Many of you may be familiar with my Front End Manager, Queen Bit-ch.
Well, first of all, if you recall last time, where she claimed she would have a piece of paper for me to sign based on my Internet postings, well, she never came to me for anything to sign. So...whatever.
But I have 12 hours this coming week...had 16 last week...12 the week before...11 the week before that.
I "beat the system," so to speak, this current week, by basically coming in Monday working for someone, coming in today (Saturday 2-7-15) working for someone and coming in for someone in a shift-switch yesterday (Friday 2-6-15). The upside is for next week's paycheck I'll be clocking around 25-26 hours. The downside is that my only day off this week was Thursday.
This coming week I am down to work Monday and Thursday, around 6 hours apiece, for 12 hours on the paper schedule. I already added 6 to it by agreeing to come in tomorrow (Sunday 2-8-15) to work for someone. So that's good.
But After getting
11 12 16 12
...while watching others whom have not been here as long as me get 20 + hours, it makes me a bit paranoid about my FEM. I am *trying* not to be paranoid, i am *trying* to rationalize it by telling myself everybody is having hours cut due to the time of year. I am *trying* not to burn bridges, and I am *trying* not to complain or whine.
But the problem is, if she WAS doing this -- looking at eSked and then giving some of my hours away -- I could never prove she was doing it. Nor could I really do much about it. I'm not even sure our store has a 'claim hours' policy in place. I've been here 11 months. I could "claim" if I wanted, if I understand how the procedure works properly.
I just want to convince myself this is eSked being a douche to me and not my FEM being vindictive trying to force me out based on low hours after I've said in the past that I wasn't always happy to work here.
*sighs* The worst WORST part is I can't just go to someone and ask if she is doing it or not...so I'll have to be content with either working for others whom call out or trading shifts with co-workers as I did on Friday.
All I know is that the 12 hour paycheck the other week brought me $60. That's not enough to live on even below the goddamned poverty level. I could collect twice that amount at least through unemployment insurance for crying out loud.
As you have said in the past you have open availability If someone with less seniority is getting scheduled more hours, you should be bumping their schedule Fight for the hours you deserve or just keep complaining to people who can do nothing to help you. For God's sake grow up, grow a pair and face up to your supervisor!
I think I saw you're in Atlanta division, that's local 1996.
Under that contract you can't have fewer than 12 hrs and no one below you can have more hours if there are shifts within your availability.
You can claim shifts within your availability of people below you if they will still have twelve hours remaining. You must do this in writing and before Saturday noon when the schedule is final.
Claiming hours is a dick move but I've had it done to me and done it as well. In this case hate the game not the player.
As you have said in the past you have open availability If someone with less seniority is getting scheduled more hours, you should be bumping their schedule Fight for the hours you deserve or just keep complaining to people who can do nothing to help you. For God's sake grow up, grow a pair and face up to your supervisor!
I already did when I confronted her a few weeks ago. For God's sake grow up, grow a pair and stop posting anonymously!
I don't see any backdoor method being used on you, and I've seen quite a lot in my day... You're just hitting some bad luck with hours. There's always a few that gets really low hours for awhile. It happened to me many years ago when I was a bagger too. And this was before there was eschedule and finger print based time clocks.
Courtesy clerk position is a joke though if you're expecting to make a decent check from it. They are never ever gonna let you get "enough" hours, after all, customers tip the courtesy clerks, which is one reason why they don't get annual raises like the other positions.
You want more money? Get out of that department. You've complained for a long time, and not to sound like one of those guys being tired of it but you will not get anywhere on the front end. I repeat you will NOT get ANYWHERE on the front end. Obviously your ambition goes beyond the front end, so try and fulfill it. You probably can't get in grocery, so try Drug-GM, or Produce, maybe meat department(make sure you are a strong guy, that **** is real deal heavy lifting). DON'T GO TO YOUR FRONT END MANAGER ABOUT A DEPARTMENT MOVE. Go to a STORE MANAGER. A front end manager is likely going to try and keep you clued to the front end.
You'll likely never know for certain if e-Sked is scheduling you hours only to have her go in there after the auto scheduler is run and manually removing those hours, because if that is being done, only she would know. You already know the type of response you'll get if you inquire about this, so it's best that you not because you'll only make your work life rougher than it already is. The good news is though, there's nothing stopping you from asking others if they have any shifts they don't want and working those shifts, as you're doing now and can continue to do. Even better news is it looks good in the eyes of the other floor supervisors because they see you want to work, and thus are more likely to call you if there is a call-in, and too, it looks good in the eyes of management, so if you have co-managers/a store manager that are fair and looking to run a good, smooth operating store, it makes it easier for you to possibly move to another department if a position opens up, because management believes you'll show up for your shifts and are more likely to come in if you're called.
