New job - some niggles with manager

catkins

custardy wrote: »

you have the rota for all of January, yet its only up week by week?

December was only up week by week. We were getting the rota on a Friday for the following week.

All of January is now up but written on it is "may be changed"!

getmore4less wrote: »

if you do't need the job just push back gently on changes and proactively on the time you want off.
a more assertive approach will either work or find you out.

whats the company policy on rotas?
Know this inside out so you can back up any disputes if it goes over your managers head.

pick a last minute change and just say no can do got something on.
Give a list of availability in advance(pick a sat to not be available) with plenty of time to cover your hours.

Get your holiday request in now so you can plan your resignation if they don't approve it.

Not sure if there is a company policy on rotas. I don't really want to speak to anyone higher up to try and find out policies on rota, work clothes etc as I don't want to cause trouble. It's a newish shop so none of the staff seem to know much about policies, rules etc.

It is pretty obvious the other staff are not particularly impressed with the manager's attitude but they, too, seem not to want to do anything about it.

I am going to ask this week about Saturday working and if my rota changes again I am going to say that I can't do the change as I have made arrangements for something. I will also try and book some holiday.

I am lucky that I can just walk away but I don't really want to or not yet anyway. As I said, we are saving for something specific and so my wages are a big help. I am also quite enjoying the job, meeting customers and learning about the items we sell. I get on great with the other staff and on the whole the atmosphere is relaxed.

The manager can be friendly and nice but is extremely moody so you don't know from one day to another how she will be. Having had 40 years work experience I personally don't think she is suitable to be a manager but, obviously, it is not my decision.

getmore4less

Another angle is to get to the bottom of why it needs to change.

Is it business needs or people needs

Another option is to offer to do the rota.

Some people are not very good or don't like them or are too busy so it gets done last minute.

A key issue going forward may be holidays, depending on staffing levels they often need to be spread out and planned so everyone is not off at the same time.

catkins

getmore4less wrote: »

Another angle is to get to the bottom of why it needs to change.

Is it business needs or people needs

Another option is to offer to do the rota.

Some people are not very good or don't like them or are too busy so it gets done last minute.

A key issue going forward may be holidays, depending on staffing levels they often need to be spread out and planned so everyone is not off at the same time.

Well my rota has changed twice so far. Once so the manager could go home early on the day of the Christmas do. She knew what date it was so why have herself working until the end of the day and me finishing at lunchtime in the first place?

The second change I could see no real reason for. Another member of staff says she just seems to like changing them. She always seems to be faffing around with them.

She won't let anyone else do them or have any input into them as the assistant manager has already tried.

I can already see a problem with the January rotas in that there will not be enough cover at certain time of the day so it is obvious they will change.

Basically she is just not very good at her job. There are quite a lot of other things I could mention but they don't really affect me so I am not particularly bothered

TBagpuss

Is there an amployee handbook or manual? If so, look at it.

Are you a member of a union? If so, ask their advice.

As you've releatively recently started, do you have an appraisal or anything of that kind coming up? If so, I'd suggest that you use it to raise your concerns.

So far as the sweatshirt is concerned, I would specifcally ask you manager to confirm that you can wear a sweatshirt or cardigan (or a suitable colour) over your shirt, given the lack of heating and the fact that you have to work near the doors.

Id also suggest that if at all possible, you make any requests for holidays retc in writing and keep copies.

In your position I would also start to look for another job.
unfortuantely, althjough she is clearly not a very good manager, becuae you are new to the job you are very vulnerable if you push back and she doesn't like it.

If she is mostly disorganised, it may be that it is worth speaking to her and saying somethin alsong the lines of ;

"I was a bit surprised to see the January rota, as when I accepted the job I did ask about saturday working and you assured me that I would not have to work every Saturday, except during the run up to Christmas, but I see I am down for evey Saturday in Janury. Can you amend the rota so I have at least one weekend where I'm not rota'd to work?

Also, I have hadseveral shofts recently where the rota has changed at vcery short notice and I have not been informed. I appreciate that sometimes, if another staff member is ill, it might be necessary to change the rota at short notice but would it be possible to send a text or e-mail if that happens? I was down to work until 3 on Saturday, and wasn't told that my finish time had ben changed to 6 - I only foundout when I arrived on Saturdya. This time I was able to work the extra 3 hours but I may not always be able to change shifts at such short notice in future - is there a reason it was changedso late without my being told?