Anyone else feeling overworked?

[Cynder]

All of a sudden, I'm getting 38 hours a week after I've told them I want to work 30 max since I'm taking classes and I do freelancing on the side as well. Now they just assume I'll be there pretty much 40 hours a week after I spend YEARS trying to negotiate for a consistent schedule in the past. So yeah, they've made me not feel I can rely solely on Target to pay my bills, so I have sought other endeavors.

It is my understanding they are having a hard time getting decent new applications because "no one wants to work." So for those of us who do want to work and who do show up, we're being made to do several peoples jobs.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

[vyrt]

I mean honestly your hr should be having talks with the other leads about matching people to their desired hours. There’s a metric showing who is scheduled more or less than what they asked.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

ASANTS, but whenever Spot is short-handed either from call-offs or the inability to keep/ hire TMs, the workload is redistributed to the people they have, and that extra workload just makes those people want to leave, too. Sorry that your store is giving you too many hours and making you do several people’s job. It’s not your fault that they can’t find people who want to work there, if they had given you 40 hours consistently when you asked them to you wouldn’t have had to go elsewhere to make up the difference and they would have you available full-time now. Target has a hard time understanding the difference between “no one wants to work” and “no one wants to work at Target”. Word gets around about what it is like to work there, and Spot is reaping now what they have sown over the last few years. Good luck, I hope your situation improves.

 

[DC Diva]

DC has been on mandatory single or double OT almost all year, with no end in sight. They keep hiring, but can’t retain many because hires are matched up to jobs they physically cannot handle, all based on how they answer questions in the application. Absolutely no interview, just here’s a job. Many of us are tired of being expected to carry the load of 2-3 people, so we‘re looking elsewhere. Which is not going to solve their problem.

 

[Florida Dawg]

All of a sudden, I'm getting 38 hours a week after I've told them I want to work 30 max since I'm taking classes and I do freelancing on the side as well. Now they just assume I'll be there pretty much 40 hours a week after I spend YEARS trying to negotiate for a consistent schedule in the past. So yeah, they've made me not feel I can rely solely on Target to pay my bills, so I have sought other endeavors.

It is my understanding they are having a hard time getting decent new applications because "no one wants to work." So for those of us who do want to work and who do show up, we're being made to do several peoples jobs.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I’m getting hella hours since May man.

 

[vyrt]

My store was doing OT it was so bad. Then recently got told to cut payroll back because we weren’t making forecast. Tax credit rolls out and we blow up. People ask me when we’re gonna cut back on doubles and I tell them January if we’re lucky.

 

[DBZ]

I work 40 hours and am quite happy with that, but there are a lot of TMs who complain that they are scheduled too many hours or that their shifts are too long.

 

[Planosss]

our store is actually doing well, general good vibes and morale!

 

[Fluttervale]

I work 40 hours and am quite happy with that, but there are a lot of TMs who complain that they are scheduled too many hours or that their shifts are too long.

My favorites are the ones that want 40 hours a week but also can’t work more than 6 hours in a shift.

 

[vyrt]

our store is actually doing well, general good vibes and morale!

Same here. This time last year with a different leadership they wanted to quit. This year we’re all getting beat up daily the worst we’ve ever been and the team is kind of happy still.

 

[MrT]

We got an application the other day where they said they wanted 38-40 hours a week, but there availability only added up to 32 hours 😑. So they would have to work 6 days a week to get 32. I dont know what day they had as unavailable but im going to guess saturday. I swear if they hire this person im going to lose it.

 

[MrT]

Also to OP, some stores seem to be taking the desired hours more seriously then others. Talk with your etl/hr hopefully its just because your store is short staffed and they can hire some more tms and get it fixed soon

 

[Rastaman]

Same here. This time last year with a different leadership they wanted to quit. This year we’re all getting beat up daily the worst we’ve ever been and the team is kind of happy still.

This is the difference between good leadership and bad leadership. If the team feels valued and appreciated, they'll deal with the chaos and keep smiling.

If they're getting dumped on and blamed, people will leave and go elsewhere. That's the main reason I left Target.

 

[dannyy315]

I’m in the middle of a stretch now where I’m working 9 straight days, so yes lol.

 

[happygoth]

I was feeling stressed for awhile, but I recently found out about shakeups behind the scenes and its oddly made me feel less pressured.

Oh, you want this done? Ok, as long as you realize that something else won't get done or will be half-assed, we good.

 

[UboatOfDeath]

DEFINITELY!

I'm the only person from overnight at my store who is assigned to push in Furniture... but before I even get to push in Furniture I have to either unload the truck or help out on the line...

Depending on how big the truck(s) are... We may either finish at 2:00AM-3:00AM at the earliest and 3:30AM~4:30AM at the latest if there is a lot of "discrepancies" (as my shift leader likes to put it)...

