volunteering at charity shop and manager trying to possibly 'push' me out.

getmore4less · 21 May 2017 at 5:03AM

Have the conversation and if you think they are not listening or say they will but you are not sure etc. make it clear that if the only work they for you to do is XYZ you will have to review your hours because you don't want to be doing just this forever.

Volunteer elsewhere, unless your area they are very lucky that it has an abundance of people you will get work.

If the goal is to be getting paid work in the sector then experience of multiple places can only help.

getmore4less · 21 May 2017 at 5:08AM

are any of the other shops in the chain near enough to get to?

Talk to the area manager, you could be discrete but something like.

Is there any work at ABC shop(easiest to get to) as getting a bit boring here just doing XYZ.

you might find that is they are short at another place they may even help with expenses

[Deleted User] · 21 May 2017 at 6:22AM

Miss_Heartilly wrote: »

I have looked at other jobs in area and most are saying they want a years experience. I have 3 months. They also want people who can do certain other things that the manager doesn't seem to want me to learn, but yet training others to do these things.

I don't think it's a personality clash as such as he seems to be deliberately not training me, giving me boring things to do whereas others can do the more exciting stuff where they actually learn something. They get more responsibility it's like no matter how hard i work it's not noticed I don't get given opportunities. I am the only volunteer left that originally worked at this shop everyone else has left or has possibly left (there's one woman who volunteered everyday who is refusing to answer her phone for weeks now) so seeing as i'm the one who's left.. I thought this is good maybe i will actually be able to help run the shop or try new things. But this rarely happens, he just gets people from other shops.. who I had to show how to switch the lights on as they didnt know where they were. They'd never been in this shop before. Which says it all really.. I get on with him ok apart from this.

They could just have a bad memory - or could it be some one else pushing their buttons?

Have you tried speaking to another manager or nearest equivalent below? They often can tend to care more - a recent problem before it got out of hand I went to a 'team leader in waiting', just played a bit silly, but problem sorted in minutes.

If you do have high staff turnover - you might find that doesn't exclude managers either! Again my little problem seems to be eased by the arrival of an additional team leader who I'm pretty sure I'm in the process of being passed to as I'd be careful confronting anybody 'well' in a work situation. Whether paid or unpaid.

3 months is not many months - again soon to be ex team leader at this stage really stated how I'd only been with the company a month.
On proving lack of memory, even yesterday someone was like oh my, can't believe you've been back this long as what feels like should be known to us, might not to them. Some places work on a strictly need to know as and when basis and if you think any type of employer are there simply to progress you, you could be in for a shock.

Londonsu · 21 May 2017 at 8:18AM

I am a charity shop manager and can answer some of your points

First of all locking and unlocking, as a paid manager I have extra insurance as do all the paid staff, I do have volunteer key holders but they have to sign official forms, to put it into perspective one of my volunteers is my husband of 45 years I trust him with my life but unless I officially make him a volunteer key holder I am not allowed to let him open and close my shop, the same with cashing up and going to the bank I cant let him do it, so it will depend on the rules and regulations of the charity that runs the shop.

If your manager is getting volunteers from other shops to open it may mean that in their own shops they are registered key holders I run 3 shops and constantly have to get paid staff or key holders to work on another site, it doesn't mean I don't have faith in my volunteers it means that my shops are officially covered and yes on their first day they wouldn't have know where the lights were but they would have been given safe combination and would have know how to cash up

His attitude towards you may have something to do with you not putting money in the safe, that's a total no no where I work, a paid manager could lose their job a volunteer would be told not to come back and again its a lot to do with insurance, I had a break in in one of my shops last year, they couldn't get into the shop itself only the office and I could see where they tried to break into the safe, had they done so I would have been covered by insurance had the money just been left out I wouldn't have been covered and the charity would have lost the money (and I would have lost my job) yes they may have talked about it between themselves it would have been their job to do so any incidences like that would have to be recorded we record everything in a diary, and as a paid manager I am responsible for everything that goes on even if a volunteer makes an error and even on my day off and holiday because I have to make sure everyone is trained and everyone follows the procedures - the buck does stop with me

I understand what you mean about the new girl but do you know everything about her, she may have had retail management before volunteering she may be on course like NVQ or on a government scheme there may be a few reasons why she has been given added responsibility.

It may be your manager is following procedure and doing her job whilst the other manager being more lax is not following SOPs although It does sound as if they are being pedantic and rather mean - I wouldn't treat any of my volunteers like that

Having said that personally I think its heart breaking that someone like you willing to give up their time and wants to learn the business and is keen able and willing to take on responsibility its being pushed down if you were on the IOW you could start at one of my shops next week and I would train you until you squeak

A career in charity retail can be very rewarding after a good career in the printing trade I got into it through volunteering 3 years ago I was an assistant manager working 4 days a week now I am a running three shops and have just had a pay rise.

I don't mention my charity on a public forum but if you PM me and tell me who you are working for I can let you know my charity and depending on where you live I can find out if we have a shop near you and ring the manager to see what vacancies they have

Charity shops need volunteers so I am sure you will find a better placement even if I cant personally help you do so

Fireflyaway · 21 May 2017 at 9:25AM

I'm a volunteer coordinator and wouldn't be happy if one of my volunteers felt this way. You are clearly dedicated and keen to learn but feeling undervalued and overlooked.
Does the manager carry out ' supervision / 1-2-1 with you? That would be a good time to mention how you feel and ask for feedback. Could it be you are being stereotyped? I don't know you ( you age / experience etc) but I know in one role I was always overlooked in favour of my male colleague and I have seen older staff members given all the basic jobs because its wrongly assumed they don't want responsibilities or to progress.
I know I find it really hard to recruit reliable dedicated volunteers, there is a real shortage. My advice would be go elsewhere where you are appreciated. Ask at interviews what responsibilities you can expect and any training you will get. I always try to develop my volunteers so they have got some personal benefit out of it and 3 volunteers went on to paid jobs with us.
Well done on your contribution and hope things improve.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser · 21 May 2017 at 4:40PM

Miss_Heartilly wrote: »

Yes, I said similar to myself today. It's as if he doesn't trust me.

It's not "as if" he doesn't trust you; he doesn't trust you. Rightly or wrongly, he doesn't think you are competent enough to do the things you want to do.

You are only a volunteer. Ask him directly if he considers you competent for the role you want to do. If he says no, you could ask whether there is any way you can show him you are. You might not want to bother doing this; I wouldn't.

At the end of the day the best thing for you to do is simply leave and try somewhere else. If you get the same problems there then you might have to accept it's not going to be a career for you.

volunteering at charity shop and manager trying to possibly 'push' me out.

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