UGH, so I work at a retail store and we close at 9pm each night. So, duh, we have to stay after to turn over the whole store- putting clothes back from the fitting rooms and returns, resizing, folding about a trillion t-shirts, etc. UGH, so it was me and these 2 guys turning over this one section, and these FIVE other chicks in the section next to us. I swear they were just standing in a group circle giggling and talking, doing absolutely NOTHING. I work hard so I get a lot of hours- about 37 per week, and I prefer closing so I do it a lot. Our store just opened 2 weeks ago, so we are still new. Anyway, every week there is a group of people that work up until the last minute and a group that cops out and stands there doing nothing because they are LAZY.
Okay, so I got SO freaking sick of them doing nothing, so I walk over there and say, "Don't work too hard" and they break apart a little and gasp and I'm thinking , "Oh, please." And this girl is like, "Well, we have been here since 4pm and we are tired" (it was, like, 10.30pm at the time) and I'm like, "So have I" and the girl is like, "Well, aren't you tired?" and I'm like, "Yeah, but I'm still WORKING." So this other girl was like, "The store looks good, what is there to do?" and I say, "Even though everything is put up, we need to check and resize all of the racks. I guarantee they are a mess" (which they were) and she's like, "Man forget that, that's stupid, I'm tired."
Okay, let me also point out that these two chicks that were giving me lip are teen moms and wannabe "gangstas." The other 3 girls were just watching. Okay, NOT MY FAULT you got knocked up and use that as an excuse 24/7 to not work. Other people can work and have kids, but it seems these teen moms seem to think it excuses them. I mean these particular teen moms, at least.
Anywho, so I go, "Really, how many hours did you get?" (I already knew how many because the schedule is posted for everyone to see) and the first girl goes, "And what business of that is yours?" and I say, "Because SOME of us are working full time and you guys are only working 2 days and it's B.S. that we all get paid the same, yet you get paid to stand, and I get paid to WORK." And she goes, "That's notcho bizness" and got her voice attitude thing going and got up in my face, so I said, "Whatever" and left and went back to my section and started sizing clothes and telling the boys. THEN that girl comes back over and gets in my face AGAIN like she wants to fight (player, please, give me a break) and says, "If you got somethin' to say, you can say it to my face." I said, "I'm not even talking about you directly, I don't even know your name," and she's like, "Well, I heard you still mad" and I go, "YEAH, I'M STILL MAD!!!!!!!!!!!" Then the whole group of 5 gathers around to watch again and the girl is like, "Man, why you yellin'?" and I go OFF. I start yelling about how it's COMPLETE BULL that this happens EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and how it's unfair and how wasted payroll adds up and how if they don't value the job then why don't they go home.
Well, it's true. Half hour, five people, our store successfully lost $37.50 that day. Times that by every day of every year, and thats easily thousands, which effects raises, how many people can be promoted, our store hours, advertising, how many types of clothing we have, and so on, and it's like IF YOU DON'T CARE, THAN SAVE US HARDWORKERS ALL THE TROUBLE AND JUST LEAVE.
The manager says don't worry about it because this coming week they are choosing the 40 people they are firing since our grand opening is over, BUT STILL!!!!!!
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Comments: 34
I'm sorry you had to deal with that.
I would go to your manager when you have a few minutes to chat and explain the situation with them. They will most likely see your point, and if not, they will at least pay attention to whoever you complained about, and see the problem for themselves.
Good luck!
Even in big box stores managers hear from the security people about the workers. They sit in there little room watching the tvs all day long and talk to the managers alot of the time about what is going on.
Depending on the manager its best to go to them first or someone in HR about the problem. If not they might start looking at you as a problem or a threat to there job and find away to get you fired. I have seen it from a few different ways. So its hard to do the right thing. If your manager is not taking care of it, then go to there boss and see what happens from there. Best of luck.
This is an excellent article.Thank you.
You remind me so much of my daughter. She was a French major and spent her junior year in France at a French university. I see French is also one of your likes. She has the same strong sense of justice (a lot of which she got from her dad), which though it has been refined, is still every bit as strong.
Good luck with coping with a frequently unjust world. My advice: Help make it happen. I heard a writer on NPR recently talking about his idea, and I think book of the same name of "the nudge." That's what it often takes, a strategic nudge to help justice along.