In my store (not sure if this happens everywhere or not) if the department head goes on vacation, someone bumps up into their position for the week and does their duties, etc. They get paid at the rate of the department head. Usually, the person with the most seniority in my department does this but she's basically said she doesn't want it.
Who decides who becomes their backup once they go on vacation? Does it go by seniority, does management decide, or does the department head decide?
If the department head feels as if someone is a good fit for it, but management disagrees and picks someone of less seniority, is this an offense worthy of filing a grievance?
seniority mostly, however it's normally up to management to decide who will fill in for a dept head that goes on a vacation.
No, you can't challenge it.
Also, normally, there is a backup chosen beforehand(normally full time but can be part time) that is trained to take care of the task while the head is on said vacation.
Backups are signed for positions.
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Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
In my store the big departments like grocery, GM, produce, front end, and deli each have a department assistant (backup) who runs the department on the manager's off days and vacation weeks. Usually they get an extra $1-2 an hour. When the position is available, the dept manager will recommend someone to management and then management interviews said person. Typically the person with the most experience is chosen, but other factors like availability and leadership abilities can trump this.
My experience is the Department head makes a suggestion to the Day department manager and store manager and then the store manager decides. Based on skills and ability but we had a small crew and not much seniority difference.
I was part time along with another guy with 6 months more seniority than me. We took turns being back-up. The department manager and back-up would request same days off and go on vacation together 2 - 3 weeks a year or take bereavement weeks together. It was a family deal...
The other pt guy found a better job and it left me as back-up to fill in for two years. There were no other good choices. I knew what needed to be done and how to orchestrate what everyone did to get our job done. After a week, my nerves were a little frazzled so I was ready for the Department manager to return! We actually did really well even with the 2 full timers off and my store managers appreciated having me as back up very much.
I bidded into another store. I recommended a pt coworker to the Day Department manager because I thought she was the only responsible person on the crew. Well, the store manager allows her to be back up now since I am no longer there.
Let your Department manager know that you are interested in filling in for her. You would like the experience for when you apply to other positions within Kroger.
Oh, and get ready for coworkers to gripe about your power trip and how you are not doing such and such right! The excitement does get the better of you at first. Stay calm and never panic. The coworker I mentioned above used to complain that I was too mean and needed to be nicer. Well, after being gone for 6 months, she told someone I know that she wishes I would come back. Heck no, I was glad to escape from that store.
-- Edited by Anonymouse1 on Saturday 25th of April 2015 06:44:27 AM
My department is small enough (bakery) that it doesn't have an official backup position, like the deli does with the assistant department head.
I'm going to talk to my union steward tomorrow to see what he has to say, because some people are telling me to file a grievance, supposedly management has already decided that I can't do it, even though they've never even given me a chance and my department head is pushing for me to learn as much as possible. She's making it sound like she trusts me, and I don't think she's leading me on, but I feel like management is never going to give me a chance.
