What would you do?Department manager won't let me take of July 4th for Cousins Wedding that I need to stay over night for (1 Viewer)

[DJackson10]

I worked in the produce department in high school, it's not that complicated.  

There's a lot more then that I do. Teach someone price changes, you need to learn how to do the cut fruit now, do you know how to do the Trim section of Romain, Red Leaf, Kale, Fennel, carrots etc? All need to be cleaned and trimmed a certain way. A whole lot more into produce then there use to be. 

 

[DJackson10]

For a lot of you guys busting his balls, I think we should have some compassion for our guy here. I am by no means an expert with Autism/Aspergers, but one thing I do know is it's hard for some folks to reach a comfort level in everyday life.

And it sounds like our guy here is comfortable here. He has his routine. He knows his routine. And I believe those things are pretty important for a guy on that spectrum.

So just upping up and leaving is a HUGE ordeal for someone like this. 

Bingo. I already put forth here already big change is not something I do well with. I did better with the Covid Protocols then I thought but I won't say it was easy for me. I probably transitioned easier then others on the spectrum but it wasn't without a lot of help from coworkers and parents etc. 

When we switched companies after the first went bankrupt that was a huge change. I didn't do well at first with it. But learned. 

Just to pick up everything and go else is kind of a big ordeal and leaving that comfort zone is is hard, kind of scary etc. Especially meeting new people is overwhelming. 

 

[fruity pebbles]

Seems like you should be making considerably more. Aren’t you outside of Philly? Fast food, grocery stores etc are starting at $17 here. I’m not talking about a big city, this is Maine. Especially for someone with your seniority and versatility. And this is a union shop?

 

[DJackson10]

the real "wedding" already took place in Australia....so this is really one of those "receptions back home" for the people that didn't/couldn't attend what is basically what we know as a "destination wedding".....still a very important event for many, so it really shouldn't matter to a "boss" ....but it does take a little juice off it actually being a "wedding" that you are a part of or actually "in"....

sounds like a little lesson can be learned here that you maybe should have been a little more forceful with your "heads up" a few months ago or whatever.....does your company actually have an official way that you are supposed to "request time off"....if so, did you do that...?....sounds like maybe you didn't cause you say you just gave him the heads up and then you also mentioned that you could maybe work "earlier in the day" and then still go to the wedding, but then realized later that wasn't possible because of travel.....so if you just kind of mentioned it and then waited for your "schedule to come out" and saw you were on the schedule, you maybe didn't give a meaningful enough "heads up"...there may have been others that "officially" followed the company policy of "requesting time off", so they trumped you here on probably one of the more requested days off on the schedule....

you also seemed to mention that it is a part time job that was working almost full time hours....if you are indeed technically "part time" and getting those benefits....you should consider yourself very lucky.....many places don't offer benefits to part time employeees....so you being "part time" may be coming into play here as well, as other full time employees, probably asked for that day off as well.....

so with all that said here....I can see how it shook out this way....there is probably some shared blame here.....you maybe didn't do what you really needed to do, and your boss is kind of in a "I need somebody to work" situation, so you drew the short straw when things shook out....and they may be taking advantage of you a little bit, because they know your level of commitment to them and that you will just "deal with it" or accept it because of what the job means to you, and your comfort level, etc....

I wish you the best in whatever you decide....if you find another job great, but I know that is always scary and uncertain and nobody really likes change....sometimes there are some hidden benefits to a job, like your proximity/comfort level/etc that don't really have a price attached to it about how much the job is really "worth" to someone, but it sounds like some of those things are pretty important to you, which I can totally understand....but sometimes those hidden benefits also come with a cost....which in this case, the "cost" may be being told "sorry no you can't have that day off".....best of luck...

This is a retail job there's no real way to go abut taking off other then handing in a note that says Hey X I need off this day. Technically don't have to give reason and given we're union and we get benefits managers aren't suppose to ask nor do we have to say why we need off. They all say it's just a request that can be denied but the union says that's just talk to discourage people from taking off certain days. 

