When the tills are down...

GrammarGirl

My job relies on perfect spelling and grammar, that's my strong point. Maths has always been my weakness, but since leaving school and pursuing a career in writing, I've completely left it behind. I can do mental arithmetic but I'm lacking so much confidence I don't trust myself. I would've reacted in exactly the same way as the shop assistant. In fact, years ago when I was a shop worker I entered the wrong amount into the till, which gave me the wrong change, but I physically couldn't work out the right change in my head. I panicked and pressed £1 into the man's hand (the change was more in the region on 20p!) just to get the transaction done.

I had a calculator with me at a car boot sale the other week. Went to use it until I realised all my prices were £1 or 50p denominations so thought I could just about do that on my own. :rolleyes:

tbw

Humphrey10 wrote: »

No they don't.
When I was 23 my CV couldn't have looked worse, low A level grades, dropped out of university after one year due to ill health, a couple of months minimum wage work at Toys R Us.
But that year I was accepted onto a funded university course (engineering) with a paid work placement each of the 2 years of the course, and have just got a job for when my work placement finishes.
If I can get paid professional work with a CV like that, someone with a degree should be able to.

I know so many people who have been bullied by the job centre into giving up with their chosen career and taking the first random low paid job that they are offered. They end up very unhappy. How does that help anyone? With a bit of support, extra training and rewriting their CV they could get a job they prefer.


Did I say I had a problem with it? I think it's great, and I think more places should employ more people with special needs.
The post I was replying to said that shop assistants should be required to be good at maths. I was saying that they don't need to use maths in their job, so why make that a requirement of employees. So many people get ruled out of employment because they don't have a little bit of paper saying they can do this thing or that thing, when the job doesn't even need that skill! I just really don't agree with that.

There is nothing wrong with people working in retail. It's just not everyone wants to do it, not everyone enjoys it, and it definatly does not need much in the way of qualifications.

You were replying to my post I think. However, I did not say they should be required to be good at maths, I said that they should be able to do basic arithmetic (which is not quite the same thing!). They should also be able to use a calculator.

tbw

Humphrey10 wrote: »

No need to apologise, my post wasn't very well written really, more of a poorly explained rant.


No I just don't think they should be required to have much in the way of formal qualifications.
Qualifications =/= intelligence.
Lack of qualifications =/= stupidity.

I was annoyed at the post I was replying to and other posts on this thread because of the expectation of a requirement for shop assistants to good at maths or well educated (which I assume means having done qualifications above GCSEs).

Having been a shop assistant, I know the job does not need this, so it should not be required, because if it was it would stop some people who are perfectly capable of doing this work from getting these jobs.

I did NOT say this ! But I stand by my 'expectation' that shop staff should be able to do basic arithmetic AND use a calculator! I did not say or imply that anyone was stupid - but whatever job you do, you do surely need to be able to cope with such basic stuff? If you can't, then you are probably not stupid, just in the wrong job.

tbw

Humphrey10 wrote: »

No need to apologise, my post wasn't very well written really, more of a poorly explained rant.


No I just don't think they should be required to have much in the way of formal qualifications.
Qualifications =/= intelligence.
Lack of qualifications =/= stupidity.

I was annoyed at the post I was replying to and other posts on this thread because of the expectation of a requirement for shop assistants to good at maths or well educated (which I assume means having done qualifications above GCSEs).

Having been a shop assistant, I know the job does not need this, so it should not be required, because if it was it would stop some people who are perfectly capable of doing this work from getting these jobs.

And I didn't say or imply any of that either. A reasonable standard of education means having mastered the basics and the ability to use common sense - well educated means paper qualifications (and does not necessarily involve common sense!)

Meepster

Talk about me opening a can of worms lol

Humphrey10

Normally, when serving customers, the till does all the adding up for you, so you don't need do any yourself. So I really don't think being able to do basic arithmetic should be required of shop staff. They definatly do not need to be able use a calculator either.

If they are cashing up or do not have computerised tills or there is something the tills can't do, then yes they would need to be able to do mental arithmetic, but not otherwise.

Even in my job as an engineer I do not need to be able to do mental arithmetic. I can, and it does help, it would take much longer to have to work things out on paper or with a calculator etc, but it's not a needed skill.

It really does make me sad to see people being stopped from doing jobs that they are capable of by unneeded rules and requirements.

btw I didn't think you or anyone else called anyone stupid.

Money_Grabber13579

A few people have mentioned that if the girl couldn't do the job, she shouldn't be there. (i.e. if she had a learning disability, then the job wasn't for her.)

However, it was an exceptional occasion, and it's more than likely that when things were normal, she did an excellent job. So I don't think we should criticize too much!

Stonk

It's not just that the cashier couldn't do a simple addition in her head (or couldn't be bothered to do, if my experience of people who "can't do maths" is true). I don't mind cashiers using a calculator, because it should be more accurate in the long run, even for a maths whizz. The worst thing is that she used a calculator, and still managed to get it wrong!

tbw

So far as I can see, a computerised till is just a glorified calculator. Personally I reckon that just about anyone (who does not have a learning disability) needs to have some knowledge of basic arithmetic to cope with everyday life. I accept that SOME people who have special needs or a very low IQ will not have these skills and those people will need extra consideration and help.

However, if a person is employed in any sort of work that requires handling of cash, counting out change, measurement etc then these basic skills are essential - and, if they haven't got them, they are in the wrong job.

The assistant that the OP mentioned was obviously flustered and probably would have been fine if she wasn't under sudden unexpected pressure - I don't think I ever said that she shouldn't be in the wrong job. My comments were general after the discussion moved on away from her.

The use of a calculator is promoted in schools these days and, although I still get amused when an assistant insists on using a calculator to work out 3 items at 10p each, I realise that many people rely on one. But you can't have it both ways - either they have to cope with basic arithmetic OR be able to use a calculator. If they can't do either, then they need a different job which does not require them to use numbers !