fg
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Post by fg on Jun 22, 2022 20:25:26 GMT -5
I have been working in retail for 20 years. (16 of those with Sears.) I have seen instances by associates where they either blatantly or unknowingly broken the rules. Early on in my tenure, I was told that we were not allowed to combine our 15 minute breaks with our lunch breaks. 10 years later, I had to cover cashier breaks. Much to my chagrin, they ended up taking 45 minute breaks (one associate in particular even said so). When I found out that they were, I even called management (who again reiterated that they are not allowed to do that) but I cut the associates some slack to management about them because for all I knew they could have been helping a customer or an associate. One time, I had to cover for an associate who was late. My shift was only 4 hours and I had a dentists appointment immediately after. I had plans on having my lunch during my 15 minute break. The cashier never came during that shift and when I told management about my dentists appointment (that my Mom made unbeknownst to me), they said to call and tell them you are going to be late. (In other words, mess up the other people’s schedules at the dentists office due to the cashier being late and them refusing to close down the register.) though to be fair, an arguement could be made that I should have changed the appointment. Who was to blame here? It may have been me.
In 2013, I along with other sales associates were told to answer EVERY call for customer assistance if we were on the clock or not helping another customer. I did that even though there were times where I knew I was going to be in over my head. At least I tried. Sometimes at least, my assistance paid off even when customers asked me questions like the difference between two vacuums. I looked up the information on my smartphone because the only thing I knew about vacuums were the obvious. Customers praised me for my help and the other associates thanked me too. However, in later years, this rule was either not mentioned to other associates or they just blatantly disobeyed it because many times, a call for customer assistance would be made, I would be unable to help and as a result, NO ONE helped out the customer. This became a problem when I worked for Package Pickup. By this time, the package pickup people were allowed to respond to calls for customer assistance. I heard a call for customer assistance in baby furniture. I was t helping out anyone so I decided to help out. Customer needed help in regards to a crib, a baby travel system (a car seat and stroller combo) am9ng other things. During this time, I got an alert on my snick (a smartphone like device) that I customer was going to pick up a grill. I was getting nervous because Sears has a Ready-In-5 guarantee. If the customer is waiting at the pickup area for more than five minutes, we have to give them a $5 off coupon. I page for other associates to come and bail me out but no one comes. I did this several times. Finally, a manager comes by and I nicely tell her my situation but she says she has no other associates. Great. End result? We had to give the customer a $5 off coupon. Yes, I know there were no associates available but if there were, I can totally see them disobeying the rule. Some associates at times don’t know the ramifications of what happens if they break the rules.
What are your examples?
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Spider2024
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Post by Spider2024 on Jun 22, 2022 20:48:09 GMT -5
This is the first time I've heard of such rule about the $5 coupon. The Home Depot I work at would need to be giving those things out daily, almost hourly even. Home Depot has the same issue where an understaffed department can make things go haywire. But most of the time, that's caused by a staffing issue. Either the store can't schedule enough people for a given time period because of employees' limits with availability, or a couple people calling sick could make things very rough in the store that day. But occasionally it is because people taking longer breaks than they should, which is why you'll usually see a management-level person peeking their head into the break room often, just to make sure that's not the case. Also, it's supposed to be a hard rule that people only work the hours they are given, not much more. Anyone who clocks in too much extra will be told by a manager to go home 30 minutes earlier on some day they're not closing. But it seems like that only happens once in a while, like they only crack down on that a few times a year.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Jun 22, 2022 23:27:08 GMT -5
I can't think of a single day that "the rules" aren't broken at my job.
"The rules" are just a loose set of guidelines that are to be followed, if they don't cause too much of a hassle.
So, to pick out a single instance is impossible. If you want more wacky tales from the nuthouse where I work, I have plenty of those...and those are just the ones I think I are funny to a wide audience, nevermind the ones you gotta know a little of what I do to find funny.
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Post by KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! on Jun 22, 2022 23:29:29 GMT -5
A million years ago (okay more like 16) I worked overnights at Kohl’s. I remember one of my co-workers wasn’t the brightest guy, but we got along great. Anyway, I remember after performance reviews a bunch of the longer tenured workers got raises. My co-worker got the biggest one on the overnight crew, which pissed off some of my other co-workers.
This co-worker was actually a model employee (hence the comparatively big raise). Always came in early, never missed a day, etc. A bunch of the workers were wrestling fans too and I remember one even asked him if he would kiss the bosses ass if he said he either had to do that or get fired. He responded, “I guess I’d have to!”
Anyway where the rule breaking comes in is not too long after the big raise he no called, no showed 3 times in the span of about a week. This was super out of character for him. After the second time he did it our mutual friend even asked him about it and he just said, “I got a lot of stuff going on.”