If you have to continue to work at this Kroger for the foreseeable future, just keep doing what you're doing. Ask around to see if there are any shifts your fellow courtesy clerks don't want. Ask the floor supervisors that you do get along with to call you on your days off if they need someone/let them know you're willing to come in early and/or stay late, if needed. Do the same with those in management that you get along with. Express an interest in being cross-trained for produce, Drug/GM and grocery (talk to the department heads/associate manager (who oversees grocery) directly).
If you're proactive, that can go a long way in some (although certainly not all, Kroger stores).
Lastly, remember, transfers do happen, and especially with Kroger opening new stores every year, people get moved... including FEMs!
FEslave will never transfer to another.
He will never get more hours until he starts bumping other people.
He would rather just come here and complain.
I'm not posting anonomously this time. As if that tells you who I really am.
Frontendslave needs to be in his supervisors face every week demanding more hours than those with less seniority.
Get the union involved, if necessary. It sucks having to bump other people. Sometimes you have to do bad things to get what you feel you deserve.
As I say though we all know he will never go all out to get what he wants.
He won't transfer, but the FEM will eventually. My store is always transferring FEM's around.
I think I've figured out they get chased from store to store by changee in store management. Doesn't matter how the numbers are, store management can control hiring and find ways to push you out.
I once thought I'd like to be FEM, the pay isn't bad and I'd be damn good at it, I step up to fill the void when needed but I don't play the bull**** games with management well. I'd spend too much of my day pissed off and not enough focused on bringing along my dept and helping customers.
You'll likely never know for certain if e-Sked is scheduling you hours only to have her go in there after the auto scheduler is run and manually removing those hours, because if that is being done, only she would know. You already know the type of response you'll get if you inquire about this, so it's best that you not because you'll only make your work life rougher than it already is. The good news is though, there's nothing stopping you from asking others if they have any shifts they don't want and working those shifts, as you're doing now and can continue to do. Even better news is it looks good in the eyes of the other floor supervisors because they see you want to work, and thus are more likely to call you if there is a call-in, and too,
I have worked for two different people this week - on Monday and today. And, yesterday, while I was working another courtesy clerk's shift, I got asked by one of our FEFS to work tomorrow for someone else. I agreed and put myself up by six hours, giving me for this next week (paycheck two weeks from now) 18 hours rather than the 12 I was scheduled.
FEslave will never transfer to another. He will never get more hours until he starts bumping other people. He would rather just come here and complain. I'm not posting anonomously this time. As if that tells you who I really am. Frontendslave needs to be in his supervisors face every week demanding more hours than those with less seniority. Get the union involved, if necessary. It sucks having to bump other people. Sometimes you have to do bad things to get what you feel you deserve. As I say though we all know he will never go all out to get what he wants.
I want you to stop acting like an a$$hole. So yes, you are right, I won't be getting what I want.
-- Edited by FrontEndSlave on Saturday 7th of February 2015 06:24:35 PM
You'll likely never know for certain if e-Sked is scheduling you hours only to have her go in there after the auto scheduler is run and manually removing those hours, because if that is being done, only she would know. You already know the type of response you'll get if you inquire about this, so it's best that you not because you'll only make your work life rougher than it already is. The good news is though, there's nothing stopping you from asking others if they have any shifts they don't want and working those shifts, as you're doing now and can continue to do. Even better news is it looks good in the eyes of the other floor supervisors because they see you want to work, and thus are more likely to call you if there is a call-in, and too,
I have worked for two different people this week - on Monday and today. And, yesterday, while I was working another courtesy clerk's shift, I got asked by one of our FEFS to work tomorrow for someone else. I agreed and put myself up by six hours, giving me for this next week (paycheck two weeks from now) 18 hours rather than the 12 I was scheduled.
If you can forge a positive work relationship with other front end floor supervisors, then that's one way of picking up hours, without question. This way, even if you and your FEM don't get along, you still can get hours added to your work week. As I said too, if you're only being scheduled like two days a week, talk to management/other department heads about being cross-trained. This way, if your FEM only wants to give you two days, you could potentially get days in other departments. This coming week is Valentine's week, which is a big sales week. If you're not working the tent or scheduled the days the tent is open, go to management and volunteer for hours Thursday, Friday and Saturday as a runner or to help out in floral or heck, even just as a courtesy clerk since it's going to be busier than usual during the second half of next week.
I don't know how you haven't bumped anyone's shifts yet. You should. I've been tempted to do so myself (how are the lower ones on the totem pole getting the earlier shifts when I'm stuck closing every night?). I'm just too nice. But I need my availability to shift so that I don't have to close every night.
Or even change departments. Or just get the hell out of Kroger. You have a good chance at getting something better if you just apply elsewhere.
