Calling out policy?

[BobSmith]

Is this normal for Target or is it an ASANTS situation?

On the whiteboard at the pack stations there was a message for all fulfillment TMs that said any call out will result in a write up unless 1. You use sick time, 2. Have a doctor's note, or 3. You have an emergency. I don't plan on calling out (Only 1 call out in 8 years) but if I become ill, I will call out. I don't earn sick time (On Demand and was part time before, so I never earned it), if I have a migraine or stomach bug or something I will not be going to the Dr. for it, as I have medication I can take at home. I can just say I have an emergency, but seems like I shouldn't have to lie about it. I don't recall if I got written up the one time I called out but I don't think I realized it was so severe. Also, if it is just for fulfillment, is it normal for one store to have different policies for different departments?

 

[Zxy123456]

My store doesn’t do write ups for one call out. That is definitely not normal! I would ask your ETL and HR ETL. Does your store have a problem with call outs? Maybe that’s the reason for this.

 

[idkwhattodo]

We do have a documented conversation for every call out that isn’t covered by sick time. It’s only a problem when we’re having a documented reliability conversation every week that it can turn into a corrective action. Documented conversations are nothing to worry about, but my HR makes us have the conversation with everyone, so that someone can’t claim that everyone isn’t being held to the same standard.

If every call out that isn’t covered by sick time is documented, when next steps like Corrective Action, Final, or Termination need to be taken, the store has covered all their bases by holding everyone accountable for exactly the same things.

 

[BobSmith]

We do have a documented conversation for every call out that isn’t covered by sick time. It’s only a problem when we’re having a documented reliability conversation every week that it can turn into a corrective action. Documented conversations are nothing to worry about, but my HR makes us have the conversation with everyone, so that someone can’t claim that everyone isn’t being held to the same standard.

If every call out that isn’t covered by sick time is documented, when next steps like Corrective Action, Final, or Termination need to be taken, the store has covered all their bases by holding everyone accountable for exactly the same things.

Thanks for this explanation. It makes sense to want to be on top of people calling out so it doesn't become a problem, but to me it seems like it should be more on a case by case basis, but I don't know. I think a person who only calls out once in a blue moon is different than someone who calls out once a month or more.

Is a documented conversation the same as a write up? On the board it listed the "7 strikes" policy, starting with 1. write up, 2. write up, 3. Corrective Action then going to 7. Termination. I am not really concerned, as I don't generally call out, but just wondering about the whole process and fairness if it is just one department in our store. And not everyone earns sick time and ones who do, couldn't they call out for something other than illness and still use the sick time and not get a consequence for it? I never had sick time at target so I am just curious about how it works.

 

[Captain Orca]

One call off in 5 yrs, a few days for med procedures. Nobody ever gave me any shit, and if they did they'd get it right back. We had a pretty reliable staff with few absences.

 

[Ringwraith917]

It's a BEWARE OF DOG sign. But there's no dog. Probably just a scare tactic. They WILL write up people who have often been calling out, or NCNS, and say its because of the "new policy" but it was going to happen anyway.

 

[Captain Orca]

NCNS must be addressed.

 

[Captain Orca]

My STL was fair as were the ETL's. 1st HR guy was cool. Last female HRETL was a ditz, an airhead but not stupid. She was a likeable young woman. They did what had to be done. Most of my time was spent in the back room in isolation. Just the way I wanted it.

 

[Zxy123456]

We do have a documented conversation for every call out that isn’t covered by sick time. It’s only a problem when we’re having a documented reliability conversation every week that it can turn into a corrective action. Documented conversations are nothing to worry about, but my HR makes us have the conversation with everyone, so that someone can’t claim that everyone isn’t being held to the same standard.

If every call out that isn’t covered by sick time is documented, when next steps like Corrective Action, Final, or Termination need to be taken, the store has covered all their bases by holding everyone accountable for exactly the same things.

I personally don’t agree with documented conversations for every call out. I have been with Target 15 years and I call maybe once a year. If got a documented coaching for calling out I’d be angry considering my record. You could lose some great employees over this.

 

[idkwhattodo]

I personally don’t agree with documented conversations for every call out. I have been with Target 15 years and I call maybe once a year. If got a documented coaching for calling out I’d be angry considering my record. You could lose some great employees over this.

Yeah, I definitely “forget” to document some especially when I know it’s a team member that never calls out or I actually know what was going on and certain situations just don’t feel right. I remember I had a team member have a stroke and they wanted me to have a conversation with him when he returned (thankfully a quick recovery for him) and i said hellllll no and did not do it. I made sure he was okay and asked if he needed anything from us, but nothing else because I’m not a monster that lacks empathy like I feel too often that they want us to be.

Is a documented conversation the same as a write up? On the board it listed the "7 strikes" policy, starting with 1. write up, 2. write up, 3. Corrective Action then going to 7. Termination. I am not really concerned, as I don't generally call out, but just wondering about the whole process and fairness if it is just one department in our store. And not everyone earns sick time and ones who do, couldn't they call out for something other than illness and still use the sick time and not get a consequence for it? I never had sick time at target so I am just curious about how it works.

That’s kind of correct, but it’s slightly more complicated than that in my experience. All stores aren’t the same and the way HRs do things definitely aren’t the same, but

If you were to call out 2 times in a month and I had two documented convos (essentially a write up) with you, but then you went a month or so without calling out or having other reliability concerns like latenesses or leaving early, it essentially starts over and you’re back to 0. They need to be pretty consecutive to move forward to a CA, at least from my HR’s interpretation of the policy.

 

[HInbound]

Documented conversations aren't anything to worry about unless you make a habit of it. It's Target's way of covering their ass if it does become a habit and actions need to be escalated to the point of termination and the employee takes them to court and tries to claim otherwise.

It's a paper trail that rarely gets acted on unless you're habitually calling out, late, etc.

 

[employee 626]

My store gave a TL a CA for being 2 minutes late 3 times in a row yet the new girl we hired has called off more than she has been working in her first month. Yes she still works here.

If that’s what my store is doing I’ll call out instead of being late from now on