May be in trouble at work

An example of someone being put in a leadership scenario where they haven't the foggiest on how to lead effectively.

First off the Manager should've asked for volunteers; assuming that people will stay when they have prescribed hours in their contracts will do nothing but breed malcontent. This would have allowed people to say "No I'm busy", or words to that effect. Also, when everyone around you starts saying they don't mind doing it off their own back, it means others are much more likely to agree also. Failing this, then some sort of incentive like "Do these extra 15 minutes and I'll give you a longer break tomorrow" or something similar. Usually if you make reasonable demands of people when acting in a reasonable manner they'll comply, just demanding it will get you nowhere.

Wow, you could almost teach this stuff!
 
I always work over time in my shop, but i do get paid.

Thing is, i know a lot of people in the team i work for would stay on to help me out and leave earlier, so i am happy to do the same back.

Bit of curtisy and all, but you know if you dont feel like part of a team that is fair enough.

I used to do some rough over time at work considering i was part time, even a standard 8 hour shift on the weekend would go up to like 10 hours, and this is the crap bit, i didnt even get lunch break :mad: , only had breaks for a fag.

I know that was against the law, but what can you do at times, my boss was cool, we were just busy as hell.
 
if they don't say thanks for working later than you should do, or praise you in some sort of way i wouldnt do it. but i am a bit of a sucker really. i come in half an hour early everyday to start work and open the shop. :p
 
frankly, in any job you will normally stop for minimum a few minutes here and there. bump into a friend and ask how the pub was the other night, this happens at most work places frequently. officially you should simply never stop working at all the whole day, but life isn't like that and i've never seen anyone get in trouble at any places i've worked for such. but occasionally places are more messy, or something took longer than usual and an extra 15 minutes is needed. because its work, it needs to get to a certain point, especially retail type jobs, crappy as they are. if its mess create on your shift, and you leave it for the next shift to do its not particularly fair.

you try to be fair in life, there are good and bad ways for managers to do things, and maybe this wasn't the best but. as seems to have been stated, had you helped a couple guys wouldn't have waited an extra hour for a bus. its the nicety's we do for other people at work, and they do for you, that make for a wholely different work experience. you can work at a job where some people don't care, slack off, and the rest pick up the slack. or where you help people out, and they, when you need to get off 5 mins early to meet someone or get to the cinema early enough or whatever, will do you a favour.

i stayed late a few times, and if we worked stupidly hard or had an incredibly easy day then we went home early now and then and still got paid. that was yonks ago at M&S who were always pretty fantastic. i'd be at college, get up at 6.30, leave at 7.30, get there at 8.30, be at college till 5ish, travel an hour home then to work, work 6-6.30 till 11, that was my week. despite that i would still stay late if we weren't done, and we went home early if everything was done.

it would be very noticeable when some people where on the same floor as you as you'd always leave late, as they were slackers, but the management were very good at keeping them in certain roles where they couldn't slack off easily, on the tills on a sunday before xmas the queue of grannies wouldnt' let you be slow. good management will sort that out though, bad management will leave bad people in the wrong role making everything harder for everyone.


M&S rocked completely though, i got any extra hours i wanted, cash weekly pay, took me on for an extra couple months, was going to make me permanent but got really ill for 2-3 weeks. they paid me for 4 weeks work time off after i said i think the school, plus weather(my joints get bad in winter + being on feet at work was not good) plus work was too much so i left. they paid me for work i didn't do and were fan-bloomin-tastic to me the whole time. but then they knew i worked my socks off, worked harder than most, used my brains, put out new stock and made space for it, check price put up labels without being asked, it just made sense. if there wasn't stuff to do , i found something extra to do, and my manager noticed less work for her and thats why they treated me so well. with a fantastic reference and the offer to come back when school eased up/got better. treat them right, they'll treat you right is how companies should work.
 