Kohl’s had a strict 3 strikes and you’re out rule. Most of the workers thought they would let him slide, but nope he was gone. He came in the day after the 3rd no call, no show, got called to the boss’ office shortly into the shift then came out a few minutes later. He told me, “I’m out” and that was the last time I ever saw him.
I’m still not sure why he didn’t just call out any of the 3 days. Management loved him, he was likable, and the only time my co-workers ever got mad at him was sour grapes about him getting a bigger raise.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 42,388
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Jun 22, 2022 23:45:18 GMT -5
A million years ago (okay more like 16) I worked overnights at Kohl’s. I remember one of my co-workers wasn’t the brightest guy, but we got along great. Anyway, I remember after performance reviews a bunch of the longer tenured workers got raises. My co-worker got the biggest one on the overnight crew, which pissed off some of my other co-workers. This co-worker was actually a model employee (hence the comparatively big raise). Always came in early, never missed a day, etc. A bunch of the workers were wrestling fans too and I remember one even asked him if he would kiss the bosses ass if he said he either had to do that or get fired. He responded, “I guess I’d have to!” Anyway where the rule breaking comes in is not too long after the big raise he no called, no showed 3 times in the span of about a week. This was super out of character for him. After the second time he did it our mutual friend even asked him about it and he just said, “I got a lot of stuff going on.” Kohl’s had a strict 3 strikes and you’re out rule. Most of the workers thought they would let him slide, but nope he was gone. He came in the day after the 3rd no call, no show, got called to the boss’ office shortly into the shift then came out a few minutes later. He told me, “I’m out” and that was the last time I ever saw him. I’m still not sure why he didn’t just call out any of the 3 days. Management loved him, he was likable, and the only time my co-workers ever got mad at him was sour grapes about him getting a bigger raise. I'll piggyback off yours. We got a new super-nintendo Chalmers. Amongst his first acts was to remove the series of plug-ins alongside one side of the building, since to him, if not everyone could plug their car in, it wasn't fair. Now "everyone" in this case meant the entire city of 65,000 people. That was his logic. Keep in mind, most people spend an hour or two at our place, except the employees who spend 8-10. In Canada. In -40 weather. So we got a fancy new job boosting cars all f***ing winter long. Now, he decrees, for no reason at all, we're all to park on one side of the building. Whatever. Suddenly, parking lot cameras go up on that side of the building and no where else and the previously free me unlocking the door for employees who all arrive after me, I was always the first one in, always, my shift started first, is replaced by a card system, that logs when people punch in. Now, I should mention, he did this to ONE door. I have master keys, I can do in any of the other 6 doors of my choosing, he wants to heard everyone through this card lock door...hmmmmmmm.... Only the very dumbest of us couldn't see through this "safety" measure. I knew immediately what he was trying to pull, and always entered through the door 20 feet away without one with my key. Then, I'd make sure after I went outside for a smoke, I'd go through the card door, punching my time in about 11am and looking six hours late. One day my co-worker is hauled into a meeting. He was 1 minute late. See, he liked to listen to some football show that was on satellite radio, it ended at 5am, his shift started at 5am. So he listens to the end, grabs his keys and lunch and goes to work. By the time he's done all this, it's 5:01. He's late. Now, he's not late for anything special, just late because he starts at 5:00am. Anyway, since Super Nintendo Chalmers pulled this, the Union started asking how he came upon this information, he was pulling time stamps, since he put them in "for safety", he got the smack down because he was pulling them for his true purpose, to spy on us. He eventually just resorted to showing up at like 4:30am for his 8am to watch when people arrived....then Covid came. With no employees to "manage" they found out how useless he was for the cash he was making and was out on his ass.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jun 23, 2022 0:20:52 GMT -5
I don't have an employee handbook handy or anything, but one of my past managers probably wasn't supposed to bang dudes in the bathroom before he bought meth from them.
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Jun 23, 2022 5:09:19 GMT -5
I work in education, and the number of people in my industry who don't know how the Data Protection Act works is frankly shocking
On a weekly basis I witness conversations that could cost the institution millions if the wrong person decided to sue
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ERON
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Post by ERON on Jun 23, 2022 6:29:48 GMT -5
When I worked at Target as a teenager, we had an assistant manager who would buy up all the hot action figures as soon as they got off the truck - with his employee discount, I might add - and resell them for a huge markup at the flea market. Everyone knew he was doing this, but no one did anything about it. One day, he just stopped showing up, and someone said it was because he made so much money reselling the toys that he didn't need to work anymore.
