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I had decided, for several reasons, to cut back on my availability at my workplace (grocery store cashier). One of the reasons is that lately I've noticed a problem in my "smart" hand, particularly on the thumb joint, from constantly lifting comparatively heavy items one-handed. Even more recently, I was picking up bags of milk the other day and my shoulder started saying "You're kidding, right?" (for those wondering "WTF?!?", you might want to Google "Ontario, bagged milk" and you'll see what I'm talking about).
So I take in my notice today saying I want to go from 4 shifts a week to 2. This equals roughly 8 hours a week. I didn't manage to get to the scheduler so gave it to a supervisor instead.
Me: "I just want to hand this in; I want my hours cut."
Supervisor: "Ooooh ...."
Me: "Is this a problem?"
Supervisor: "Well, yeah. We're short-staffed."
Me: "So hire more people."
Supervisor: "We tried that. We hired two people; one just didn't show up and the other did but after getting trained is now out for ..." [waves her hand vaguely] " ... some reason."
Me:
I should add that my hours are daytime hours so are out of the question for students. Hire older workers? Well, apparently, for some reason older workers aren't pounding the door down to get in ....
Supervisor: "Well ... but can you survive on two shifts a week?"
Me: "Yes."
I also explained exactly why I wanted my hours cut.
Supervisor: "Have you gotten to a doctor to have it looked at?"
Me: "No, not yet."
Supervisor: "Well, you know there are support devices that can help you."
Me: "And will the company pay for those?"
Supervisor: "No, but your health insurance will."
After some more haggling she suggested taking my hours down to three shifts a week.
Me: "Fine, but I believe if you look at my last availability sheet, that's what it originally WAS. At some point it became four shifts. So if it goes back to three shifts, it has to STAY there. Also, as you see, I don't want any more five-hour shifts."
She nodded and wandered off with my availability sheet.
Of course, there are some questions I still have.
Like, explain to me the logic of using "supportive devices" to enable me to continue doing exactly the same movements that created this problem in the first place.
Also, why should my health insurance pay for it when it's the company that's benefiting from it? If the company wants me to come in and work more hours than I want to work, let the company shell out the bucks for those devices.
You seem to be implying that you simply cannot do without me. As my grandpa used to say, "Sooner or later, everybody dies." Do you plan to close the store down when I die? Didn't think so. So why don't you pretend I'm half-dead and act accordingly?
And of course the biggie: if you can't get people to work for you, perhaps you should ask yourself WHY?
And finally, not a question, but ... yes, I can survive on two shifts a week. And if I get too much grief over this, we'll all get a chance to see how I survive on no shifts a week.
So we will see how this goes.
So I take in my notice today saying I want to go from 4 shifts a week to 2. This equals roughly 8 hours a week. I didn't manage to get to the scheduler so gave it to a supervisor instead.
Me: "I just want to hand this in; I want my hours cut."
Supervisor: "Ooooh ...."
Me: "Is this a problem?"
Supervisor: "Well, yeah. We're short-staffed."
Me: "So hire more people."
Supervisor: "We tried that. We hired two people; one just didn't show up and the other did but after getting trained is now out for ..." [waves her hand vaguely] " ... some reason."
Me:
I should add that my hours are daytime hours so are out of the question for students. Hire older workers? Well, apparently, for some reason older workers aren't pounding the door down to get in ....
Supervisor: "Well ... but can you survive on two shifts a week?"
Me: "Yes."
I also explained exactly why I wanted my hours cut.
Supervisor: "Have you gotten to a doctor to have it looked at?"
Me: "No, not yet."
Supervisor: "Well, you know there are support devices that can help you."
Me: "And will the company pay for those?"
Supervisor: "No, but your health insurance will."
After some more haggling she suggested taking my hours down to three shifts a week.
Me: "Fine, but I believe if you look at my last availability sheet, that's what it originally WAS. At some point it became four shifts. So if it goes back to three shifts, it has to STAY there. Also, as you see, I don't want any more five-hour shifts."
She nodded and wandered off with my availability sheet.
Of course, there are some questions I still have.
Like, explain to me the logic of using "supportive devices" to enable me to continue doing exactly the same movements that created this problem in the first place.
Also, why should my health insurance pay for it when it's the company that's benefiting from it? If the company wants me to come in and work more hours than I want to work, let the company shell out the bucks for those devices.
You seem to be implying that you simply cannot do without me. As my grandpa used to say, "Sooner or later, everybody dies." Do you plan to close the store down when I die? Didn't think so. So why don't you pretend I'm half-dead and act accordingly?
And of course the biggie: if you can't get people to work for you, perhaps you should ask yourself WHY?
And finally, not a question, but ... yes, I can survive on two shifts a week. And if I get too much grief over this, we'll all get a chance to see how I survive on no shifts a week.
So we will see how this goes.
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