How bad is your workload and backup?

[Cynder]

Beauty TM here. The past several weeks have just been ridiculous. We're down to 2 beauty team members, myself and another. I've asked and I was told today by the hiring exec that we will not be getting any more for beauty any time soon. I was told, "Everyone is struggling." Meanwhile we have a truck every single day and things are getting backed up. Right now we are behind 2 trucks. Plus, Reshop, pulls, and backstock are piling up as well. I come to work and I can only do what I can do. I've been getting all worked up about this in my head. After giving it some thought, I realized I simply am not the person who should be worried about this. Our leaders get paid to deal with this so I'm going to let them deal with it.

Another thing. The calls for cashier backup have been going at a rate of about once every 20-40 minutes minutes. On a Saturday, they'll have 1 self checkout person and 2 regulars cashiers until 2 pm when another comes in. It's not enough for our Saturdays. We're a heavy tourist city and it's spring break time. A lot of us haven't been responding to backup because we're all literally backed up in our departments. Leaders have been getting aggravated about that. Well, we all have too.

I am trying to patient here and I know things have been messed up everywhere due to covid. But then today as I was leaving, I saw a note up by the timeclock. Now team members in most other departments have designated hours we are to respond to backup within 30 seconds.

It's interesting to me how when I express concern to HR about workload, I'm told "everyone is struggling" yet on the same day, they have the audacity to go out of their way to require us to drop what we're doing and run to the register.

Ok leaders. Fine. I'll go to the register. But don't complain when you have a week's worth of truck floating about the store that you'll eventually have to push yourselves. Because I'm putting in for a leave soon.

 

[Fluttervale]

It’s the last week of the quarter. All the overspent payroll has to come back sometime. In a week it’ll be raining hours again.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Talk to your etl. They will get you support for your workload.

 

[Dead and Khaki]

Talk to your etl. They will get you support for your workload reprimand you for not being fast enough and "borrow" you for their little pet projects outside your area.

FTFY.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

Beauty TM here. The past several weeks have just been ridiculous. We're down to 2 beauty team members, myself and another. I've asked and I was told today by the hiring exec that we will not be getting any more for beauty any time soon. I was told, "Everyone is struggling." Meanwhile we have a truck every single day and things are getting backed up. Right now we are behind 2 trucks. Plus, Reshop, pulls, and backstock are piling up as well. I come to work and I can only do what I can do. I've been getting all worked up about this in my head. After giving it some thought, I realized I simply am not the person who should be worried about this. Our leaders get paid to deal with this so I'm going to let them deal with it.

Another thing. The calls for cashier backup have been going at a rate of about once every 20-40 minutes minutes. On a Saturday, they'll have 1 self checkout person and 2 regulars cashiers until 2 pm when another comes in. It's not enough for our Saturdays. We're a heavy tourist city and it's spring break time. A lot of us haven't been responding to backup because we're all literally backed up in our departments. Leaders have been getting aggravated about that. Well, we all have too.

I am trying to patient here and I know things have been messed up everywhere due to covid. But then today as I was leaving, I saw a note up by the timeclock. Now team members in most other departments have designated hours we are to respond to backup within 30 seconds.

It's interesting to me how when I express concern to HR about workload, I'm told "everyone is struggling" yet on the same day, they have the audacity to go out of their way to require us to drop what we're doing and run to the register.

Ok leaders. Fine. I'll go to the register. But don't complain when you have a week's worth of truck floating about the store that you'll eventually have to push yourselves. Because I'm putting in for a leave soon.

In my store beauty does not back up on the register. All the unpushed merchandise will become a big problem when INF’s become a problem.

 

[Bosch]

In my store beauty does not back up on the register. All the unpushed merchandise will become a big problem when INF’s become a problem.

We get told that isn't an excuse, work faster and find it! Yes you will paw through an entire pallet of cosmetic repacks for a single fucking eyeliner pencil. And you better not miss that goal time!

 

[VMfromNOLA]

This is happening at my store too! Especially with style. Truck everyday, workload backed up, no hours for the weekends, the list just goes on & on.

Leaders are saying they are hiring but looking for dedicated people. The real issue is they aren't taking care of the current employees. It is not because people are lazy, everyone physically look like zombies walking around because they're exhausted, myself included.

There has to be a better solution than to just "talk to your ETL and/or HR"

 

[CosmicFish]

I was talking to our HR ETL tonight as I was leaving and she was frustrated at the lack of responses she is getting to our job openings. Our store is hiring for every department but getting very few applicants. And more TMs have given notice. It's going to be a tough spring into summer.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

I was talking to our HR ETL tonight as I was leaving and she was frustrated at the lack of responses she is getting to our job openings. Our store is hiring for every department but getting very few applicants. And more TMs have given notice. It's going to be a tough spring into summer.

When word gets out about how miserable and frustrating it can be to work at Spot, that hiring pool just dries up...

 

[StyleStar]

Your specialty sales etl better start pushing some repacks for you. At our store beauty isn't getting shit for hours right now, but our leadership team will always jump in and huddle a dept that is struggling. When OPU are in a good spot, flex team will push.

 

[lucidtm]

(Beauty TM here) I feel you, and before I read "tourist city" was thinking the other girl in my beauty dept wrote this. We're also down to 2, which is fine because we're both finally getting the hours we wanted... BUT if one of us gets sick, has vacation, etc. there won't be anyone there. We've had several, stacked repack palettes for weeks - up to 7 at one point (MY GOD THE DAMAGES 😭 ).

When fulfillment is slow they have a ton of them helping other areas (even HBA/OTC) but no one helps us. We get pulled for fulfillment and backup for the front constantly. Like your store, it's like pulling teeth to get people to respond. Plus that damn phone rings constantly.

