Hey there. I'm a new employee at Kroger. I've been there for about a month now. And I have a lot of issues with this place already.
I was hired to be an office clerk. The manager who hired me transferred days afterward and his replacement decided to make me a regular cashier instead. I was given a day and a half of training and then left on my own. My second day there ended up being a 12 hour shift because they kept approaching me every couple of hours to ask if I could stay later. I agreed because I was new and wanted to make a good impression. I realize now what a terrible mistake I made in doing so because they now do this constantly. I very rarely work the days and times I'm actually scheduled for. Every day off I get I'm called to come in, often expected to be there within 20 minutes. I'm supposed to be only part-time but they have me working 6-8.5 hour shifts 6 days out of the week. They always wait until I'm busy ringing up customers to come and ask me to stay and I reply "yeah, I guess" because I'm trying to give the customer my attention instead. I'm certain they do this on purpose.
They acted grateful at first, telling me they appreciated it so much that I always came in. They gave me a free lunch a few times. But that's changed and now they just expect me to say yes. They don't even ask anymore, they just call and say "how soon can you be here?" They called me this afternoon on my day off to tell me they hadn't scheduled enough people to work today and have written down on the schedule that I now need to work an 8.5 hour shift. They called me 17 minutes before I was expected to be there to tell me this. I was out running errands at the time so I couldn't answer my phone, so I heard all of this on a voicemail after I got home, well past the time they wanted me to be there.
They also keep sticking me on the 15 items or less express lane for my entire shift, then telling me I need to bring up my number of items scanned per minute. I was told I have to be on the express lane because the bigger lanes go to those who have more seniority, yet just the other day I was told I had to take the new girl off the express lane because they felt bad for putting someone new there. They sure didn't feel bad about putting me there when I was new!
Will I be in trouble for not coming in today? I'm looking for another job already, but I'd at least like to have a replacement job before I tell this place where they can stick it so I don't want to be fired or anything over this.
Office Clerk, meaning Guest Care/Money Services Desk I'm guessing. Depending on staffing levels, Hiring Manager are hiring people for tasks that once took a while for people to work themselves into. I would just tell the Front End Manager and the Assistant Front End Manager your getting burnt out of being called in/staying over. Tell them your more then willing to help when needed, but its becoming excessive. I would also tell them, I'm more then happy to run Express my turn, but other need to be rotated there too. I always respect people that are upfront and just tell me whats going on in their mind.
From what I understand it's supposed working in the cash office/at front desk. At least, that's what the manager who hired me said the job was. I was asked if I wanted that position because I have past experience working in a cash office. The manager who gave me my orientation kept introducing me to everyone as the new cashier and when I told him I had been hired to be an office clerk, he said I needed to be trained to be a cashier first. This isn't something I was told when I was offered the office job.
I wasn't really trained at all, though. I was thrown on a register with someone standing behind me in case I had a question for a day and a half and I've been on my own since trying to figure things out myself. Coworkers seem to get upset with me if I don't know how to do something and need to ask for help, as if that brief "training" should have taught me everything I need to know already. I didn't want to be a cashier but because they're shorthanded from people quitting/calling off all the time/their own incompetence in scheduling I seem to have been made one despite that not being the job I was told I would be doing.
Hey there. I'm a new employee at Kroger. I've been there for about a month now. And I have a lot of issues with this place already.
I was hired to be an office clerk. The manager who hired me transferred days afterward and his replacement decided to make me a regular cashier instead. I was given a day and a half of training and then left on my own. My second day there ended up being a 12 hour shift because they kept approaching me every couple of hours to ask if I could stay later. I agreed because I was new and wanted to make a good impression. I realize now what a terrible mistake I made in doing so because they now do this constantly. I very rarely work the days and times I'm actually scheduled for. Every day off I get I'm called to come in, often expected to be there within 20 minutes. I'm supposed to be only part-time but they have me working 6-8.5 hour shifts 6 days out of the week. They always wait until I'm busy ringing up customers to come and ask me to stay and I reply "yeah, I guess" because I'm trying to give the customer my attention instead. I'm certain they do this on purpose.
