Archived Drastic change in availability...will it be approved?

[Flabbergasted]

As a GSA, I get great hours. At worst no less than 30 but it hasn't dipped below 33 in some time now. This has been excellent for my bank account but not so much for my work-school balance. I'll be honest, my grades have been poor my first year of college, and I only recently came to the realization that I can't keep doing this. I have a good friend who can -- she's a TL who only has two days off a week and those are her days at school. It works for her. She likes to be "busy" all the time. Awesome for her. But it doesn't work for me and I find myself unable to keep up.

So my question is, if I go to my ETL-HR and tell her I only want to work 3 days a week -- Friday, Saturday & Sunday, how likely do you think I'd be told no? I was considering a full-on LOA and even quitting, the latter for more personal reasons, and while I still have both of those options on the table I think it may be best to still squeeze in some work.

 

[Noiinteam]

I can't imagine it not being approved. We have quite a few flow tm's that have to adjust their schedule due to changes in their course load. Tell them you feel your school work is suffering and you want only 3 days, but leave the option open to make further adjustments. School should always come first!

 

[signingminion]

As a GSA, I get great hours. At worst no less than 30 but it hasn't dipped below 33 in some time now. This has been excellent for my bank account but not so much for my work-school balance. I'll be honest, my grades have been poor my first year of college, and I only recently came to the realization that I can't keep doing this. I have a good friend who can -- she's a TL who only has two days off a week and those are her days at school. It works for her. She likes to be "busy" all the time. Awesome for her. But it doesn't work for me and I find myself unable to keep up.

So my question is, if I go to my ETL-HR and tell her I only want to work 3 days a week -- Friday, Saturday & Sunday, how likely do you think I'd be told no? I was considering a full-on LOA and even quitting, the latter for more personal reasons, and while I still have both of those options on the table I think it may be best to still squeeze in some work.

Good chance, they are at least the days most people want off.

 

[RedMan]

At my store GSA/GSTL have to have completely open availability. All stores are not the same, though. Good luck!

 

[Retail Girl]

We have had GSAs in school who only work weekends. But of course if that is the only time you are available, you don't get the rotating weekends.

 

[RXninja]

GSAs at my store never get rotating weekends. I would put in that you have open availability Friday through Sunday, but you need to have the other days off to focus solely on school work. They should understand that school comes first, but not all ETL-HRs are the same. If you get push back, I would put in for a LOA. Target is not worth torpedoing your college career.

 

[Flabbergasted]

you don't get the rotating weekends.

Rotating weekends? Hilarious. My ETL-HR practically laughed and said, "Do you want hours or not?" when the other GSA & I posed the question. Only the GSTLs get rotating weekends.

 

[paidtosmile]

I was in the same boat last year, and I made the mistake of putting target over school. It's definitely still one of my biggest regrets to date. Target isn't going to pay any decent wage without a degree. Unless you're a senior team leader who's been with target for a decade or so, odds are you aren't making enough money to live comfortably compared to what you could be making after you get a bachelors degree, whether or not you find a job in your field.

Take it from somebody who has been in the same situation, finishing college will pay off a lot more in the long run

 

[Retail Girl]

Rotating weekends? Hilarious. My ETL-HR practically laughed and said, "Do you want hours or not?" when the other GSA & I posed the question. Only the GSTLs get rotating weekends.

I didn't have them either, and one of my GSTLs was heavily against it, but my ETL finally made it happen last year after he realized I was close to burn out after being the only one in the store who hadn't had a Saturday or Sunday off in 4 months.

 

[PassinTime]

My store has GSA that works 12 hrs a week split between Sat & Sun

 

[redstripes]

It may be better to ask around in your store if others have done it. I worked with an ETL HR who would give an ultimatum to students to drop school or drop Target if their continuing education was anything but furthering their Target career.

 

[whippingboy]

If they like you, they'll work with you. If they don't, they'll use it against you. Then again, all stores are not the same. Definitely don't sacrifice school for Target though, it's not worth it.

 

[Flabbergasted]

I didn't have them either, and one of my GSTLs was heavily against it, but my ETL finally made it happen last year after he realized I was close to burn out after being the only one in the store who hadn't had a Saturday or Sunday off in 4 months.

I haven't had a Saturday or Sunday off since I started working here 11 months ago, with the exception of Easter this year and one Sunday last year when I swapped shifts with someone. I didn't even ask for rotating weekends, just rotating Saturdays since I'm already unavailable a different day of the week. I was practically laughed at.

 

[doodlebug]

We have two GSAs that are in school so they only work every weekend, 3 days a week. The other GSAs (including myself) have open availability and get rotating weekends. Rotating weekends are heaven BTW.

 

[Flabbergasted]

Tried asking HR again about rotating weekends. She simply said, "Do you want hours or not?"

