Do I Have A Case For Retaliation Here?

"I am writing to formally complain about retaliation by a manager, Manager A. I believe I have been subjected to unfair and adverse actions in retaliation for being denied a promotion opportunity.

Background

On February 2, 2025, I applied for a Sam’s area manager position at [DC Location 1], located at [Address 1]. The hiring managers for this position included Manager A. I believe Manager A's prior conflict with me influenced their decision, leading to my denial of this promotion opportunity.

The conflict occurred during a business trip to [City A], [State A], from October 14th to November 2nd, 2024. Four employees from [DC Location 1] supported [DC Location 2] during this trip: Employee B, Employee C, Manager A, and myself, Employee D. The conflict arose from a disagreement between Employee C and me regarding the shared vehicle. Employee C and I were assigned to the night shift, and I obtained approval from the supporting DC’s management to work additional hours, allowing me to start earlier than our scheduled time. Employee C, however, preferred to adhere to the scheduled time and use their spare time to explore the area.

On October 25, 2024, at approximately 5:25 pm, I requested the vehicle from Employee C via text message. They refused to provide the keys without instruction from Director E, our DC director at [DC Location 1]. I considered this a minor issue and, to avoid involving a director, contacted our operations manager, Manager A, for assistance. I explained the situation, hoping for a quick resolution. However, Manager A dismissed my concern and informed me that I would receive an attendance point for missing work on October 25th. I had informed Manager A earlier that morning, October 25th, at 7:17 am, that I was sick. Consequently, I promptly used protected paid time off (PPTO) for that day. In the interim, I relied on other members of the rapid response team for transportation. After several days without a response from Manager A, I informed Manager F, who oversees the rapid response team, about my transportation situation. They were under the impression that we each had our own vehicles. I clarified that Employee C and I were sharing a vehicle for the night shift. Manager F stated that they would investigate and get back to me. A few hours later, Manager A sent a group message stating that they and Manager F had resolved the issue by securing an additional car. Following this incident, Manager A's interactions with me were noticeably strained and limited for the remainder of the trip.

Retaliatory Actions

I believe that Manager A retaliated against me by denying me a promotion opportunity. The following actions support my claim:

On February 21, 2025, I applied for the area manager position for which Manager A was a hiring manager. My application was not advanced, and I only received an automated message from Walmart's system stating that the decision was made not to move forward with my application. This outcome differs significantly from my experience with a similar application on January 17, 2024. For the January 17th application, where Manager G was the hiring manager, I received an interview, feedback, and encouragement to pursue future opportunities. Other coworkers, Employee H, Employee I, and Employee J, who applied for the January 17th position, received similar treatment. These same coworkers also applied for the February 21st position under Manager A. Unlike my application, their applications were treated similarly to the January 17th applications, where they received interviews and feedback.

Supporting Documentation

I have attached the following documents to support my complaint:

Text message logs between Employee C, Manager A, Manager F, and Employee D.

PTO and PPTO request history.

Job application history.

Requested Action

I request that you thoroughly investigate these allegations of retaliation and take the following actions:

Remedy the retaliatory actions taken against me.

Ensure that I am not subjected to any further retaliation.

Hold Manager A accountable for their actions.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious matter."

This is what was submitted to the HR manager of the facility, and this was his response.

"Review Regarding Employee D's Claim of Retaliation

After reviewing Employee D's requested actions concerning their claim of retaliation by Manager A and ensuring there will be no future retaliation against them, this was the conclusion of my investigation.

I visited with Employee D on May 29, 2025, and the first thing I did was explain the Workday process for posting jobs and why some managers appear as a Hiring Manager. I clarified that when we have an opening, the manager of that shift or organization automatically becomes the hiring manager when the job is posted in the Workday system. This doesn't necessarily mean that the person listed as the Hiring Manager has any direct input into the hiring decision for that position.

Regarding the claim of retaliation by Manager A causing Employee D to lose a promotion opportunity, I explained to Employee D that Director E and I were responsible for choosing who would be interviewed for the management position. Manager A had no direct input into that decision. I also admitted to Employee D that I made a mistake by not personally informing them upfront about why they weren't being interviewed. This is a mistake I will correct for future candidates who are not selected for an interview.

I also discussed with Employee D that one of the reasons for them not receiving an interview was partly due to the conflict in [City A], [State A], involving Employee C and how that situation was handled.

Based on this review and the facts involved, I believe there was no retaliation by Manager A, and I am confident there will be no future feelings of retaliation for Employee D. I assured Employee D that if they ever feel any retaliation, discrimination, or harassment, they should please let me know.

We take all such concerns very seriously here at [DC Location 1].

I also thanked Employee D for their hard work and overtime in helping other shifts, acknowledging that they are making a positive impact in our building."

Now the one thing that this doesn't mention is the conversations that the HR manager and I had one on one, and he mention that the "reasons" I didn't get a chance at the promotion was because of my mental health and family circumstances. He refused to put this in his response.

Location: Central Texas