The Worst Schedule Ever

[silverstaff]

I had a job that I think could be a contender for "Worst Schedule Ever"

It was in the fall of 1998, working as a "lab consultant" at a University computer lab. That meant I sat behind a desk and was there to do basic troubleshooting and tech support, help computer-illiterate users figure out what to do, and basically keep people from walking off with the computers.

It paid minimum wage, and was a pretty easy job. Sit there, look halfway respectable, and be there if someone asks questions or tries to do something really, really stupid. You'd have time to do your homework or write a paper, or just browse the web. In theory it was a decent student job.

. . .if your schedule didn't suck beyond human belief.

You see, they scheduled based on seniority. The employees that worked there the longest got to write their own schedule, however they want. The schedule was divided up into 15 minute blocks. Student employees had to work at least 12 hours a week, but no more than 20 hours a week. The most senior student-employee chose his hours, then on down the list of seniority.

When they were done, they had 12 hours left over. Just enough for them to justify bringing on a new employee. I'd just put in my application with them, so I was hired.

I was handed the hours that nobody else wanted there. . .and it was a joke. The schedule was completely inflexible.

6 days a week I had *some* time I was scheduled to be there, for a total 12 hours total a week scheduled. I'd be on 15 minutes, then off for an hour and a half, then on for 30 minutes, off for two hours, then an hour-long shift. . .then off the next morning but 15 minutes then off for 15 minutes then back on for 15 minutes. . .the longest single period on my schedule was a two-hour block one night. Most of my "shifts" were 15 or 30 minutes, with a few 60 minutes.

Not a lot of point in working 15 minutes, being off the clock 45 minutes, and having to be back to work another 15 minutes for your next "shift". . .and that's your entire schedule for Saturday. . .and if you refuse to work any part of that schedule, you're fired because then you're scheduled for less than 12 hours.

I went two weeks like that, when I realized it wasn't going to get any better, there was no changes expected for the next semester either, and it wasn't worth that for $5.15 an hour ($1.28, pre-tax per 15-minute block, so for my Saturday "shifts" I would make $2.56 pre-tax, less than $2 after tax).

After 2 weeks of this, and my complaints to my supervisor being laughed off as basically saying he didn't care and I could either take it or leave it. . .I left it.

[EricKei]

That is an incredibly poor way to do the schedule x.x Glad yer long since outta there.

[pzychobitch]

my brain hurts just trying to understand your supe's train of thought.

[wolfie]

What a stupid way to set the schedule - it's basically requiring full-time availability for a 12 hour a week job. Since it involved student employees, ONE class conflicting with ONE shift would mean the new guy can't take the job.

What would have been logical would be breaking the work into defined 1 hour blocks (i.e. not having "sign up for a minimum of a continuous hour, with your choice of which quarter hour it starts on", so that ridiculously short shifts wouldn't be created from the leftovers), and rotating through the seniority list (i.e. most senior picks a shift, then second most senior, all the way to the new guy), then go through the list again to pick second shifts, until all shifts were taken.

For each shift pick, let the person choose a continuous block (up to a maximum length - 4 hours would be a reasonable maximum). Their preferred shift out of what's left is 1 hour? They get a 1 hour shift. If it's 4 hours, then they get a 4 hour shift.

The way they did it means the new guy is tied down for 6 days a week, average of 2 hours a day - with some shifts being so short (15 minutes) that it's not even worth heading in.

[Aria]

If you were working from home and just had to plop down and log in that MIGHT be marginally acceptable. Anything else? Holy spackers that's insane!

[Food Lady]

If you were working from home and just had to plop down and log in that MIGHT be marginally acceptable. Anything else? Holy spackers that's insane!

Yes, ridiculous. In some states if you work less than 2 hours for any block of time you must be paid for 2 hours.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

What a stupid way to set the schedule - it's basically requiring full-time availability for a 12 hour a week job.

Retail stores do this as a matter of policy. And then wonder why they can't hang on to people.

[notalwaysright]

Retail stores do this as a matter of policy. And then wonder why they can't hang on to people.

