Work schedule questions

[Stella-Io]

So, my work schedule is weird. I've never gotten full time in the 8 months I've worked there, even thou I applied as full time, but the manager is only allowed to give a certain amount of hours for each week I guess.

I only work 4 or 5 days a week if it's busy, like the week before Thanksgiving I worked I think 5 days, but never went above 35 hours.

I WAS working 3 days a week, but this week it's back down to 2. For a month I was only working 1 day a week.

The schedule will get changed and no one will tell me, hey, you should look at your schedule it got changed. This has actually ruined my 7 month streak of never being late. I ended up 3 hours late to work because of this.

Is this normal? I was under the impression people will always know their hours, and there would be occasional changes to the usual schedule for stuff like busy weeks or holidays. Someone I know irl said their schedule never got changed as much as mine does when they worked.

 

[Tessie]

really depends on where you work so cant say this is abnormal.

a common interview question for many places asks if you are okay and dependable with schedule changes. its your responsibility to always look at the schedule whenever you work if you realize it is inconsistent. however, if they change while you arent working and never tell you then its their fault of course.


as for part/full time, i work for a chain corporation and like any greedy corporation they dont want to pay too much so they commonly cut hours a lot and give hours to seniority employees. im a student so i need part time, however bc i work at a chain, i can request full in which they will just send me to several stores that needs help throughout the week. just tell your boss you want more hours and see what he/she says.

 

[Stella-Io]

I work at a grocery store in the bakery department, not sure what the proper term for it is, chain, corp, franchise ect... but there's many in a few states.

Yeah they'll change my schedule without me even there. I've asked for more hours but the manager just tells me that he can only give out a set amount of hours based on sales. And we don't earn commissions based on what we sell.

 

[MozzarellaSticks]

Yeah that’s pretty normal for a grocery store. If it’s not unuonized your best bet for getting extra hours is to ask to cross train to other departments, mainly cashier. That way they can pull you instead of canceling you. Keep in mind, though, that January is the slowest sales month, and they tend to cut hours severely to compensate.

 

[Stella-Io]

I did not know either of those things, about grocery store schedules or January being a slow month.

I've thought about it, but if I can I'd like to stay away from customers and money. I'm bad at math, so counting isn't my strong suit. I've also heard stories about the rudeness of customers, I get enough of customers just from doin front service at the bakery department and from phone calls.

But January being slow, man that's really gonna mess up my job search. I need to get a new job anyway, I can't move on with my life and be an actual adult working 1 or 2 days a week.

 

[Tessie]

most customers, about 80-90% of them ARE pleasant. you just will encounter some crappy ones its inevitable. it shouldnt scare you, its a life experience regardless.


and you barely need any math skills to be a cashier, im math illiterate and work with a cashier sooo lol
the computerized system calculates the change to give back, its super easy.

dont be afraid to put urself in situations where u learn out of it! even if its outside a comfort zone, personal growth is priceless!

 

[Stella-Io]

I know the computer counts the change for me, but knowing me I'd confuse a nickel for a quarter or a dime for a penny cause of weight or looks by a quick glance. Esp of I feel flustered cause its busy, then I tend to get nervous and make mistakes.

I've had my share of rude customers, even offensive ones. I actually got that quite a bit my first 2 or so months working there. It's both hard and easy to offend me, I only really get offended at one thing, and it isn't race, gender ect...

 

[Snowesque]

I knew someone who worked in a grocery store as well, they always had whack hours.
My partner also has basically totally different work hours around the holidays too.

 

[ali.di.magix]

Yeah, it seems like grocery stores over there are the same here. Grocery stores have such weird hours, it's like all or nothing. I find it unusual they haven't asked you to do extra hours, as I'm always asked to do extras even when I'm studying full time. I guess each store is different though. Keep in mind your manager will have a certain amount of hours that he can give out to keep on budget. So if sales aren't that great, then he won't need as many hours done by you or others. Have a look at your contract too; make sure that they can change your hours with no acknowledgement to you, compare your rostered hours and see if they can change them or if there's any time limit that you have (like 35 hrs per week, although I doubt there is one). If all else fails, I'd consult your store owner to see if you can pick up hours in other departments. See what they say, and if they say yes, then let your manager know. The grocery trade is a weird one, don't submit yourself to their stupidity, stand up for yourself!

 

[Stella-Io]

Well, there have been times when they'll ask me if I can come in the next day, one time they even asked me to come In that day with only a 1 hours notice, which for me is only 30 mins cause I live half an hour away from my place of work. But that's hasn't happened in months. One time I was even asked to go work at another store for a day.

