Archived Calling off, find someone

[unknown]

A weird conversation with my tl today. He said the new rule is that if you are calling off, you're supposed to try to find someone to cover your shift. Huh?? Do I get a list of people to call while I'm at the hospital??

Anyone else hear anything about this?

 

[redeye58]

Wait....what.....?!

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

No. That would be working off the clock. Can't happen.

 

[unknown]

That's what was said. When I questioned it, he said that is what the etl-hr said to relay to us. Then the tl backtracked some and if you knew you were going to call off. Well that's different. But if it's 530am and I'm vomiting, I'm not worried about getting my shift covered.

 

[Coqui]

Maybe they meant that if you are going to call out and you know in advance, to try and get someone to cover for you. At least that makes sense, not telling you to call out and then find someone.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Swap shift board. Lol

 

[unknown]

I'm going to get clarification tomorrow. But they were definitely not talking about the swap shift board. They wanted us to actively look. And the way it was presented was very odd.

 

[Firefox]

I mean yeah, if I knew that I was scheduled on a day that conflicted with commitments that I can't avoid then I'll try to find someone to pick up my shift. That's the courteous thing to do. But requiring TMs to do it is dumb.

 

[Retail Girl]

Yeah...first time they give out my phone number to another TM, there will be hell to pay.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

Yeah. Cute idea and it works in a restaurant with twelve waitresses on staff, but not so much for Target. He's talking out his ass. Ignore the guy and move on.

 

[commiecorvus]

Yeah I've seen it done in restaurant (usually where the people lived together or everyone were buddies) but it's pure BS at Target.
Are they going to be giving you a list of numbers to call or text?
I really don't think so and unless that is happening there is no way that will work.

 

[Havok]

Sounds like a power hungry manager. If any kind of manager tries to tell me what to do while I'm off the clock, I just hang up or laugh.

 

[tgtfla]

sounds like a loose canon tl trying to make up his own stupid rule,I would ignore that.

 

[snoboy8999]

I don't see the big deal in asking a friend in the department or not in the department via text or calling if they want to work a shift, even if it's last minute. Sometimes people do things for other people.

 

[buliSBI]

Post-Holiday minimal shift coverage...they don't want to go to the effort to call someone in themselves.

And if that was the new rule, then all TMs need to be notified about it or have it posted by the posted schedule/time clock. You just can't just say thats what HR said.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

That's what was said. When I questioned it, he said that is what the etl-hr said to relay to us. Then the tl backtracked some and if you knew you were going to call off. Well that's different. But if it's 530am and I'm vomiting, I'm not worried about getting my shift covered.

On the bright side if you do go into work, make sure you vomit before their is a Cart Attendant so said TL has to clean it up.

 

[RightArm]

We have this rule in our store but it only applies when you get scheduled a shift and decide you don't want to work it in advance. It has nothing to do with emergencies or waking up sick or anything like that. They will NOT give you other TMs numbers to call. Instead you are expected to talk to them ahead of time at work and of course put it on the swap shift board as soon as you know you're not coming in. The point being that if you were given a shift that was definitely inside your availability and you simply don't want it then you are responsible for getting it covered. That's why if you know you need time off you should be getting your butt on the computer and asking for it and alerting the TL/ETL who schedules your shifts that you want or need that day off in advance. It's about being responsible and professional. When you decide the second you see the new schedule that you don't want to work a day and then wait until that shift happens to try and get it covered you're an idiot and deserve the NCNS on your record. I had a TM walk up to me at FRO and go "Can you find someone to cover my shift tomorrow? I told them when they scheduled me that I couldn't work it and now they're making me find someone to cover". I wanted to reach over the desk and smack him. So you just waited the day before your shift to ask someone else to do the job for you? Srsly?! Sometimes FRO will help TMs by calling for coverage but only when you tell them ahead of time and they have days to try and find coverage but FRO is not ultimately responsible if your shift doesn't get covered.