The other day I reminded him of the event and he then says "yeah I don't think I can give it to you. It's a very busy day and NO ONE TAKES off. You aren't more special then anyone else." NO ONE TAKES Off is BS it's just more of a policy he put in as a department head and honestly if I didn't care about where I worked and didn't like Produce I could go above his head to my store director who would probably override his decision. This is the same Manager btw who when my grandmother died a few months ago says 'Oh sorry to hear about that. Can you come in later after the funeral for a shift?" Uh no as much as I didn't like my grandmother the funeral was in the Jersey and I was going to be there for my dad and my aunts and uncles. Like that was pretty unprofessional for him to ask that. If I was the boss and my employee told me their grandparent died I'd tell them sorry to hear let me know if you need anything and when's the funeral so I can work with you. If you need more time off let me know. That's WHAT A REAL BOSS DOES. Treats their employees like actual human beings not robots. 

I will say he does a lot more in terms of management of his department then many others do. My one department manager never works holiday ever. At least he's there with us on Easter, Thanksgiving etc so I give him credit for that. 

We're having like another wedding ceremony here as well. It's going to be more of a Cliff notes version kind of things as My cousin is Greek Orthodox and many of us won't see another one of those. He has a brother who's part of the LBGTQ+ community so obviously a church wedding is out of the picture there. So my Aunt and Uncle and Cousin kind of want to share that experience with all of us. So this isn't just a ceremony after the actual wedding. 

 

[DJackson10]

Seems like you should be making considerably more. Aren’t you outside of Philly? Fast food, grocery stores etc are starting at $17 here. I’m not talking about a big city, this is Maine. Especially for someone with your seniority and versatility. And this is a union shop?

Oh I should be making more. A lot of people should be making more including most in this thread. With inflation Minimum wage should be closer to almost $2O per hour. That means you and others lets just say you make $25 or so you should be making closer to 3O something now. What companies especially big corp don't want to tell you nor the pockets it'd effect the most is if we increase minimum wage Full time job employees wages should be increasing too. The Part time people fighting for minimum wage should be getting help to fight for that with full timers because Minimum wage goes up that means their own salaries should go up. That's the class warfare propaganda they try and separate us on. To not get too political or governmental here thats the easiest to explain things. Also prices don't go up because companies can't afford to pay their workers so they increase their prices. They just can't afford their 4th and 5th mansions, their 4th yacht and pay the NDA to their mistress they knocked up now. So they say blame higher prices on higher employee wages. Also immigrants aren't stealing your jobs. The companies are shipping them overseas for cheaper labor and getting a tax write off. Cheaper goods means more money in the big corp pocket. 

As for making more the only place that I could maybe go to is WAWA but people who work there tell me don't come. The Giants are starting $15 per hour but someone who use to work there told me she heard from former coworkers they promise you a bunch of hrs and then after 6 months screw you over and give you only 2O hoping you quit and they can hire someone new. Plus non union and can fire you for any BS even a simple call out sick has gotten people fired. I refuse to work at Walmart that pays more. That place is like a zoo. Went in there the other day to return something Half hour before it closed since I was in the area and the person suppose to be there was taking their lunch and never told anyone. So I finally found someone who got a manager to do my return. Wasted 1O mins of my time just searching for someone and most of the people there aren't nice or personable. 

I'd rather get out of retail and work somewhere else. I'm good with spread sheets and putting info into a computer so maybe something like that would be great especially something I do do from home. My retail experience has made me want to deal with people unless I'm friends with them less and less in a work environment. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

No one is easily replaceable. Managers/owners/companies use this comment constantly but then realize later they F'd up and trying to replace said person is much harder. My mom and one other person both left their positions for other jobs at CHOP. Her old manager is still having a hard time finding anyone who can do their job. There aren't many people in my line of work who 

1. Literally reliable and never call out sick. I may show up late with notice but they know I'll be there

2. Can do some of the things I can do especially in the Beer/Wine Department as you need to be certified

3. I'm also in charge of all those holiday decorations you see in your local grocery store I do that at my store

4, I've been there long enough I can train new cart/baggers, train a cashier, train a stocker, etc 

5. I live like 5 mins from the store so can come in at a moments notice

6. I stay late or come in when needed

7. And there's a lot of stuff I know most of my coworkers don't know just because of my vast experience. 

I've tried transferring to a different store before and it was hard. My Union rep told me that my Store Manager said he wouldn't be able to replace me if I left. Since it wasn't for a promotion he was allowed to deny it. 

