Is a store manager ultimately responsible for covering shifts?

I used to work for Carter's Childrenswear and this was a sore spot for us. I was a keyholder but if someone called in sick there was no point calling either the manager or assistant manager because gee they just can't come in. My friend who was also a keyholder and I had many discussions about this because we did feel it was the store manager's responsibility to either come in or find someone to cover. We both had kids and most of the time when someone called in it was at 5:00 and we would have to stay even though we had been there since 8:00 a.m. I even had the assistant manager beg me to come in when I called in sick one night because I was feeling miserable. She did not want to stay and talked me into coming in even though I felt terrible. Just come in and sit in the office was her response. She didn't care that I was sick just as long as she could leave at exactly 5:00. My DH was a store manager/assistant manager for Ames and Wal-Mart for years and I can't tell you how many times he had to go in for someone else when they were sick or stay for the night shift after being there all day. That is just how he is though. I can count the number of times he has called in sick in the last 13 years on one hand. Some people take the management responsbility more seriously than others, I guess. I think you're right and the store manager should have come in or found someone to cover.
 
Pop Daddy said:


Have you seen Farrah Fawcett lately? She doesn't look like that anymore!! :earseek:

Anyway, when my swimming taecher job needs a replacement teacher, they always call the last minute. I hate that! :confused3
 
Yes, I figured this is the case and he really should have come in. He never works Saturdays either. He has a seasonal 2nd job and works Saturdays for them (however, he has stated that our store is his #1 job)...his other job isn't something he can't get away from though. We also really need to hire some people. We only have a handful of people on payroll that have open availability. We have several people that have "I can work one day a week for 3 hours between this time and this time". We need some people who are willing to WORK.

The team member that called in has the flu but really should have called in earlier. She called in about 1 1/2 hours before her shift. :rolleyes:

Annnyway, I just had to vent because I was ticked off last night.
 
That's the thing that stinks about being a manager...it is your ultimate responsibility.

In my hospital, the nurse managers were always blathering on about "abandonment" of patients when the next shift would be short, they'd ask everyone to stay, and then if no one could stay they'd say "well, I can mandate one of you to stay because otherwise you'll be liable for abandonment". Something about that never rang true to me, and one day, after hearing that song and dance one too many times I called my state's Hospital Association and was told that the only person who is actually in danger of being held for abandonment is the unit manager, because the unit is ultimately his/her repsonsibility. A regular staff nurse cannot be held for abandonment, as they do not hold ultimate responsibility for the functioning of the unit.

You should have seen their faces when I laid that on them the next time they did the abandonment dance. ;) And amazingly enough, when the nurse manager thought she might have to stay, suddenly they found a nurse to properly staff the unit!
 

YES, the store manager is responsible to cover the shifts, especially if he's paid salary, the company doesn't care if he works 40 or 80 hours a week , he still gets paid the same amount. It comes with the tittle.
 
I would have quit if the store manager refused to come in. I know there are alot of businesses that give store managers "bonuses" if they can trim hours off the schedule.....ultimately giving the store more profit. It's not that the store manager could not have the proper coverage, but rather the manager just wanted to have that skeleton crew to get the bonus. If they have a skeleton crew and someone calls in and nobody else will come in, they have dug their own grave and I feel they should suffer and come in to cover the store.
 
Well having been in your exact situation! I would say absolutley it is his responsiblity.

I would have been on the phone with the DM in a hearbeat!

Not only did you miss alot of sales. But it is a HUGE loss prevention issue! No telling how much merchandise walked out of the store!
 
::hug:: Sending you some ~~**~*Pixie Dust*~**~~ Would you have the authority to call anyone to fill in and give an OT? What I am saying is that since the GM is not there to fulfill the duty, do you have the right to step in and act as a GM?

What if you did have someone come in who already have 40 hours? Would you get fired for that. Wouldn't your supervisor (not the GM) be proud of you taking charges and doing the right thing for the store as well as for the customers?

That really sucks! So what if he has another job, he said it himself that his main job is this one not the other one, so where is his priorities? So much for his priorities. Another (((HUG))) for you.
 
If a PT called in, she should have made sure her shift was covered by calling in someone else. We make our PT's do that. If they don't we count it as a no show. 3 no shows and you are fired. This policy has help tremendously in employees covering their shift.
 


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