A definite lack of info here ...

[Pixelated]

So today I was put on the registers at the back of the store (opens directly into the mall; the front registers are closer to the doors that exit directly onto the parking lot).

It was certainly slower there, and I was actually relieved to trade in the lottery ticket machine for having to sell transit tickets. They're a lot less complicated ... I don't have to ask if people want to play the same numbers, or if they want Encore (lines of numbers other than the ones you get if you just buy a ticket, and yes, they cost extra), and so on and so forth. Either you want bus tickets or you don't.

However, there are still some questions that remain unanswered to date, such as:

1) How much am I getting paid? (Most likely the minimum wage but nothing has been confirmed);
2) More to the point, WHEN am I getting paid? I've worked five shifts to date and nobody's asked for my banking info;
3) The ad on the front door mentions "competitive benefits." Again ... a little specificity would be nice;
4) When do I get my official shirt? (We supply our own black pants and our own shoes; but the company gives us specific shirts).

I'm not sure whether to ask my trainer about all this, or the supervisor (who to me is a/k/a Miss Hovercraft), or wait until my final training shifts (two next week, both evening shifts) and just see what happens next.

[MoonCat]

Red flag #!: You should already know how much you're getting paid. How can a company not tell you this?
Red flag #2: They should have explained if it was direct deposit & gotten your bank info; or explained that it's by check only.
Red flag #3: They should have explained all of the benefits.

The shirt is important, too, but not nearly as much as the above. It sounds as if they are getting you to work for free! Did you sign anything? Did they sign anything? Are you an employee on paper? This is all very concerning.

[Pixelated]

It's a franchise that is part of a mammoth corporation, which is why some of this stuff didn't bother me initially. if it were a small family-run business, I think I'd have gotten worried a lot sooner.

The store manager went on vacation immediately after my interview, so it is possible that the paperwork got lost in the shuffle. But if that's all it is, then it needs to be fixed pronto.

And at this point, yes, I'm starting to definitely see red flags.

No, nothing was signed at all.

I'm supposed to go back in for a Tuesday night shift. I'm going to go in early and talk to my supervisor and/or the owner and ask what's up. If I don't get some acceptable answers, the next person they hear from will be my lawyer.

And meanwhile, I'm definitely gonna keep looking. We've got a home hardware store (another big name) opening up here; I'll put my name in for that, and also for one of the supermarkets here (the one I worked for a few years ago in the Niagara Region), among others.

[RealUnimportant]

If anything, the fact it's a big corporation would make me more concerned that these oversights have happened, not less; bigger places know the trouble they can get into if their ducks aren't all in a row.

[Pixelated]

You would certainly think so, right ... ?

I haven't decided yet whether to make an appointment with the store manager or just walk in and ask to talk to him.

[Pixelated]

Update: I went into the pharmacy's postal substation today to send off a ginormous package for my nephew (and paid premium $$$ to get it there on time too ) and who should be manning (or is that "womanning" ...) the substation but my supervisor.

So I took the opportunity to ask WTF is going on, phrasing it thusly:

Me: "Um ... so when will I know whether I'm actually hired?"

S: "Well, you're doing well so far; we've not heard of any problems, and [Store Manager] is back from vacation now, so ... And I'm keeping track of your hours."

It would appear, therefore, that you don't get paid until your training is finished ... at which point you (presumably) get a whacking big paycheque (plus details of benefits, plus your official shirt ) or you get your one-and-only cheque with "Sorry, you're not working out."

That doesn't bother me so much as the fact nobody bothered to explain it to me. A little specificity, ya know? Rather than leaving your potential employee wondering if they should still be wandering around the city handing out resumes and going to job fairs.

Anyway, that leaves me with 2 more training shifts, so we'll see if [Store Manager] calls me in later this week for a chat ... and some specificity.

[csquared]

I was wondering if they had a policy like that. Effectively, the only investment they make is training.

However, they need to work on their communications. You probably want to watch out for that.

[Pixelated]

I was wondering if they had a policy like that. Effectively, the only investment they make is training.

However, they need to work on their communications. You probably want to watch out for that.

You betcha. I'm inclined to keep looking for a job even if I do get hired on here permanently, mostly on that basis. I'd like to go back to a supermarket here (customers bag their own stuff ) because I've worked for them before and already have a good idea what I'm in for.

However, we'll see how things go when I (presumably) pass my training. I can't remember ever working for a company with that kind of policy before, but given how far back my working years go ...