Walgreens BS

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Lisochka

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Ive been an rxm at Walgreens for 2 years...
I am so tired of things...
My store manager is an dingus, always picks on me, no matter what I do he never has my back, makes everything my fault...He has a thing for young girls and this one tech is out of control because he lets her be out of control. When I try to correct the situation he makes it my fault..
Ive gone to district manager, but they have been friends for 20 years.

My stuff rph keeps throwing fits...Always blaming me for something stupid...Store manager always takes stuff pharmacist's side because store manager is trying to get rid of me...

I feel like I have no control over things and no matter what I do
Do you guys feel trapped sometimes like that?
 
Why does the store manager have anything to do with the pharmacy? You are the pharmacy manager, not him. I know at CVS the store manager has no say in anything that happens in the pharmacy. Maybe Walgreens is different?

If the situation is really that bad and also involves the staff pharmacist I would really consider switching jobs or switching stores (if possible). I've realized that once things get to this point there's really nothing you can do or say that will change the way that other people act.
 
I'm also curious about a store manager knowing what's going on in the pharmacy. At Walmart I've never even had a conversation with the store manager.


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Get out of there as fast as possible. Clearly your store manager doesn't have your back and if he's buddy buddy with your boss then it just goes down hill fast when things start going wrong - which sound like they might be already. Been in a similar situation. Cut this experience as a loss, but hopefully you've learned something from it.


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I'm also curious about a store manager knowing what's going on in the pharmacy. At Walmart I've never even had a conversation with the store manager.


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I believe recently at wags the management structure flipped. The pharmacy manager now reports directly to the store manager.
 
Their culture has been assbackward forever. Store manager with a GED? That's Mr. Smith. Pharmacist with a doctorate? That's Bobby. F that.

Agreed. Someone making 120k a year with a doctorate reporting to a guy making what... 50-60k? Not to put down store managers or anything but this is the state of pharmacy? CVS might be the devil himself but at least they allow pharmacists some room to breath. At Walgreens the district manager or sup or whatever they are called in my area has pharmacists calling doctors for literally anything and everything. One got written up for switching amoxicillin 500 tabs to capsules. It's insane. What's the point of having any critical thinking skills or drug knowledge if you are going to take away the ability to use it?
 
Agreed. Someone making 120k a year with a doctorate reporting to a guy making what... 50-60k? Not to put down store managers or anything but this is the state of pharmacy? Even big red isn't this screwed up.

Salary has nothing to do with it. Don't fall into that ego trap.


Also, high volume store managers who beat budgets can match/exceed pharmacist salaries.


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Salary has nothing to do with it. Don't fall into that ego trap.


Also, high volume store managers who beat budgets can match/exceed pharmacist salaries.


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I don't need a store manager with a GED telling me now to manage technicians or fielding complaints. I've even seen these guys try to tell pharmacists that they have to fill certain narcs in the name of customer service. Salary is simply a reflection of value, there's no reason a pharmacy manager shouldn't be able to manage the pharmacy and it's staff.
 
I don't need a store manager with a GED telling me now to manage technicians or fielding complaints. I've even seen these guys try to tell pharmacists that they have to fill certain narcs in the name of customer service. Salary is simply a reflection of value, there's no reason a pharmacy manager shouldn't be able to manage the pharmacy and it's staff.

I agree with your non-salary-related points.


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I heard walgreens requires or strongly recommends only hiring store managers with bachelor degrees. unlike cvs and other places where college degree is not required.
 
When I did a rotation with Walgreens the store manager did the pharmacy managers annual performance review (per company policy). Let that sink in. What?! How is that possible? In what universe is the front store manager qualified to evaluate a pharmacist's performance???
 
When I did a rotation with Walgreens the store manager did the pharmacy managers annual performance review (per company policy). Let that sink in. What?! How is that possible? In what universe is the front store manager qualified to evaluate a pharmacist's performance???

So someone who has a high school degree and who is chasing tail is evaluating a pharmacist with a doctorate degree? Lol

Where is Lawrence Brown and his 100,000 emerging jobs?!