drunkenmaster said:
M&S rocked completely though, i got any extra hours i wanted, cash weekly pay, took me on for an extra couple months, was going to make me permanent but got really ill for 2-3 weeks. they paid me for 4 weeks work time off after i said i think the school, plus weather(my joints get bad in winter + being on feet at work was not good) plus work was too much so i left. they paid me for work i didn't do and were fan-bloomin-tastic to me the whole time. but then they knew i worked my socks off, worked harder than most, used my brains, put out new stock and made space for it, check price put up labels without being asked, it just made sense. if there wasn't stuff to do , i found something extra to do, and my manager noticed less work for her and thats why they treated me so well. with a fantastic reference and the offer to come back when school eased up/got better. treat them right, they'll treat you right is how companies should work.
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From this, I can see that you were treated well in your employ at M+S. When I was working at Sainsbury's we would never get thanked for working hard. We would never get to go home early - if you worked hard and finished your task you were rewarded with another task. The harder you worked, the more they expected of you. The less you complained the more they walked over you. In our store (and I imagine that many are similar), there it wasnt a case of "teamwork". If management could get away with using 2 workers to do 3 workers' job, then they would try and see if they could pull it off. If you didnt come into work, you didnt get paid. If you phoned in sick, most of the time, you would not get sick pay. I worked there for many years during my studies and never once was I or anyone else allowed to go home early. Management treat the workers like slaves. Teamwork doesnt really come into this.

I feel that your store was the exception to the rule in retail. Whereabouts was this store and how long ago was it? I've only ever worked in London - perhaps the pace of life here in London means that workers get worked harder.
 
It appears there are a lot of people in this thread who really don't have "important" or "real world/career" jobs.
It's all well and good leaving the second your shift finishes if you're working as some Retail Monkey - I'm not saying its good practice but it would appear that a lot of people in this thread really don't give a damn and they work in "Retail" rather than "In Retail for company x".
What I mean is they don't care about the company they work for - its a job and it could be working for anyone.

Once you get yourself into a "proper" job then with it comes responsibility.
Guess what...the work doesn't always finish when your shift is over.
I finish work at 6:00pm, however if I'm working on somebody's laptop and they need to take it that evening and it isn't done by 6:00pm I stay and finish it.
If I've got a misbehaving server and it gets to 6:00pm then we stay on and fix it.
There is no walking out the second the shift finishes - and that goes for me (IT Manager) and my three members of the IT team.
They all know what is expected of them and as professionals they realise that there is the need to work over and above their shift time sometimes.

Get yourself a real job and see exactly where the attitude of "Right, it's 5:30 time to drop everything no matter how important" gets you.
 
Recently the company i work for has got very strict with regards to clocking in/out of the building. Its just a few people who are consistently 5mins late everyday and then clock out at 5.30 and dont make the 5mins up, because of this everyone in the company has been warned if there isnt a dramatic improvement in timekeeping then those people wont be paid for time they havent worked.

I myself was called into my managers office and he had a little word with me, saying how they are monitoring the clock in/out very closely now and to watch myself. I leave my desk at 5.30, get to the clocking out machine and its usually 5.29pm and i scan out (whilst some others are stood around waiting for it to change to 5.30). Ive never thought me leaving anywhere between 1 and 60secs early most days as a problem as i usually start atleast 10mins early everyday anyway.

When my manager informed me that i was one of those being watched i kindly informed him, i wouldnt clock out early again. I also informed him i wont be starting 10mins early anymore, nor would i be stopping behind if it got really busy which, the last time being a few weeks ago, i was due to finish at 7pm, had a job that needed doing urgently, i could've passed it onto the Night guys (but they're abit plebby) so i thought ill sort it myself, i stayed behind 2 hours (unpaid). I also pointed out i wouldnt be missing out on my breaks during the day just because its busy. Its all about give and take, my place just take, take, take!

My job is full time but i dont see it as my career, im seriously thinking about the police force.
 
Doesnt matter if your working part time, full time or half time, you work till the jobs done.. Im sure there are some staff who dont have this problem and leave on time?

If it only took 15 minutes, surely if everyone chipped in BEFORE 20.00, you could have gone at that time or a few minutes after?
 
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Poppy said:
Recently the company i work for has got very strict with regards to clocking in/out of the building. Its just a few people who are consistently 5mins late everyday and then clock out at 5.30 and dont make the 5mins up, because of this everyone in the company has been warned if there isnt a dramatic improvement in timekeeping then those people wont be paid for time they havent worked.

I myself was called into my managers office and he had a little word with me, saying how they are monitoring the clock in/out very closely now and to watch myself. I leave my desk at 5.30, get to the clocking out machine and its usually 5.29pm and i scan out (whilst some others are stood around waiting for it to change to 5.30). Ive never thought me leaving anywhere between 1 and 60secs early most days as a problem as i usually start atleast 10mins early everyday anyway.

