I'm Lost! The Call In/Sick/Late/NCNS/Attendance Thread

[buliSBI]

Unfortunately, that is how some stores work. Unless you are contagious or visually ill, they will guilt you in working no matter if you are sick or not. My last store put up a sign that said, "The more times you put in for time off or call in sick, your chances of getting hours goes down."

There were times I could work through a shift. There were other times, I didn't want to call out and get coached/written up. And if you are in your 90 days or already on CA, you just don't want to give your store an excuse to use against you.

 

[Mhugh220]

The coaching may have been verbal but the TL is supposed to document that. Three coaching conversations are supposed to be grounds for CA, which is what matters. 1 call-out can be a coaching or 50 call-outs could be 1 coaching, depends on how your TLs manage performance. Theoretically 3 call-outs in a month or so could be a CA if you were coached for each individual call out. Remember, people get sick and usually it's for more than 1 day. Just don't have a pattern and you'll be fine. If you're within your 90 days then rules are different. A coaching for attendance paired with a coaching for performance could be grounds for termination before 90 days. This is a case-by-case, store-by-store situation.

Summary: Don't sweat it!

 

[tgtguy]

We have an etl in our store who will harass you if you call in sick...meaning when you call and say hey....this is ...and I am not going to be able to come in today because I am sick. The etl then literally spends 1-2 minutes telling you how you should take your attendance serious and realize your peers count on you and ends the call with...lets not make this a habit. Here are my issues with this , to begin with...if someone calls in they are not asking your permission they are telling you they will not be there. Secondly, I might and I stress the might part...could see you giving this mini lecture to someone who calls out all the time...but she does it to people who may at most call out once every two or three years. I know she does this because I have been nearby when she has answered the phone...and I have heard several team members complain about it .

 

[eleuthreophile]

This is horrible advice IMO. Our GSTL does this nonsense.

If you're sick, call in. Do not show up. If you call in hours in advance we can find someone to replace your shift. When you show up at the scheduled time and then get sent home we are fucked.

You're right. I was on a final for many months due to attendance, so doing that was my only option to not get fired if I couldn't work.

 

[canibedreamin]

Why would you feel bad about being sick? If there is something you can do to keep from getting sick, like... take better care of yourself (sleep, eat healthy, drink lots of fluids..) then do it. If you have a sensitive immune system, retail is probably not for you. Otherwise, only worry about what you can actually control. People DO get sick. I called out on Black Friday once. What are they gonna do - fire you? Would you really want to work for someone who treats you less than human?

 

[Barcode]

Once in a while won't hurt for calling in. Like if you call in once every 2-3 months, you'd be flying under the radar for sure.

If you start calling in multiple times per month, they may begin to frown upon you and you could see some negative consequences.

 

[tgtguy]

In my state we get personal hours and vacation hours....of course if you are a tm ...you have to have an average of 31.5 ( same for insurance) to get the personal time....I have always used the personal time like vacation hours .

 

[Producer]

We have a team member who must work with sick people on Friday nights, because she almost always has to call out when scheduled on a Saturday morning. Poor girl.

 

[Barcode]

That being said that this is what spot gets for paying a low wage and hiring young/inexperienced workers.

You get what you pay for.

 

[Noiinteam]

We have a team member who must work with sick people on Friday nights, because she almost always has to call out when scheduled on a Saturday morning. Poor girl.

Hopefully her TL is smart enough to see a pattern and is documenting and having conversations with her. Change your availability or put your big girl panties on and be a responsible adult.

 

[Noiinteam]

That being said that this is what spot gets for paying a low wage and hiring young/inexperienced workers.

You get what you pay for.

Yes and no. I work with quite a few much younger tm's. Thankfully all but 2 bust their ass everyday and never ncns or call out. It's the other 2 that are killing the team. I hear they are on final. Can't come quick enough

 

[daninnj]

My store must be having major issues with call outs on the weekends... saw fliers on the table talkers and fridges about "If you're scheduled this weekend 2 out of 3 days and you come in all your scheduled shifts you will be entered into a raffle for an Xbox one, $50 iTunes giftcard, and [some other prize]." At first I said to myself "That's not fair" but then I realized not working weekends was my prize.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

That's just sad. Rewarding people just for showing up?