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If you don't like it, quit.

Personally I would go nuclear at this point because you probably won't be allowed to transfer nor will you be allowed to step down unless you invoke Walgreens' "open door" policy and somehow get results from that.

If you can't even write anyone up and get them fired, what is the point? Basically **** your ******ed staff pharmacist, **** your store manager, and **** your idiot techs.
 
You are surrounded by idiots that you can't fire. Your company has an idiotic policy. There's not much you can do. Either become a robot and don't talk to anyone, become a tyrant and call them out on their bs, or quit.
 
Pharmacist reporting to a person with a bachelor's degree. Great! Pharmacy doctorate degree is becoming more and more of a joke. Might as well just call it a masters degree because no "doctor" in any field gets treated as badly as pharmacists. My regret for choosing this field just grows...
 
When I did a rotation with Walgreens the store manager did the pharmacy managers annual performance review (per company policy). Let that sink in. What?! How is that possible? In what universe is the front store manager qualified to evaluate a pharmacist's performance???

Target was the same way. Even as the pharmacy manager I didn't give my staff pharmacist their review, the store manager did.


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My store manager only has GED. He is good at kissing bosses butts...He is budy-budy with all big wigs because he has been there for 20 years and good at BSing...
He is my boss..And gives me reviews...and he is very "My way or highway", comes to pharmacy and picks on little things and keeps insisting that I do it his way...
I think I should start for another job..
 
wait seriously? store managers controls the pharmacy at Walgreens? since they bought out rite aid, is that the case with rite aid too now?

as for OP, it should be easier for you to find another retail job with that manager title on your CV... and if you don't have any loans, just quit now and take a little vacation then look for jobs lol that's what I would do if I was this stressed
 
Will your DM allow you to transfer to another store or float? If not, then I would look for another job.

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In my district, we have several store managers actually have PharmD.

It's the new career path at WAG now... you gotta become a store manager before becoming a DM. From what I heard, it's actually a pretty sweet deal since you get RxM salary and store manager bonus. I used to have a store manager with PharmD and it was great. We pretty much have one extra pharmacist everyday🙂


OP, maybe you should consider switching store or to a different district.


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My store manager only has GED. He is good at kissing bosses butts...He is budy-budy with all big wigs because he has been there for 20 years and good at BSing...
He is my boss..And gives me reviews...and he is very "My way or highway", comes to pharmacy and picks on little things and keeps insisting that I do it his way...
I think I should start for another job..

I think that is the biggest shock for new graduates. You surround yourself with educated people for 8 years then bam! Your new manager didn't even go to college and doesn't care about pharmacy regulations.

When I was an intern, there was this assistant manager who would tell the pharmacy staff to come to the front end and work the cash register when we are "not busy". Later I found out he and the store manager got fired. Apparently the manager was clocking him when he is not at work.

When your license is on the line, you think twice about doing shady thing. You would be stupid to risk your license for a few bucks. That is something someone with a high school degree doesn't have to worry about.


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Like usual this forum is overreacting. Are there situations where the store manager tries to control the pharmacy? Sure, but most let their rxm have full control so this isn't that big of a deal.

The rxm and sm should be working together and communicating regularly. Whenever I hear about these situations its due to a lack of communication or the rxm really is doing a bad job. I'm not saying you need to be friends with the sm but the first thing you should have done when you arrived was have regular meetings to chat about what's going on and what the plan is going forward.

When it comes to the GED, who really cares. Your doctorate doesn't make you any better then someone with very little education. Your degree is in pharmacy and pharmacy alone, if the sm is trying to override your clinical judgement then there's a problem but they have way more experience running the store.

I'd like to hear some examples from the OP if possible to see if it's true bullying.
 
Like usual this forum is overreacting. Are there situations where the store manager tries to control the pharmacy? Sure, but most let their rxm have full control so this isn't that big of a deal.

The rxm and sm should be working together and communicating regularly. Whenever I hear about these situations its due to a lack of communication or the rxm really is doing a bad job. I'm not saying you need to be friends with the sm but the first thing you should have done when you arrived was have regular meetings to chat about what's going on and what the plan is going forward.

