there are others before me that would get hours as they became available but that he could put me "on call". Okay...I ask what day (s) for this on call so I can be sure and be available, like Wed or whatever. He states that " no it wouldn't be any specific day because it's on call and he would call me only once for this. If I am not available or do not answer the phone immediately then I am "black listed" and will not be called again". What?!

At that time I repeated back what I had heard to make sure I had heard right. "No hours as prior sales were slow. Only "maybe" hours "possibly" available would be " on call hours that may or may not happen". I then verify that I would need to wait all day everyday for this "maybe" call and that if I am in an interview unable to answer the call that I would be "blacklisted". So basically you want me to sit at home all day waiting for a call that may possibly have a total of 5 hrs per week at $7.65 per hour"? He verifies that I have it right. When I state that I find that unreasonable and ask why I was told I had a part time job starting today with hours from 5-15 per week when they had no hours to give me a job with."

He just repeats the "on call" policy. At this point I tell him thank you but as there are no hours to give I can use my time to apply elsewhere but again offer a one day a week to be available for "on call status". Same story "it doesn't work that way". Okay no job here. How do I get paid? I am told to call the regular mgr and she'll have everything for me." For 3-4 days I call, leave messages, "she is out on medical" & never hear from her.I try to get the company phone number for HR but I am never given one. I cannot find one on the internet either. By now I figure I have worked a free 81/2 hours and figure what an idiot I was to apply there.

By now my unemployment pay kicks back in and I continue to look for a "real job" elsewhere. One year later I get a letter telling me I owe the state xxx of money for being over paid on unemployment. Huh? Calling the state number provided I am told that Dollar General / Dollar Tree is stating I worked there for ONE month and that I refused work hours during that time". As such had defrauded the state by receiving unemployment pay during that time". What?! I explain I had never even been paid for the one 8 hour shift I had worked! I told her my story and she just said" that's not what Dollar Tree is reporting to us".

You can file an appeal. What?! How do I show that I did not work one month or refuse wok hours when I can't even prove the one 8 hr shift! For the next 3-4 months I try to get a hold of any records, corporate HR numbers, anything to show I am not at fault here. After hearing my story one day my uncle tells me " you should check the credit card they make employees use to get paid". How can i be paid with a company credit card I NEVER agreed to? So I find the unused card I did not agree to use and sure enough there it is! My total amount of wages $42.00 in take home pay!

Don't know how they put it on a card I didn't agree to but what the heck. Through the card company I am told I can go to xxx website and there I can register to see my employee file with Dollar Tree. Huh?! After two days of working my through the run around system they have I finally get a human. He helped me access my information and informs me that I can "only access it ONCE and I should print a copy out to keep". Access to my own file only once- forever? I don't understand how they can do that but they sure do. Several days later I have assembled the documents I can to fight the "fraud" charge.

I send them in according to my understanding of procedure only to learn it's too late! Now I have to file an appeal for the first appeal to reopen and kills the fraud charges which now have come to almost $1000.00! I am now waiting to hear if they will reopen my appeal but the amount increases and I am still not sure how to prove something that never happened. How do you prove a negative? So beware job seekers this company is not one I would recommend as a viable ethical work place. One more note: I did receive a letter about a lawsuit being filed against DollarTree for unfair labor practices. Thank you and the above account is true and factual.