Today I was "scolded" for getting 20 measly minutes of ot (big deal... 20 min) when they are trying to save (cut) hours. The reason I opted to start earlier is because e the area I was cleaning was beyond filthy. It was an ooey, gooey, gloppy, sloppy, mess. I tried telling management but they said it wasn't authorized. Why trip about 20 min ot? They can afford it. If they can afford stupid programs like key retailing and what not they can afford ot.
I have heard, however, that the reason management gets all anal, is because if they have to pay ot, it messes with their bonuses they get. I dunno...
Yes, it effects their bonuses. I am not sure how much tho. Think of how good our raises are. That is probably how good the bonuses are for the managers. Also, managers can be terminated anytime for any reason. Too much OT is a good reason to be let go.
First tier contract at our store has the option to work 8 hours OT in a week. The managers are budgeted so much OT per overall store hours. If they go over that budget, they get a call from their boss that is a little more heated than the conversation your manager had with you!
FWIW, I do not like working 15 minutes of OT. I am more than willing to work 2 hours OT after a regular shift tho.
My opinion on overtime is this and why Kroger shouldn't bitch about it. I have a life, the company may not or probably doesn't value my life. I've missed out on cherish events and i'll never get them because I was working. The money is great don't get me wrong to have some extra in your pocket. However, as far as I see it we're not only helping the customers get what they need and want, but we're saving them money through just a tad bit of overtime. They don't have to hire another person and give them benefits such as healthcare, pension, etc. If they want to fix the issue of overtime simply hire more people. My department gets 360 hours a week and we're in the top 3 in my district. I estimate we need 424 hours a week for our department.
Management will authorize overtime if the overtime is deemed necessary. I know of people at the store I work at that accumulates overtime on almost a weekly basis, but it's okay because management is approving it. I have had days where I've been clocked in for ten hours total and there was one day I was clocked in for fourteen and a half hours because management was willing, I was willing and the situation called for it. The key is to always go to management and offer to stay if needed rather than assume management will agree that the overtime is justifiable. Nobody has ever said anything to me as a result because I'm always on the same page as management when it comes to overtime, so when my name shows up on the overtime report that's run every Sunday morning, there's never any question as to why my name is there.
We all pretty much agree that Kroger doesn't pay its associates enough while the corporate executives and store managers bring home majorly inflated paychecks. We all generally agree that Kroger does whatever it can to cut corners, reduce costs and as a result, maximize profits. There isn't anything we can do to change this. What we can do though is, and this is assuming you work with co-managers that have hearts and care, work with rather than against management and make the best of the situation.
We have a chronic OT situation at our store that is absurd.
The overnight cashiers come in late like clockwork.
We have full time people working second shift so they end up with OT every week. What's the store manager do?
The store manager yells at the full time people for having OT yet doesn't lift a finger over time and attendance issues with the overnight people. This is true even if the store manager IS STILL THERE to personally witness the lateness.
People want to go home and not be held captive. It comes to a point where you say, "OK, I've done my eight as scheduled. Oops, make that nine with another hour OT." Why is it even a suggestion I do ten tonight to avoid closing your store? GET REAL! The few dollars it is isn't worth it. You're a salaried manager... so manage!
Today I was "scolded" for getting 20 measly minutes of ot (big deal... 20 min) when they are trying to save (cut) hours. The reason I opted to start earlier is because e the area I was cleaning was beyond filthy. It was an ooey, gooey, gloppy, sloppy, mess. I tried telling management but they said it wasn't authorized. Why trip about 20 min ot? They can afford it. If they can afford stupid programs like key retailing and what not they can afford ot.
I have heard, however, that the reason management gets all anal, is because if they have to pay ot, it messes with their bonuses they get. I dunno...
Yes, that is exactly it! OT? Hell, I'd be glad just be able to schedule most of my people FULL time.
The whole game of salaried management has turned into nothing better than commission sales. The higher up you are, the greater your bonus. But it applies to all salarieds. The very clear message sent is: Make your sales, trim your costs. The first victim of that part is pay roll. Gets worse: If you fall into the red too much on this, too often, you will actually be demoted---or fired.
I know Management Drone can back me on this. Last quarter, I had to cut 160 hours. True, most of them were kids still living at home....But I have some adults relying on their pay checks to live. Had a fifty year old woman ready to cry in my office yesterday; I ended up 'giving' her a measly eight more hours.
We got OT all over the place at our store..i dont think management gives a crap about their bonuses..then again we can't get enough people ever so maybe they are saving it that way. I get a few hours ever week, they ever say anything about it I'll quit. All of our part time people have 40 hours every week. Crazy.
I'm with you on that I've gotten a "warning" for 15 stinkin minutes when in reality it was only 7 minutes but whatever. Its stupid because they cut hours amd expect us to get everything done with the few hours give. I work in deli and they always call my people up front. Today there was only two of us amd my girl was called up front every 10 minutes!!! All because they cur hours in the front end amd they were short handed well what about me???? Then they get all pissy and ignorant when my dept. Is a mess!!
But figure If all they care about is o.t then vy all means ill do mt 8 hours and go home . If my dept is not a priority to them why should it be to me??
Think about it, Kroger is basically the Wal-Mart of grocery stores. If the let every employee take 20 min here 20 min there of ot people would be doing it all the time, even the kids that don't care about the job would stick around for 20 or 40 min each day and they don't do jack crap! They can't even sack groceris right or be polite when do it!
"I work in deli and they always call my people up front. "
If you're deli head, remind them front end Best Practices say service dept people are NOT supposed to be called up for relief. Management should know this from the 1+1 course they all had to take.
They should call grocery, dairy, floral, produce, drug/gm ... there's often a rotating order ... but not service people at meat/seafood/deli/bakery/meals. Deli cleaner for bagging? Sure. But they shouldn't be the first called. The AA, the scan-rite coordinator are 'front end' and could be called.
In my store, because we don't have enough cross trained relief help as cashiers we sometimes pull from service depts in emergencies with store management's OK. It's up to the service dept head to fight this battle if it's happening too much and adversely effecting that dept.
Management at our stores hate over time. But they approve almost all over time in the grocery department but fuss at the front end. When our CSM approves it she takes the heat and never s get in trouble but when I approve it get yelled at. And I am a ACSM.
Yes I'm the deli dept head and my girl is my backup. She's the only one in the dept who knows how to check. She started as a cashier the rest do not. And in my 7 years at kroger I never knew that... I willing tell the front end floor supervisors that she jas work to do amd to back off . Bit managment u sually steps in. When she isn't there they call bakery clerks and floral. Thats it. Unfortunately its an ongoing battle, but my backup is amazing she really helps me keep things running smooth and organized guess thats why they feel its ok to use her.
Yes I'm the deli dept head and my girl is my backup. She's the only one in the dept who knows how to check. She started as a cashier the rest do not. And in my 7 years at kroger I never knew that... I willing tell the front end floor supervisors that she jas work to do amd to back off . Bit managment u sually steps in. When she isn't there they call bakery clerks and floral. Thats it. Unfortunately its an ongoing battle, but my backup is amazing she really helps me keep things running smooth and organized guess thats why they feel its ok to use her.
As stated, service dept employees are only to be called in emergencies. The kind of emergency that shouldn't even happen once a month.