When it comes to the GED, who really cares. Your doctorate doesn't make you any better then someone with very little education. Your degree is in pharmacy and pharmacy alone, if the sm is trying to override your clinical judgement then there's a problem but they have way more experience running the store.

I'd like to hear some examples from the OP if possible to see if it's true bullying.

In regard to you last point I'm not so sure I agree. As a rule of thumb I'd assume someone with a doctorate is probably more intelligent across the board, not just when it comes to pharmacy. Plus a lot of programs are exposing students to management, operations, and even a bit of accounting. Not trying to say this is difficult stuff or groundbreaking but graduates now should be prepared to do a lot more than fill a script. The PharmD isn't just about all the MTM bullcrap, they actually are setting people up to be leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and managers. I don't think you can honestly say that anyone else is better prepared to manage the pharmacy, unless you are dealing with a complete idiot 🙂
 
When it comes to the GED, who really cares. Your doctorate doesn't make you any better then someone with very little education. Your degree is in pharmacy and pharmacy alone, if the sm is trying to override your clinical judgement then there's a problem but they have way more experience running the store.

I don't think the pharmacy manager should consider themselves as "better" than the store manager. It just seems bizarre when I come from a culture where everyone is on a first name basis.
 
In regard to you last point I'm not so sure I agree. As a rule of thumb I'd assume someone with a doctorate is probably more intelligent across the board, not just when it comes to pharmacy. Plus a lot of programs are exposing students to management, operations, and even a bit of accounting. Not trying to say this is difficult stuff or groundbreaking but graduates now should be prepared to do a lot more than fill a script. The PharmD isn't just about all the MTM bullcrap, they actually are setting people up to be leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and managers. I don't think you can honestly say that anyone else is better prepared to manage the pharmacy, unless you are dealing with a complete idiot 🙂

That's true but the sm generally knows the ins and out of the entire store. Like I said if it's clinical then there's a problem but I really want to hear examples of what's happening.
 
A store manager might understand broad strokes like pharmacy metrics and tech hours but how much would they really know about pharmacy workflow, pharmacy regulations and inventory management if they aren't a pharmacist?

Most of my complaints (across CVS and Walmart) come from dopes and their insistence on early controls ("b-b-but it said I got this on X date; it says on the bottle!" "No, that's the date we filled it, not the day you picked it up.") or dip**** patients that have a problem with providing a birthday to verify identity, not legit customer service shortfalls. I would absolutely have a problem with a store manager interfering with anything involving controlled substances.

That said there are no specifics from OP.
 
A store manager might understand broad strokes like pharmacy metrics and tech hours but how much would they really know about pharmacy workflow, pharmacy regulations and inventory management if they aren't a pharmacist?

Most of my complaints (across CVS and Walmart) come from dopes and their insistence on early controls ("b-b-but it said I got this on X date; it says on the bottle!" "No, that's the date we filled it, not the day you picked it up.") or dip**** patients that have a problem with providing a birthday to verify identity, not legit customer service shortfalls. I would absolutely have a problem with a store manager interfering with anything involving controlled substances.

That said there are no specifics from OP.

Agree with the above, Im guessing this is not what the OP is talking about. I'm thinking its simply one person doesn't like the other which sadly does happen at times. Examples are needed though.
 
In my district, we have several store managers actually have PharmD.

It's the new career path at WAG now... you gotta become a store manager before becoming a DM. From what I heard, it's actually a pretty sweet deal since you get RxM salary and store manager bonus. I used to have a store manager with PharmD and it was great. We pretty much have one extra pharmacist everyday🙂


OP, maybe you should consider switching store or to a different district.


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So at some Walgreens stores, the store manager is a pharmacist, but they're overseeing the whole store and not working in the pharmacy anymore?
 
i dont miss walgreens at all.
As bad cvs is, there is no such thing at cvs.
 