 

[PassinTime]

Id try talking to my ETL. Explain you're missing out on family events, other stores allow their GSAs to rotate weekends, and you're plain getting burned out. Sounds like your HR is playing mean. No one is so valuable that they can't have some weekend time off. Lets face it, your working weekends makes it possible for the TLs to have off every other weekend. Yet, your pay is much closer to the cashiers you supervise and not the TLs whose job that you do. See what your ETL says? If you are tired of working all the weekends call HR at her bluff. If you get less hours, pick up cashier shifts. Just really stinks when they aren't even willing to work with you a little bit on having any kind if work/family balance.

 

[Retail Girl]

Yep...the pay is so lousy for all the crap we take, it's one of the few things they can do to make up for it. Try talking with your ETL. The GSTL of mine that was against it was against it because she had to work weekends as a gsa when she was in school, and nights and weekends were here only availability, and if she could do it, it wasn't unreasonable to do so to others (who aren't in school and have better availability).

 

[Sickofspot]

Yep, @Retail Girl , GSA has a LOT of responsibilities for being a team member. I always thought they should have raised the paygrade or lightened the load of this position.

 

[Patty]

Hi ,why is it so difficult to get them to work with your availability? I applied for 24 hours, after 5 months of continally begging them to only schedule me for that, they did it for two weeks before I was asked to help out and work more hours bc 4 of 10 softlines quit in one day. Now I work 1:30 to 10:30 three days in a row and 5 to 10 Friday and Sat. I dont want to have this schedule forever ,and I dont want to talk to them about it. Last week they gave me 35 hrs and told me to put hrs i couldnt work on the swap sheet. This woman actually told me anyone would take those shifts bc all there was to it was handing out a ticket.!!
If I enter the change request on the computer do they ever see it ? I Do Not want to talk too them. I want to keep this job and I am a very hard worker. I have had one call off in almost 7 months.
Thanks for advice or ifo, and thanks for letting me vent in a safe environment. It helps me go in smiling to work if I have already gotten my griping out of the way.

 

[Flabbergasted]

Hi ,why is it so difficult to get them to work with your availability? I applied for 24 hours, after 5 months of continally begging them to only schedule me for that, they did it for two weekd before I was asked to help out and work more hours bc 4 of 10 softlines quit in one day. Now I work 1:30 to 10:30 three days in a row and 5 to 10 Friday and Sat. I dont want to have this schedule ,and I dont want to talk to them about it. Last week they gave me 35 hrs and told me to put hrs i couldnt work on the swap shhet. This woman actually told me anyone would take those shifts bc all there was to it was handing out a ticket.!!
If I enter the change request on the computer do they ever see it ? I Do Not want to talk too them. Please help. I want to keep this job and I am a very hard worker. I have had one call off in almost 7 months.
Thanks for advice or ifo, and thanks for letting me vent in a safe environment. It helps me go in smiling to work if I have already gotten my griping out of the way.

Are you a GSA?

 

[Patty]

No, I am a FRO

 

[Flabbergasted]

Availability/time off/similar requests all depend on your HR. My HR has been getting lazy lately with checking time off requests in a timely manner, so whenever I put one in I will usually peek in the HRTM's office and remind her gently that I've put in a request. Same goes for availability, though I don't think those requests auto-expire. Your HR may deny availability requests if they want to be rude about it. If it's for school, they will be more lenient towards you. But I know at my store, non-school availability requests are more scrutinized. They will ask why you need a certain day off, for example. If you don't have a good answer, it will get denied.

 

[Patty]

Number of hours I can work is limited bc I am on disability. I hsve had to go into all the details with them to get them to listen to that request. They know it now, and they had me call a number and fill out a form to update my status for their tax purposes. I get very anxious when i have to ask anyone for anything. I have decided to just drop the whole thing. Its not worth it get on the radar anymore with them .I will just do the best i can . Its being around lots of people for long periods of time that is hard, but i have only had one panic attack at work. Just dont want another

 

[FrontEndFirecracker]

ASANTS.

I've been a GSA since November 2013 but have been in my store for almost 5 years. I started a doctoral program this past August. I did the 35-40 hour week thing until October, went down to Fri-Sun for 2 weeks, then decided that an LOA was necessary. I went back for 3 weeks during the holidays, then went back on LOA in early January. I just resumed working again since the semester is over in two weeks, but I've only been working Sundays for the past month. My store likes me, and my ETL has told me that she will do whatever she needs to keep me in the store.

Last year, I worked every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday NIGHT for over 6 months. I had 3 weekends off during that time because I requested them. I wanted the money, and I got burnt out, bad.

If your store likes you, they'll work with you. If they don't, they'll use it as an excuse to get rid of you. Didn't you just become a GSA? I'm not sure I would rock the boat so soon. An LOA might be your only option, but HR does not have to approve it.

 

[Flabbergasted]

An LOA might be your only option, but HR does not have to approve it.

I'm in school so I can take an educational LOA. I think they'd be more likely to approve that than a personal LOA without a reason.

But I'm not sure what I want to do. I might just change my availability so I get three days off a week, Tuesdays Wednesdays & Thursdays. Then I'll definitely forfeit ever having a weekend off but it's fine -- what I need most is enough time off for school.