My responsibilities for furniture are:
-push furniture/home decor items from the truck
-sort out and set up the hearth and hand push for the dayside
-break down my cardboard, separate the styrofoam from the plastics and put each of those in plastic bags
-separate the backstock (home decor backstock, furniture backstock, domestics backstock, candles backstock) however since I'm the only one backstocking furniture/home decor, I keep everything on one pallet, except for bulk furniture and I send whatever bulk furniture I have to receiving
- Label EVERYTHING, because my shift leaders don't want to do it or to let other team members know what's what (as most of them don't even know what hearth and hand is, let alone what aisles/case packs for hearth and hand look like)
-backstock home decor and sometimes even furniture backstock if there isn't any team members in receiving to backstock furniture in the middle stock room

^if I managed to finish all of that, then I'm expected to help out whatever backstock that was left over from other team members or maybe help push in other departments like market as there usually left over pallets of water or LaCroix

 

[lucidtm]

I don't feel overworked really. More-so pulled in too many different directions at once. I prefer 40 hours and don't mind an 8 hour shift. I enjoy the work I do in beauty and don't mind helping in other areas - I'd rather be busy to make the day move faster. But when I'm tasked to do MANY things in my department I'd prefer to stay tasked in my own department. I don't complain when I do have to help out in other areas but that is only because we're not reprimanded or "punished" in any way for not getting our own work done.

 

[countingsheep]

Even as a 4hr a shift closer I feel this. We come in at 6pm and have until 1030 to finish break out, push teuck, push reshop, zone, do ofos, finish clearancw and or pogs,and backstock. Back up lanea becauae the 1 person in general doeant cashier for reasons. And we have no fr so one of us carriea a key to open doors when someone screetches at us through the walkie. Occassionally we get breaks but yeah theres 2 of us and one is on a lane and one baby sitting idiots in the fr soooo that rarely happens. Overworked is an understatement

 

[Far from newbie]

Overburdened and not supported for sure.
Responsibilities, tasks and expectations being added everyday while hours being cut.

There was a time that if I did not take breaks, worked through lunch, stayed 3 hours after punched out and took all planning home I could keep the team above water - but now we can’t even finish half of what we should even after doing all that extra.

I have a list of tasks for each day and then make a plan for weekly work - between back-up cashier, questions from all directions, guest assistance, problem solving emergencies and doing whatever is given throughout the day - I never get past the daily tasks anymore. Very de-moralizing. I’ve given up trying, which lead to getting even LESS done.

 

[FlowTeamChick]

This is one reason I like the DBO model. I know my area and have a pretty good idea of what I can let slide, like the sidecap that I was supposed to set with an end cap but didn't really have the time. All the product on the side cap has a home location, so it can wait.
On the other hand, I do feel frustrated when I don't have time to scan for outs for weeks and can't get holes filled.
Mostly though, I just go into what I think of as "machine mode" - focus hard on getting the truck banged out while providing guest assistance, escape to the back room to do my back stock, and squeeze in a revision here, some price change there.
Sure don't have time to be bored, that's for sure.
To the OP's point about taking on outside work because you couldn't get enough consistent hours at Target, I hear you because I did the same. Recently let one of those outside gigs go, partly because I didn't much like doing it and I'm getting more hours now. I can pick up another gig if hours go down again, but I doubt it for the reasons you say. My hours didn't take the usual hit in February this year like I was expecting and even sort of hoping for, just for a break.

 

[AmICrazy]

This is one reason I like the DBO model. I know my area and have a pretty good idea of what I can let slide, like the sidecap that I was supposed to set with an end cap but didn't really have the time. All the product on the side cap has a home location, so it can wait.
On the other hand, I do feel frustrated when I don't have time to scan for outs for weeks and can't get holes filled.
Mostly though, I just go into what I think of as "machine mode" - focus hard on getting the truck banged out while providing guest assistance, escape to the back room to do my back stock, and squeeze in a revision here, some price change there.
Sure don't have time to be bored, that's for sure.
To the OP's point about taking on outside work because you couldn't get enough consistent hours at Target, I hear you because I did the same. Recently let one of those outside gigs go, partly because I didn't much like doing it and I'm getting more hours now. I can pick up another gig if hours go down again, but I doubt it for the reasons you say. My hours didn't take the usual hit in February this year like I was expecting and even sort of hoping for, just for a break.

Question: What does a DBO do when they are more price changes/POGS than they can complete in a million years? Just thinking about when a department like toys resets with lots of moves and lots of clearance/price changes to deal with. Often as team lead would jump in to help the pricing or plano teams to get through all of this.

 

[seasonaldude]

Question: What does a DBO do when they are more price changes/POGS than they can complete in a million years? Just thinking about when a department like toys resets with lots of moves and lots of clearance/price changes to deal with. Often as team lead would jump in to help the pricing or plano teams to get through all of this.