I used to work at CVS and rotated at WAGS, honestly WAGS seemed a lot more relaxed but it's hard to compare the companies just based on two stores. One was a high volume **** show, and WAGS somehow had 2 pharmacists there for less scripts plus I was there meaning they essentially had an extra tech. Maybe the customers are CVS were just more nasty since the WAGS was in a nice town.

It did seem like WAGS was much more strict on customer service type stuff but it could have just been the manager. When the CVS pharmacist is 30 scripts behind the last thing they are worried about is if a tech is scanning some rewards card
 
So at some Walgreens stores, the store manager is a pharmacist, but they're overseeing the whole store and not working in the pharmacy anymore?

Yes, they oversee the front end and the pharmacy but do not work as a pharmacist, at least not in workflow. My store manager would come to the pharmacy to help out if we are really behind, which was great..,especially during flu season! Unfortunately , he got promoted to district manager recently so I got a new non-pharmacist store manager, who is very supportive but he can't help me do flu shots...lol




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Yes, they oversee the front end and the pharmacy but do not work as a pharmacist, at least not in workflow. My store manager would come to the pharmacy to help out if we are really behind, which was great..,especially during flu season! Unfortunately , he got promoted to district manager recently so I got a new non-pharmacist store manager, who is very supportive but he can't help me do flu shots...lol




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Thanks for the info. Just out of curiosity, how much does a store manager who happens to be a pharmacist usually make? Is it substantially more than what a pharmacy manager in the same store would make?
 
Thanks for the info. Just out of curiosity, how much does a store manager who happens to be a pharmacist usually make? Is it substantially more than what a pharmacy manager in the same store would make?

I think they get pharmacist salary plus front store bonus so it's more, but the whole point of the position is to funnel people into district manager jobs so I can't imagine someone could stay in this type of position indefinitely (when they could presumably pay a non-pharmacist less).
 
I think they get pharmacist salary plus front store bonus so it's more, but the whole point of the position is to funnel people into district manager jobs so I can't imagine someone could stay in this type of position indefinitely (when they could presumably pay a non-pharmacist less).


Exactly. You keep your RxM base pay but with store manager bonus potential (which is usually 2-2.5X RxM bonus depending on the tier of the store)

Great money but my DM said you'll have to get promoted to a DM within 2years or else....So far the three RxMs I know who went on this route all got promoted to DMs so honestly don't know what the company would do if you fail to find a DM spot within 2yrs....maybe getting demoted to a RxM or RPh?


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Like usual this forum is overreacting. Are there situations where the store manager tries to control the pharmacy? Sure, but most let their rxm have full control so this isn't that big of a deal.

The rxm and sm should be working together and communicating regularly. Whenever I hear about these situations its due to a lack of communication or the rxm really is doing a bad job. I'm not saying you need to be friends with the sm but the first thing you should have done when you arrived was have regular meetings to chat about what's going on and what the plan is going forward.

When it comes to the GED, who really cares. Your doctorate doesn't make you any better then someone with very little education. Your degree is in pharmacy and pharmacy alone, if the sm is trying to override your clinical judgement then there's a problem but they have way more experience running the store.

I'd like to hear some examples from the OP if possible to see if it's true bullying.

You sound judgmental....
What to do if communication is broken?
Here are the examples that you were insisting on.
Anytime I give an idea store manager shuts it down. When my cute, 20 year old, flirty tech gives an idea it is always accepted and promoted by the store manager.
Every time the same girl complains about me to the store manager, he always takes her side...
It all started when I became an rxm, two years ago... The SM would come to pharmacy and yell at me in front of techs. Literally yell. I pulled him aside and told him to stop yelling at me in front of techs once, twice, third time, then I got a DM involved and told him the same thing in front of DM; he did not stop. I called HR. He stopped.
But communication is broken between us. Every time we sit down and talk he starts yelling at me and taking other people's side...Its not a first time someone called to HR about him...
Here is another example: there is this running belt at the pharmacy where a filliing tech put totes with rxs and they come on the belt to rph for verification. That belt makes noise and when I verify typed by techs rxs (doing f4s) its distractive, so a lot of rphs do not use it. Techs just stuck totes and then bring them to rph for verification or rph grabs them. Store manager insists on me using the belt. He does not just insists, every time DM comes for a visit, store manager brings it up and calls it subordination (since I am not complying with the store managers order to use the belt) He does not care that I told him that the belt is very destructive while I am verifying rxs (doing F4s). My primary concern is not to kill a patient, store manager does not care, he wants me to use the belt because thats one of the things I am doing not according to the way corporate intended the belt to be used and he brings it up every time in front of DM.
Would you want to sit down weekly with somebody who is yelling at you and every time you say something, its your fault?
 
