Archived TL making their own schedule

[Yuki]

So in my store apparently the GE is supposed to do the cashiers, Starbucks, and food aves schedule as well as the GSTLs and the TL for Starbucks and Pizza hut. Problem is he doesn't. What my TL let slip is that he logs himself in and let's her do it like she's been doing for the past couple of years.

Alright as much as we didn't want her doing our schedule anymore she's been doing it so long I can kinda, sorta see why he let her continue to do so. What I can't understand is why she makes her own schedule! Twice she's let slip that she took herself off the schedule for her own convenience.

The first one was when she told everyone that no one could request time off for New Year's eve or day and that we had to work that day. Alright understandable. But come New Year's Day guess who's not on the schedule? It was definitely out of the ordinary because she works every Monday. Someone asked her what happened and she said she knew she was gonna be out late the night before so she didn't wanna come in to work exhausted so she took her self off the schedule for the day. Mind you NYE weekend was her weekend off so she treated herself to a 3 day weekend.

Second one was she wanted to take her nephew somewhere so she took herself off the schedule that day. When we were having a conversation she let it slip that she did that. So I'm not against her having time off. She is entitled to her time off . The main problem is that whenever we try to request time off (a day, a weekend, a week, anything) she always denies it and puts see me in person. She always wants to know why were taking time off even if we put the reason in the box. If the person doesn't tell her the reason she denies their request. We can't even complain about it because she'll tell the GE the reason why she denied it is because of not enough staff even though no one else put in time off for that time.

My whole thing is that we think she shouldn't have the ability to make her own schedule and that her time off request should go to the GE. Even though he let's her do anything she wants. Who can we complain to about this? The GE always takes her side when it comes to our complaints against her. HR TL leaves our problems to the GE. So we can't even go to her. What should we do?

 

[Mithrandir]

Talk in person to the HRBP the next time they are in store, or just call them.

 

[HRZone]

So in my store apparently the GE is supposed to do the cashiers, Starbucks, and food aves schedule as well as the GSTLs and the TL for Starbucks and Pizza hut. Problem is he doesn't. What my TL let slip is that he logs himself in and let's her do it like she's been doing for the past couple of years.

To be honest the best practice of an stl writing the whole schedule is dumb. I don't know many stores that follow that.

Even my salesfloor/ge doesn't completely write his own schedule. It's too much for one person so I write half of his team.

But come New Year's Day guess who's not on the schedule?

So someone else got scheduled and got the time and a half she sacrificed? Not the end of the world...

The main problem is that whenever we try to request time off (a day, a weekend, a week, anything) she always denies it and puts see me in person.

That doesnt make sense at all. HR should be screening this.

She always wants to know why were taking time off even if we put the reason in the box

You guys are doing it wrong. When you request vacation you should always find the etl and tell them about it. Not just put it in and see what happens. At my store vacations not spoken to are often denied. Especially near the holidays.

Who can we complain to about this?

Go to HR one more time. Document the date and time you talked to them. Then go to your stl. If that fails call the hotline.

Complaining about her writing her own schedule isn't going to go very far. That will be difficult to prove but if you are having legitimate vacation request denied that's not cool. This time of year people should be able to get time off.

 

[unknown]

You guys are doing it wrong. When you request vacation you should always find the etl and tell them about it. Not just put it in and see what happens. At my store vacations not spoken to are often denied. Especially near the holidays.

Doesn't this sort of defeat the whole purpose of doing it online? Why even have it if you have to physically "find the etl" and talk to them about it? I don't understand why we have all these non-efficient procedures.

A schedule writing program. Don't use it.
Apply for vacation online. Often auto denied. Go talk to the person.

I suppose finding the etl and talking to them about the vacation, which by the way you are entitled to, you just entered online is all done off the clock? What if the etl is in the backroom?

 

[Snapeeee]

Doesn't this sort of defeat the whole purpose of doing it online? Why even have it if you have to physically "find the etl" and talk to them about it? I don't understand why we have all these non-efficient procedures.

A schedule writing program. Don't use it.
Apply for vacation online. Often auto denied. Go talk to the person.

I suppose finding the etl and talking to them about the vacation, which by the way you are entitled to, you just entered online is all done off the clock? What if the etl is in the backroom?

You could always do both. Put it in and then let the ETL know about it so they're aware.

 

[Times Up]

My ETL (GE/SF) doesn't know all that many of the front end folks. If he can't be bothered to say hello to us, can't imagine he would be too interested in trying to remember which cashier was putting in for time off and why they wanted off.