Also given the times now it's not easy to replace anyone. People aren't going to work Full time hours for Part time pay or non fair livable wages. It's not people don't want to work it's people aren' going to work for slave wages part time while working Full time hours. People are smartening up and Companies can't admit they need to pay more when they can. 

Keep in mind I did differentiate that there is a difference between being replaceable (which most of us are, in the long run) and easily replaceable, but the last few years had made a lot less people easily replaceable, and that is a good thing.  

But do not underestimate the laziness of many people when it comes to work. I see it often.  There are exceptions of course, but I swear literally everyone under 30 my company has hired in the last few years has tried to get away with doing as little work as possible and always expects to get paid more.  The good news is that those of us who do work hard get recognized for it and have been taken care of, so being a good and hard worker does pay off if you get in at the right place (I work in an office for a logistics company, I will leave it at that).

 

[UOFI_316]

There's a lot more then that I do. Teach someone price changes, you need to learn how to do the cut fruit now, do you know how to do the Trim section of Romain, Red Leaf, Kale, Fennel, carrots etc? All need to be cleaned and trimmed a certain way. A whole lot more into produce then there use to be. 

I did all that almost 30 years ago.  If I was closing the night before the prices changed i needed to go around and change all the signs after we closed.  For the various lettuces I would need to go out every few hours and go thru and trim off the bottoms so that the red/dark/dried end was no longer there, but not trim too much that leafs fell off.   If there was a bad piece of lettuce I needed to take off the twist tie, remove the bad piece, and put the twist tie back on.   Putting out more bagged salad, you pull out everything, put the new ones in the back and then put the old ones in the front.  Putting out apples or something like that, pull everything down and fill in behind them.   If I pulled out enough so-so items I would shrink wrap them and put them in the reduced section with the proper price tag.   If I saw a hot chick, I would offer to make sure her melons were the proper firmness.  There hasn't been some giant leap forward in produce selling/displaying technology that I know of.  I did it for 6 years, and was at the point were my produce manager was asking if I was going to make a career of it.

 

[DJackson10]

Keep in mind I did differentiate that there is a difference between being replaceable (which most of us are, in the long run) and easily replaceable, but the last few years had made a lot less people easily replaceable, and that is a good thing.  

But do not underestimate the laziness of many people when it comes to work. I see it often.  There are exceptions of course, but I swear literally everyone under 30 my company has hired in the last few years has tried to get away with doing as little work as possible and always expects to get paid more.  The good news is that those of us who do work hard get recognized for it and have been taken care of, so being a good and hard worker does pay off if you get in at the right place (I work in an office for a logistics company, I will leave it at that).

Not saying people aren't lazy just pointing out that Companies and many people use this as an example of people don't want to work but don't want to talk about the people who want to but why they aren't accepting certain jobs. That's laziness by those people and not wanting to hold people accountable and just lumping the people who want to work into the same category. 

 

[E Street Brat]

You got your apples, pears, grapes, bananas, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini..   you familiar with the zucchini?  

I just could not help reading that in Frank Costanza voice 

 

[DJackson10]

I forgot to mention but I'll also have some family coming from out of town to the wedding from different parts of the country. His brother and my cousin I haven't seen in almost 3 yrs because he's in Germany working for the Government and was able to get time off and with covid restrictions over I can see him. My one aunt was just hospitalized and now dealing with Vertigo and her husband my uncle was diagnosed with Cancer. My Grandmother also may not make the wedding as she hurt her leg 4 yrs back and she can't sit in a car for long periods of time. She also can't handle all the noise at a function like this and if she goes someone would have to spend time in her hotel room with her.

At this point I'm putting in the formal request and see if I get it. I'm going to talk to my Assistant manager on Monday when I get back from my birthday weekend and just tell him I've had this request in multiple times the last 2 yrs and it's had to be rescheduled do to the Pandemic. The only thing that has changed in that time at work is I'm now working produce more then I was. He can ask my Department manager in Beer and Wine and her back up who both known about this for 2 yrs. If I can't go then I want a company letter sent to my cousin for his wedding day explaining to him why apparently me working 4th of July for their company is more important then attending a family wedding. I'd also like work to compensate my money lost for a cancelation fee for my hotel room last minute and for my suit as well. In the long run for them it'd be less expensive for them to just say go to the wedding then try and keep me at work. 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I don’t think you need to get into all the details with them. I would just be stern and say that you understand that it’s a busy weekend but you’re going to a wedding that you’re in. I would also offer up to work an upcoming holiday such as Christmas or thanksgiving. 
 