Our leaders don't come down on us for being backed up, they get it and know we're busting our butts. We don't have a Beauty TL but our SS ETL helps a lot with Beauty and Tech. She usually is always pushing our UBoats (yes, UBoats plural because more often we have 2 a day) so we can do the repacks.

I try to remember that everyone is screwed right now, and at least at our store we're not getting screamed at for it (because 100% I'd be losing my job if that were the case lol). Every single department is backed up except for style but they've had their moments this year too.

My store IS trying to hire and it seems like they're getting some cashiers in there finally. We didn't get a backup call ONCE this weekend. I hope that becomes the new normal but I'm not holding my breath lol. We still got called for fulfillment, but it's quicker to do 1 cart than it is to go for backup (we get stuck up there for 2 hours sometimes, which is a big reason why no one wants to go).

 

[Bosch]

Your specialty sales etl better start pushing some repacks for you. At our store beauty isn't getting shit for hours right now, but our leadership team will always jump in and huddle a dept that is struggling. When OPU are in a good spot, flex team will push.

Not happening our leadership won't fucking push shit, as they say they are supposed to lead and they can't do that if they are doing the work.

And they wonder why they can't hire? Well you need to pay at least as much as the two big boxes across the parking lot and street which you don't. And actually work with people on hours they want to work, this blanket "you have to have %100 open availability." isn't going to get you bodies in the door.. Take the ones that want a few hours after work a couple days a week.. But nope they refuse to hire those people.

 

[flow4areasonuno]

Not happening our leadership won't fucking push shit, as they say they are supposed to lead and they can't do that if they are doing the work.

And they wonder why they can't hire? Well you need to pay at least as much as the two big boxes across the parking lot and street which you don't. And actually work with people on hours they want to work, this blanket "you have to have %100 open availability." isn't going to get you bodies in the door.. Take the ones that want a few hours after work a couple days a week.. But nope they refuse to hire those people.

And then they wonder why people would rather be on UE than work.

Let's see, you could work here, be called stupid and that you're not a team player because you can't get 2 hours of work done in 30 minutes, get constantly called up for registers or be called out, etc etc, or, you could look for a job you actually want rather than take the first one that promises (and fails) to give you what you want/need out of desperation. The UE situation is giving people choices, and the hiring situation is almost funny to watch as a result.

"No one wants to work!"

No one wants to work in these shit situations, or for places like McDs, etc, no one wants to work to be verbally abused for shitty wages.

 

[jenna]

We've had several, stacked repack palettes for weeks - up to 7 at one point (MY GOD THE DAMAGES 😭 ).

We're not that bad.

I usually don't get more than a truck behind.
*knocks wood*

-
And my workload is insane.
Literally it's crazy how much I am expected to accomplish with so little. I'd guess for the better part of 4 months, I was getting 20-24 hours a week. Sometimes I would be allowed to stay a little later, and other times I filled in my paycheck with PTO hours.
I would get 3.5 hour shifts. Fuck working 3.5 hour shifts.

 

[Dead and Khaki]

It's almost like you could have global task teams so that a single call-off wouldn't send an entire department to shit. But there I go making sense again.

 

[Bonzo]

I got coached once because my department wasn't zoned....that's because I had just spent 4 hours back-up cashier's, because everytime I returned to my department the L.O.D kept pleading and pleading (one of those times CRYING into her walkie mic) for responses on that super crazy Saturday, and no one was responding, so I'd turn right around and go back up.
Minutes after that marathon I got called in. I told jim to speak to the LOD.

 

[Bosch]

And then they wonder why people would rather be on UE than work.

Let's see, you could work here, be called stupid and that you're not a team player because you can't get 2 hours of work done in 30 minutes, get constantly called up for registers or be called out, etc etc, or, you could look for a job you actually want rather than take the first one that promises (and fails) to give you what you want/need out of desperation. The UE situation is giving people choices, and the hiring situation is almost funny to watch as a result.

"No one wants to work!"

No one wants to work in these shit situations, or for places like McDs, etc, no one wants to work to be verbally abused for shitty wages.

Nailed it.

 

[dannyy315]

We still have the promotional wall signage for Easter up in seasonal. That should give an idea of how disorganized things are here

 

[Statefarmclothes]

Workload has been increasing heavily but hours have been shrinking........

 

[Dream Baby]

A couple of days ago our SD asked over the walkie for TMs to go to another store to help push freight.

The funny thing was we aren't the closet store to that one!

 

[BadaBing]

Sounds a lot like my store.. except, only style tms are asked to backup on the registers cause they're area is closest to the front end... but the workload is ridiculous in my store as well and the whole "Dbo" system they have is a total fail.. none of em ever do counts and audits, they over flex just so they don't have to backstock as much merch.. the tls dont do shit to help push or make life easier... ive worked for a number of different companies in the past.. but target by far has the worst middle management I've ever seen in my life.. it's a wonder the company is even still in business with the ppl they pick for leadership positions.

 

[Dream Baby]

Sounds a lot like my store.. except, only style tms are asked to backup on the registers cause they're area is closest to the front end... but the workload is ridiculous in my store as well and the whole "Dbo" system they have is a total fail.. none of em ever do counts and audits, they over flex just so they don't have to backstock as much merch.. the tls dont do shit to help push or make life easier... ive worked for a number of different companies in the past.. but target by far has the worst middle management I've ever seen in my life.. it's a wonder the company is even still in business with the ppl they pick for leadership positions.

My Target keeps offering my fellow TM a TL job.

They only want to pay him Target's minimum TL hourly rate which is $19.

He has over fifteen years of retail experience but Target thinks "hey at least we are paying you more than before!"