 

[IWishIKnew]

I work two-three days a week. I can go weeks without sharing a shift with my ETL. I put in for a day off for the schedule that comes out this Thursday, but haven't talked to her about it, specifically (why should I? I submitted it through the system, included the explanation, etc.). It's not a day I normally work, so I'm not too worried, but what's the point of having a system if it's an auto-deny either way?

I'm going to need a week off in a few months, and that I will talk to her about, but for one random evening, particularly for part-time folks, having to do double duty seems like a hassle for everyone.

 

[unknown]

My ETL (GE/SF) doesn't know all that many of the front end folks. If he can't be bothered to say hello to us, can't imagine he would be too interested in trying to remember which cashier was putting in for time off and why they wanted off.

Which is precisely why talking to the etl in this case is so inefficient. If they don't know who you are, why should care about your vacation.

 

[HRZone]

You could always do both. Put it in and then let the ETL know about it so they're aware.

Exactly. The point of talking to the ETL is to get it approved.

The point of entering it online is to block it out when they write the schedule.

This time of year it's not a big deal but if you read the original post people were asking for time off in December when it's all hands on deck.

I suppose finding the etl and talking to them about the vacation, which by the way you are entitled to, you just entered online is all done off the clock? What if the etl is in the backroom

Why should it be off the clock?

Considering you can request vacation 6 months in advance. It's as simple as "Hey I'm going to Hawaii in March, would I be able to get the second week off?"

"Sure, I just need to make sure we have enough electronics people here that week, just put in the computer so you don't get scheduled "

Done...

 

[HRZone]

At my store only the etl hr can see vacation request so if you never talk to your etl they won't see it and it will auto deny

Asants here.

 

[IWishIKnew]

At my store only the etl hr can see vacation request so if you never talk to your etl they won't see it and it will auto deny

Asants here.

Great. Again, why have a system, then? Might as well go back to paper stuck in an inbox or at least tell people the system is useless so don't bother.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Great. Again, why have a system, then? Might as well go back to paper stuck in an inbox or at least tell people the system is useless so don't bother.

I mean, when I need time off I'll just go to my Sr.TL-HR and be like, "hey I put in a time off request for [DATE/TIME]" and she will be like "ok JJ, I'll approve it later" or "idk if that will work, but if you end up scheduled I can let people who are looking for hours know that your shift is available". If she's not there then I'll just let the HRTM know to tell her or just leave a note in her mailbox. It takes maybe three minutes, tops. I'd argue that it's your responsibility to advocate for yourself if you need something done, and it isn't the responsibility of your leaders to keep tabs on your requests if you won't even let them know that you're making them.

 

[unknown]

I mean, when I need time off I'll just go to my Sr.TL-HR and be like, "hey I put in a time off request for [DATE/TIME]" and she will be like "ok JJ, I'll approve it later" or "idk if that will work, but if you end up scheduled I can let people who are looking for hours know that your shift is available". If she's not there then I'll just let the HRTM know to tell her or just leave a note in her mailbox. It takes maybe three minutes, tops. I'd argue that it's your responsibility to advocate for yourself if you need something done, and it isn't the responsibility of your leaders to keep tabs on your requests if you won't even let them know that you're making them.

The whole point of the system is to let them know on the computer. Which is why Target uses it. Not only uses it, but either PAID someone to create it or PAID someone who already created it. That's the point.

If I put vacation in, someone better be checking that. That's part of their job. If it gets auto denied because no one checks it, that's a waste.

 

[HRZone]

The whole point of the system is to let them know on the computer. Which is why Target uses it. Not only uses it, but either PAID someone to create it or PAID someone who already created it. That's the point.

If I put vacation in, someone better be checking that. That's part of their job. If it gets auto denied because no one checks it, that's a waste.

The system is so you can be blocked off the schedule it's not supposed to replace interracting with your leaders. If you just told your leaders no way they would remember you are taking Susie to the recital in a month.

My ETL LOG has 50 team members and has to run the truck and the store as LOD.

If you look at timeoff in an office, you ask your boss for the day off. This isn't unique to Target

 

[IWishIKnew]

If you look at timeoff in an office, you ask your boss for the day off. This isn't unique to Target

I haven't asked my boss for a day off in years. I submit time off requests in Workday. He approves them. Fin.

 

[Bethy]

I haven't asked my boss for a day off in years. I submit time off requests in Workday. He approves them. Fin.