Honeslty I think I need a new job. Not only are the hours crud, driving there is actually dangerous cause its an accident hotspot, and there is sooo much stuff to remember. I wanted to be a baker/pastry chef as my career, but I see now that it's not the job for me. I would like to move on to another type of business where I'm not the first person blamed for somethin.

 

[Kalle]

Most places only hire part-time or temporary staff these days, so I'd say that's normal. My first retail job was the worst with hour and day switch ups. One week I'd be there for 25 hours, the next 5, then 33, then 12. Sometimes they'd have me working six or seven nights straight (one work week melding into the other without caring to notice) with only a few hours each time.

 

[Stella-Io]

Oh great, sounds like I'll totally get a better job at some point.

Maybe I should make this thread a 'need job suggestions thread' :/

 

[ali.di.magix]

Oh great, sounds like I'll totally get a better job at some point.

Maybe I should make this thread a 'need job suggestions thread' :/

The grocery trade sure are hard to work for, but my dad has always said if you've got a trade in grocery then you can get a job almost anywhere. Most employers will recognise how harsh it is in the grocery trade. At least with the job you've got, you've learnt a lot of transferrable skills. With being a baker you know how to maintain a high quality of hygiene, how food processing works in the food industry, customer service skills, working in a team, working with staff members from all departments...the list goes on really. Those are all things that can go on your CV. You can probably apply those skills to completely different jobs, like an office job or whatever. Being in a grocery store bakery is probably very different to being in an actual bakery, so you could try a job at a bakery with limited/no customer service. Perhaps you might like something like that better than what you have now!

 

[Rizies]

Just to jump in here. Depending on what your labor laws are, it should dictate when your schedule should be posted, and when they can make changes.

However typically in a grocery store setting, I know it depends on how busy the store is and that can dictate how many hours you get. If you don't think you will get any more then find another job. There is no shame in that. People have a certain expectation and financial commitments

As for a pastry chef, that does require a culinary education. Many people spend at least 2 years in a school setting learning these things. Don't give up.

 

[Wildtown]

Definitely depends on where you work but my schedule is nothing like that XD its always very specific

 

[Stella-Io]

MayorOfMagix I don't even get to bake. I was hoping that I would learn stuff like that, but the closest thing I've come to baking was setting up cookie trays. Once. I do orders for customers, both over the phone and in store, pack, label, stock the shelves, some occasional dealing with customers problems, slice bread, stuff like that. Basically the front service stuff. In my high school I took culinary all four years, my senior year I was the TA for the culinary teachers and I have both my ProStart and ServSafe certifications. I know that high school culinary isn't the education needed to become an actual pastry chef.

Rizies The schedule is supposed to go up every Tuesday at 10pm, however there have been times when my manager hasn't posted the schedule till the next day. One time I was up till midnight looking at my schedule, which still had yet to be posted. What really irks me is he'll post a 'rough schedule' then change it without any notice. I checked my schedule on Thursday, then Friday he changed it. That's how I ended up 3 hours late for work. I was told that I should always be on top of my schedule, but it's really ridiculous that he'll leave the fake schedule up for so long. To add to that, the website I go on to check my schedule is inaccurate at times. My hours get changed randomly because of power outages. Like, how does the power turning off effect my schedule? I live half an hour away from my place of work and the traffic there is horrendous. That place is accident hotspot central, so I'm not going to drive down there everyday to see of there were some un-announced changes to my schedule.

Wildtown I must have been thinking of office jobs that always know their hours, but then again someone I know who worked in retail like Wet Seal and stuff said her hours have never changes as much as mine have.

 

[MozzarellaSticks]

Ask to learn cake decorating. That tends to add extra hours in the bakery. You need artistic skills, though, something I def don’t have.

- - - Post Merge - - -

Tbh the only place besides cashier that would love to take you is night stock. Everyone hates to do graveyard shifts. But I won’t lie to you and say it’s fun to unload pallets & set up displays & change tags

 

[Stella-Io]

Oh they wont let me decorate. Not with the amount of mistakes I've made. I have said that's it's somethin I would like to do but I've pretty much given up on that and baker.

Well the truck for delivery comes during the day, usually 1 or 2 and each department takes care of their stuff, so bakery goes and gets there frozen deliveries, deli gets there's ect... I have worked the closing shift one time and it wasn't bad. Certainly a heck of alot easier than my day shifts.

 

[MozzarellaSticks]

No. Night stocker works midnights. When the store is closed. They’re not people who change sales tags & rearranges shelves.

- - - Post Merge - - -

No. Night stocker works midnights. When the store is closed. They?re not people who change sales tags & rearranges shelves.

 

[Stella-Io]

Just checked my schedule today. I work 2 days again, my hours have not been extended at all, even thou Xmas is coming up.

Awesome -_-