Archived Pay increasing, hours decreasing

[sfslackey]

Why SHOULD one have to work 2 jobs to make ends meet? You are giving twice your time just to pay bills. Something is wrong with the gap between the rich and the poor in society.

Some people can literally do almost nothing in comparison and get paid ridiculously. For instance; not to bring up the hot wheel resellers (I assume) hanging out all day at my store again but... and then lets talk about some politicians (actually, lets not get into that cluster). The list could go on.

 

[restroomFollowUp]

Recently during my review I was told that I only received a nickel raise due to my state enacting the $15 minimum wage within a couple months. When I asked my immediate supervisor if my hours would drastically go down, he laughed and changed the subject. I only get four hour shifts, so I am curious to know what may happen.

Mathematically the hour cuts everyone is experiencing don’t make very much sense. Doesn’t the store have to always have team members working in certain positions? In that case there will always be hours to go around. Target would pay less to have 1 cashier working an 8 hour then to have 2 working 4 hour shifts because of unpaid lunch. I guess some people are experiencing this because they can’t really afford to have people doing nothing for any time but that makes sense, at least they aren’t cutting hours with no pay increase...

 

[Endlessbackstock]

Well it’s more upsetting that people who are seasonal (come October) will be walking in off the street making $15, while right now I’m making less than that, getting short shifts and being given more responsibility.

 

[JAShands]

Target would pay less to have 1 cashier working an 8 hour then to have 2 working 4 hour shifts because of unpaid lunch.

Three points I’d like to make about this one particular sentence.
1. It’s easier to break up the shift than it is to cover a lunch. I know the salesfloor is busy and can’t deop everything to go up front for half an hour, splitting the shift alleviates that.
2. Splitting the shift means I can spread hours out to more TMs. With the GSAs losing their shifts and the hours reallocated to Guest Advocates yeah there are more hours but a lot of them are longer. Splitting them means I can give 8 people a shift instead of 5. (Totally made up numbers, not accurate at all.)
3. A front end call out with a 4 hour shift is hard on the whole store. But a front end call out with an 8.5 hour shift will cripple the front for the day and everyone from the floor will be taking a turn spending 30-45 minutes up front.
These are the reasons I split front end shifts, and I’m sure why a lot of HR do as well.

 

[restroomFollowUp]

Three points I’d like to make about this one particular sentence.
1. It’s easier to break up the shift than it is to cover a lunch. I know the salesfloor is busy and can’t deop everything to go up front for half an hour, splitting the shift alleviates that.
2. Splitting the shift means I can spread hours out to more TMs. With the GSAs losing their shifts and the hours reallocated to Guest Advocates yeah there are more hours but a lot of them are longer. Splitting them means I can give 8 people a shift instead of 5. (Totally made up numbers, not accurate at all.)
3. A front end call out with a 4 hour shift is hard on the whole store. But a front end call out with an 8.5 hour shift will cripple the front for the day and everyone from the floor will be taking a turn spending 30-45 minutes up front.
These are the reasons I split front end shifts, and I’m sure why a lot of HR do as well.

That makes sense, but all of those reasons still apply without the pay increase. I’ve worked front end for a year and sales floor for a year so I do know how the shifts differ. I just know that when the pay was $10/hr there were more people on the sales floor doing nothing then there are now, I think instead of getting angry people should understand that corporate needs to streamline. Seriously tho I wish I could have my hours cut, I asked for like 20 and I’m getting 34 so it’d be a luxury for me.

 

[JAShands]

Talk to your Leaders or HR about trimming your hours. There isn’t really any way of knowing how many hours a TM wants per week without digging up reports, which is zero convenient to do with limited hours. Also post shifts, that will help people who want hours get some and at some point either Leadership or HR will notice the trend and have a conversation with you.

As far as hours go they haven’t really changed at my store since Modernization took over. I’ve been working on schedules for over half a decade and the last couple of years have the same hours. Obviously not exactly since forecasts and goals change, but they’re close enough I’m callling it good. Keep in mind a lot of stores got more TLs this year and each of them gobble up 35-40 hours/week each. I work at a ULV and we have 7 TLs taking about 250 hours, or 15% of the payroll. That leaves an average of 1800 hours for the remaining 85 TMs. The hours are there if you know where to look.

 

[restroomFollowUp]

Inwou

Talk to your Leaders or HR about trimming your hours. There isn’t really any way of knowing how many hours a TM wants per week without digging up reports, which is zero convenient to do with limited hours. Also post shifts, that will help people who want hours get some and at some point either Leadership or HR will notice the trend and have a conversation with you.

As far as hours go they haven’t really changed at my store since Modernization took over. I’ve been working on schedules for over half a decade and the last couple of years have the same hours. Obviously not exactly since forecasts and goals change, but they’re close enough I’m callling it good. Keep in mind a lot of stores got more TLs this year and each of them gobble up 35-40 hours/week each. I work at a ULV and we have 7 TLs taking about 250 hours, or 15% of the payroll. That leaves an average of 1800 hours for the remaining 85 TMs. The hours are there if you know where to look.