In my previous life of office jobs, you always had to ask ( or at least let someone know) that you were taking or requesting to take days off. All jobs not the same, but it makes sense that you’d want to touch base with your boss to let them know anyway... extra facetime with your boss or the people who help make the schedule never hurts anyway!!

 

[SrTLall]

Is this convo really happening? Have we wandered so deep into the digital age that actually speaking to your boss about upcoming time off is considered inefficient?

TM: Hey, boss, I'm going to be putting in a time off request for xxxx-xxxx.
Boss: OK, great, thanks for letting me know!

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Even if we still had to submit paper request, everyone should still notify your boss you're planning on taking time off, it's just proper etiquette.

As for a store advertising that no one should be taking specific days off and then a TL doesn't schedule themselves on those days, that's just garbage. Bring up your concerns with HR, then STL, then call the hotline if it continues.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Is this convo really happening? Have we wandered so deep into the digital age that actually speaking to your boss about upcoming time off is considered inefficient?

Well, yes, when my boss and I can go weeks without seeing one another and they don't allow me to email her or us any other way to communicate than face-to-face. With my office job I see my boss most days. If I don't see him, I can email him. Days off are supposed to be submitted 3 weeks ahead of time and if I learn about something a month ahead of time (common) I should be able to rely on the system for that request if our schedules don't happen to overlap in that week.

 

[HRZone]

Well, yes, when my boss and I can go weeks without seeing one another and they don't allow me to email her or us any other way to communicate than face-to-face. With my office job I see my boss most days. If I don't see him, I can email him. Days off are supposed to be submitted 3 weeks ahead of time and if I learn about something a month ahead of time (common) I should be able to rely on the system for that request if our schedules don't happen to overlap in that week.

Every leader at Target has an email and you do have the right to email them

 

[IWishIKnew]

Is that an ASANTS thing? Last time I asked (our HR ETL) if I could email my ETL, she indicated that wasn't really an option. I forget what she said, exactly, but I asked how to email my ETL and she said I couldn't. My HR ETL helped me switch my schedule, but I felt bad because I didn't want my ETL to think I was going behind her back. In this case it was more of a last-minute schedule change, not a normal weeks-out change, but I wasn't going to overlap with my ETL to talk to her about it.

That situation is different than my argument above, though, where it seems like the system should work for normal time off requests. If you need time off after the schedule is set that's a totally different deal and I didn't want to try to "get around" my ETL for that type of change.

 

[Tc1208]

For me, I write the whole schedule, except logistics. I know what my ETLs and STL want, so i do it and it basically comes down to final cuts to meet payroll.

My ETL GE has literally no idea of how to do anything in mytime except print the daily grid

Why isn’t your HR doing the schedule? Per my HRBP, no one should be in the schedule except HR TL and STL. Not even my HR TM is in mytime except to reclassify absences

 

[IWishIKnew]

I'm not sure, exactly, but I know that the ETL of HL does her schedule, as does the ETL of grocery. Not sure about other departments.

ETA: Maybe based on size? My store is AA+ or AAA, I think, so they have a lot of people. It would be a stupid lot of people for HR to schedule by themselves, and I know my ETL gets salty when she sets the schedule based on people's availabilities and someone comes and adds a shift or something and her TMs come to her all "Uhhh....I'm in school at that time" or whatever.

 

[HRZone]

Why isn’t your HR doing the schedule? Per my HRBP, no one should be in the schedule except HR TL and STL. Not even my HR TM is in mytime except to reclassify absence

Asants here. My ETL HR barely knows how to use mytime. Granted shes always lod so she doesnt have time to sit at yhe computer like that and crunch numbers.

Our district the best practice is for the stl or etls to do it and for HR to only audit. However the stls challrnged the dtls about it. At my store it's only me and two of the etls writing schedules.

My STL told me he wants nothing to do with mytime lol.

 

[SFSFun]

Why isn’t your HR doing the schedule? Per my HRBP, no one should be in the schedule except HR TL and STL. Not even my HR TM is in mytime except to reclassify absences

Expectations vs Reality

We've tried doing it the way they told us to (myTime is supposed to auto-generate and only the STL can change it), but it just sucked and everyone knew it. How we do it now is most TLs set aside time on Tuesday or Wednesday to sit down with the HRTM and write the schedule for their area. The TL knows what works best and the HRTM makes sure they don't overspend and don't schedule TMs outside of their availability.

 

[redeye58]

Ours was a matter of shifts being omitted.
After a couple weeks of missing openers/closers for FA/SB, our ETL was happy enough to turn it over to the TL.