At my store the TL and ETL set all the aisles and had the DBO focus on the endcaps. We don't have a plano team. One of our market TMs is handling any price changes as a way to pick up extra hours. Push is being supported by the closing TL, closing experts, tech, and anyone else in the store who happens to have a light workload for the day. Everything got set quickly. Push is still way behind. Haven't heard any complaints about pricing from our toys DBO.

 

[Caliwest]

This is the difference between good leadership and bad leadership. If the team feels valued and appreciated, they'll deal with the chaos and keep smiling.

If they're getting dumped on and blamed, people will leave and go elsewhere. That's the main reason I left Target.

And then add to that the catering to repeated no call no shows. Beyond me.

 

[FlowTeamChick]

Question: What does a DBO do when they are more price changes/POGS than they can complete in a million years? Just thinking about when a department like toys resets with lots of moves and lots of clearance/price changes to deal with. Often as team lead would jump in to help the pricing or plano teams to get through all of this.

My store no longer has separate teams for pricing or plano. Kind of depends on the DBO if they do all their own price change and POGs. Seems like some at my store get more help than others, but I'm honestly not sure if it's because those DBOs don't want more hours or what. My preference, because I'm sort of a control nut and enjoy the challenge, is to do all of it or as much as I can by myself. But I know not everyone looks at it the same way. ;-)
If you don't get extra hours when you have a lot of revisions/sales planners/transition going on, you're just kind of sunk. My store's leadership adds hours for those things and I keep tabs on what's coming up so I can start chipping away ahead of time. Getting all my ducks lined up helps a lot.
Some TMs with lighter work loads will help out with transitions. (I wish corporate would spread out the transition work load more so a DBO would be able to handle it on their own. But that's just my opinion.) One of our ETLs was helping with the Pets transition today.
As to price changes, I try to do what shows up on my zebra every shift and rarely need help. But other TMs will be assigned to it if we get near the end of the week with a lot still hanging.

 

[Target81]

DEFINITELY!

I'm the only person from overnight at my store who is assigned to push in Furniture... but before I even get to push in Furniture I have to either unload the truck or help out on the line...

Depending on how big the truck(s) are... We may either finish at 2:00AM-3:00AM at the earliest and 3:30AM~4:30AM at the latest if there is a lot of "discrepancies" (as my shift leader likes to put it)...

My responsibilities for furniture are:
-push furniture/home decor items from the truck
-sort out and set up the hearth and hand push for the dayside
-break down my cardboard, separate the styrofoam from the plastics and put each of those in plastic bags
-separate the backstock (home decor backstock, furniture backstock, domestics backstock, candles backstock) however since I'm the only one backstocking furniture/home decor, I keep everything on one pallet, except for bulk furniture and I send whatever bulk furniture I have to receiving
- Label EVERYTHING, because my shift leaders don't want to do it or to let other team members know what's what (as most of them don't even know what hearth and hand is, let alone what aisles/case packs for hearth and hand look like)
-backstock home decor and sometimes even furniture backstock if there isn't any team members in receiving to backstock furniture in the middle stock room

^if I managed to finish all of that, then I'm expected to help out whatever backstock that was left over from other team members or maybe help push in other departments like market as there usually left over pallets of water or La

DEFINITELY!

I'm the only person from overnight at my store who is assigned to push in Furniture... but before I even get to push in Furniture I have to either unload the truck or help out on the line...

Depending on how big the truck(s) are... We may either finish at 2:00AM-3:00AM at the earliest and 3:30AM~4:30AM at the latest if there is a lot of "discrepancies" (as my shift leader likes to put it)...

My responsibilities for furniture are:
-push furniture/home decor items from the truck
-sort out and set up the hearth and hand push for the dayside
-break down my cardboard, separate the styrofoam from the plastics and put each of those in plastic bags
-separate the backstock (home decor backstock, furniture backstock, domestics backstock, candles backstock) however since I'm the only one backstocking furniture/home decor, I keep everything on one pallet, except for bulk furniture and I send whatever bulk furniture I have to receiving
- Label EVERYTHING, because my shift leaders don't want to do it or to let other team members know what's what (as most of them don't even know what hearth and hand is, let alone what aisles/case packs for hearth and hand look like)
-backstock home decor and sometimes even furniture backstock if there isn't any team members in receiving to backstock furniture in the middle stock room

^if I managed to finish all of that, then I'm expected to help out whatever backstock that was left over from other team members or maybe help push in other departments like market as there usually left over pallets of water or LaCroix

How long is your shift? That really doesn't sound all that stressful to me, especially when you're dropping off bulk furniture for someone else to deal with. Seems pretty routine.