I would post shifts but I stumbled my way into a 4 person tech team, between us there isn’t any room for a 15 hour schedule. I said during my interview that I would be flexible and it’s up to me to live up to that

 

[Times Up]

That leaves an average of 1800 hours for the remaining 85 TMs. The hours are there if you know where to look.

Well that shows that corporate really doesn't want anything except part timers. Based on your particular store's numbers, that just over 21 hours per TM. Granted not everyone will want that many. It still makes it difficult for those who want more hours to reach the magic number of 30 hours to become insurance eligible.

 

[JAShands]

Inwou

I would post shifts but I stumbled my way into a 4 person tech team, between us there isn’t any room for a 15 hour schedule. I said during my interview that I would be flexible and it’s up to me to live up to that

I have 3 Tech Consultants at my store that are upset we just hired two more. They love finally getting decent hours after some quit/transferred/changed jobs. You could always see if someone wanted a longer shift to break up your hours 🤷‍♀️

Well that shows that corporate really doesn't want anything except part timers. Based on your particular store's numbers, that just over 21 hours per TM. Granted not everyone will want that many. It still makes it difficult for those who want more hours to reach the magic number of 30 hours to become insurance eligible.

But.. that is exactly what corporate wants.. a very part-time workforce. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You don’t have to drink any of the kool-aid but at least act like you’re having a good time at the party. Ask Leaders for hours, grab them off the swap shift board, let HR know if there is a call-in you’re free and then answer the phone when they call! If you show a desire to be there and can make the Leaders lives easier while you are there they will remember and the hours will start showing up. They have to know you want more hours. Leaders aren’t mind readers, they’re people too, and pretty much all are bad at reading people. Must be a side effect of the kool-aid?

 

[TargetOldTimer]

Ask to learn other work centers, and keep asking. It took me 5 years to get the receivers position when I started to realize that my signing position was on it's way out. When my hours were being cut, I woke up early, got dressed, and called in to see if there were any call outs I could cover. 90% of the time, I got my hours. Tell ya, it's pretty discouraging to see new hires walking in at only $8 less than I have taken over 3 decades of outstanding reviews to make...

 

[Ducky2020]

glad i can see im not the only one getting 4 hour shifts and can see its time to leave and find a better job where they follow your availability

 

[Mrt75]

Yep 4 hour schedule is normal here Truck done unload 830 then break then not enough time to push and do anything else

 

[Endlessbackstock]

Yep 4 hour schedule is normal here Truck done unload 830 then break then not enough time to push and do anything else

Yeah that’s the norm at Target now it seems. Our flow team comes in at 6, leaves at 10. A few times a week the lead will ask one or two of the flow team to stay until 10:55, but still most of the stock just sits there if it’s not finished by 10am

 

[Panna Jotts]

Three points I’d like to make about this one particular sentence.
1. It’s easier to break up the shift than it is to cover a lunch. I know the salesfloor is busy and can’t deop everything to go up front for half an hour, splitting the shift alleviates that.
2. Splitting the shift means I can spread hours out to more TMs. With the GSAs losing their shifts and the hours reallocated to Guest Advocates yeah there are more hours but a lot of them are longer. Splitting them means I can give 8 people a shift instead of 5. (Totally made up numbers, not accurate at all.)
3. A front end call out with a 4 hour shift is hard on the whole store. But a front end call out with an 8.5 hour shift will cripple the front for the day and everyone from the floor will be taking a turn spending 30-45 minutes up front.
These are the reasons I split front end shifts, and I’m sure why a lot of HR do as well.

Yes!! This!! If I had 40 hours for Checkout Advocate for the day, I would much rather schedule 10 people than 5. Especially while working a checklane, where most of your job is talking, people start to lose energy after the 5th or so hour. It's better (for my team, noticeably performing better under this model) to get in, knock it out quick, and leave while you still have your sanity.

 

[restroomFollowUp]

I have 3 Tech Consultants at my store that are upset we just hired two more. They love finally getting decent hours after some quit/transferred/changed jobs. You could always see if someone wanted a longer shift to break up your hours 🤷‍♀️

But.. that is exactly what corporate wants.. a very part-time workforce. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You don’t have to drink any of the kool-aid but at least act like you’re having a good time at the party. Ask Leaders for hours, grab them off the swap shift board, let HR know if there is a call-in you’re free and then answer the phone when they call! If you show a desire to be there and can make the Leaders lives easier while you are there they will remember and the hours will start showing up. They have to know you want more hours. Leaders aren’t mind readers, they’re people too, and pretty much all are bad at reading people. Must be a side effect of the kool-aid?

I think another key to this is actually being good at your job, it seems like leaders will only schedule people during scenarios where they see that person doing well. Those closing shifts can be good hours and sometimes at my store it’s just the store leader and 5-7 other TM’s, it’s no secret that he chooses who he wants to close with so being good at your zone and being good with guests is a great way to rack up some hours on the clock, especially during those small team times.