The hands-off approach I mentioned? Thats because all the managers are sat in the canteen drinking coffee and sucking up to the store manager whilst you're grafting. When they *do* grace you with their presence they tend to be rude, abrasive and/or completely incompetant. I've been threatened numerous times by managers for such heinous crimes as wanting to finish on time, asking for my breaks and asking for money to keep tills stocked several hours after I made the initial request - oh, and refusing to sell out of date stock.
I applied for a free apprenticeship and was denied, upon learning that I had applied to go to college - something I couldn't do if I was already enrolled on an apprenticeship scheme - I was miraculously granted my inital request to be on the apprenticeship.
When I complained about management victimisation there was an investigation launched. The investigation comprised of asking the manager in question if he had bullied me, then telling me I had made it all up.
Almost every member of my department had backed me up and told me to complain that I was being victimised, and almost every single one of them would have provided evidence if asked.