A reader writes:
When I was employed for my present job, it was for overnights, with the understanding that I would work three to 4 days per week. I was additionally educated on the night shift. Since these coaching shifts, all my shifts have been overnights. I was additionally assured that I might transfer to full-time after a number of months, working each overnights and evenings. There is nearly at all times just one particular person working in a single day, each evening. I had a second, seasonal job, however that ended months in the past and won’t re-open.
That full-time standing by no means appeared, and a number of other precise full-timers have been employed. That is beside the foremost problem. The foremost problem is the full-time overnighter, Rick. For the previous a number of months, I have been scheduled for 3 days and him 4. At least as soon as a pay interval, he has referred to as me, asking me to are available for him. Almost at all times, it’s to take the shift, not to change with him. He has at all times assured me that administration is conscious. (I doubt this, however anyway.) Almost at all times, I take it. Nor have I missed a single certainly one of my personal shifts, until it was switched at his request.
He additionally retains calling one or two hours earlier than the begin of his shift to ask me to take it, and if I don’t reply his texts, he will name me. His excuses have ranged from his mom being in the hospital, to him being “too tired.” The one time I turned him down, I had a 103+ diploma fever. He complained about my saying no, till I supplied to take certainly one of his different days. He turned me down, after which complained to one other coworker that he wasn’t positive if he’d “feel like working that other day.” He didn’t point out the fever to her, after all.
I was warned that he would strive to take benefit of my time, and have been informed by a number of folks that he is lazy. I ought to have listened, however my checking account dictates in any other case. My coworkers suggested me not to complain, saying that administration would most likely simply ban shift switching altogether and there would go that further day of earnings. To be sincere, I have been extra upset about the late discover than the shifts themselves. It’s quiet at evening.
Until this schedule. I regarded at it tonight, and I am down to two days, and he has 5. The supervisor is out till Monday, however I texted her with the following: “I need to talk to you on Monday, please. I can’t afford to only have two shifts in a week. Rick texts and calls me at least once a pay period to work his shifts (usually within a couple hours of the shift), knowing I can’t afford to refuse. I don’t think it’s fair he gets even more hours when he doesn’t work the ones he has.”
If administration punishes me, I’m planning to job hunt. Less pay (nothing round right here pays inside $2 of what I at the moment make) however extra hours will nonetheless be a web win for me. Am I dealing with this the proper manner? I really feel like Rick has me by the brief hairs and knows it. I additionally get the feeling that he might begin calling me extra usually to cowl his shifts, realizing I may even much less financially afford to say no. I very a lot doubt administration is maintaining a tally of who’s scheduled vs who truly reveals up, particularly at evening.
Job search.
The problem is much less Rick — though he’s a drawback — and extra that you simply’re working someplace that promised you full-time work, has reneged on that, and now’s scheduling you for even fewer shifts than you began out with.
Rick is a drawback solely because your employer has put you in a place the place the solely manner to get sufficient shifts to help your self is to say sure to Rick’s last-minute requests. If your employer was providing you with the quantity of hours they promised you, you’d have a a lot simpler time saying no to Rick. He is perhaps making the most of the indisputable fact that he knows you need extra shifts, however your employer is liable for you being in that spot in the first place.
All that stated … in case your administration is unaware of who’s truly working every shift (and doesn’t understand how usually it’s you, not Rick), that’s value mentioning. I might quibble with the framing of your message to your supervisor a bit, however it’s affordable to say, basically, “I came on board with the promise of having full-time hours by now. I don’t have that, and in fact I’m scheduled for fewer shifts now than I was earlier on. I’ve been working X extra shifts per week because Rick frequently asks me to take his at the last minute, but that’s not sustainable and I need a schedule I can plan on. Since I’ve been averaging X shifts a week, can we formalize that on the schedule so it’s not dependent on last-minute calls from Rick to fill in for him?”
