I rang in sick today.

Having worked in retail for almost a year now (and hopefully not much longer), it seems like that's just how it is as soon as you're past being a 'normal' member of staff. The regular people arrive on time, get all their breaks to the minute, and leave on time. As soon as you're a supervisor, team leader, manager or whatever, that all goes out the window and nobody cares. Being a team leader is probably the worst thing ever; you're basically expected to know and do what your manager does and yet get paid probably half what they get. Unless you're lucky enough to have a manger who actually looks out for you, you just get used and abused.

Then you get store/deputy managers who think they're the most important people in the world, have zero people skills and seem to believe that fear, threat and intimidation are more effective than recognition, praise and encouragement. I work hard, I've never been particularly late, I've never taken any time off sick, always been happy to have my days off moved if necessary, never refuse to do anything or moan about it even if it's something crap, and yet even I was being regularly threatened with disciplinary action at one point. When I told my friends and family, they were adamant I was joking.
 
The pressure thats involved in electrical retail at the moment is hell. I've just quit my job with a big major chain store because to be quite honest I've had enough of being treated like a lump of terd by management.

Strictly speaking it wasn't all my now ex bosses fault because all the pressure thats put upon us is somewhat curbed because he gets the full force of it from the regional and divisional directors.

Thats said however, I only had a misserable 25 hour a week contract (I was forced to take a cut in hours before that from a 30 hour a week contract because I wasn't selling enough extra warranties)

So on top of selling, selling extra warranties and merchandising a given area of the store I was also expected to work as the stores un-official techy. So any faulty/virused/broken laptops, pc's and mac's etc. that came into the store it was my job to find out what was up and act accordingly. Ofcourse I was still expected to sell and meet my targets like my colleagues who didn't have the un-official technical role.

We used to get loads laptops in, and I had to deal with the lot from diagnosis, to sending them off for repair to getting them back into the store to advising customers.

Yet they would never reduce my sales target, I was never very good at selling the worthless extra warranty (the problems we've had with people that have had them is mental) which basically made all the profit.

I'd had this issue for years, support was offered but everytime I asked for it they were always too busy or I was turned away with the excuse "Sorry not today, I'm too tired"

I was also told because I was not meeting my targets I was expected to work for free until I had made and exceeded my targets, after weeks of this I gave them four weeks notice. I thought the idea was to goto work, do your job, go home and forget about it. Couldn't do that there.

I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't enjoying trips out with my mates as all I could think about was work and the telling off I'd get when I started my shift the next day. I was having some really quite dark thoughts and life had generally lost it's sparkle.

Now, three weeks into my freedom I'm so glad I told them to stick it. Ok I'm not taking home any money but I'm pounding as many companies as I can, I've written some 30 - 40odd letters and posted, some companies I go and see once a week and I've got my CV up on the net so am doing as much as I can to find another job, anything so long as it's not retail.

It also turns out that several of my other colleagues are doing the same, rats deserting a sinking ship it would appear.

Retail is hell.
 
Can't think of any retail area where the business is not cutting hours and generally being tight at the expense of staff working conditions...

Doesn't make it any better but it's what they do to keep those backing the place happy.
 
Just to let you know mate, legally you have absolutely NO obligation to phone in every day to tell them you are still not well - employers always try that one, but they know its not mandatory. If the prospect of you phoning every morning is compounding the problem for you then don't, they can't do anything at all without breaking health equality laws, which would give you grounds to take them to the cleaners so it were..

G.
 
The above is very true, where I used to work were the same. "You must phone in every day when your off sick"

When I phoned in sick I would tell them how long it would be before I returned to work to get the response "It's not upto you to decide if your fit for work or not"

Told my boss he was being very unreasonable and that when I was ready to return to work (I had a very bad case of bronchitous) I would phone him to let him know. Didn't stop them phoning me every day though, turned my phone off in the end and had hell for that when I went back to work 5 days later.
 
Droolinggimp said:
He told me to self cert for a week and come back next week if all is not better. So I called work and told them, only thing is, I HAVE to call in sick every morning this week and speak to a senior manager... Great, I can see where that will go. 20 questions...:rolleyes:. 'we need you in' 'whats wrong with you? you was ok Sunday evening when you left'
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Do this. I know it feels horrible at the time being grilled for something that blatantly isnt your fault, but you're essentially wasting a much higher paid member of staffs' time every time you speak to them.

Every phone call is more work-induced stress, and means you are unable to properly relax during your time off work. As said, grow severe stubble, forget to shower before visiting GP and have little sleep the night before.

