I've read our contract over three times now and nowhere is this addressed. When ever I'm scheduled to be there, I'm there usually at least a half an hour early to get my stuff put up and get mentally ready. When I'm scheduled to go home, I expect to go home on time as well. Lately they've really been pushing this "you can't leave because your relief isn't here yet". HUH ?
I'm a bagger (lately cashier). I'm pretty sure that I'm not a slave yet. I have been giving them a hard time and just leaving when my shift is over, but I wanted to ask here, what's up with the "waiting for your relief"?
I understand the need for that type of scenario if I was an important emergency ER nurse, but I'm a friggin bagger ! Besides, no one really knows who their relief is, and if there really is such a person, then management needs to get after them for not being there on time, not punish me for their tardiness!
On a side note, they aren't even giving out breaks anymore without a fight. I'm dreading working next week as I've just been through three tussles yesterday, two to get my breaks and one to go home. My first break was only given after I worked three hours and forty five minutes and even then there were lots of words!
Is anyone else out there going through this, or is it only our store?
Leave on time. Don't engage with any one, and when they give you sh!t keep calm, point at the clock, your schedule, and say 'have a nice day, see you next time.'
Thanks, that's pretty much what I do now, except this ditzy red coat keeps saying that I have to stay. Even if I wanted to I have to catch the city bus home and that would make me miss it, but I don't think I should have to give an excuse for leaving on time.
This kind of scummy behavior is all over.
Front end staff seem to be so scared of their numbers going down, or getting talked to by management. "**** rolls down hill."
Bagger and cashier are the bottom of the hill in this case.
Your contract will stipulate that you are to take breaks, approximately when they are to be given in your shift, and that your need to go home at the end of your shift.
Your contract is only worth something if you are willing to explain to management that you are following your contract, and are willing to call the union if you are prevented from following the contract.
Personally, I just started to ignore them on front end when they pulled this. I'd take my breaks at about the time they were supposed to be, and leave when I was scheduled. It wasn't a matter of asking for a break, it was just letting someone know you were on break.
As a fun side note, if you are a courtesy clerk, double check that you don't have any job restrictions. Some contracts limit the work of "bagger" class employees to prevent them from taking cashier or other clerk jobs during their shift.
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Since you can't find anything in the union contract, I'd ask the union steward in your store or contact the union's local branch. I think some union contracts do outline that management can require you to stay, but have to give you at least two hours notice prior to when you're scheduled to be off. Contracts vary by region, so I would say you need to contact the union directly.
If Kroger insists on making you work past the time you're scheduled to be off/refuses to give you breaks/forces you to cashier without reclassifying your job title and/or properly adjusting your pay rate, I would go to the store manager with your two weeks notice in hand, if possible, or transfer to another Kroger. That will be one less person for the store you're at to abuse.
Since you can't find anything in the union contract, I'd ask the union steward in your store or contact the union's local branch. I think some union contracts do outline that management can require you to stay, but have to give you at least two hours notice prior to when you're scheduled to be off. Contracts vary by region, so I would say you need to contact the union directly.
If Kroger insists on making you work past the time you're scheduled to be off/refuses to give you breaks/forces you to cashier without reclassifying your job title and/or properly adjusting your pay rate, I would go to the store manager with your two weeks notice in hand, if possible, or transfer to another Kroger. That will be one less person for the store you're at to abuse.
You are absolutely correct, anon. If your contract doesn't say anything about management requiring you to stay over then they have to give you a 2hr heads up... it would be in the contract.
Barring that anytime you stay over is considered voluntary and MUST be approved by management. Your dept head can't do it, your supervisor can't do it, office people can't do it, only your manager can approve any overtime. if they tell you that you can't leave ask for your manager and see if they will approve you for some overtime.
That "staying until you get relief help"-crap will end so fast your FEM's head will spin.
Managers hate approving overtime.
Wait it out. You'll win this fight.
-- Edited by BagBoy on Saturday 14th of May 2016 02:00:32 PM
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Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
Since you can't find anything in the union contract, I'd ask the union steward in your store or contact the union's local branch. I think some union contracts do outline that management can require you to stay, but have to give you at least two hours notice prior to when you're scheduled to be off. Contracts vary by region, so I would say you need to contact the union directly.
If Kroger insists on making you work past the time you're scheduled to be off/refuses to give you breaks/forces you to cashier without reclassifying your job title and/or properly adjusting your pay rate, I would go to the store manager with your two weeks notice in hand, if possible, or transfer to another Kroger. That will be one less person for the store you're at to abuse.
You are absolutely correct, anon. If your contract doesn't say anything about management requiring you to stay over then they have to give you a 2hr heads up... it would be in the contract.
Barring that anytime you stay over is considered voluntary and MUST be approved by management. Your dept head can't do it, your supervisor can't do it, office people can't do it, only your manager can approve any overtime. if they tell you that you can't leave ask for your manager and see if they will approve you for some overtime.
That "staying until you get relief help"-crap will end so fast your FEM's head will spin.
Managers hate approving overtime.
Wait it out. You'll win this fight.
-- Edited by BagBoy on Saturday 14th of May 2016 02:00:32 PM
Not just overtime - adding any hours to the weekly budget in general (unless circumstances demand it, like company is coming or Ecolab is expected) is frowned upon by most management teams. Even if someone is only working six hours and won't hit overtime for another two hours, management isn't just going to okay an additional hour or two of wages without a good reason.
I doubt your relief not being there yet would be considered a valid reason by management to add hours and, thus, go over the oh-so-carefully calculated budget for the given week.
Thanks for all of the thoughtful replies, I knew I could get some answers here. I was a bit worried that the trolls had caused everyone to leave, and frankly it's the only place we can come to to ask about these things. If we left it to Kroger, they would just say shut up and keep your head down, no disagreements in front of the customers, you can get a break when I tell you, you can leave when I tell you, etc.
are you sure there isn't anything in your contract? It says in our once the schedule is posted we are to work that shift unless it's agreed otherwise with the employee or management. When it's your time to leave generally you have the right to leave on time.
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Thanks, that's pretty much what I do now, except this ditzy red coat keeps saying that I have to stay. Even if I wanted to I have to catch the city bus home and that would make me miss it, but I don't think I should have to give an excuse for leaving on time.
Is this nonsense happening in your store ?
Thanks again.
In cases where you have to take public transportation and you know it's gonna be the last bus, you tell em: unless someone is going to give you a ride home, then you need to go now. Relief? Tough ****, learn to hire more reliable people who will come to work on time...or come at all.
Thanks, that's pretty much what I do now, except this ditzy red coat keeps saying that I have to stay. Even if I wanted to I have to catch the city bus home and that would make me miss it, but I don't think I should have to give an excuse for leaving on time.
Is this nonsense happening in your store ?
Thanks again.
In cases where you have to take public transportation and you know it's gonna be the last bus, you tell em: unless someone is going to give you a ride home, then you need to go now. Relief? Tough ****, learn to hire more reliable people who will come to work on time...or come at all.
That's typical Kroger, though. Those that are dependable and all around good workers get pushed/taken advantage of to pick up the slack of those that aren't really reliable and just don't care that much. Kroger won't fire those that don't perform well/are unreliable because Kroger can't hire sufficient help to replace the terminated ones since the company literally pays among the lowest wages not only in retail, but among all jobs in general. The result is those that don't really carry their weight get to stick around and collect a paycheck for minimal effort while employees like timepasses are used to pick up the slack and fill in the gaps. Typical Kroger logic.