 

[commiecorvus]

We have this rule in our store but it only applies when you get scheduled a shift and decide you don't want to work it in advance. It has nothing to do with emergencies or waking up sick or anything like that. They will NOT give you other TMs numbers to call. Instead you are expected to talk to them ahead of time at work and of course put it on the swap shift board as soon as you know you're not coming in. The point being that if you were given a shift that was definitely inside your availability and you simply don't want it then you are responsible for getting it covered. That's why if you know you need time off you should be getting your butt on the computer and asking for it and alerting the TL/ETL who schedules your shifts that you want or need that day off in advance. It's about being responsible and professional. When you decide the second you see the new schedule that you don't want to work a day and then wait until that shift happens to try and get it covered you're an idiot and deserve the NCNS on your record. I had a TM walk up to me at FRO and go "Can you find someone to cover my shift tomorrow? I told them when they scheduled me that I couldn't work it and now they're making me find someone to cover". I wanted to reach over the desk and smack him. So you just waited the day before your shift to ask someone else to do the job for you? Srsly?! Sometimes FRO will help TMs by calling for coverage but only when you tell them ahead of time and they have days to try and find coverage but FRO is not ultimately responsible if your shift doesn't get covered.

I don't understand, if HR scheduled someone outside of their availability doesn't HR have the obligation to find someone to cover that shift (as long as the person told HR as soon as the schedule came out).
It shouldn't be my problem that the person who made the schedule fucked up.

 

[RightArm]

I don't understand, if HR scheduled someone outside of their availability doesn't HR have the obligation to find someone to cover that shift (as long as the person told HR as soon as the schedule came out).
It shouldn't be my problem that the person who made the schedule fucked up.

"The point being that if you were given a shift inside your availability and you simply don't want it then you are responsible for getting it covered." Meaning if the shift is in your availability but you just don't want it then you should have to find the coverage. I agree with you... if they schedule you outside your availability then they should have to deal with it but you should still give them the courtesy of letting them know they've done so immediately - meaning new schedule comes out, you see they scheduled you outside your availability, you go directly to your scheduler and HR and make them aware. I can't tell you how many TMs I've had to deal with who see the new schedule when it first comes out, realize they are scheduled outside their availability, then spend a week or two grumping and whining and complaining about it only to tell their scheduler like the day before that they've been scheduled outside their availability. Come on.... srsly? Tell them asap, preferably as soon as you see it.

PS: The TM who came to me at FRO was not scheduled outside his availability. He just didn't want the shift and they told him to find someone to cover it but he waited until the day before his shift to ask FRO to do it for him. Sry, if I didn't make that clear. 🙂

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

The way it was presented was way off. With hours or I should say the lack of hours for the next 2 months, if you know you really don't want to work a shift, POST it. There are so many people who are looking at 10 hours or less a week. When people wait to call off, some ETLs use it as a way to save payroll. Others will simply call their "pet" people. But it will be a cold day in hell before I personally cover my shift if I am sick.

 

[RedorBlue]

My Wally World had a similar rule and I liked it.

If you are sick and cannot work find someone to cover, then this will not count against your attendance.

If you are sick and you do not find anyone to cover, then it does count against your attendance.

Depending on how many occurrences an employee had on there attendance tracking, they could be perfectly fine if they miss a few days here and there and do not cover there shift - life happens, everyone should understand that.

This rule was put in place for that TM ( that we've all worked with) that would call off on there opening shift every Saturday or Sunday and would even attempt to look for someone to cover thier shift. They would call in and say they are "sick", but if you creep on there Facebook or listen to gossip around the store you will find out that they were out partying and is just a little hung over.

Now... If you call off and can't find a replacement and you ended up going to urgent care or something. The manager could take the occurrence off the record.

 

[redeye58]

The only problem I would have is everyone having access to your number & getting your phone blasted multiple times trying to get you to cover because you're the 'only' available one in that specialized area.
There was a girl in softlines who wasn't part of the party group who was always getting pressured to take closing shifts for the popular girls so they could go out clubbing.
She finally changed her number & asked leadership not to give it out.

 

[RightArm]

Isn't it company policy not to give out TMs numbers without their permission? If not, it should be. I feel for that softlines gal...

 

[RedorBlue]

The only problem I would have is everyone having access to your number & getting your phone blasted multiple times trying to get you to cover because you're the 'only' available one in that specialized area.
There was a girl in softlines who wasn't part of the party group who was always getting pressured to take closing shifts for the popular girls so they could go out clubbing.
She finally changed her number & asked leadership not to give it out.

We didn't supply our TM with phone numbers. At orientation we would always go over this policy and suggest getting to know people in thier department and if comfortable to swap numbers. It would a huge liability issue if management gave out a TM number and something happened.

All in all - everyone needs to be responsible for there shifts. Life does happen and there are times that you are so sick and your head is stuck in the toilet - you just can't have to many of those days.