Ok guys, about 4 months ago I had a talk with my union rep about switching departments and I was telling her how the mangers moved other people before me when I asked way before the other employees did. So she asked me whether I had more seniority than the other employees. I told her yes, I started June 25th of 2014 and the employees who got switched before me started in September 2014 and the other employee started in March 2015. My rep stated that they are not aloud to move someone with less seniority than you before you do. Then yesterday I told my supervisor that I had more seniority than the two employees, but my supervisor told me that senority doesn't have nothing to do with switching departments. Sooooo it's either my Union Rep is lying or my supervisor is lying. Who is right regarding senority in this situation!?!? Thanks
A lot of people think that seniority is a sort of magical thing that gets you what you want. The fact is, they value many other things above seniority. Things such as experience/skill set, reliability, availability, and just generally whether or not they think you'd be a good fit for the position.
It's not always about how long you've been there. Think of it like this:
When you transfer departments, you are essentially applying for a new job. You have the application process, and then the interview process. Like any application process, just saying "I've been here x years" really doesn't mean a whole lot if the next person over appears more qualified for the position. They're not going to hire a less qualified person for the job if they have a more qualified one to choose from.
Now I don't know your exact circumstances, but I wouldn't go into it with the mindset that, just because you've been there a while you'll get special treatment.
You said you wanted to move departments. So for example: if you were a cashier and wanted to go to drug/gm it's still a clerk position. No advancement, no raise. A clerk is a clerk. If it was department head or back up then yes, they should go by seniority and it would seem you had more experience since you had been there longer. (But seems unlikely) So if you are classified as a clerk, then seniority doesn't matter. You can wash the floral buckets, run a register, stock drug/gm. It all depends on where management wants to place their clerks.
You said you wanted to move departments. So for example: if you were a cashier and wanted to go to drug/gm it's still a clerk position. No advancement, no raise. A clerk is a clerk. If it was department head or back up then yes, they should go by seniority and it would seem you had more experience since you had been there longer. (But seems unlikely) So if you are classified as a clerk, then seniority doesn't matter. You can wash the floral buckets, run a register, stock drug/gm. It all depends on where management wants to place their clerks.
Actually department heads/backups are not based on seniority. It's up to management. It doesn't matter how many years you've been with the company, you have to have a certain skill/mindset to manage a department.
Actually department heads/backups are not based on seniority. It's up to management. It doesn't matter how many years you've been with the company, you have to have a certain skill/mindset to manage a department.
Sadly dept head goes to the most senior person who put in for it. If you don't you might end up in a grievance situation. I've seen it happen and it sucks. The management team didn't want you and you've just grabbed a job from somebody who moved from another store thinking they've moved up. No one is going to like you and will do what they can to sabotage you.
Actually department heads/backups are not based on seniority. It's up to management. It doesn't matter how many years you've been with the company, you have to have a certain skill/mindset to manage a department.
Sadly dept head goes to the most senior person who put in for it. If you don't you might end up in a grievance situation. I've seen it happen and it sucks. The management team didn't want you and you've just grabbed a job from somebody who moved from another store thinking they've moved up. No one is going to like you and will do what they can to sabotage you.
Errr, what. That makes no sense. Seniority has no impact on how well an employee can handle that kind of responsibility. It requires a level of forward-thinking, problem solving, and multitasking that isn't necessary for a basic clerk. I assumed that was one of the things that remained the same throughout all contracts. Seniority means nothing on ours.
Actually department heads/backups are not based on seniority. It's up to management. It doesn't matter how many years you've been with the company, you have to have a certain skill/mindset to manage a department.
Sadly dept head goes to the most senior person who put in for it. If you don't you might end up in a grievance situation. I've seen it happen and it sucks. The management team didn't want you and you've just grabbed a job from somebody who moved from another store thinking they've moved up. No one is going to like you and will do what they can to sabotage you.
Errr, what. That makes no sense. Seniority has no impact on how well an employee can handle that kind of responsibility. It requires a level of forward-thinking, problem solving, and multitasking that isn't necessary for a basic clerk. I assumed that was one of the things that remained the same throughout all contracts. Seniority means nothing on ours.
Well you just assumed things, that's all. Now you know that all contracts are not the same so at least you've learned something!
Senority trumps all in my divisions contract. Dont matter if you only have 3 days or 30 years on someone. The person with the most senority gets the job regardless of experience. So a 15 year full time bagger can take a dept. Head job in produce if no one has more senority than him or her
Senority trumps all in my divisions contract. Dont matter if you only have 3 days or 30 years on someone. The person with the most senority gets the job regardless of experience. So a 15 year full time bagger can take a dept. Head job in produce if no one has more senority than him or her
Usually, when that happens, the person ends up stepping down because they either can't do the job or management makes it so difficult for them that they give up.
Senority trumps all in my divisions contract. Dont matter if you only have 3 days or 30 years on someone. The person with the most senority gets the job regardless of experience. So a 15 year full time bagger can take a dept. Head job in produce if no one has more senority than him or her
Usually, when that happens, the person ends up stepping down because they either can't do the job or management makes it so difficult for them that they give up.
Exactly. Now at our store a dept head that was forced to step down is trying to get into a backup position in another department and is trying to use the seniority card again.