You sound judgmental....
What to do if communication is broken?
Here are the examples that you were insisting on.
Anytime I give an idea store manager shuts it down. When my cute, 20 year old, flirty tech gives an idea it is always accepted and promoted by the store manager.
Every time the same girl complains about me to the store manager, he always takes her side...
It all started when I became an rxm, two years ago... The SM would come to pharmacy and yell at me in front of techs. Literally yell. I pulled him aside and told him to stop yelling at me in front of techs once, twice, third time, then I got a DM involved and told him the same thing in front of DM; he did not stop. I called HR. He stopped.
But communication is broken between us. Every time we sit down and talk he starts yelling at me and taking other people's side...Its not a first time someone called to HR about him...
Here is another example: there is this running belt at the pharmacy where a filliing tech put totes with rxs and they come on the belt to rph for verification. That belt makes noise and when I verify typed by techs rxs (doing f4s) its distractive, so a lot of rphs do not use it. Techs just stuck totes and then bring them to rph for verification or rph grabs them. Store manager insists on me using the belt. He does not just insists, every time DM comes for a visit, store manager brings it up and calls it subordination (since I am not complying with the store managers order to use the belt) He does not care that I told him that the belt is very destructive while I am verifying rxs (doing F4s). My primary concern is not to kill a patient, store manager does not care, he wants me to use the belt because thats one of the things I am doing not according to the way corporate intended the belt to be used and he brings it up every time in front of DM.
Would you want to sit down weekly with somebody who is yelling at you and every time you say something, its your fault?

First, find another job.

Second, do you have some money to spend? Hire a lawyer and sue him for harassment especially when you have a record of him harassing you.

Maybe he is trying to impress this tech? It is like, "I have a high school degree but look at me! I am yelling at a pharmacist".

I have seen this when I was an intern. That assistant manager I had mentioned. He would burst into the pharmacy (illegal in California for anyone to come into a pharmacy for non pharmacy related work) and start to boss people around. It is obvious he was there just to give my pharmacy manager a hard time. She fought back but what can she really do?

Eventually he got fired because the store manager was clocking him while he was sleeping at home. I am sure the store manager also got a cut. They were also ordering beers left and right because the more beer they ordered the more football tickets they would get. He also got fired of course. Ever heard of cameras?

I am sure they didn't care because they know they can just find another low paying retail job. As a matter of fact I ran into this store manager a couple of years later at Staples. He was working there as a store manager.


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You sound judgmental....
What to do if communication is broken?
Here are the examples that you were insisting on.
Anytime I give an idea store manager shuts it down. When my cute, 20 year old, flirty tech gives an idea it is always accepted and promoted by the store manager.
Every time the same girl complains about me to the store manager, he always takes her side...
It all started when I became an rxm, two years ago... The SM would come to pharmacy and yell at me in front of techs. Literally yell. I pulled him aside and told him to stop yelling at me in front of techs once, twice, third time, then I got a DM involved and told him the same thing in front of DM; he did not stop. I called HR. He stopped.
But communication is broken between us. Every time we sit down and talk he starts yelling at me and taking other people's side...Its not a first time someone called to HR about him...
Here is another example: there is this running belt at the pharmacy where a filliing tech put totes with rxs and they come on the belt to rph for verification. That belt makes noise and when I verify typed by techs rxs (doing f4s) its distractive, so a lot of rphs do not use it. Techs just stuck totes and then bring them to rph for verification or rph grabs them. Store manager insists on me using the belt. He does not just insists, every time DM comes for a visit, store manager brings it up and calls it subordination (since I am not complying with the store managers order to use the belt) He does not care that I told him that the belt is very destructive while I am verifying rxs (doing F4s). My primary concern is not to kill a patient, store manager does not care, he wants me to use the belt because thats one of the things I am doing not according to the way corporate intended the belt to be used and he brings it up every time in front of DM.
Would you want to sit down weekly with somebody who is yelling at you and every time you say something, its your fault?

