I'm Lost! The Call In/Sick/Late/NCNS/Attendance Thread

[redeye58]

The problem being that they assume every TM has a conscience.
The repeat-offenders don't give a rat's a$$ about any one else. They're the ones I wanna see gone.

 

[Retail Girl]

Hold on....

 

[Retail Girl]

Ours have resorted to, "Well, what are your symptoms?" Oh, any of you have a medical degree? Can you magically cure me? I DON'T THINK SO.

I haven't called out in 2 years. The last time it was because I got stuck in a snow drift and didn't want to kill myself getting there. I made it in the next day, thanks to my dad's 4 wheel drive, but all they did was complain that TMs couldn't take taxis in to work. If a TM can't get out of their parking lot, how in the world would a taxi be able to get them??

I've called out five times in five years, but only once I had a non-sick reason and take pride in this: my brother was playing in the state football championship, the day after Black Friday. I was not going to miss that. Sorry, Target. The other four times was illness.

Ok, helps to quote the right post!

I imagine this is why ETLs get suspicious. 5 times calling in: four because you were sick, once because of a snow drift and once for the football game. Now, it doesn't really matter to me where you got mixed up in this, but I suspect ETLs hear stuff like that that doesn't add up all the time...and then what are they supposed to think?

 

[Logistics Monkey]

they are doing that here too, sad thing is no one cares, they cut hours so bad they arent out much if the get fired and lose the whole 15hours a week

 

[talan123]

I really think you are misconstruing what this ETL was doing.

As a former TL, I have seen rampant examples of TMs completely bull shi**ing for their reasons calling out. I have seen TMs who called in the prior day saying how terribly sick they are brag the next day about how awesome the party they were at last night was. I literally had one TM tell an ETL she was sick and had to go home right then, and then on her way out the door told me she was going grocery shopping. (she didn't know that ETL had told me she was going home sick.... big surprise for her the next day)

The fact is, there are plenty of TMs out there who will completely lie and call in whenever something fun comes up. And yes, that does hurt the TMs who actually were responsible and showed up.

The fact is - ETLs don't know who is really sick and who isn't. They are not psychic. Therefore, a lot of ETLs will tell *everyone* this standard line. ("think of the team..." etc) If they were able to know who was being honest and who wasn't, then I am sure they would only tell the people who they knew were being dishonest.

So basically, stop taking this so personally. Some ETLs use this line for *everyone*. It is not personal, they simply don't know who is being honest and who isn't.

I was limping when they talked to me, I had been limping for two days.

I don't call in very often and I have been with the company for around seven years. It's called trust and I would like to think that I have established some with them.

 

[HRTL]

If you call in all the time why should you get more hours than reliable team members who want hours and show up to every day.

I understand emergencies. I know people get sick, but far to many people abuse the system and the team suffers from it. Can't tell how many 2 or 3am nights because 3 or 4 tms decided to call out.

Same way you cant schedule a hard worker extra hours, you have to be neutral with the schedule. the only way around this is with cross trained tm's. Plus if attendance is an issue you wont want to cut their hours, so they have a higher chance of calling out and being performanced out in favor or someone that wont call out.

 

[HRTL]

I was limping when they talked to me, I had been limping for two days.

I don't call in very often and I have been with the company for around seven years. It's called trust and I would like to think that I have established some with them.

Talan, I am sorry to hear about your knee but dont take the LOD's actions personally. When it comes to this sort of thing they have to be consistent across the board with all TM's they cant favor a TM out of trust and single them out of the group. If attendance is an issue at the store and the ETL's want to try and reason or convince a call out into coming in they will do it to everyone. I know this is harsh but target treats all call outs the same, you can be in a hospital bed all you want but those days will count against you just like anyone elses. Only thing I can suggest is offering up a better solution to call outs to the execs.

 

[lololo]

This is something that was recently asked of me because I had a bum knee that killed me for a couple of days and one of those days I happened to be working. Apparently they are now trying to guilt us into coming in when we are sick because it is just too expensive to have proper coverage. This is now the stupidest thing to hit Target since the giant great team cards. Peoplw who are sick or trying to help those who are sick do not need to be guilt tripped like this.

Our State is going through a whooping cough epidemic and our governor just declared a state of emergency and Target is now trying to "ask" it's employees to think of them when calling in sick? Does anybody at headquarters every thing this kind of thing through?

