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New contracts

Started by BigBear, 15-02-23, 09:35PM

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lucgeo

I'm just wondering how holiday allocation works out if colleagues are working across the store ???
I know many in the past who made up their hours on other departments, found it difficult to fit their holiday allocation in with what was available on each, as no department took precedence.

I always believed everyone should be trained across the store, or at least in the different roles within their own department. How many times departments were left understaffed and struggling due to lack of trained support. Half hearted attempts to release a colleague from checkout to learn the role on CSD or PFS went by the wayside as the hours were cut drastically, so couldn't spare anyone to train. It's always been Tesco's tunnel vision way.

So now it appears everyone is to help out, but does anyone really understand the role fully, or is it just a case of papering over the cracks. A lot of the negativity from colleagues is due to sheer frustration, feeling overwhelmed if they don't understand what they're doing or expected of them!

Many relish a change of scenery, to get stuck into something different, even if only for a few hours to make their day go faster and feel some sort of achievement. But already it seems that it's mostly only going to be an hour here and an hour there, take into account time in moving from department to department, delays en route, break times etc...then the frustration and arguments between colleagues and managers alike will just escalate.
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

General Thorn

Lucgeo, your point about holiday allocation is so valid.

Years ago I used to work across 3 different departments. My holiday request was meant to go to my main manager who would determine whether I could have the holiday or not based on that department.

In reality, the other 2 managers would veto my holiday because their department would not be covered. Eventually had to involve personnel manager to sort it out.

lackofinterest

if i don't get the holidays i want then off to doc to be signed off with work related stress!

Redshoes

Quote from: lucgeo on 27-02-23, 09:28AMI'm just wondering how holiday allocation works out if colleagues are working across the store ???
I know many in the past who made up their hours on other departments, found it difficult to fit their holiday allocation in with what was available on each, as no department took precedence.

I always believed everyone should be trained across the store, or at least in the different roles within their own department. How many times departments were left understaffed and struggling due to lack of trained support. Half hearted attempts to release a colleague from checkout to learn the role on CSD or PFS went by the wayside as the hours were cut drastically, so couldn't spare anyone to train. It's always been Tesco's tunnel vision way.

So now it appears everyone is to help out, but does anyone really understand the role fully, or is it just a case of papering over the cracks. A lot of the negativity from colleagues is due to sheer frustration, feeling overwhelmed if they don't understand what they're doing or expected of them!

Many relish a change of scenery, to get stuck into something different, even if only for a few hours to make their day go faster and feel some sort of achievement. But already it seems that it's mostly only going to be an hour here and an hour there, take into account time in moving from department to department, delays en route, break times etc...then the frustration and arguments between colleagues and managers alike will just escalate.

Primary dept manager books holiday. I have done this with a few colleagues for years. It's not an issue but communication has to be good. I give a copy of the holiday form to other manager, they do same for me. If it means one area is left short we suck it up or go back to colleagues. It's only an issue if there are two cash office colleagues and both have holiday granted but even so we can work round this. I'm also not above doing cash office myself for a week to allow colleague to get the holidays they want.
Going forward this is less and less of an issue as more and more colleagues trained in other areas. There is even time to train someone to a new task as holidays are booked well enough in advance.
I use my holiday diary and frog for booking overtime and seeing where shifts are needed and reviewing who is off. We are expected to be four weeks in advance on this so even if the informing of other manager has not happened there is still time to do something.

newguy20

Quote from: lucgeo on 27-02-23, 09:28AMHalf hearted attempts to release a colleague from checkout to learn the role on CSD or PFS went by the wayside as the hours were cut drastically, so couldn't spare anyone to train. It's always been Tesco's tunnel vision way.

Exactly and also the follow up that's needed...

I can train someone in the basics of the PFS in a few hours, but if they are never on there again they won't remember any of it nor will they get a chance to pick up more and more etc... then in 6 months when someone goes "oh yeah Bertha can work in the PFS" they've forgotten everything. Strictly speaking somebody needs the training done and validated before they work on the till in the PFS anyway.

But the examples continue, a while ago we had a long stretch when none of the multi skillers were used over in the garage, I suggested that we swap people over one afternoon but apparently it was 'too complicated'.

Redshoes

PFS and CSD do take a while to train and need to be experienced before doing the online training. PFS is scary to most as single manned. I have had to train both for the CSD and PFS due to long term sick, retirement and leavers. I requested time out of duty rota and had to buddy up with people myself, mostly. I have also taken the place of someone on a till so they can buddy up on CSD or PFS. There is no other way to do it. I trained one person over Christmas when we had loads of hours but it was needed and not ideal.
The new shift leaders we have trained for the store are signed off at PFS but I have insisted that they experience PFS rather than just do the online stuff.
It's hard to get any online training done as almost impossible to take anyone away from serving.

lucgeo

#31
@Redshoes

Your way of management is not the way of many managers across stores. You'd be hard put to find most willing to drag themselves out of the offices or the Costa, to actually support their teams by putting an hour or two into running their departments efficiently.
If the new way is to have colleagues working different departments during their shifts, surely it would serve each store to actually set aside extra hours per department, and ring fence those colleagues in order to give practical training, rather than online theory.

As @newguy states, to actually swap people around to learn other arms in their departments was treated as "too complicated!" What happened to the Tesco core value of "sharing the knowledge?"
How easy is it to have those colleagues who want to learn, be swapped over for a shift, with another. Both would learn and then have the hands on experience needed to  work those departments for sickness and holiday cover.

