So as this has just happened to me the other day. I came in to start my shift in bakery, and at most I got through doing truck(with some help for a change) and was starting to put the carts and so forth back in the freezer. And before I was done, I was told by one of the managers to come with her to help out in grocery. When we found the supervisor for over there, she had me conditioning one of the aisles til a little past noon. Then after she came back and saw that I was wrapping things up there, said thanks and said they would like me over in Deli.
Now it has me wondering, do other divisions do this sort of thing too? I think there were some threads I saw once, where peeps had mentioned about helping out at the front end before. And before the behind the counter walk through that we had last week, we never had that happen. But then on the day of the walk through they had told my DH they needed someone to help out in grocery the first time(and he didn't want any of us leaving to go down that way cause we didn't have anybody to spare). And he also kept getting called to the back dock(not sure why as we had already brought up the truck and it was done for the day).
But yea, I'm curious is it common in your guys' stores to have to work more than one dept. at a time in any given day? Or week?
Not like that, just being taken by a manager and told to work in X department for an hour, then Y, before you return back to your original department. At most we'll have people scheduled up front to make up for more hours they want since Produce doesn't have many hours to give to part timers.
I know of a few people in my store who are scheduled between Dairy, Nutrition, and Grocery all in one week though, because these departments don't have enough regular help.
I find it odd that they would take someone from bakery (a service department) and have them work in a grocery department. Did the manager not realize that you have your own work to do in the bakery? Are they going to return the favor and give the bakery help from the grocery department when bakery can't get its work done?
Not like that, just being taken by a manager and told to work in X department for an hour, then Y, before you return back to your original department. At most we'll have people scheduled up front to make up for more hours they want since Produce doesn't have many hours to give to part timers.
I know of a few people in my store who are scheduled between Dairy, Nutrition, and Grocery all in one week though, because these departments don't have enough regular help.
Dairy, Frozen, Nutrition, and Grocery are all considered the same Department and share part timers at my store.
As laborers(clerks), we do whatever the store management asks us to do. I am a grocery clerk and have helped in Frozen, Collected shopping carts, Bread, Dairy and Produce during emergencies. Meat Department is a separate union contract. Everyone else is the same contract. No one can work in the Meat Department unless it is an extreme emergency. And, Vice versa.
I find it odd that they would take someone from bakery (a service department) and have them work in a grocery department. Did the manager not realize that you have your own work to do in the bakery? Are they going to return the favor and give the bakery help from the grocery department when bakery can't get its work done?
Actually I think what happened was that, from the time I had come in for my shift, about everything was done already save for bringing up the truck. As like 3 of our more experienced peeps were on that morning. And probably one of them was like since there is nothing else to do at the moment, you can just take her down to grocery.
But yea, I doubt they would return the favor to bring someone up from grocery. Although they probably figure there is no real need since Deli is right next to us. And if possible can grab a few hands from over there. What has been interesting though is the fact that a few weeks ago, someone from Deli had said they were told that more bakery peeps were going to come down there and help them. And at the time, myself and someone else that was on closing that night for the bakery, was like who are these mysterious extra hands? As they can barely schedule enough peeps for us to cover afternoon shifts at times. And I guess a week or so after hearing about them grabbing from bakery, I've heard about and even saw a couple of bakery people helping out in the sandwich shop areas as well as me being over in Deli much more often.
So I don't know if they knew about 4 folks quitting and another 4 getting fired for a while now and wanted bakery to be on deck to fill-in when need be or what.
Thanks for answering everybody. I didn't mind helping out really. But I was just surprised that they would have come all the way back to the Bakery and asked for extra help. I mean, I would have thought other depts. that were closer by would have been a easier choice. Most especially when it comes down to answering customer questions about where stuff is. As we barely get a chance to get out from behind the counter once we are clocked in for our shift in the Deli/Bakery areas. And when we do that is only for breaks and the bathroom. So it was kind of a trip trying to find other associates to ask them what aisle the tooth picks and other stuff is on. Thankfully we have more than enough Clicklist peeps going around there that I grabbed a few of them to help me out from time to time.
Not like that, just being taken by a manager and told to work in X department for an hour, then Y, before you return back to your original department. At most we'll have people scheduled up front to make up for more hours they want since Produce doesn't have many hours to give to part timers.
I know of a few people in my store who are scheduled between Dairy, Nutrition, and Grocery all in one week though, because these departments don't have enough regular help.
Dairy, Frozen, Nutrition, and Grocery are all considered the same Department and share part timers at my store.
As laborers(clerks), we do whatever the store management asks us to do. I am a grocery clerk and have helped in Frozen, Collected shopping carts, Bread, Dairy and Produce during emergencies. Meat Department is a separate union contract. Everyone else is the same contract. No one can work in the Meat Department unless it is an extreme emergency. And, Vice versa.
In my store, there is a guy who works both deli and meat departments. He is coded in the system as a deli department clerk but is given shifts in meat department (with it saying Meat.Clerk on the schedule but on the deli schedule), sometimes even for the whole week or close to it. Are they breaking union rules by doing this? I've always thought it was odd to see this combination when in other stores i always thought meat department could only work in meat. this tiny store is such an odd exception compared to like every other kroger store anyway so i'm not sure whats up with that.
-- Edited by 4hourrush on Tuesday 14th of March 2017 02:37:17 PM
In my store, there is a guy who works both deli and meat departments. He is coded in the system as a deli department clerk but is given shifts in meat department (with it saying Meat.Clerk on the schedule but on the deli schedule), sometimes even for the whole week or close to it. Are they breaking union rules by doing this? I've always thought it was odd to see this combination when in other stores i always thought meat department could only work in meat. this tiny store is such an odd exception compared to like every other kroger store anyway so i'm not sure whats up with that.
-- Edited by 4hourrush on Tuesday 14th of March 2017 02:37:17 PM
In some divisions the meat department may be under a separate contract, but it's not like that in all divisions.
In my store, there is a guy who works both deli and meat departments. He is coded in the system as a deli department clerk but is given shifts in meat department (with it saying Meat.Clerk on the schedule but on the deli schedule), sometimes even for the whole week or close to it. Are they breaking union rules by doing this? I've always thought it was odd to see this combination when in other stores i always thought meat department could only work in meat. this tiny store is such an odd exception compared to like every other kroger store anyway so i'm not sure whats up with that.
-- Edited by 4hourrush on Tuesday 14th of March 2017 02:37:17 PM
It is not a problem until someone complains. :)
I am not sure. Being a small store creates an unusual problem.
The meat contract here makes a part time person full time automatically if they average 40 hours a week for 12 weeks. The other clerks never had that opportunity. Well, if our contract passes next week, now all the other part time clerks in the store have an opportunity to get full time with benefits automatically if they average 40 hours for 12 weeks.
This is for "retention" of good employees. It took me 8 years to get full time working 40 hour weeks most of those years. I was shocked when our District posted 800 full time bids a few years ago. They didn't have enough qualified people to fill them and gave them away to anyone that had a pulse. Now, I am shocked that part time workers can earn full time status by working 40 hour weeks.
I was the lead in starbucks for 9 years then became lead in the liquor store. Now I do time and attendance and I'm a file clerk. My day normally consists of not getting my own job done because I'm constantly running breaks in liquor and starbucks. A file clerk is considered front end, so when I finish working in those departments I'm constantly being called up front to work register. It's job safety I suppose