On your last day of self-certification, see if you can sob a little on the phone to the idiot you're talking to - make it sound like you're actually worse for having a week off than. Maybe watch a video of kittens drowning or something to mess your emotions up for ~5 mins.

Then mention to the Docs that you got upset while having to phone in and explain why you're sick, and that these constant phone calls are stressing you out.

Just a thought :) Hope you find a better job - sounds like being a bin man would be better IMO!
 
Grahame said:
Just to let you know mate, legally you have absolutely NO obligation to phone in every day to tell them you are still not well - employers always try that one, but they know its not mandatory. If the prospect of you phoning every morning is compounding the problem for you then don't, they can't do anything at all without breaking health equality laws, which would give you grounds to take them to the cleaners so it were..

G.
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Unfortunatly its the company policy to ring in everyday if you self cert. A doctors note however, you dont need to ring in. If I didnt ring in everyday then I would not be folowing CP and they would/could discapline me once I go back. Its in our handbook.:(
 
I understand it's in your handbook and it's company "policy" but it's not legal for them to make you phone in every day - if you do a google search around sickness absences it will state the same. I know that they would try to discipline you, but they can't - they rely on employees not knowing their rights. I'd love to be in the situation to take them to the cleaners. I do locums in a lot of supermarkets and I have a lot of managers asking me to do things. Well I'm essentially self employed when there and love telling them where to stick it. Truth is, most of the higher management in these places have very little education or understanding of the law so you can always use it to your advantage! Anyway, I hope you feel better soon - remember no job is worth risking your health for!
 
Is it really company policy? I work in personnel and thats not the procedure we follow if you have a certificate.
 
Behemoth said:
When I phoned in sick I would tell them how long it would be before I returned to work to get the response "It's not upto you to decide if your fit for work or not"
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Oh I love those managers who also seem to think they're doctors. And can also diagnose medical conditions (or lack of) over the phone.
 
DG you skiving *******, get back to work!

On a serious note, I voted with my feet 7 months ago when my last employers were being unreasonable with the stress they/the job caused me, it was unbearable at times. Never felt happier since I left.
 
R0B75 said:
DG you skiving *******, get back to work!

On a serious note, I voted with my feet 7 months ago when my last employers were being unreasonable with the stress they/the job caused me, it was unbearable at times. Never felt happier since I left.
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Look whos talking... :p

My glands have swollen. Woke up this morning and they are killing me.

Well anyway, I have applied for a job in Derby. Just got to wait for any reply. I will still be searching today now my internet is back on. It got cut off yesterday, I rebooted the modem and still no luck. Went to stream some stuff on the xbox just a few mins ago and it couldnt connect so I rebooted the router and thought I might as well do the modem again... yay, both work and now can browse more jobs.:D
 
matt_fsr said:
Maybe watch a video of kittens drowning or something to mess your emotions up for ~5 mins.
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Where can I find this?!?! My 4 year old has been hounding me for ages to show her something like this!!!

just kidding :P

Seriously though OP - it sounds like that place just takes the wee a bit too much. I hope you find something new soon! :-)
 
Grahame said:
I understand it's in your handbook and it's company "policy" but it's not legal for them to make you phone in every day - if you do a google search around sickness absences it will state the same. I know that they would try to discipline you, but they can't - they rely on employees not knowing their rights. I'd love to be in the situation to take them to the cleaners. I do locums in a lot of supermarkets and I have a lot of managers asking me to do things. Well I'm essentially self employed when there and love telling them where to stick it. Truth is, most of the higher management in these places have very little education or understanding of the law so you can always use it to your advantage! Anyway, I hope you feel better soon - remember no job is worth risking your health for!
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But if it's in the company handbook you are expected to follow the company procedure for sickness, it's been like all the time for when I worked in Sainsbury's/Carphone Warehouse/Toyota, you are off sick without a doctors note you are to phone in and inform your manager you are not going to be attending work that day.

Being off with stress though is different to the normal "oh I am off with flu", this will probably result in you having to contact your manager everyday, if you are signed off with stress most companies (and CPW did in my case) will leave you alone and just ask that you call them once every week or once every two weeks. When the time came closer for me to come back I called my area manager and it ws agreed I would return to work on the following Monday.

I even had to do it on the morning of me having my appendix out, from my hospital bed as at that moment in time I didn't have a doctors note! (Granted, I admit I probably didn't have to contact them, but Lister's were not the most understanding of companies and the fact I was awaiting my operation probably would have meant squat to them).
 
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Sounds like some of u guys need to remind ur employers about the Working Time Directive!! Don't put up with it unless ur getting paid for it or u have contracted out - doubt this would be the case in retail.
 
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