I would rather have my days off than overtime pay!

I work retail and a few months ago transferred to a store closer to where I live. At my previous store, we NEVER worked overtime (except on very rare occasions, and you weren't obligated). But here, while I really like my new boss, she is a workaholic and seems to think that everyone wants as many extra hours as possible. Which for most of us isn't true.

For the past couple of months most of us have been called in to work on our days off because we were short on the floor. Now, we have more people so it's eased up a little, but not completely. So what happens today? I'm in the office getting my till ready when I hear my boss talking with another manager about how they're short at one of our other stores in a nearby town.

Then, she says, while poring over the schedule, "Who do we have off tomorrow?" I cringe, knowing what's coming next. "Why, 'Lasergal' is off tomorrow! She can fill in over there!" :yabbmad:

Then she hops on the phone to the manager at that store and is all "I have someone who can work for you tomorrow!"

:banghead:

I uh, kind of had plans for tomorrow, you know???

My job is hard work, and can be pretty stressful at times and I really value and need some down time, in part to unwind, but also because I have errands I need to do that can't really be done on work days.

I know no one can really help much, but I really needed to rant!

That sucks!!! Can she really pimp you out to other stores like that? Have you said anything about not wanting to work overtime? It might help to let her know that your not that kind of gal.

That crap wouldnt fly with me. They try that at my fiance's work sometimes, she just lets them lay in the bed they made. Since she volunteered, she should go if its your day off. Whats she gonna do fire you for taking the day off you had scheduled? She doesnt want to pay unemployment bills, im sure of it. We dont live to work, we work to live. You have to enjoy the days you are given. Tomorrow may be your last one.

They just tried punishing my fiance at her work. Shes an assist. manager of a Dots store. They decided they wanted to screw her on her upcoming weekends. The stupid immature losers were mad cause my fiance took her vacation(which is paid for and she earns) and was able to get 2 weekends off during it. So when they ALL showed up to work late today they got yelled at, written up, and she made them do chores non stop. Shes in the process of finding another job now, when she does she just walking out. During the busiest time possible. Nothing is worse then a bunch of immature females who talk behind your back, then when you confront them they deny and lie. It doesnt help when your boss is a complete loser who will take all the weekends off she wants, yet thinks you can work them all back to back to back...


Its ok, the past 3 years ive been working as a 1099 and haven't got paid overtime for working every holiday. Including Christmas and a few new years eve parties. and since ive been working as a 1099 for all my jobs in the past, I owe the IRS about 24K, and im only 27....

BTW DOTS clothing store has NO return policy, you can wear it over and over and over. Take it back the next year with a receipt and the idiots will give you your money back...

When I was on the Workforce working for other companies
and I was unhappy with the way the company was run and
it affected me.... I changed companies to get a better or
more suitable job...

There are a lot of people out of work in the USA and I'm
sure someone would be more than happy to do the extra
overtime...

An other solution is to work for yourself.. This way you
could run you errands anytime you like and can do
overtime when and if you wanted...


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

Thank you all for the support. I'm getting pretty fed up, when there seems to be no end in sight to this nonsense.

Another example of how she is goes like this: At my other store, I would often arrive early (because I take the bus) and rest in the break room before my shift. But here, when she saw me do that she wanted me to clock in right away and get to work. Without getting off any earlier, of course. Arrrgh!!!

Later, guys. Off to work I go. Again. *Sigh*

My old job used to be like that. Then I just told my boss that I am not scheduled in for another 10 minutes (or whatever) and that I can do whatever I want during that time (for me, it was ordering food so I could get something to eat before my 6 hour shift began).

Either way, tell her you don't want to work overtime, or she can fire you. You are not contractually obligated to do whatever your boss says. You are contractually obligated (or whatever) to work the schedule, but that's all.

lasergal said:

At my other store, I would often arrive early (because I take the bus) and rest in the break room before my shift. But here, when she saw me do that she wanted me to clock in right away and get to work

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You might want to keep a record of clock in/out times.....sometimes the management likes to shave off an hour or two, via accounting dept......to stay "cost efficient"

I'm not accusing anyone ..... just giving a heads up. It happened to me in the past.

Lasergal, I know what you mean, and sympathize.

My current boss is a great guy. I've been at the same company for over two years now, and I consider him to be kind of a friend.

That said though, he is a crazy workaholic! He'll constantly stay super late, or work on the weekends/from home/from vacation.

I admire this to a degree, but it also drives me nuts.

When I leave work in the evening, or for the weekend, I don't want to deal with, or think about work.

In dealing with your boss, consider just saying no politely, next time she "volunteers" you. Or conversely ask for more money.

Lonewolf said:

You might want to keep a record of clock in/out times.....sometimes the management likes to shave off an hour or two, via accounting dept......to stay "cost efficient"

I'm not accusing anyone ..... just giving a heads up. It happened to me in the past.

Click to expand...

Uhm... Wallmart comes to mind as a prime example. Although MANY stores are also guilty of this. (Sears for example.)

People often end up working more hours then they are supposed to, because the job requires it, but when it comes to payment, they are only compensated for the hours scheduled.

Than there is the flip side where they basically keep people at just under full time, so that they don't have to pay additional benefits due to full time employees.

You could also keep good documentation of everything going on. You never know, you could have a real nice law suit in the making.

Wolfman29 said:

Either way, tell her you don't want to work overtime, or she can fire you.

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Wish I could do that. But I need my job too much, especially since it took me nine months and the help of an employment agency to get this one. The economy sucks!

I know what you mean...

I work on a yearly contract... "26 hours a week", meaning I need to make up 1352 hours in a year.

As long as I make up the 1352 hours a year it meets the contract. That means I have no weekly guaranteed hours.. and I can be asked to work any day that week from any time till whenever.

Worst thing is, our company has a "bank of hours" policy... where if I work more than is rostered for the week it will go into the bank... and the company will not pay us for it. Instead we can use it as time off. Like work an hour extra on Monday, take an hour off Tuesday. That way the company does not need to pay us overtime or penalty rates. For some reason this is 100% legal we have taken this to our union an they can't do anything about it.

But if we don't have any work for the day (I work in nightfill) we can be told to leave early... in which case we then owe hours to the bank... so I can loose the hours I have banked while working back the week beforehand. It's an insanely stupid system that only benefits the company.

But to be honest the company takes care of us in other ways. We get a 3.15% pay rise every 6 months, $1000 worth of shares in the company for free every year and $500+ bonus' every year. So it's kinda worth all the BS.

/rant

lasergal said:

Wish I could do that. But I need my job too much, especially since it took me nine months and the help of an employment agency to get this one. The economy sucks!

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i take it your not in a union? because if that was the case you could tell her to find someone else or you will file a grievance.

awillis2589 said:

i take it your not in a union? because if that was the case you could tell her to find someone else or you will file a grievance.

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Nope, no union.

Reading over some of the replies makes me really wish I could just work for myself, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

awillis2589 said:

i take it your not in a union? because if that was the case you could tell her to find someone else or you will file a grievance.

Click to expand...

Unions Suck nowadays.
Way back when... they were beneficial.


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics