Seasonal job issue

[Opti]

I have a big issue with my seasonal job and am looking for
suggestion before I get really angry and perhaps send badly
worded emails to the head of HR and the store manager.

I was offered a PT seasonal position at an anchor department store.
But when I came to sign the paperwork it had FT on it. I was quite
unhappy wanted it changed, but the HR person there at the time said
perhaps they put it there so you can take more shifts. Didn't sit well
with me, but I did leave it even though when I interviewed my manager
was aware I had a PT job of 20 hours a week. (Now 5 days, 27.5 hrs.)

Well, between Friday and Saturday morning someone scheduled me for
three FT shifts for this week. Two I can't work outright as my other
job conflicts and one I'd prefer not to work as my sciatica has gotten
bad with the hours I do work there. The only hours I wanted to sign up for
this week fall on Monday and Tuesday, my days off from the other job.
I can't sign up for any shifts until someone takes the advertised shift
AND the locked shift on Thursday is removed. I work FT day shift Thursday
at my other job and at 8AM on Friday so only small hours would be possible for
me like 5 to 10, 6 to 9:45 and that's pushing it.

What should I do? I saw my manager on my way to my shift last night
where she asked me to go to a different dept than I was scheduled for.
If it isn't fixed today, all of it removed, what should I do? At most I'll
be able to work one or two shifts this week and next. I left notes in
her mailbox last night.

[milee]

Figure out which job pays more or offers more chance for advancement and quit the other.

From your prior posts, you have enough difficulty managing the hours that your current job gives you.  You don't want to or can't work most hours at the second, so that's bound to end badly.  You have more issues than most managers of part time employees want to deal with, so quitting will avoid you being fired and save you anxiety over something that's probably not going to change. 

Then think long and hard about some solutions that are both reasonable for you (so you don't get frustrated about things that are bound to happen as part of the job) and reasonable for the employer (so you're not constantly fighting the way things normally work) so you can see if you can find work that is a good situation for both you and the employer.

[finnime]

Send an email to your manager and the HR department head. Then refer to what you wrote in your post.

Explain that:

• you are delighted to have been offered a position with this very fine establishment;
• as you had described during your interview, you are available during the (day, night, days of week, between the hours of x and y)
  
• unfortunately some one had scheduled you for shifts when you are unavailable;
• this is urgently needing their intervention as the problem shifts are in the next few days;
  
• please help correct this error, which may have been a result of the HR paperwork listing full-time;
• HR person had said at the time that the paperwork was not an issue.

That should do it. Thank them for this opportunity and happy holidays.

[raeoflyte]

Definitely don't send emails that indicate you're upset about being given hours. Let them know what conflicts, offer to work any shifts that you can.

I wouldn't jeopardize my steady gig for a seasonal job but you really want them to want you to stay on or come back so I'd really try to jump through any hoops possible to keep them happy too.

[Miss Tequila]

Christmas is his week. Won't your seasonal gig end anyway?

No I wouldn't send a letter or email to HR or the manager. You are the equivalent of a temp worker. If it isn't working out, quit, but I wouldn't go making a big deal out if the shifts. Trust me, temp retail workers are a dime a dozen. You can be replaced immediately.

[Deleted]

They are using you as much as they can to get what they want.   Make sure you use them just as much to get what you want.   Don't make it personal, because it is not.  Just get what you want and if you can't, leave.

[Deleted]

If you manager doesn't know your other work situation by now, you have done a poor job of communicating. Even if your app said PT, they may have scheduled you hours you can't work. Don't even think of sending an email - go talk to your manager in person.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2013 8:53:20 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Christmas is his week. Won't your seasonal gig end anyway?

No I wouldn't send a letter or email to HR or the manager. You are the equivalent of a temp worker. If it isn't working out, quit, but I wouldn't go making a big deal out if the shifts. Trust me, temp retail workers are a dime a dozen. You can be replaced immediately.

She's worked at this store before and might want to work at it again so she doesn't want to simply "quit."

Optimist, talk to your manager in person today.  A computer does the scheduling so your FT status must have meant you were available "whenever."  Do not contact the store manager.  He/she doesn't want to know about your schedule problems.