Um I saw only one actual example in this rant and you were wrong. SOP should be to use the belt, just slow it down if it bothers you.

I'm not seeing anything yet that shows you are being mistreated. What are some of these ideas and what are you being yelled at for? Again I'm looking for examples so I can give advice.
 
You mean being yelled at by some douche is not an example?
 
Um I saw only one actual example in this rant and you were wrong. SOP should be to use the belt, just slow it down if it bothers you.

I'm not seeing anything yet that shows you are being mistreated. What are some of these ideas and what are you being yelled at for? Again I'm looking for examples so I can give advice.
You must be out of touch. Dont you read that the op was yelled and at one point had to call hr
 
Did I miss the part that said why?

Again I'd love to give advice but the only actual example given was the OP wasn't following SOP with the belt which makes me believe other mistakes are occurring unless I'm given examples showing otherwise.

Now if the OP simply wants people to feel sorry for him then go ahead and ignore me and don't give examples.
 
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Walgreens is a **** company

Don't expect anything good from them

Some of the dirtiest politics I've ever seen is from that company
 
Wait, your store was a conveyor belt in the pharmacy?
I thought most Walgreens did. It's just there to slide baskets that are ready to be checked from the production station over to the pharmacist.
 
Um I saw only one actual example in this rant and you were wrong. SOP should be to use the belt, just slow it down if it bothers you.

I'm not seeing anything yet that shows you are being mistreated. What are some of these ideas and what are you being yelled at for? Again I'm looking for examples so I can give advice.

It does not matter what the yelling was for. There is a proper way to deliver a feedback and a not proper way. Yelling at an employee in front of her subordinates and customers is not an appropriate way to give feedback...Store manager with 20 years of experience should know that...Let alone, should stop that behavior after 1st,2nd,3rd warning...
If you dont consider yelling as a mistreatment, than what is a mistreatment? Hitting an employee or throwing objects into your subordinates is considered a mistreatment in your world?
 
It does not matter what the yelling was for. There is a proper way to deliver a feedback and a not proper way. Yelling at an employee in front of her subordinates and customers is not an appropriate way to give feedback...Store manager with 20 years of experience should know that...Let alone, should stop that behavior after 1st,2nd,3rd warning...
If you dont consider yelling as a mistreatment, than what is a mistreatment? Hitting an employee or throwing objects into your subordinates is considered a mistreatment in your world?

Then unfortunately I have no advice for you.

I have 16 years experience with Walgreens, what I'm trying to figure out is the reasoning so it can prevented in the future. People in general don't just yell at others for no reason.
 
Then unfortunately I have no advice for you.

I have 16 years experience with Walgreens, what I'm trying to figure out is the reasoning so it can prevented in the future. People in general don't just yell at others for no reason.

LOL do you even hear yourself? That is like asking what the abused spouse did to deserve being beaten since people in general don't just beat others for no reason. 😛
 
There's always a reason. You may not think it's rationale, justified, able to be articulated or agree with it but there's always a reason. Could be the person has personal issues at home or a psychiatric condition or maybe they can physically only yell. Hell maybe they yelled because they just felt like it.

If you want to get someone to not yell understand what's in your control to try and prevent it. If you can do something different that you are willing to do, do it. If you aren't willing or can't... then deal with it or leave.
 
LOL do you even hear yourself? That is like asking what the abused spouse did to deserve being beaten since people in general don't just beat others for no reason. 😛

lol I read multiple posts by wagrxm giving advice before, it seems like he works in lala land where everything is perfect due to him being the best; therefore he can't comprehend there can be bad co-workers or things can go wrong out of your control
 
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