would you send this letter?

[red hot pegasus]

Right after I started my shift today,our MOD(manager on duty) informed me that i would be leaving work tomorrow @5pm instead of 8pm. This is the second ime this week that my shift was shortened. Just when I was starting to get somedecent hrs, corporate is getting cheap. My question is, should I write a letter to the CEO letting him know how one of his workers feels? Don't these cheapskates in corporate realize that in order to make money,you have to spend money? Why don't they try living on what they pay us? I'd rather not have to look for another job;Iget very cranky when I work 2 jobs. thanks for letting me vent.

[Kiwi]

I dont think they care to be perfectly honest, maybe some do, but if a business is public (as in on the stock market) its 1st responsibility is to provide a dividend to its share holders. How they do that is up to them.

Most faceless business care most about making money, and unfortunately employees arent assets, they are a cost, to be minimised as much as possible.

Send you letter, just dont put your name on it. Just dont expect a responce.

Maybe Im just jaded and cynical but ive been in retail/customer service for nearly 8 years now and so far only ONE business has given a crap about its employees and I worked with the owner.

also make sure that your getting paid what your legally entitled to for your country/state. Some states have a minimum shift of 4 hours. Stand up for yourself, dont get screwed around.

[JustAGirl]

maybe not a letter to the CEO, but a letter to the managers of your department about your hours. if you've already talked to the managers then go to the next higher up.

did they give a reason why?

I'm in agreement with Kiwi, I don't think they'd really care.

[Luna]

I can completely understand what you're going through Red Hot. I have been there and it sucks royally. I never understood how it worked or why until I was promoted.

I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I am a manager (please don't shoot me ) and especially in huge corporate megastores - management has LESS say in what goes on than part-time employees do.

I breaks my heart to send my staff home early when I know they're hurting deperately for money. I couldn't sleep the other night because of it, and I bought them dinner to make up for it in part b/c I felt so bad.

The way it works in my current job, (and most places I've worked) is this:

You write a schedule based on a certain amount of money you plan to make. Say Monday you plan to make I dunno - $1000. Corporate tells me that if I do indeed make $1000, I get to spend let's say - 20 hours in payroll that day. What happens if by 5pm, I've only made $400? If you do the math, I can't use 20 hours of payroll by corporates standards.

When you go over payroll - there is HELL to pay. First you get talked to, then you get yelled at, and if you keep doing it - you eventually get written up and fired. No joke...fired. At music store hell (my old job) - I was screamed at every Monday on the conference calls for going even one hour over the allotted payroll.

It's so hard. Corporate (in every place I've worked) reduces payroll every year, jacks up your sales plan - and expects you to do double the work with half the staff. They don't care, they truly don't. As long as the stock looks good for the public - they'll do whatever they can to keep it that way.

As for your letter - it's up to you. If it were me, I wouldn't sign it though. Have you tried talking to your managers about how to get more hours? Maybe cross-training in another department to fill in when needed? (I don't know where you work so I'm guessing.) I know for myself - I give the hours to the people who are really good and the people that don't care - I don't give hours to. Sit down with your boss and tell them how good you are and what an asset you are to the company. Be assertive - managers eat that up.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Don't waste your time. Your letter will have no effect on payroll, and your managers could find out that you wrote it even if you put your name on it.

Luna pretty much has it covered. Payroll is controlled very tightly by corporate and if they notice that you are over on hours, they want to know why.

I'd also suggest trying to cross-train in other departments if possilbe. Versatility is good.

[Kiwi]

I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I am a manager (please don't shoot me ) and especially in huge corporate megastores - management has LESS say in what goes on than part-time employees do.

Sorry Luna, I meant the big bosses didnt care, not lower and middle management. Most of us realise that you have no more power over that than we do when customers bitch about prices to us.

I think red hot's question was more along the lines of "the corporate suits have lost touch" and will my letter do any good.

I makes me so sad that your losing sleep over having to do your job properly. Big box stores are no good, for anyone.

[Becks]

I'd also suggest trying to cross-train in other departments if possilbe. Versatility is good.

I'd like to add one thing to that.

Unless the department that you get cross-trained in is something you like, make sure they don't take advantage of you. I can work in a few different departments at work, and the biggest offender for taking my valuable time is the deli. The workers feel bad that I have to be there so much (especially when I'm by myself in my own department), but management doesn't seem to care, deli is priority, no matter that I can get a speaking to if my own work isn't done/not up to "standards"/blah blah blah.

[NightAngel]

Yep, it sucks.

I was just dropped from full to part time and my SM had to cancel her trip to see her parents. Why? SM's are SALARY and the rest of us are not. Corporate has dictated that there can only be X amount of management hours used a week- not counting the SM. Now, there has to be a manager on duty at all times but they do not allot us enough management labor hours to cover the hours we're open for the whole week. So, my SM HAS to be available to work so there will always be a MOD.

Smart, huh?

I was given the option of either dropping to part time or moving to another store that doesn't have enough management. Well, honestly the longer drive equals more money spent in gas and travel time. Plus, I can't think of another store in my area that's run as well as mine is and really- that would annoy me.

Oh, and we only have 3 managers at my store. None of us ever get to call in sick or anything.

[Barefootgirl]

Actually, if your company is publically traded, you DO have more leverage over the board. Buy ONE share in said company - voila, you are now a stockholder and automatically have a say at the company meetings, etc. You'll get the reports, letters from the board, everything, and a very good opportunity to have your say.

[Carolinagirl]

I can completely understand what you're going through Red Hot. I have been there and it sucks royally. I never understood how it worked or why until I was promoted.

I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I am a manager (please don't shoot me ) and especially in huge corporate megastores - management has LESS say in what goes on than part-time employees do.

I breaks my heart to send my staff home early when I know they're hurting deperately for money. I couldn't sleep the other night because of it, and I bought them dinner to make up for it in part b/c I felt so bad.

The way it works in my current job, (and most places I've worked) is this:

You write a schedule based on a certain amount of money you plan to make. Say Monday you plan to make I dunno - $1000. Corporate tells me that if I do indeed make $1000, I get to spend let's say - 20 hours in payroll that day. What happens if by 5pm, I've only made $400? If you do the math, I can't use 20 hours of payroll by corporates standards.

When you go over payroll - there is HELL to pay. First you get talked to, then you get yelled at, and if you keep doing it - you eventually get written up and fired. No joke...fired. At music store hell (my old job) - I was screamed at every Monday on the conference calls for going even one hour over the allotted payroll.

It's so hard. Corporate (in every place I've worked) reduces payroll every year, jacks up your sales plan - and expects you to do double the work with half the staff. They don't care, they truly don't. As long as the stock looks good for the public - they'll do whatever they can to keep it that way.

As for your letter - it's up to you. If it were me, I wouldn't sign it though. Have you tried talking to your managers about how to get more hours? Maybe cross-training in another department to fill in when needed? (I don't know where you work so I'm guessing.) I know for myself - I give the hours to the people who are really good and the people that don't care - I don't give hours to. Sit down with your boss and tell them how good you are and what an asset you are to the company. Be assertive - managers eat that up.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Very well said.... and you are 100% absolutly correct. It is just a game to them.

[Carolinagirl]

Actually, if your company is publically traded, you DO have more leverage over the board. Buy ONE share in said company - voila, you are now a stockholder and automatically have a say at the company meetings, etc. You'll get the reports, letters from the board, everything, and a very good opportunity to have your say.

I have really thought about doing just that..... thanks for mentioning it!