What's so hard about altering a work schedule?

[Bright_Star]

I work at Sam's Club & been there almost 3 years. I basically like the job I do as a maintenance associate but I'm fed up with them not helping me to alter my schedule in such a way that I can take the bus to & from work.

I got a verbal coaching the other day cause they said that in the rolling 6 month period I was late too many times. Over & over I've said that many times I have to take a taxi when I start work at 6 in the morning cause the bus system doesn't run that early where I live. So that's when I have to call a taxi. around here, they can be notoriously late. They can get here to where I'm at in as little as 15 minutes & many times I've stood outside for well over an hour!! Once I call a taxi, it';s beyond my control how soon they arrive. & the managers at Sam's don't want to hear that.

I had been starting at 7 in the morning but Sam's Club managers were getting upset that I wasn't getting there EXACTLY at 7. See, when I take the bus when I start at 7, I take the bus at 6 where I live. Then it gets to the transfer center around 6:30 in the moirning. Then there are two buses I can take. I can either take the 6:35 bus & it goes near to Sam's Club but not all the way there. I can be dropped off near a bridge which is about 2 miles away from Sam's & I can walk the rest of the way there OR I can take the 6:45 bus & it DOES go all the way to Sam's but because of traffic, weather, delays, breakdowns or what have you, it doesn't get there exactly at 7.

So I suggested that they move my schedule instead of 7 to 3:30 to either 7:30 to 4:00 OR 8 to 4:30. I wouldn't have any problems with either of those time frames BUT they said they can't do it!

Originally I had my my availability starting at 7 in the morning but they told me that beginning in April they were going to computer scheduling & that IF I didn't open up my availability then I wouldn't get too many hours of work. So I felt I had to change it 6 which has now beome a problem for me. They told me they didn't force me to change it! BULLSHIT!!

& when I take a taxi it costs me about $15 ONE WAY! That adds up & I can't afford to keep doing that everyday. I'd rather take the bus to work. I buy a monthly pass for $49 & I'm good to go with that.

They won't work with me to fit my schedule so I can take the bus to & from work & yet the one girl who I work with REFUSES to work any other shift EXCEPT closing!! So if she can get what she wants then why can't I? & IF I can't then neither can she!

I was told that if I'm late again that I'll get a D-Day. Told me that it's not their problem that I have difficulty getting to work & if they make an exception for me then they have to do it for everybody else!! I take the bus-what's so hard about understanding that??

So I've started applying for jobs much closer to where I live. I've had it with Sam's Club management.

[AccountingDrone]

Is there some reason you can not learn to drive and get a car or scooter? I know that many areas of the US have sucky mass transit =( and if you do not have your own transport the scheduling gets to be horrible and as you say, expensive. Or is it possible to car pool with another person, paying a share of the gas cost?

[wagegoth]

Do check in with your local labor board (or equivalent) to see what your rights are in this. And let us know what happens.

[telecom_goddess]

Is there some reason you can not learn to drive and get a car or scooter? I know that many areas of the US have sucky mass transit =( and if you do not have your own transport the scheduling gets to be horrible and as you say, expensive. Or is it possible to car pool with another person, paying a share of the gas cost?

jumping in here...as much as I would love to have a scooter they are expensive. A car can be had for a lot cheaper....which I just don't understand.

But I want to add that as a fellow mass transit person (and gee I manage to get in a hell of a lot more than the people who have "reliable" transportation) a car pool might be the answer. Also the labor board thing to see if they can work your schedule around to something more suited to your availability.

[Bright_Star]

Is there some reason you can not learn to drive and get a car or scooter? I know that many areas of the US have sucky mass transit =( and if you do not have your own transport the scheduling gets to be horrible and as you say, expensive. Or is it possible to car pool with another person, paying a share of the gas cost?

Yes, I know how to drive & I do have my license but I can't afford to buy a car right now. & asking people for rides is rough cause a lot of people don't live near or in the same place that I do. & even telling them that I can give them a few bucks for gas doesn't help either. They either don't want to or can't.

[bainsidhe]

If your availability changes, it's true that your hours may/will be reduced, BUT you will still have a job. As it stands, you're going to get your D-day and be fired unless you either take a cab waaaaay early or change your availability. So be proactive and make the change immediately.

How are you approaching management and when? Are you only discussing concerns immediately after arriving late for work? It may help to approach your manager with a business-first mentality. Tell them you care about your job and doing it well and you want to make sure your schedule doesn't shortchange your workplace or yourself. Management is desensitized to hearing workers complain about scheduling, so make it about what's best for your workplace. And if there's a manager higher up the food chain, talk to them too. One manager may brush you off, but another may actually listen.

Lastly, what about talking to different managers about other openings within the store? Any reason you're tied to Maintenance? If you're cross-trained, you may get more/better hours, especially since your commute is making things tough. Just a thought.

[BlaqueKatt]

is a bicycle an option?

yup resident cyclist here, I bike 6 miles to and from work every day(12 miles roundtrip) on the roads and in the snow-been doing so for years, if you have any questions about road cycling let me know, in 4+ years only one crash, and it wasn't my fault(driver ran a red while on a cell phone)

[boringscreenname]

I've had to use a cab a lot to get to work, because we only have one car and at times my husband's job hours have conflicted with mine.

What I've always done is ask the cab driver if they're interested in some regular business. Some are and some aren't. The ones who were interested gave me their business card with their personal cell phone number, and I just called them directly whenever I needed a ride. Then I'd just let them know my schedule and when I'd be needing a ride and pre-arranged it, so to speak.

They were also willing to give me a discounted fare in exchange for my regular business so it worked out well for both of us.

[Kristev]

I understand your disgust. I too am bound to the bus. My boss hated me when I told her I couldn't work on weekends anymore and had to leave by 6 pm. The only reason she let my change stand is because it made me her reliable weekday opener. (First janitor on shift.)