Let’s be honest — if you’ve ever worked in a manufacturing plant, you already know:
Managers have way more control than they should.
They don’t just hand out tasks and check timecards. They decide:
Who gets the “easy” jobs.
Who’s stuck in the worst areas.
Who gets blamed when things go sideways.
Who mysteriously becomes the next person written up — or worse, written off.
It’s not about rules.
It’s about who they like, who they trust, and who stays quiet.
The Unwritten Rules No One Talks About
You might think your performance matters most.
But the truth?
“I came in early, stayed late, hit every number — and still got passed over. Meanwhile, the guy who vapes with the supervisor during break got promoted.”
That’s the kind of thing I hear all the time.
And honestly, I’ve lived it too.
Write-Ups as Weapons
A write-up is supposed to be a fair warning, right? A way to correct behavior?
But in the hands of the wrong manager, it becomes a weapon:
Complain? Write-up.
Question a decision? Write-up.
Take too long in the bathroom? You guessed it — write-up.
Some folks break rules every day and never get written up.
Others are watched like hawks the minute they speak up.
The Real Power: Silence
Most of us don’t say anything — not because we’re okay with it, but because we know what happens when we do.
They’ll call you a “problem.”
Say you’re “not a team player.”
Act like you’re the reason morale is down — not the system.
And when HR backs them up without question?
It’s game over.
What Needs to Change
I’m not writing this to just vent. I want change. Real change.
Here’s what could actually help:
Oversight — Real checks on manager behavior, not just top-down protection.
Anonymous reporting — That actually gets read. Without retaliation.
Fair promotions — Based on effort, not who goes to lunch with the lead.
Your Voice Matters
If you’ve been through this — I want you to know:
You’re not alone. You’re not “too sensitive.” You’re not imagining it.
And most importantly: you’re not powerless.
We can’t fix what stays hidden.
But we can speak up — one voice at a time.
