This past Saturday in the deli where I work we only had 3 people scheduled all day! Managment let 6 people in the deli/bakery have the day off. While it was a slow day, it wasn't dead enough to only schedule 3 people. Oh and if that wasn't bad enough When my second one in for the day clocked in, our co-manager made someone form every department help put up the 9+ buggies of misplaced. Our shop steward finally told the front office people off because the whole store was doing courtesy clerk work while the clerks were on registers.
The reason we had so much misplaced was because the whole store was so short staffed this holiday season and people got mad and left. I don't really blame them. Our store is a big store for our area and being ran on the same hours as a small volume store and it's starting to show. At least a few times a week I get asked if the store is going out of business because of the empty shelves.
Well, I don't really have a point or anything here, just ranting and blowing off some steam.
We have that same problem at our store. The FEM told me yesterday that they are basing the hours this year on last years sales and we are doing more business this year so that's why it's hard on us.
Ok, let's see. Year one I worked for Kroger I was working 35 hours a week during the holidays. Year two I was up to 38 - 40 hours during the holidays. This year, year three I was scheduled 15 hours, 19 hours, 21 hours. (I took vacation time and a personal day during the holidays this year).
So it would seem the more sales increase each year, the less hours I get. I hear them talk about the sales, I see the department sales sometimes. Sales are going up not down.
We still have customers ask if we are going out of business. And they always want me to go check in the back for something that's not on the shelf. I hate that. I now tell them ok, but it will take some time. I will have to open all the boxes and search around for your Cheerios. If you don't mind waiting for about 45 minutes to an hour I will be happy to check for you. They leave.
We have that same problem at our store. The FEM told me yesterday that they are basing the hours this year on last years sales and we are doing more business this year so that's why it's hard on us.
Ok, let's see. Year one I worked for Kroger I was working 35 hours a week during the holidays. Year two I was up to 38 - 40 hours during the holidays. This year, year three I was scheduled 15 hours, 19 hours, 21 hours. (I took vacation time and a personal day during the holidays this year).
So it would seem the more sales increase each year, the less hours I get. I hear them talk about the sales, I see the department sales sometimes. Sales are going up not down.
We still have customers ask if we are going out of business. And they always want me to go check in the back for something that's not on the shelf. I hate that. I now tell them ok, but it will take some time. I will have to open all the boxes and search around for your Cheerios. If you don't mind waiting for about 45 minutes to an hour I will be happy to check for you. They leave.
Part of the job of a co-manager is to make the budget which ultimately determines ELMS hours. If your store is averaging sales growth, there's no reason why they aren't factoring that in and adequate hours are given. For example, our store has averaged growth of 6-7% and that is allotted into our budget.
Part of the district coordinators job for each department is to search out and correct problems such as OOS(out of stocks) even if it means personally training problem stores' department managers. It would appear to me that there is a deeper rooted problem than just that of a store level. I'm wondering if there is a management pool shortage in the area, or something.
I work in the Frozen Dept., Saturday night (no trucks that night) was my night off, the only other guy who works with me in the department took a personal day (and put in for it ahead of time) ... apparently our store was blindsided by this "unexpected" occurrence seeing as how when I came in for my Sunday night shift I was told no one worked in Frozen Saturday night!
I've been through this before; its your manager. He's scheduling tight making himself look good on hours, but hurting himself everywhere else. With the financial year end coming up it won't be getting any better. Grin and bear and/or find other work. We were busy last friday and saturday as well and didn't quite have all the help we needed. Thankfully we ran out of so much.
I work in the Frozen Dept., Saturday night (no trucks that night) was my night off, the only other guy who works with me in the department took a personal day (and put in for it ahead of time) ... apparently our store was blindsided by this "unexpected" occurrence seeing as how when I came in for my Sunday night shift I was told no one worked in Frozen Saturday night!
good ole Kroger ...
Are you lead or is the other person lead?
I'm in the same boat at my store, I'm lead frozen and I've had to work through all of my vacations & personal days because there is nobody to replace me. Regardless, it's the leads job to know and schedule around personal days and vacations.
