Archived How can I change my shift or transfer? help I hate 4am shift so much

[Joel]

I'm a logistics flow team member at a Super Target. I got hired in August 18 this year, so I'm about to turn 3 months very soon. I have perfect attendance. I've never missed any day (only called in sick one time and requested a day for personal reasons). Most guys who got hired the same day as me, they quit already, no wonder why this shift is horrible as hell.

I work 25 hours every week and recently the manager changed my position to backroom. I like it more definitely.

My main problem is my personal life, college and sleep. (I'm 22) With this horrible schedule I can't do much for me. I barely have time to study, socialize and have fun. It upsets me just to see how my friends have night life and I don't because I need to have my ass in bed at 9pm to wake up at 3am for work. And to be honest since working there most of the time I'm and look tired as hell. Not only that next semester I'm required to take certain classes at the university in the afternoon and night. Some of them ending as late as ten and from the university to my home it's 45 minutes. So I'd be sleeping like 11.30 to wake up so early. Screw that!

My store volume is very high. Well it's a Super Target.

I know that other Target stores flow team start at 6am since those are regular Target stores. I want to transfer to one of those. 6am shift would be heaven for me definitely. Or I would like to have a 6am position here at my store which I don't think there's any. I'm guessing they won't transfer me during this time because of the holiday season

Please tell me what can I do?

 

[commiecorvus]

You might be able to transfer to a daytime backroom position if one comes open and you've shown you have the skills.
However, that's a big might.
You'll need to distinguish yourself as someone who is accurate and hard working, willing to pull up the slack.
Those positions are usually a cage match.

 

[sigma7]

Talk to your TL, your ETL, your HR. Let them know exactly what you told us here about school. Target won't have much sympathy about missing night life, but as far as school goes they are usually very accommodating. You may be able to get into another workcenter at the store or be on a different shift. I know what you're feeling. Early morning and overnight shifts are hard on everyone, even the people that seem to thrive on those shifts. It makes it tough to just be a college kid and run around with your friends whenever you want. Part of growing up is figuring all this out. That said, you've got the rest of your life to work, but your twenties don't last forever. Your college years last even less. If they can't or aren't willing to work with you, then I say quit. You can find another job to make ends meet or have spending money or for whatever reason you are working.

 

[Joel]

If anything, are tranfers to anothet store a long and hard process?

 

[LogisticsFox]

If anything, are tranfers to anothet store a long and hard process?

The process itself is pretty pain free. You'll need an open position in another store and the OK from both ETL-HRs. Usually, all you need is a good attendance record and no corrective actions. Keep in mind that we're in the 4th quarter and a store is going to be very reluctant to let you go (Especially if yours has bad turnover). This may be something that will have to wait until January.

I definitely recommend trying to find another position in-store before going with the transfer route. If it's interrupting your ability to perform in college, your leadership team will be more inclined to help.

If you do decide to seek transfer, make sure you do your homework! PFresh's don't all follow the same process and if they're busy enough, they will be on the 4am too.

 

[Mhugh220]

I think this time of year is the worst to try to transfer. First, it's 4th quarter. Busiest time of the year and the last thing an ETL wants to do is more work than necessary. They also don't want to lose an employee when they need as much help as possible. One of the byproducts of wanting to leave during 4th quarter is that ETLs automatically think you want to jump ship because things are getting tough. May not be true but some people perceive transfers during 4th quarter as giving up.

Once 4th quarter is finished Target enters the drought season when it comes to payroll. Sales are down, they just let several seasonal TMs go - maybe kept a handful - and now they have more TMs than hours. TMs will be fighting for those hours by scouring the swap-shift board and offering to work for any work center. The last thing a team needs is a new TM to come take up their hours. Payroll is dead from January to mid-March then it picks up for Easter, outdoor seasonal, and finally Back To School.

From an ETL-Logistic's view, we are blind-sided when a TM wants to transfer or move shortly after their 90 days. So much effort (or little) was invested in you learning the flow process and now you want to transfer to another work center or store? It's really a blow if the TM is awesome and the ETL will have to hope he/she can find an equal replacement. Something I was told from my mentor - if 50% of the TMs you hire stay or make it past their 90 days - consider that lucky. Just an idea on how hard it can be to find good logistic TMs.

