Daughters 1st Job

craftingqueen_2

Hi my daughter has just started her 1st job at a well known shoe shop. She explain to them at the interview that at the present time she could work the weekends until her GCSE'S have finished in three weeks time.Then she will be able to have more time to spare.

They had said it was perfectly fine as they wanted her more when it was back to school sales which is some weeks a way.

Now that she has started they are putting her on more and more shifts,which she honestly does'nt need at the moment.

They also have taken on another girl at the same time,same age etc, but she gets treated totally different to my daughter.

My question is as my daughter is on a probation period can they fire her for not doing these shifts,and she had already worked a extra shift this week but they asked her could she work another one on wednesday then friday and saturday.

The work she does'nt mind but at the present time her exams come first.

Any suggestions would be grateful.

craftingqueen

Oldernotwiser

I don't know whether they can fire her but they certainly don't have her best interests at heart! Don't let her do anything to upset her exams; a job in a shoe shop is no great catch but her exam results will be important to her for years.

plane_boy2000

Are there any odd circumstances like other staff out sick or on holiday? I just wonder if the extra shifts are to cover others, or will it always be like this? I dont know where you are based, but retail jobs here are always available - the local shopping mall literaly has 100's of jobs on their website so maybe she could start looking around for something else. I always told myself that if I wanted a job in retail then I would work somewhere that I got a discount on something I wanted!

Errata

Seems to me this is a golden opportunity for your daughter to learn how to stick up for herself in a clear,courteous and assertive manner. A lesson that will stand her in good stead throughout her life.

hilstep2000

My daughter was in the same position, only with her, they weren't giving her enough shifts! She had a contract saying she should work 39 hours a week, and sometimes she was only given 18! She was made to do every Sunday too, which wasn't fair. I told her to get hold of the regional manager, and speak to him, taking her contract with her. She was only 19 and fouond it difficult, but she did it. She got her 39 hours a week, and her manager got a telling off.
She's left there now, she's an Auxillary Nurse, but it was good for her to stand up for herself.

Warriorsith

Your daughter needs to remind them of what was agreed at when she 1st started her job. Surely they can manage a couple of weeks until shes done with her exams?

If the shoe manager isn't happy with that, then surely your daughter should be questioning if she wants to stay in that kind of working enviroment?

Justie

I was listening to some big shot industry person talking about how to say 'no' at work the other day and what he said was very good - your daughter has every right to say no to the extra shifts but how she does it will make a big difference.

This guy suggested a 'yes, no, yes' structure - so 'I'd love to do extra shifts for you (yes) but I've got to revise for my exams at the moment as I told you at my interview (no) as soon as the exams are over though - in x weeks - I'd be very happy to do more shifts (yes).

That way she's still being positive and a 'team player' but making it clear that they agreed to a work pattern when they employed her.

I suspect because she's said yes that they'll keep offering as it's easier than employing someone else or putting pressure on other staff to work extra shifts. This needn't be a bad thing for her in the long run though as it means hopefully she'll be asked first when there are extra shifts available when she's able to do them.