Massive turnover

[bean]

My store has had a MASSIVE turnover. For the most part, it's because a new store opens next week, and a ton of people transferred to it (I'd say 1/3 of our staff).

My department in particular has been particularly hard hit. We lost 2 supervisors to other stores when they both managed to win an asst dept mgr slot. We lost 2 supes to admin positions (one is in the graphic design office, one is in cash up). We fired out dept trainer.

We now have 3 experienced baggers - 2 of which normally cashier. And a ton of newbies. We're also training cashiers and baggers for the new store as well. And several newbies from the new store are pulling NC/NS. And to make it even better, one of our new baggers walked out in the middle of his shift the other day.

Front end has been a fucking trainwreck for the past week. Massive lines because of inexperienced cashiers, baggers that don't know not to put a watermelon on top of an 18 pack of eggs, and massively understaffed on both supes and decent cashiers. I have several hours of OT coming to me on my next check because I've been staying late to help out with the lines.

I was bitching a bit about staying late, my boss walked up and told me that's what happens when you're good and fast. I responded "that's what he said" and he just laughed and blushed.

So... wish me luck in the next few weeks. It's certainly going to be interesting. And I'm also interviewing for both supervisor and dept trainer, so wish me luck with those.

[Pedersen]

I was bitching a bit about staying late, my boss walked up and told me that's what happens when you're good and fast. I responded "that's what he said" and he just laughed and blushed.

Had a boss once that told me similar: "Being really good at your job is like being a great hooker. The better you are at it, the more you get fucked."

Just thought I'd share a thought for the day for you

[jedimaster91]

That's beautiful and oh so true.

[SG15Z]

We have high turnover, period. Last I heard our national turnover rate is at 80%! And 40% of those people quite within their first 15 days. You should have seen what happened when a new store opened last year. My gods!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

We're turning over a few people ourselves at the swamp right now. The ones I know of:

• One service desk person who recently quit and I went to her going-away party a couple weeks ago.
• Another service desk person who's retiring.
• A cashier who quit when presented with a write-up she refused to sign (It's kind of a long story, but it sorta boils down to management wanting to get rid of a full-timer, and with the aforementioned service desk person retiring, who had been her biggest defender, they started gunning for her).
• One of the apparel ladies, who hasn't quit yet but I'd be shocked if she comes back (fucked up her back really bad, can't walk without a walker right now, was three months away from retirement anyway and her husband is pleading her not to come back).

To this we can add the apparel supervisor, who had her foot operated on and will be returning to limited duty next week, and one of the price accuracy/apparel ladies who was in a bad car accident, needed surgery, and is still out of commission.

They're just dropping like flies around here.

[Becks]

It has seemed to me that the two departments with the highest turnover are front end and deli.

[underemployeed]

I understand not signing the write-up, because some companies have it so that your admitting guilt if you sign the write-up which means it hard to take them to court over, if something would go that far.

[bean]

The past few days have been a bit too interesting.

Tuesday, I was scheduled to work 12-8. I wound up working 12-close (10:30). And rang 377 customers! My record was 320, my normal is 150-175. Though I spent most of the day on express.

Yesterday was my day off. They called me around 3.. "hey you want more overtime?" Unfortunately, I was several beers into a 12 pack and had also smoked enough weed to impair the entire country of China, and told my boss the truth (no drug testing at work, my boss is a huge pothead as well, so why not be honest?). They wound up having a couple of former cashiers that had moved on to other depts ring for the day.

Today, again, scheduled 12-8. Got there at 12, left at almost 10. Rang nearly 300 people, and I was on a regular lane, not express.

Next week's schedule has several people working 6 days. And a lot more on call to come in for half days.

Damn you, new store for stealing all of our staff... damn you!

[Ringtail Z28]

It has seemed to me that the two departments with the highest turnover are front end and deli.

Sounds like those areas would be the most likely to have high turnover, seeing as how cashiers tend to get the worst of it from sucky customers.

[StarsAreFixed]

I was hired in September 2007. I'm the only one left from my induction of 10 other people. Since then, about 20 people have been hired apart from Christmas staff, the last one just handed in her notice. Instead of hiring properly, they're now giving out temp contracts to christmas staff..then a second temp contract..and then letting them go and re-hiring them on a tempt contract again. Scam or what! Lots of people in the company for years have left.

377 customers! Pathetic I'd get that in a 5 hour shift.

[Rapscallion]

UK law prevents this - if someone's now on a third temp contract it's considered continuation of employment. This has caused my place to wiggle a touch of late...

Rapscallion

[Magpie]

In Canada I think they can get around that by putting in a break between contracts. I think that it will eventually accumulate to the point where they have to be treated like full-time (happens with hiring contractors too), but it doesn't happen quite as quickly. I know my mom is required to take summers off, because she's only part time and they're not allowed to give her work for three terms in a row.

[fireheart]

My company hires either full-time or part-time. They do also hire casuals, however they're few and far between. The turnover at my old store wasn't as high as I thought it would be-usually about 3-4 people over a period of 3-4 months. The turnover would increase slightly whenever a new store opened or re-opened, but soon became normal.

Around the time I left my old store however, the turnover suddenly increased. No longer was it 3-4 people over a period of 3-4 months, it was more like 3-4 people every MONTH. Since I have left, it's gone up again. Part of me has wondered if former manager is trying to GET people to quit. Here's why:

If it was wage cuts or budgeting issues, they'd fire the most recently hired staff (this is according to the union contract-last hired is first fired)
If he's trying to get a promotion at the expense of the department he currently runs, then he'd be trying to prove that he can retain staff.

Basically, people have been getting write-ups over trivial things, which has resulted in quite a lot of people quitting. Rules have been broken, policies not adhered to and a very inconsistent approach to the department in general.

In contrast, my new store lost three people a bit before I started (I filled up one of those gaps, another new girl filled another one and one of the now-former nightfillers filled up the third), but we've only lost 1 person over a period of 3 months. The new manager is strict, but she's not going to give writeups over stupid things.

[Rapscallion]

In Canada I think they can get around that by putting in a break between contracts.

Used to be able to do that here. However, it's now considered a continuation.

Rapscallion

[SG15Z]

It has seemed to me that the two departments with the highest turnover are front end and deli.

Yeah that seems to be common in most retail places.

Tuesday, I was scheduled to work 12-8. I wound up working 12-close (10:30). And rang 377 customers! My record was 320, my normal is 150-175. Though I spent most of the day on express.

You don't want to hear my record....