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Post by TOK Is the Target Demo on Jun 23, 2022 7:28:34 GMT -5
I don't have an employee handbook handy or anything, but one of my past managers probably wasn't supposed to bang dudes in the bathroom before he bought meth from them. Yeah, pretty sure standard HR protocol is to do that after the deal is completed. Kind of like a handshake.
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Post by Vice honcho room temperature on Jun 23, 2022 8:14:13 GMT -5
I yell at every co worker wearing shorts and a non collared shirt I see.
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Dr. T is an alien
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Post by Dr. T is an alien on Jun 23, 2022 8:42:23 GMT -5
I don't have an employee handbook handy or anything, but one of my past managers probably wasn't supposed to bang dudes in the bathroom before he bought meth from them. Now I find that I wonder whether that made the drugs cost more (as in he was purchasing drugs + a service) or if he got a discount on the drugs for banging them.
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Post by jason1980s on Jun 23, 2022 9:28:50 GMT -5
This is the first time I've heard of such rule about the $5 coupon. The Home Depot I work at would need to be giving those things out daily, almost hourly even. I'm with them too. What is your position, how long have you been there? I'm always interested in hearing stories. My particular store has managers who are pretty lackadaisical which I think actually has led to more people staying for the long term, probably because it's their easiest job.
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HeyYo
Trap-Jaw
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Post by HeyYo on Jun 23, 2022 10:27:07 GMT -5
I work in the legal/political field.
What are rules?
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Spider2024
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Post by Spider2024 on Jun 23, 2022 10:38:48 GMT -5
This is the first time I've heard of such rule about the $5 coupon. The Home Depot I work at would need to be giving those things out daily, almost hourly even. I'm with them too. What is your position, how long have you been there? I'm always interested in hearing stories. My particular store has managers who are pretty lackadaisical which I think actually has led to more people staying for the long term, probably because it's their easiest job. Parking lot attendant. Gathering all the shopping carts and lumber carts that are left out there, as well as helping customers load their cars with the heavy merchandise. I've worked there for several years. It's fairly easy work, but very physically daunting, especially in rough weather (and here in New England, we see all the kinds of rough weather constantly.) Usually I don't get lectured too often by bosses, unless there's a lack of carts up front and customers have trouble finding them, then bosses get on my ass to hurry up and gather them.
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Jun 23, 2022 10:47:49 GMT -5
I'm sure it happens but I'm unaware of it as we're a government institution. when someone here isn't following the rules they're actively breaking the law so...
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Post by BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps on Jun 23, 2022 12:09:49 GMT -5
I don't have an employee handbook handy or anything, but one of my past managers probably wasn't supposed to bang dudes in the bathroom before he bought meth from them. Better than a past manager I had who was flat out robbing the main district office. My current place generally keeps everyone in line- we’ve had people who just sit there and chat and dance to the playlist instead of talking to customers or browse online, but they don’t last long. The guy next to me plays sudoku a lot but he has seniority.
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Post by Hit Girl on Jun 23, 2022 13:14:24 GMT -5
When I worked for the White House during the 1970's, something happened at the Watergate spa or resort or whatever. I'm not clear on the details.
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Post by jason1980s on Jun 23, 2022 20:07:10 GMT -5
Parking lot attendant. Gathering all the shopping carts and lumber carts that are left out there, as well as helping customers load their cars with the heavy merchandise. I've worked there for several years. It's fairly easy work, but very physically daunting, especially in rough weather (and here in New England, we see all the kinds of rough weather constantly.) Usually I don't get lectured too often by bosses, unless there's a lack of carts up front and customers have trouble finding them, then bosses get on my ass to hurry up and gather them. I've been there 9 years-most in Paint, 1 year in Deliveries (don't ever accept that position!). I did the lot a few times as a fill in for vacations. Normally on snowy days or the hottest days of the year. You should check out our Yammer on my apron. It's a nice way to get to know your district folks if you ever want to move up.
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Post by bibboid on Jun 23, 2022 21:38:42 GMT -5
I worked at Macy’s back in the 80’s before everything had UPC codes. We had price tickets on everything and had to punch them into the register manually. But what if someone had peeled the price ticket off? Normally someone would go walk out into the department to find another one with a ticket and bring it back. On sale days we didn’t have time for that. I knew how to make up SKU numbers on the fly. Most of the time I think they were actually correct but they were at least close enough that the registers accepted them. I have to imagine someone in corporate accounting used to cringe when they had to balance our books.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2022 22:22:42 GMT -5
I work security in a hospital. Every month I have to write people up for not wearing proper safety boots. Someones gonna get a broken foot when an angry patient stomps on it, workers comp isn't going to cover them, and they're going to complain that the company screwed them over despite it being their own fault.
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