 

[Noiinteam]

I thought that's what your paycheck is for. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Doesn't sit right with me . They are possibly rewarding the people that don't show up when they are scheduled. Fire the assholes

 

[daninnj]

The issue is that many people went back to school and tons of the vets (I'm talking 6 months+ here) found other jobs. Seriously when I come in I sometimes only know the TL and maybe 1 HLTM and ladies in SL, all the hardlines people are new. I only worked 4 days total the past 2 weeks and each time I came in I saw people I haven't seen before. Of course new hires are gonna call out.

One girl came up to me and said "I didn't want to ask a manager because I don't wanna seem like I'm all about the money, but... when is the next time we get paid?" A TL told me a new hire on his second day clocked in, didn't see who he trained with on his first day, and went outside to take a break. These kids are not gonna last.

 

[Barcode]

I thought that's what your paycheck is for. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Doesn't sit right with me . They are possibly rewarding the people that don't show up when they are scheduled. Fire the assholes

Keep in mind, its a crap job from pretty much every aspect below the ETL level, and at the TM level its mostly just kids/college kids. Don't expect hot water from a cold faucet. Sure there are a few good workers, but spot GETS WHAT IT PAYS FOR.

Until spot starts paying a reasonable wage with benefits for Team Member positions, they're not going to have a consistent work force. Constant turnover is the name of the game for Spot. If they were able to actually hire decent people for a decent wage, people would be showing up to work a heck of a lot more, since it would actually be worthwhile.

Its not hard figuring out what a kid is going to do. Go into work for 4-5 hours making minimum wage on the weekend, or go to that party and maybe score lol.

 

[commiecorvus]

When you have veteran employees getting 16 hours spread over 4 days I can see how you might get a call out when a) they get a call for a job interview or b) they decide that if Spot doesn't give a shit about them why should they care.
Give people a real schedule that allows them to either get another job or survive on the one they have and you won't have this problem.

The kids who are clueless comes totally from the lack of proper training and hours for hand holding.
Yeah it sucks but if you are hiring people who are just starting in the job market you need to take that into account and stay on top of them.
I worked in the restaurant industry for years and hired plenty of teenagers and twenty somethings.
You know what, they don't have the same priorities as older folks but if you handle it right they can be incredibly loyal and will work their asses off for you.
It just takes time, management skill, and training, something Spot isn't willing to spend.

 

[RetailWorld]

You *could* try invoking the Food Safety Agreement....technically the LOD would not be allowed to let you work.

But in practice, it never works that way

 

[Kompa]

I have Fridays unavailable but I got scheduled for a 3-11pm shift (and a flow shift the next day) i've had them off for for over a year. Do I just not show up? I'd rather not waste my phone minuted sitting on hold during the day trying to call and I don't work until then. Can you get in trouble for it? I can understand black friday but not a normal friday

 

[redeye58]

Yeh, you can get coached if you saw you were scheduled in advance but didn't do anything about it - ie: bring it to your TL/ETL/HR's attention.
Schedules go up in enough time out for you to contact SOMEONE. If you're worried about your minutes, call early before it gets too busy.
Availabilities at my store seem to be treated as suggestions rather than locked-out time slots.

 

[eleuthreophile]

You should've brought it up with HR the minute you saw the schedule, not waited until two days before the shift.

 

[Retail Girl]

You'll probably get coached for waiting two weeks to say anything about it...and they may stack that on top of a NCNS if you don't show up.

 

[tgtguy]

You are responsible for your schedule. I would talk to someone in Hr or you tl, etl asap. If they tell you not to worry about it etc....still check your schedule to make sure they removed you ( mytime in the store or at home ) Don't just trust them to do it. I have learned the hard way....you have to watch out for yourself cause no one else will.

 

[Bosch]

You should've brought it up with HR the minute you saw the schedule, not waited until two days before the shift.

This.

 

[Kompa]

I told my TL last Saturday during break

Me: Dude why'd they put me on the schedule for Friday?
Tl: Idk, you don't even work on Fridays
Me: I Know
Other TMs: *laughs*

And it kinda ended there. Should I bring that up? I haven't work a friday for the last year so it seemed odd.