Rant: Scheduled on Saturday, AGAIN!!!

[AlienGirl]

Once again my store manager has scheduled me to work Saturday. This despite the fact that I've put notes in the computer and talked to him several times requesting *not* to be scheduled Friday nights or Saturdays. I am at my wits' end. First he keeps over-scheduling me, including having me work until 11:00 at night and then come in at 8:00 am. This wreaks havoc with my precarious brain chemistry--sleep deprivation is the surest way to send me into a depressive tailspin, including suicidal ideation. Now, adding insult to injury, he overrides my unavailability in the computer system and schedules me on Saturday! :grr:

Oh, I was also told that I "can't advance in the company" if I'm not willing to work Saturdays, because all store managers must work Saturdays (they get Sundays off as company policy.)

I work every Sunday. I work Christmas and Easter. I work the Fourth of July and all the other "family" holidays because my kids aren't with me.


Is there anything I can do besides continuing to complain and get on his nerves, or should I just be glad I have a job at all in this economy?

Tucker

[DebJ]

1. store managers forfeit life: sleep, eating, family, fun

10 years as a restaurant manager and I finally was able to hit the road. Now I'm working a goofy hourly job, by choice. For the first time in 10 years, I get Saturdays off (before, at the MOST, one weekend per month). I get to ask for holidays off (no pay, but I'm surrounded by love). Ten years of no holidays, maybe ONE per year, just sucks. Like, work late Christmas Eve, have off Christmas Day, come in early the day after Christmas. Some Holiday!
You have my full appreciation. Restaurant and retail managers are slaves.

[regnaD kciN]

2. Welcome to the New Bush Economy...

...where serfs are expected to be grateful to their Lordship for whatever bounty he chooses to dispense, and otherwise humbly accept their lot in life. :grr:

FWIW, at my last software company (which sounds like it was only a few miles from your workplace), coming in at least one weekend day until about 10 P.M. (unpaid overtime, of course) was considered de rigeur. During crunch time, which stretched for weeks at a time, make that both Saturday and Sunday...they might be generous enough to allow you to attend a place of worship on the appropriate day, but only if you made it up by working even later that day.

Also, during crunch time, late nights were expected. Since I had to pick up my daughter at day care by 6:30, that meant driving back to Maple Valley (40 miles through rush hour traffic), picking her and my wife up, taking them home, and then driving back to Kirkland and working until past midnight before another 40-mile drive home. Do you know what this schedule got me? Continual complaints for being "disloyal," "letting my team down," and "cheating the company" because, horrors!, I was actually away from the office from about 5:15 to 7:30 to pick up my daughter. Even though I came back later, that absence was what was noticed and brought up again and again -- even though I'd told them, at the time of hiring, that I had to be able to do so, and was told at the time that it would be "no problem."

The fact is that the conservative goal is not the "good old days" of the 50s (where workers had reasonable hours and the rich paid heavy taxes) but feudalism -- where those who already have can sit back, live off their businesses and investments, and pass them all down to their children tax-free, while workers are just commodities who should be satisfied with their lot in life, happy with whatever their betters choose to give them. Workers, be grateful that your quality of life is better than workers in China, because we can always send most of your jobs there if you are ingrates!

:argh:

[flamingyouth]

3. Such is life in retail, sadly

Particularly when you're a manager/owner - you forfeit your weekends and sometimes your life. When I worked in a mall, I had all kinds of hideous hours - both Saturdays and Sundays - and during Christmas, I just loved working until freaking midnight, then coming back to work at 9 am! UGH

I've worked retail for 20 years - sorry to hijack your rant and make it my own, but I hear you.

[DemoTex]

4. Hi Tucker!

Long time no see. Good to see you on. Good luck with your boss. I'm retired. My boss and I get along great.

[AlienGirl]

5. You're lucky

I'll never be able to retire. :-( My life is such a complete and utter failure. And I did most of it to myself: screwing up my marriage, everything else.

Tucker