If Target wants to save money by being it's own insurance company then it has to give up this kind of thinking and remember that medical services are much more expensive than less team coverage. In fact the company could find itself liable if there is any connection here.

To be clear, I'm not upset that they asked me but because they asked me and then documented the answer (Yes, they are documenting it which has to give their lawyers pause in thinking what kind of client they have here) in the middle of a statewide epidemic. Whooping cough is no laughing matter, especially for kids and pregnant women.

First, I don't think it's a company thing. It's probably just that ETL at your store, thinking he/she has come up with a revelation or something. Or maybe they were having a bad day. I don't know.

However, them saying that to you is complete bull****. It would be different if you had an attendance problem. I doubt you do. You are an adult and this is your full time job. You make your living with Target. There's no advantage to you calling out. If you were a high school or college kid, that would make a little more sense to ask. But you? Complete waste of time. I would have taken offense.

 

[Softlines Owns My Soul]

HRTL you can't be serious.

For one, I understand that they are, "supposed" to be neutral with the schedule, and that's the line that's given to those who are unhappy with only 15-20 hours a week ("well we have to give everyone some hours so it's fair) but favoritism exists, whether it be fair or unfair. My opinion is that sometimes it should exist because some workers are just plain better and should get to work more.

Second, a call out does count the same way no matter what...technically. If they know you're on a hospital bed it's going to be viewed a little differently than a shady call out on a beautiful day or something like that.

 

[babytrees]

I have called out three times in just under 2 years (migraine, nearly passing out from a fever and a surprise visit from my brother in law) and a softlines TM has called out every Saturday she has been scheduled but one in the last 3 months. So they stopped scheduling her on Saturdays....it's a catch 22 because that ticks the rest of us off either way...we get scheduled every Saturday AND have to pick up her slack.
There was a huge amount of call outs, tardies and leaving before end of shift by the same people so our HR came up with an attendance policy that is in line with what the stores are held to. It is nice to know that all are held to the same standards. I have heard most of our LOD's take call outs and never have I heard them ask why the person is calling out (I was told they can't) only that they would note it.
There is no official Target attendance policy.

 

[stupid rules]

For one, I understand that they are, "supposed" to be neutral with the schedule, and that's the line that's given to those who are unhappy with only 15-20 hours a week ("well we have to give everyone some hours so it's fair) but favoritism exists, whether it be fair or unfair. My opinion is that sometimes it should exist because some workers are just plain better and should get to work more.

I agree. If someone wants to make sure that the crappy team members get their hours then let them work on their shift.

 

[Retail Girl]

Same way you cant schedule a hard worker extra hours, you have to be neutral with the schedule. the only way around this is with cross trained tm's. Plus if attendance is an issue you wont want to cut their hours, so they have a higher chance of calling out and being performanced out in favor or someone that wont call out.

Actually, they can/do. When I was hired, during the interview, I asked straight up about getting "enough" hours. The LOD laughed and said it was a loaded question. He said it depends on your availability, how often you call out, and how hard of a worker you are. He said even if your availability is good and you don't call out, that if you aren't that great of an employee, don't expect as many hours.

 

[HRTL]

Actually, they can/do. When I was hired, during the interview, I asked straight up about getting "enough" hours. The LOD laughed and said it was a loaded question. He said it depends on your availability, how often you call out, and how hard of a worker you are. He said even if your availability is good and you don't call out, that if you aren't that great of an employee, don't expect as many hours.

that would get them coached if pointed it, it is against best practice to use scheduling to punish or reward a tm. It's a very sticky subject and out HRBP is big on that. Basically target wants us to schedule based on availabilty and ignore seniority of any kind and to term out anyone that is either bad with attendance or not pulling wait so that eventually everyone scheduled is a good preforming tm. Took or store a year and 4 new etl's to push for things to go this way but it can be done.

 

[invictustaylor]

Plus if attendance is an issue you wont want to cut their hours, so they have a higher chance...

I know this is harsh but target treats all call outs the same, you can be in a hospital bed all you want but those days will count against you just like anyone elses.....



Trying to wrap my head around this one...just kidding nothing at target makes sense lol.

 

[buliSBI]

Target needs to treat TMs with a little more respect. If its height of cold/flu season, does the store want to get the whole team sick with a sick TM working among them, or send them home to rest and get well. Or keep a TM working when their child is home without a babysitter.

If a Team Member works hard and rarely calls out except 2-3 times a year for illness, or another hard working Team Member calls out 1-2 times every month for a sick child or no babysitter. Yes they should get some sick leave or leniency with a doctor's note.

