With all the cut-backs on hours and such lately, one thing I've noticed is that floaters have retained all of their hours still. I'm a floater as well, so I didn't actually realize how bad the cut-back in hours was until I started talking with people in different departments, and started looking at people's schedules when I did the break-sheet for the front-end one day. It was weird seeing how many people get scheduled for just 4 hour shifts, when I know I'm used to getting several 8 hours shifts throughout the week. I used to think that being a floater wasn't really a good thing because it meant you don't get to specialize in one thing, but with all the hour cuts, it's seeming like it's a good place to be.
It's because you're getting hours from various departments allowance. I get my weekly allowance of 25-30 hours working grocery, then i get 5-8 hours extra from nutrition department for working their stock. Then on some occasions they'll add additional hours from the frozen department.
I know "floaters" who get 40 hours a week part time because they get so many hours from different departments, it's not a bad deal.
I work grocery and at one time asked if I could be a bagger part time and they told me that they didn't like people working multiple departments. okkkkkaay now here a year or so later, we have a guy who works front end, pharmacy AND produce, wtf!?
I'm not familiar with this, but what is a "floater" exactly? Do you work one position in different stores or are these multiple positions all in the same store?
I'm not familiar with this, but what is a "floater" exactly? Do you work one position in different stores or are these multiple positions all in the same store?
The latter. Basically, you're bounced around between different departments based on what they need. Real easy way to get 40 hrs.
Very interesting. I didn't know union rules could allow that. Where I am, grocery, produce, and front end are all in the same category, drug gm is separate, deli and bakery is separate, meat is separate, and pharmacy is non union so it's separate also. None of those job classes are allowed to cross over, so there isn't really any floating throughout the store. Occasionally a full time grocery clerk who can't get enough hours and is trained in register will bump a part time cashier for the rest of their hours, but that's about it.
Yes Esked cut hours so bad for part time, but being trained to run everything on the front end, produce, grocery, and dairy i get 40 hours every week. wouldn't trade being a floater at all