Ask to change work centers. That process is between the ETLs of the work center you are leaving and the work center you are requesting to join. Both may not be willing to oblige. If it wasn't for being 4th quarter I would recommend transferring. Not much can stop a transfer from happening if you're a good TM - unless your leaders are shady and block it from happening.

 

[Joel]

Well I was told by my other co-workers that I'm doing very well since the ETL already changed my position to backroom. They say that they don't normally do that with new people, and when they do it's because they like how people work. I guess I'm going to keep it up till January, hopefully I succeed with the transfer. I'm one of 7 people who hired in August that hasn't quit, if I didn't really the money I would have already quit to be honest, but finding a job in retail like this one was really hell difficult. I really hope there's something I can do about it.

 

[Mhugh220]

You definitely have school as an advantage. Target tends to be flexible for college students.

 

[Joel]

Oh yeah. HR lady told me that they could work with my school schedule since they like to help students and something like that, and if I remember correctly she mentioned it a lot of times back in August in the orientation.

 

[mrknownothing]

Once the holidays are done, see if you can move to dayside backroom. Dayside workcenters tend to be more flexible with scheduling if you're a student.

 

[Joel]

I think this time of year is the worst to try to transfer. First, it's 4th quarter. Busiest time of the year and the last thing an ETL wants to do is more work than necessary. They also don't want to lose an employee when they need as much help as possible. One of the byproducts of wanting to leave during 4th quarter is that ETLs automatically think you want to jump ship because things are getting tough. May not be true but some people perceive transfers during 4th quarter as giving up.

Once 4th quarter is finished Target enters the drought season when it comes to payroll. Sales are down, they just let several seasonal TMs go - maybe kept a handful - and now they have more TMs than hours. TMs will be fighting for those hours by scouring the swap-shift board and offering to work for any work center. The last thing a team needs is a new TM to come take up their hours. Payroll is dead from January to mid-March then it picks up for Easter, outdoor seasonal, and finally Back To School.

From an ETL-Logistic's view, we are blind-sided when a TM wants to transfer or move shortly after their 90 days. So much effort (or little) was invested in you learning the flow process and now you want to transfer to another work center or store? It's really a blow if the TM is awesome and the ETL will have to hope he/she can find an equal replacement. Something I was told from my mentor - if 50% of the TMs you hire stay or make it past their 90 days - consider that lucky. Just an idea on how hard it can be to find good logistic TMs.

Ask to change work centers. That process is between the ETLs of the work center you are leaving and the work center you are requesting to join. Both may not be willing to oblige. If it wasn't for being 4th quarter I would recommend transferring. Not much can stop a transfer from happening if you're a good TM - unless your leaders are shady and block it from happening.

I have a question about starting January. When exactly do retail stores (not obly Target) start to have less work/hours? Is it right after Christmas?

I'm just asking because last year I worked at Marshalls and right after Christmas basically they let me go. I didn't appear on the schedule and never had a formal good bye or something, they just didn't tell me anything. So I would like to know about this at Target. Would this affect me in my goal of looking to transfer to a 6am flow team store?

Another question: how likely is for a Super Target like the one I work at to move from 4am to 6am like some other stores did this year here in the city? (From what I know my store moved from 12am to 4am in May this year)

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Spot starts cutting hours at Christmas too. Super spot for flow won't change anytime soon.

 

[Mhugh220]

@Joel I'm curious of what volume your store is. All stores in our district that were below $55 million went from overnight to early morning. Stores that were closer to $50 million became 4am. My store was an $80 million and remains overnight.

For us, we start seeing less trucks in the middle of January and it continues until mid-March. Logistics never really slows down except for that time period.

Your ETL will know if/when their process time is changing. Our district knew a year in advance. Ask your ETL what volume store you are and yearly sales. That will give you an idea if you'll transition to 6am.

Transfer will depend on your leaders. An ETL at another store wouldnt let his top performers transfer to my store and they lived within a 5 min walk from here as opposed to traveling 30min to his store.