When my manager informed me that i was one of those being watched i kindly informed him, i wouldnt clock out early again. I also informed him i wont be starting 10mins early anymore, nor would i be stopping behind if it got really busy which, the last time being a few weeks ago, i was due to finish at 7pm, had a job that needed doing urgently, i could've passed it onto the Night guys (but they're abit plebby) so i thought ill sort it myself, i stayed behind 2 hours (unpaid). I also pointed out i wouldnt be missing out on my breaks during the day just because its busy. Its all about give and take, my place just take, take, take!

My job is full time but i dont see it as my career, im seriously thinking about the police force.
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What was your managers response?

Gimpymoo said:
Doesnt matter if your working part time, full time or half time, you work till the jobs done.

If it only took 15 minutes, surely if everyone chipped in BEFORE 20.00, you could have gone at that time or a few minutes after?
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There comes a point where you have to stick up for yourself and not just keep taking hits for the "team".

But there are ways of going about it. Being pro-active in highlighting team members deficiencies to managers should allow them to investigate and follow an appropriate course of action, be it a motivational / warning chat, some training or dismissal. Even if the work concerned isin't part of your ideal career path, it is part of your career progression. A good reference even from a retail job goes some way to prooving you can do the basics and possess skills such as being a team player.

In the situation of the OP, I would be very displeased and would also probably leave. But not before explaining clearly to the manager why. Im sick of lazy team mates who make me look bad in front of managers or customers when I have to explain their mistakes or deficiencies. Or when I have to do extra work just to clean up after them.
 
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stoofa said:
...who really don't have "important" or "real world/career" jobs.


Once you get yourself into a "proper" job then with it comes responsibility.
Guess what...the work doesn't always finish when your shift is over.
I finish work at 6:00pm, however if I'm working on somebody's laptop and they need to take it that evening and it isn't done by 6:00pm I stay and finish it.
If I've got a misbehaving server and it gets to 6:00pm then we stay on and fix it.
There is no walking out the second the shift finishes - and that goes for me (IT Manager) and my three members of the IT team.
They all know what is expected of them and as professionals they realise that there is the need to work over and above their shift time sometimes.
.
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I have a "proper job" just like you, in fact until the end of November I am also an IT Manager. My shift finishes at 4pm and I am out the door. Working on somebody's laptop can wait 'till the next day.

Sure I have to come into work outside of hours to do server updates, fixes and whatnot but they will pay me for it and pay me well.

This attitude has served me well over the last six years working there as I have got stuff done, impressed management and got rewards such as my MCSE & CCNA.

Now in December I start a new job and will work bloody hard to prove I am a good asset but I won't let them take the mickey.

For me life favors work in the work life balance.

Just because you have a "proper" job doesn't mean you should be a slave to the machine or do work you are not contracted to do.
 
stoofa said:
It appears there are a lot of people in this thread who really don't have "important" or "real world/career" jobs.
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This thread is about a retail job. What do you expect?

It's all well and good leaving the second your shift finishes if you're working as some Retail Monkey
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This thread is about a retail job. What do you expect?

Once you get yourself into a "proper" job then with it comes responsibility.
Guess what...the work doesn't always finish when your shift is over.
I finish work at 6:00pm, however if I'm working on somebody's laptop and they need to take it that evening and it isn't done by 6:00pm I stay and finish it.
If I've got a misbehaving server and it gets to 6:00pm then we stay on and fix it.
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Other than blowing your own trumpet about your oh-so-amazing IT job (Although perhaps one day you will get promoted to a level where a user with a laptop doesn't outrank you), what exactly was the point in your post? None of it is relevant to this thread. This thread is not about you, Captain PC Fixit, it's about a retail monkey. So the fact you stay after work in your proper job is irrelevant.

Get yourself a real job and see exactly where the attitude of "Right, it's 5:30 time to drop everything no matter how important" gets you.
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What are you blabbering on about? Seriously, I dont understand why you've posted. He has a retail job, thus at 5.30, everything gets dropped. Thats what happens when you work for minimum wage. Now, I'm sure if he was a big time IT hotshot like yourself he'd work 24/7 for his company but as he isn't, your experiences serve no purpose other than to shout LOOK AT ME MY JOB IS BETTER THAN YOURS.
 
