Sounds strange I know...but here's the set-up. My dept. mgr. (Produce) is a real working mgr. He works just as hard, actually harder, than any of the other dept. employees. He's a great guy, very understanding, works with us on scheduling, but nevertheless he expects the dept. to stand proud & tall (fresh, full, clean and usually friendly) at all times. He has worked for Kroger for over 25 years. His shortcoming (at least from the store mgr. viewpoint) is that he is not an *******, he avoids confrontation whenever possible, he doesn't yell & scream, doesn't walk the dept. trying to catch his staff doing something wrong, thanks us when we do a good job, and makes a point of thanking us for our good work as he walks the dept. on his way out when his shift ends. I will work 127+% to make him & our dept. look good!
Our back-up dept. mgr. has worked for Kroger for 4 years, but has never earned full-time status mainly due to excessive & repetitive tardiness, call-ins due to illness and/or family illness, and more. He has been transferred out of the dept. to the front end as a bagger on at least 2 occassions I know of, the last time for about 8 months. You're probably wondering how he managed to become back-up dept. mgr. It's because no one else in the dept. wanted the job!
Really, the "no one else in the dept." is me because I'm the only other one in the dept. who is qualified and reliable enough to do the job...and I turned down the job when it was offered to me first. I've been with Kroger for 2 and a half years (8 months with WalMart prior) and earned full-time status within my first 105 days with Kroger. Hmm...so does that make me higher seniority than my back-up mgr.?? Anyway, my back-up mgr. is up to his old tricks again already and he, the dept. mgr. and the store mgr. are supposed to have a lengthy and meaningful conversation today about his performance, about which both the mgrs. are very unhappy. It's possible that the store mgr. will transfer him back to the front end again permanently. I believe that its also possible that I will be offered the job again. My spouse says I'm stupid not to take the promotion and pay raise (by the way, anyone have any idea about how little of a pay increase it could be?) I'm happy being a lowly produce clerk (I'm also in charge of our tiny nutrition dept.), and I don't really mind the extra work. I don't want to make out order or schedules. I certainly don't want to work at Kroger with a target on my back...and with management taking aim. I've held too many supervisory, management and corporate management jobs over the years to fall in to that trap. I've seen the bull**** that Kroger dept. mgrs. have to put up with. But Ithink my store mgr. will try to force me to take the job...can she do it?? Any advice??
No, you do not have to take it. If they could make you take the job all you would have to do is do such a lousy job that they ask you to step down. Check your contract book, but under my contract when someone becomes an assisstant dept. head they receive a 25 cents an hour raise until they become certified. After that, the pay jumps up to anywhere between $15.15 and $15.95 depending on what your store's sales are.
hey gang! i'm back after a short (how u say) reprieve from here.....
first of all, sounds like the produce manager gots his **** together. good for him! nothing better than a guy who manages by encouragement, sweat from the brow hard work.
so this guy the back-up, sounds like by being part-time even though he works a 40 hr schedule has less seniority then you. so rightfully, they asked you first. you declined. it says in my unon ook that you "effectuate a statement that such position was offered to them by seniority and refused, and such statement shall be signed..."
hey if you are happy where u are at then stay there! i just stepped down and cant be any more happier myself. who needs pretige, money and problems!
our asst produce make $16.24/hr
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I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
In our zone, the pay raise is .75 an hour for a department backup.
Seniority really has nothing to do with it being offered to you. They offered it to you because they feel you would do a good job. As an example.. My Store manager thinks no one on Night Crew can do the job of department Backup, so he refuses to give anyone the position or the pay. It is his choice to assign someone, and it is his choice who that person is. A good manager will listen to the department head and go with their choice. We have a bad manager.
If you feel you are not ready, then don't do it. I personally did it for 8 years and recently stepped down to get an overnight shift. It was a big weight off my shoulders. That extra .75 was NOT worth all the stress. I tried my hand at management and found it was even MORE stress to the point where I was making myself literally sick with it. So I left that position quick.
You never know until you try. It could open up doors for you. You could find it to be an easy job.
They cannot force you to accept the job. They cannot fire you for refusing the promotion. You should talk to your manager and department manager about your concerns. You would be surprised what a little communication can do. Express your worries and tell them that you would give it a shot, but you want to be able to step down if you can't handle it. Good chance they will work with you.
