What do you do when you are asked to work outside your work center?

Joined
Sep 10, 2022
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The issue is that I don't want to do the truck. It's not what I was hired for and not what I'm scheduled. I think it's because I'm a guy. After all, they don't ask the 75 year old cashier to get carts or throw the truck. It's really starting to get old.
 
Talk to your etl or tl about it. Could be hours too.
No, I'm scheduled to do babies, which has plenty of work. But I keep getting pulled to do the truck. No. Just no. It's not what I was hired for. And the more I give in to do it, the more it seems it's okay. Funny how the pml can't do it. It's not what he was hired to do either.
 
Last line of the GM expert job description -- "All other duties based on business needs". Chances are the 75 year old cashier isn't physically capable of throwing the truck or fetching carts. Are you 75? I'm guessing you are much closer to 25. We've had women throw the truck and get carts. Chances are they asked you because you are physically capable. I wish I was strong enough. I'm able to get carts though. It isn't in my job description either unless I remind myself of that last line. I talked to my ETL to get them to stop asking me. It took a while, but I don't get carts any more.
 
Yes the old "All other duties based on business needs".

I actually got wrote up once for refusing to get carts after I did it several times while cashiering.

After I got those carts that TL told me I didn't have to get them anymore that day.

She went to lunch and another TL told me to get carts so I refused.

I then got wrote up BUT still didn't get the carts.

I WAS NOT the only TM in that department that was physically able to get them.

Then again our AP and Closing TL goes to get carts at night CONSTANTLY because Target doesn't schedule anyone.

So Target thinks they are saving money by having a TM THAT GETS PAID MORE to do it.
 
They asked me if I wanted to do pulls/online orders for fullfillment... and I said no thank you
 
No, I'm scheduled to do babies, which has plenty of work. But I keep getting pulled to do the truck. No. Just no. It's not what I was hired for. And the more I give in to do it, the more it seems it's okay. Funny how the pml can't do it. It's not what he was hired to do either.
Because the PML is a different job code and paid from a separate budget from store operations. Stop complaining and do your job or quit. It’s not that big of a deal. You agreed to work in any area of the store when you applied.
 
Yes the old "All other duties based on business needs".

I actually got wrote up once for refusing to get carts after I did it several times while cashiering.

After I got those carts that TL told me I didn't have to get them anymore that day.

She went to lunch and another TL told me to get carts so I refused.

I then got wrote up BUT still didn't get the carts.

I WAS NOT the only TM in that department that was physically able to get them.

Then again our AP and Closing TL goes to get carts at night CONSTANTLY because Target doesn't schedule anyone.

So Target thinks they are saving money by having a TM THAT GETS PAID MORE to do it.

I hear you. Last summer, there was a period where I am sure my ETL was scheduling me as fosa without scheduling me as fosa. I got tired of it as there were other people who were also physically capable. One day, I walked in and told my etl that my knee was bothering me and would she please find a different solution to the cart problem other then me. She just looked as me with a slight look of shock because I wasn't being my usual "ok I'll do it" self and then she said yes, she would have someone else get carts. It was painful to watch those 3 guest service tms get 2-3 carts at a time, but I did watch them. I smiled too.
 
Well, I guess you could do such an awful job at it a few times that eventually you won't be roped into it again. But then you might find yourself barely scheduled for anything so that's not a great option.
Is your unload chronically understaffed? Someone on vacation or on LOA? If this is a short-term problem, I'd suck it up and just get through it. If this is a long-term problem, I'd talk to my TL about it (at a different time other than when I'm needed to help with unload). But I probably wouldn't whine about "not what I was hired in for" because, as others have pointed out with the "business needs" part, that's not really true. Is someone else pushing the Babies freight and doing a bad job of it? Focus on what you bring to the job.
 
They used to ask this miserable old Captain to move around. Flow, market, compacting, baling and occasionally carts. Tough time pushing cosmetics but I got through it without bitching. My general response was: "Sure will, no problem." Defused any potential bullshit and drama, made my day go faster.
 
What are your desired hours. If it's more then 20-25 there not going to be able to just schedule you for Baby HL. They have a metric to meet for desired hours so if you want more they are going to try and get close to that and usually it's working other workcenters.
 
I will unload a truck any day of the week over doing work on the floor. Its incredibly fun.
My absolute favorite days were ones where I was scheduled to do unload and then switch to do flexible fulfillment once orders started dropping.
Not to mention it s a great workout!
 
Throwing truck is not for everybody and if it’s too physically demanding then I would simply let them know that you are getting worn out by deadlifting furniture but are still willing to help unload on the line. Idk who in their right or wrong mind would prefer the sales floor over BR where it’s always Karenfrei

hell at my old store we had AP dude and HR lady helping unload truck when the teenage bingbongs called out all at once
 
Most of the days our opening TLs are helping to unload the truck as we have a set time to finish the unload (usually before our etl comes in to the store around 6-6:30am). Sometimes they ask market TMs to help too . I was never asked and yes I have seen more chances to be called if you are male TM . But the TLs who helps out have female Tls too . Our inbound also have a couple female TMs who does amazing job with unloading the truck .
If you are given more hours , it’s expected from us to work in other departments. If you feel difficulty performing the task you can always suggest a different area . You don’t like working in any dept is not a good reason I guess .
 
ANd so it begins. You cant run a business model claiming to give people owned areas then flip it overnight and demand people work others to fill in for the inability of a company to run its business efficiently. Yes its in our fine print on our little handbook or what not. But seriously what they want is grotesquely over the top. For leaders as well as team members.

But to the point of OP you either do whats asked or have a status with your leader and either risk being performanced out for non compliance and insubordination or you pull up your bootstraps and dive in. Or you can quit but like all retail is like this so unless you plan to move to a whole other work force its just how it is.
 
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