Labor question

[LotusCorvus]

Ugh, I know that feeling. We just lost 3 people when we were already running a bare-bones crew at our 24-hour store (2 of them only gave a week's notice and then didn't even finish out their week! The other one got fired so on top of everything else we've had the Loss Prevention guy breathing down our neck). Thankfully I'm on overnights (11pm-7am normally) so I'm not stuck picking up all the open shifts like I probably would have been if I was still an evening shift supervisor, but now us overnights keep getting stuck with everything Evening Shift doesn't finish on top of all of our stuff that normally takes all night anyway, so that's been fun.

Maybe even just something small like "Well it's hard to get all of our stuff done when we start out having to finish up the previous shift's work" would help drive home the point about unrealistic expectations to your pushy manager, or at least remind her to also hassle the previous shift so things feel more even. Hope talking to your next-up manager does some good, or at least makes you feel better about the whole thing.

[JeRMz]

So, when I go in I usually spend about 45 minutes to an hour picking up their mess/being told what they didn't get done (THEY get to leave when things aren't done, but I can't?)

In my experience, 2nd. shift ALWAYS gets the poop end of the stick. 1st. shifters are spoiled. Daylight savings time was even created for 1st. shifters!

[SaintTawny]

Ask to see the contract you signed when you started there. Don't be rude about it, but don't feel obligated to tell them why. If you find out that what they're doing is against your contract, just start following your contract to the T. If there's nothing specifically stated in your contract, take it up a rung and ask about the company's specific policies on staff requirements. If your boss isn't following the company's minimum staff requirements and you're being forced to do the work of two people with the pay of one, tell them they have to fix it or you'll take action.

Unless you work in a right-to-work state, in which case you're probably f*cked, but should consult an attorney in private anyway. If an attorney thinks that you can make a case against your employer and your employer is unwilling to fix the problem, I'd probably go for it. If they're in breach of contract (and you're not), you'll probably get more out of a suit than you're getting in overtime pay.

Seriously though, the "be glad you have a job" thing is B.S. At some point, the money flow doesn't justify the loss of quality of life.

[Kodieh]

All very good points . I appreciate the feed back.

@scales: Yeah, I know at some point I just need to suck it up and chug on but making 7.65 doing gods all (which in other stores, they don't do two of the four "jobs" we do) and hearing "do it faster tomorrow" gets old. It's not like we're providing a vital service, there are 10 other places in town people can go.

@Lotus: I might try that, I need to be nice though and I'm not sure I could haha. I'm going to start writing down all the pick amounts that shift one left unfinished and then have all my guys sign it. Tell the pm manager "they didn't finish these, ride them too" and go from there.

@Saint: I would really like to avoid court, because I think I can pitch it right to am managers that they need to have a sit down with her and tell her to clamp it. They ride us about not getting over time, but hell or high water we better stay and finish. It's like trying to train a dog in a room full of kids, you're gonna get no where.

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[Kodieh]

So, I'm at lunch have some good-ish news about the situation.

The supervisor below management and above us, who runs our crew, wanted to have a talk with us and the owner of the store so that's what we did before we got down to work today. We went over a lot of what really is our job and what is not. Which was helpful, because more often than not we just get thrown into whatever needs doing regardless of department.

We also, well me more than anyone, straight up asked about being threatened with punishment if we didn't stay over time. He kind of beat around the bush but when I basically equated it to kidnapping he said quite a few times he would be talking about that to the manager who said it. He also said, in a bit of double speak, that they CAN punish us but it would be for lack of productivity and not because we just did not stay. From what I understood out of his response was that he threw his manager halfway under the bus, she can't reprimand us for leaving but she can if picks aren't done. Which, they always are so basically her threatening us was for not.

We also learned that they are hiring ever more people for our skeleton crew and are trying to over staff us so that everything that has been happening becomes a non-issue because there will just be so many people to take care of it. Which doesn't hurt me at all.

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[TessadasExotics]

You need to research OK labor laws. They can terminate you any time they want to. If you come in early, it doesn't give you the right to leave early. As long as they don't fire you for any type of discriminatory reason i.e. sex, race, disability or religion they are in the clear pretty much. OK is a right-to-work state. Most people have to deal with things that aren't fair. It's life unfortunately. Remember this, you are always replaceable and someone is always willing to take your place.

[Don]

Just for clarification, Right to Work is the right to work without being forced to pay union dues. In other words, you can work in a company that is unionized, but do not have to pay union dues or join the union. I think what you meant to say is that OK is an "at will" state. This means that you can be fired for good cause, bad cause or no cause, just not an illegal cause (Title VII, ADA, etc. violations).

[JeRMz]

New Hampshire is an "At will" state. Nobody likes it, either.

[RobNJ]

when I basically equated it to kidnapping

Really???

[Kodieh]

I did do my research OK laws, but I also read in my contract that they reserve the right to fire me at anytime with out disclosing a reason. So, besides the law being on their side, I agreed to it despite the law when I signed my job offer.

Yes, you're right, it doesn't give me the right to leave early. But they also ride us for over time, and it's posted above the time clock that clocking out 15 minutes or more before the end of your shift is considered an incomplete shift. So, I'm not doing anything anyone else can't or doesn't do.

Another point I came up with after the whole punishment threat was that the other people she "talked to" with us are full timers. Any extra they stay is GOING to be paid overtime. If we were California or Alaska then at 8, it would be time and a half already but alas we're not. So, while they have guaranteed time and a half we don't get it.

And, yes. Being forced against your will to be somewhere you don't want to be, isn't that kidnapping?

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