At the end of the day you are going to the wedding, right? 
 

If you’re a good employee and I’m sure you are, you have value and you are not easily replaced. They can lose you for one day or forever. I bet that they want to keep you. 

 

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

I don’t think you need to get into all the details with them.

 

C'mon now. I love Djax but we all know this ain't happenin'

 

[flapgreen]

 

[DJackson10]

I don’t think you need to get into all the details with them. I would just be stern and say that you understand that it’s a busy weekend but you’re going to a wedding that you’re in. I would also offer up to work an upcoming holiday such as Christmas or thanksgiving. 
 

At the end of the day you are going to the wedding, right? 
 

If you’re a good employee and I’m sure you are, you have value and you are not easily replaced. They can lose you for one day or forever. I bet that they want to keep you. 

 

I don't work Christmas ever I did get off though. I messed up my request in my Beer/Wine department. My back up over there said she remembered me saying I wouldn't put in days off over there for my boss over there as I'm not over there much. My Front end guy came to my produce boss Monday saying my B/W manager needed me next Mon and Tues. Right away we both said Im at a wedding those 2 days. He ended up giving it to me too. I talked to my bookkeeper who I've been having issues with about it too as she was talking to me about the issue her and I were having with a health issue that brevets me from checking all the time. she said if he didn't get me off they'd have done it for me. When I told her what it was for she told me she remembered me mentioning this awhile back 

Also He seemed ok with it after I told him I can work rest of the week including Sunday. Also stayed on Monday do to a call out for him as he was going away Tues/Thurs as his kid and him had college Orientation 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I don't work Christmas ever I did get off though. I messed up my request in my Beer/Wine department. My back up over there said she remembered me saying I wouldn't put in days off over there for my boss over there as I'm not over there much. My Front end guy came to my produce boss Monday saying my B/W manager needed me next Mon and Tues. Right away we both said Im at a wedding those 2 days. He ended up giving it to me too. I talked to my bookkeeper who I've been having issues with about it too as she was talking to me about the issue her and I were having with a health issue that brevets me from checking all the time. she said if he didn't get me off they'd have done it for me. When I told her what it was for she told me she remembered me mentioning this awhile back 

Also He seemed ok with it after I told him I can work rest of the week including Sunday. Also stayed on Monday do to a call out for him as he was going away Tues/Thurs as his kid and him had college Orientation 

Awesome news!

How was the wedding!?!?

 

[Drunken knight]

I don't work Christmas ever I did get off though. I messed up my request in my Beer/Wine department. My back up over there said she remembered me saying I wouldn't put in days off over there for my boss over there as I'm not over there much. My Front end guy came to my produce boss Monday saying my B/W manager needed me next Mon and Tues. Right away we both said Im at a wedding those 2 days. He ended up giving it to me too. I talked to my bookkeeper who I've been having issues with about it too as she was talking to me about the issue her and I were having with a health issue that brevets me from checking all the time. she said if he didn't get me off they'd have done it for me. When I told her what it was for she told me she remembered me mentioning this awhile back 

Also He seemed ok with it after I told him I can work rest of the week including Sunday. Also stayed on Monday do to a call out for him as he was going away Tues/Thurs as his kid and him had college Orientation 

did you get the tps reports?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Yesterday I drove by an ACME billboard that said “we put the pro in produce.”

 

[rustycolts]

I worked in the produce department in high school, it's not that complicated.  

Yea but did you do it right?

 

[Dezbelief]

Yesterday I drove by an ACME billboard that said “we put the pro in produce.”

What kind of pros are we talking here?

 

[lakerstan]

People in retail don’t need YOU to work the holiday.  They need a warm body to work.  Agree with others who have said to trade with someone.  Unless you think you will be fired, you could also randomly come down with Covid.  FMLA would have been an option if you “knew a doctor”.

- 22 years in Workforce Management.

 

[DJackson10]

Awesome news!

How was the wedding!?!?

Not till Monday