They acted grateful at first, telling me they appreciated it so much that I always came in. They gave me a free lunch a few times. But that's changed and now they just expect me to say yes. They don't even ask anymore, they just call and say "how soon can you be here?" They called me this afternoon on my day off to tell me they hadn't scheduled enough people to work today and have written down on the schedule that I now need to work an 8.5 hour shift. They called me 17 minutes before I was expected to be there to tell me this. I was out running errands at the time so I couldn't answer my phone, so I heard all of this on a voicemail after I got home, well past the time they wanted me to be there.
They also keep sticking me on the 15 items or less express lane for my entire shift, then telling me I need to bring up my number of items scanned per minute. I was told I have to be on the express lane because the bigger lanes go to those who have more seniority, yet just the other day I was told I had to take the new girl off the express lane because they felt bad for putting someone new there. They sure didn't feel bad about putting me there when I was new!
Will I be in trouble for not coming in today? I'm looking for another job already, but I'd at least like to have a replacement job before I tell this place where they can stick it so I don't want to be fired or anything over this.
I wrote a good paragraph about this on my employee survey, highlighting how there is basically no training at all for new people hired. How I'm still learning things I should have learned on day one. And I've been here for months.
This week I'll be working 32 hours. I'd be working 40 if I had come in today like they wanted me to. My original schedule was for 26 hours but that was before all the extra time they asked me to work. When I was first hired 25 hours a week is what I was told would be the average amount I'd be working.
Just tell them some boundaries with what your were hired under and what your expecting. You will learn unless you make it point blank clear...they will try and get you to be on call 24/7.
They called me this afternoon on my day off to tell me they hadn't scheduled enough people to work today and have written down on the schedule that I now need to work an 8.5 hour shift. They called me 17 minutes before I was expected to be there to tell me this. I was out running errands at the time so I couldn't answer my phone, so I heard all of this on a voicemail after I got home, well past the time they wanted me to be there.
I can't imagine a contract that would require an associate to be at work (or on-call) at times other than as scheduled (or, at least, as modified according pursuant to the contract, e.g., 24-hours notice for a part-time worker). You could politely decline the last-second schedule alterations. You could also simply decline to answer the company's nuisance calls that are encroaching upon your life, bit by bit.
When I go in today I feel like having a chat with the manager who gave me my orientation and asking him if there's any intention to actually put me in the position I was hired to do. I also want to ask where in my job description it says I'm expected to be on call and ready to come into work at the drop of a dime. If they try to give me a write-up or anything for not coming in yesterday, I'm handing it right back to them. I'm entitled to my scheduled days off and I'm not going to be punished for not coming in on them. I think because I'm kinda quiet and shy they'll think I won't try to stand up for myself.
Really though, with the poor training I received for cashiering I don't even know if I want to bother trying to be trained for the office clerk job. I have a feeling they're going to half-ass that training too. Maybe I should just tell them I want to put in a two week notice and find a better place entirely.
Your not required to be on call, your not expected to work on your scheduled days off. The problem is since you said yes, over and over again....they now expect it of u. Just tell them unless your scheduled on the actual schedule you would not like to be called.
Your not required to be on call, your not expected to work on your scheduled days off. The problem is since you said yes, over and over again....they now expect it of u. Just tell them unless your scheduled on the actual schedule you would not like to be called.
Either that or don't answer the phone if it's Kroger or if you don't recognize the number (sometimes they like to call you from their cell phones). I only answer my phone if I recognize the number or if the person's name pops up and it's somebody I know and want to talk to.
Exactly. Yes they WILL be PISSED if you dont anawer, but guess what... they can deal with it. If you do choose to answer, just say that you already have plans for yourself or with family. If asked to switch plans just say "can't (wont) do it.
I would say just don't answer, there are not many reasons a cashier is called at home. Just make sure you know your posted schedule and ignore calls from the store.
Per union rules, they can't force you to work any shift you're not scheduled for meaning they can't make you come in when they call. If you don't want to stay late or come in when not schedule just tell them that. They'll get over it.
As for being a cashier, it sucks. Especially express. Customer Service (Office) is usually fine, but it can be stressful sometimes if you get backed up and the phone is ringing and baggers are asking for cigarettes. Usually it's a happy little bubble away from everyone else. If you're a new hire they're probably not going to put you at Customer Service because you don't know enough about the store and the register functions yet.