Right? Like at one job a person will be getting the max allowed for part time(say, 26 hours) and there isn't any full time jobs open. So they get a second job. But then they have to change the days and hours they're available at the first job. So they end up getting 20 hours at the first job, and 15 at the second, so they only end up getting 35 hours total. They probably have to work 7 days a week to achieve this, and they still aren't getting the hours of a full time job. This makes so much sense!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Well yeah, this is why they demand open availability--because then you can't get that second job. Which might give you better pay, full-time hours, and benefits. And then you won't need the retail job at all.

[silverstaff]

my brain hurts just trying to understand your supe's train of thought.

I think it was there was some guys working there he was buddy-buddy with.

You see, it was student work, but some folks there had a lot of seniority. I was in my first semester. . .but there were people who had worked there their entire undergraduate career, all 4 or 5 years, and some grad students who worked there.

Most grad programs wouldn't let you hold a job outside the program. . .but the Computer Science program made an exception for letting their grad students work as Lab Consultants for the University computer labs. That meant you had some grad students who were in their 5th, 6th, even 7th, 8th or 9th years at the school, and a few were working there. . .building up seniority.

One guy there was a doctoral student, he would be getting his PhD. the next Spring. He'd was in his 9th year working there, which meant he had seniority to ask for whatever schedule he wanted. It also meant that the supervisor, who was a regular University employee, had worked with him for almost a decade by that point. They were buddies.

The guy was real piece of work. There are always supposed to be 2 consultants at the desk. My "long" shift of 2 hours was with this guy (theoretically), late at night to be there for last shift and closing the lab. Both times he did the same thing, he came in, clocked in, saw that I was there, and promptly walked out of the lab and over to the Pizza Hut across the street and had dinner and came back at closing time to swipe his ID card/badge saying he was clocking out. I tried to object to him just walking out on the clock, he laughed at me.

I tried telling the supervisor about this the next day, and basically got chewed out and screamed at for daring to accuse his good friend and longtime employee of being dishonest. He made it clear that the guy I was accusing was someone he'd known for almost a decade, had a flawless reputation and was *this* close to getting his PhD and was much more trustworthy and respected than I was. . .so it was his word against mine and he wouldn't hear me saying he was doing things like that.

He did it again the 2nd week I worked there. I didn't say a thing, but he had a wicked smirk as he walked out and came back.

It was an additional reason I quit that job.

[Food Lady]

Right? Like at one job a person will be getting the max allowed for part time(say, 26 hours) and there isn't any full time jobs open. So they get a second job. But then they have to change the days and hours they're available at the first job. So they end up getting 20 hours at the first job, and 15 at the second, so they only end up getting 35 hours total. They probably have to work 7 days a week to achieve this, and they still aren't getting the hours of a full time job. This makes so much sense!

I have been there so many times.

[wolfie]

he came in, clocked in, saw that I was there, and promptly walked out of the lab and over to the Pizza Hut across the street and had dinner and came back at closing time to swipe his ID card/badge saying he was clocking out. I tried to object to him just walking out on the clock, he laughed at me.

I tried telling the supervisor about this the next day, and basically got chewed out and screamed at for daring to accuse his good friend and longtime employee of being dishonest. He made it clear that the guy I was accusing was someone he'd known for almost a decade, had a flawless reputation and was *this* close to getting his PhD and was much more trustworthy and respected than I was. . .so it was his word against mine and he wouldn't hear me saying he was doing things like that.

Weren't there any security cameras in the lab, to protect all the valuable equipment? It wouldn't be his word against yours - it would be his word against yours and the camera footage.

[silverstaff]

Weren't there any security cameras in the lab, to protect all the valuable equipment? It wouldn't be his word against yours - it would be his word against yours and the camera footage.

Nope. No cameras. This was 1998, pre 9/11 so a lot less cameras (and cameras were more expensive).

One of the justifications for having "lab consultants" was having people there to make sure nobody steals the computers when the place is open and unlocked.

[Sparklyturtle]

That shift is insane. My sister was on a split shift for a restaurant, 12-2 and 6-8, but there was at least time between shifts to get some lunch, etc. Turtleguy drives a school bus and usually has 3 hours in the middle of the day where he isn't working, but he comes home, has lunch, then plays World of Warcraft until he has to go back. Since I'm retired, and before that I worked at home for over 10 years, it's nice to talk to someone in the middle of the day who doesn't answer in meows.

[wolfie]

Since I'm retired, and before that I worked at home for over 10 years, it's nice to talk to someone in the middle of the day who doesn't answer in meows.

That's why you need a dog.