[Works4me]

Great job floating to another department the other night - I am sure the managers really appreciated that. As for the rest of it, I would handle it this way:

Email your manager so that it is in writing and then take a hard copy with you as this helps you to focus on what you can do. I would act as if this was just a scheduling error that is no big deal and simply needs to be corrected. Your approach and attitude need to be one of wanting to be of help to them in this, their busiest of time, because they have been good to you.

You probably should would work on Monday and Tuesday at least 5-6 hours, and if possible work at least one full day. Then explain that you cannot work the day shifts on Thursday or Friday because they conflict with your day job. I would definitely offer Thursday evening as it is the day after Christmas. I would also do whatever they asked/needed over the weekend, again in order to help them out.

Most likely this is the only time you will have a conflict like this as the holiday rush is almost over and layoffs of seasonal hires will begin this coming week. I think your goal should be to leave there with a great reference - you want them raving about you and always willing to re-hire you. Great  references are extremely important when trying to get back on a professional job track. Most people know how hard it is to work retail - when hiring I often have thought, well if they have a good work ethic in that situation, this one will be a cinch.

As for your sciatica and other issues, the bottom line is that anyone and everyone who works retail is exhausted this time of year. I remember just collapsing on Christmas day more than once as I worked retail in college and again between "real" jobs.

[Opti]

"A computer does the scheduling so your FT status must have meant you were available "whenever." "


Actually one generally self schedules now, except in times of high demand
when you can be scheduled for certain hours but I'm not sure if its done
by your manager or any managers who might look at coverage including HR.

But that's exactly why I didn't want FT status. I was never available whenever
and my schedule became worse match almost with every schedule iteration.
The last time I saw my manager prior to this, I told her my final schedule
was not a good match for working there and my shifts would be infrequent.
She said OK. "Just sign up for what you can."

[Opti]

Archie, I think I like your advice the best.  Finnime & Rae your advice
was also quite helpful. I'll have to ponder what to do as I worked both
jobs yesterday and worked my usual one the early shift today.

I might delete this message and repost just a fraction later. My hiring
wasn't smooth from the beginning. They lost my paperwork, I had to refill
out some forms, scheduling of my training was lost, and I was never given
the fullname of my Supervisor and her contact info at work. Just yesterday
I learned she had a mailbox, which is so crammed I'm not sure she'll even
see my slips of paper. I never know her schedule so it would be iffy to
catch her as my work days are Wednesday through Sunday which is
likely to be when she's working as well.

Being seasonal Macy's I thought it might last a little longer like last time
as my last store did inventory early January but 1/4/2013 is likely the last day
I could work if this schedule stuff gets straightened out. I also wonder since
I was forced to FT on the computer whether the PT designation would have
allowed me to reflect my schedule a little better than the FT one which
does not allow you to say you are unavailable for any part of the weekend
and limits you to picking either before 1PM or after 6PM for weekdays.
Since the only thing that didn't change was my working 8A-4P Thursday
its pretty maddening that I was scheduled as Noon to 8PM for 12/26
even though I'm already working my usual 8AM to 4PM following my working
Christmas Day.

At risk is only two weeks of small shifts at $8/hr. but like someone mentioned
I don't really want to leave on bad terms and be forced to look bad. I discovered
Indiana has Macy's now and it might be nice to not burn that bridge if I don't
need to.

[Opti]

Found out something interesting at my usual PT job today.
The rehab department employees including the rehab aide
techs are moving to another company. Interestingly the new
company is forcing the people to resign from our employer
and re-apply with the new one. The weekend rehab aide tech
believes both rehab aide tech FTers have quit and will not be applying
to the new company. If thats true, its possible some hours might
become available to me there temporarily. Who knows? For such
a small facility we have turf wars and my manager would have to
agree to any hours I worked for Rehab and Rehab already knows if
someone calls out I have to drop everything and work the desk.

FWIW, its been nice having a regular schedule versus working
callouts. Now if they would just finish construction or better yet
I find a good FT job ...





Time to go do all the crap I couldn't on Tuesday .