PlatinumFX said:
But there are ways of going about it. Being pro-active in highlighting team members deficiencies to managers should allow them to investigate and follow an appropriate course of action, be it a motivational / warning chat, some training or dismissal.
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So, you are advocating "grassing" another member of staff up to see them dismissed? Sorry man, but I cannot agree with that. At any level. I would hate to see someone get the sack unless it was for the most serious of offences.
 
Gimpymoo said:
Doesnt matter if your working part time, full time or half time, you work till the jobs done.. Im sure there are some staff who dont have this problem and leave on time?
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No, you work till your shift finishes. If the job isn't done then it's the managers problem and they can stay all night and fix it themselves. If you've been working hard all day then when your time is up you leave. Large retail companies aren't charities so you don't give them free work.

Of course if you've been messing about all day and spent more time chatting than working, then it would only be fair to stay extra to make up for it.
 
People keep coming back to the "team work" and "only 15 minutes" issues. These are none issues! Forget I said 15 minutes. That doesn't matter. lets just leave the extra time as "undefined" and we're looking at the principle here.

I've already stated I'm willing to work extra time out of good will if I want and when it comes to a full time job I'll work extra time even if I don't want to. I understand fully why extra time needs to be worked sometimes - I just don't deem my job important enough to come before anything else in my life right now. including a social life or university studies (as it turns out I actually went home to study that night)

Other people are saying "well if you'd all chipped in before 8 then it would have got done." No,. it wouldnt. We were working. the problem comes around to being understaffed. Perhaps even if the customers had the respect to hang whatever they've been looking at back up we wouldn't need extra staff! But thats not to be expected. The shop should be able to cope with any manner of customer.

I've argued this point with my manager before. He says we can't afford to pay the christmas temps. Its bull****. In the christmas period the shop (as a singular shop, not even the whole company) rakes in more than enough profit to pay a few extra staff (say - the 9 that were "let go" recently") And if it can't meet the targets with the right amount of staff then surley better managers should be brought in, prices should be increased or even the store should be closed down. But thats a problem that the head office have to worry about and SHOULDNT NEED a bottom rung monkey like myself telling them this!
 
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  1. If you're getting paid by the hour then you work your sift or get paid overtime
  2. You can ask your staff nicely to do overtime but it’s their prerogative to refuse.
  3. If it’s continuously necessary for staff to work overtime then the shop is short staffed, and they should recruit more. Even if it's just for christmas.
  4. A manger wouldn’t expect their staff to continuously turn up late or leave early so why should they expect them to start early or leave late.

Its sounds like you work for one of those companies that expect their staff to work for the company like they own it. You’re not the owner, you don’t even have a stake. Your hired help, and should be treated as such. Just do your job for the hours you're contracted, and ignore anything else.
 
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Stretch said:
Its sounds like you work for one of those companies that expect their staff to work for the company like they own it.
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or have pride :p

It amazes me that people actually expect you to have pride in the place you work and have want to make the company more money even if you don't own a part of it let alone being on minimum wage.




Also: christmas smilies are back - yay! :D
 
[TW]Fox;10516702 said:
This thread is about a retail job. What do you expect?



This thread is about a retail job. What do you expect?



Other than blowing your own trumpet about your oh-so-amazing IT job (Although perhaps one day you will get promoted to a level where a user with a laptop doesn't outrank you), what exactly was the point in your post? None of it is relevant to this thread. This thread is not about you, Captain PC Fixit, it's about a retail monkey. So the fact you stay after work in your proper job is irrelevant.



What are you blabbering on about? Seriously, I dont understand why you've posted. He has a retail job, thus at 5.30, everything gets dropped. Thats what happens when you work for minimum wage. Now, I'm sure if he was a big time IT hotshot like yourself he'd work 24/7 for his company but as he isn't, your experiences serve no purpose other than to shout LOOK AT ME MY JOB IS BETTER THAN YOURS.
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Hummm - now if you've got no idea why I posted I've certainly got no idea why you bothered waffling in the thread.
What a surprise - Fox wants again attacks somebody else rather than bothing to add anything at all to a thread.
I'm not the CEO of the company I work for, of course one day maybe I'll be invited to join the board - the company could use an IT Director rather than an IT Manager - I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
The point being made was that once you get a proper job in life you are expected to work outside of your "shifts" so you might as well get used to working as a team from the very beginning.
Of course I'm sorry I upset you oh great masterful one - I'll run my posts by you first in future.
 
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