But if the Team Member is a constant poor performer and calls out on a monthly basis with no doctor's note or signs of illness, they need to be written up and terminated.

 

[Thinktank90]

So true! You know there are people in this world that don't have to put up with this crap. Like the guy that invented the pet rock! Dude made millions!!!

Ya know, I once had an idea like that...

It also has a lot to do with working in lowly retail. Many salaried office positions offer a full benefits package, vacation days, bonuses and an amount of paid sick days.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

It also has a lot to do with working in lowly retail. Many salaried office positions offer a full benefits package, vacation days, bonuses and an amount of paid sick days.

My second job is hourly & their benefits is a mirror like spot.

 

[MrMrIce]

Just the other day an ETL told me that top performers get the most hours and looking at the schedule you can tell.
Also, I did notice a cart attendant who had a past problem with attendance getting way more hours then the other cart attendants but since then he has been showing up on time and it's kinda frustrating seeing him get all these hours and the rest of us struggling on pay.

 

[redeye58]

Sounds like the CA knew what was going on & turned it around on them (give me hrs & I'll be dependable).

 

[nib]

If employees were given let's say 1 day a month of SICK PAY or if FMLA was PAID (meaning time away from work to care for yourself or a familiy member) people wouldn't HAVE to come to work when they were sick!

This is something that was recently asked of me because I had a bum knee that killed me for a couple of days and one of those days I happened to be working. Apparently they are now trying to guilt us into coming in when we are sick because it is just too expensive to have proper coverage. This is now the stupidest thing to hit Target since the giant great team cards. Peoplw who are sick or trying to help those who are sick do not need to be guilt tripped like this.

Our State is going through a whooping cough epidemic and our governor just declared a state of emergency and Target is now trying to "ask" it's employees to think of them when calling in sick? Does anybody at headquarters every thing this kind of thing through?

If Target wants to save money by being it's own insurance company then it has to give up this kind of thinking and remember that medical services are much more expensive than less team coverage. In fact the company could find itself liable if there is any connection here.

To be clear, I'm not upset that they asked me but because they asked me and then documented the answer (Yes, they are documenting it which has to give their lawyers pause in thinking what kind of client they have here) in the middle of a statewide epidemic. Whooping cough is no laughing matter, especially for kids and pregnant women.

 

[Retail Girl]

Ok, I'm never late. To anything. I am always extra early to everything to ensure I will not be late. It throws me off for the rest of the day if I am late for anything. Anyone who makes me late to my own funeral will be haunted.

That said, I ran into construction on my way to work yesterday. My drive only takes me about 12-15 minutes normally. But due to construction, I sat at one stop light for over 20 minutes. I punched in one minute late and wanted to cry. The TM who punched in directly ahead of me was also a minute late and didn't seem to think anything of it.

I'm still on my 90 day probation. No one said anything to me about it either way, but is this going to be a serious issue if it only happens this once? Also, is it safe to assume that this makes me late enough to now be ineligible for our store's BTS attendance contest?

Ugh. I know it isn't the end of the world, but being late is NOT who I am. Five minutes early makes me super happy...anything under that is bad enough.....

 

[salesfloor10]

The system only counts you late if you punch in over 5 minutes after your scheduled shift. (There are reports that are pulled for attendance purposes and that is what shows up). For example, scheduled at 1:00pm, punch in at 1:06-late. But if you punch in at 1:01-not late.
I don't know about the contest. I would ask your GSTL/GSA or ETL-GE or ETL-HR.

 

[AssetsProtection]

The system only counts you late if you punch in over 5 minutes after your scheduled shift. (There are reports that are pulled for attendance purposes and that is what shows up). For example, scheduled at 1:00pm, punch in at 1:06-late. But if you punch in at 1:01-not late.
I don't know about the contest. I would ask your GSTL/GSA or ETL-GE or ETL-HR.

Curious what about those who always punch in early does that show up?

Also retail girl I feel you... I'm always at work an hour early because I alike to sit and chat it up with the baristas at work.

 

[Retail Girl]

I have a Fellow TM who is always at least 20 minutes early, but still always manages to be nearly 5 minutes late. *rolls eyes*

 

[Ajax11]

Curious what about those who always punch in early does that show up?
.

For a few years now the system has not allowed you to punch in more than 5 minutes early. So since there is a 5 minute grace period on either side of your scheduled time it won't show up on any reports.