Those pre 2005 who don't want to train on checkouts are expected to take over on other departments, to release colleagues who are trained to answer red calls, yet it's a pointless exercise if they don't know what they're doing when they get there!

It's all very well saying you yourself will cover if needed, but then that's not "sharing the knowledge " is it? It's just a temporary fix.

Your last sentence says it all..Tesco are not supporting their teams, they've streamlined to the bone, and  the stores are being run by number crunchers, whose only goal is to give good premium returns to the shareholders!
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

Himynameus

#32
Please share the following message with your team Week 3-5
Since October, we've been investing in you and the skills you have so you're able to access a broader range of extra hours when you want them, and can support customers in different areas in our store.
     In Week 52 we told you how we are introducing new features to My Tesco making it bigger and better
these are now live for you to view and use.
     Today. we'll be telling you about the new features we're launching on our online Scheduler system on My Tesco between Week 8 and Week 23, making it even simpler for you to use all of your skills across our
store.

What will be changing?
From Week 8, you'll be able to view the area of the store you have been scheduled to work in, for each shift, on My Tesco. You'll continue to be scheduled to work on your primary department when our customers need you there. The system will also automatically schedule you to work in other departments that you're trained to work in, when your help is needed

What do I need to do?
You can see when and where you'll work 3 weeks before each shift, so it's important to check My Tesco regularly so you know where you'll be working. The first time you'll be able to do this will be in Week 8, for your shifts in Week 11. As you gain more confidence working across the store, you might want to pick up Extra Hours. Don't forget you can do this simply and easily on the Extra Hours Market on My Tesco

BritishRacingGreen

What date - what Sunday - is week 8 please?

Redshoes


BritishRacingGreen

Thank you @Redshoes  :)

grim up north

Why do you need to check which part of the store you're working in, in advance?

kaled78

#37
My backdoor man was laughing about this today, no 2 days ever have the same delivery times in our store, they can come in anytime of day/night, it will be interesting to see how scheduler can cope with that, our heat map already says we don't need a backdoor man before 10am, and deliveries regularly arrive after 7am(when nights have gone home) and have to wait 3 hours to be tipped as we have no backdoor man until 10am due to the heat map, if scheduler sends the backdoor man in at 10am elsewhere they will be waiting even longer.

thor god of thunder

Quote from: grim up north on 28-02-23, 08:01PMWhy do you need to check which part of the store you're working in, in advance?

so you know when to phone in sick

BritishRacingGreen


newguy20

Quote from: lucgeo on 28-02-23, 08:31AMAs @newguy states, to actually swap people around to learn other arms in their departments was treated as "too complicated!" What happened to the Tesco core value of "sharing the knowledge?"
How easy is it to have those colleagues who want to learn, be swapped over for a shift, with another. Both would learn and then have the hands on experience needed to  work those departments for sickness and holiday cover.

The irony is. I'm a GA in the PFS. I was working one particular saturday and thought it would be beneficial to swap with some of the checkout staff who hadn't been over in a while, I could sit on a till for a couple of hours they could refresh their knowledge - again too complicated / don't see the point. Fine, that leaves them a problem when it comes around, I've done more than my bit!

Quote from: Redshoes on 28-02-23, 05:11AMPFS and CSD do take a while to train and need to be experienced before doing the online training. PFS is scary to most as single manned. I have had to train both for the CSD and PFS due to long term sick, retirement and leavers. I requested time out of duty rota and had to buddy up with people myself, mostly. I have also taken the place of someone on a till so they can buddy up on CSD or PFS. There is no other way to do it. I trained one person over Christmas when we had loads of hours but it was needed and not ideal.
The new shift leaders we have trained for the store are signed off at PFS but I have insisted that they experience PFS rather than just do the online stuff.
It's hard to get any online training done as almost impossible to take anyone away from serving.

Have to say I'd not like working in a single manned PFS. It's one thing doing half an hour whilst the other person has their break out the back but you at least know if you really need backup, it's there.

Shift leaders and team support should really know CSD and PFS in my eyes - if they are doing rotas and working things out they should understand what they're saying. The ones in my store have refused to acknowledge that they're now front end team support rather than just checkouts.

Redshoes

We don't have front end shift leads or team support, we have off till colleagues. They are not on skilled pay, they don't do schedules. They check in with pfs and CSD to cover breaks. They don't even check the off till rota to see if shifts are filled. The pfs are great, they cover the overtime between them and know a Few from store that will help out.
My whole week is spent requesting overtime, issuing overtime, chasing overtime. I have gone down from a head count of 54 to 38. It's harder now it's less people as there is less flexibility for overtime.

londoner83

#42
I know your pain.  With an ever decreasing  headcount it's getting harder and harder to get OT covered,  particularly on the shifts no one really wants (weekend evenings, Sundays , Friday nights etc).


Redshoes

#43
I have had a few colleagues on low hours that have now got a few extra contracted who now not as hungry for overtime. I get the whole work life balance, I want that myself. The reality is that when on 16+ hours contracts the availability window is reduced, it has to be. People have to show availability to get the extra contracted hours but then go down to picking up one overtime shift a week rather than three. It's not because they have got the hours and no longer care, it's a simple matter of sums.
I do however think that people deserve higher contracted hours and it will help keep colleagues.  The simple fact that if someone is looking to pick up one overtime shift a week a Tues morning is going to be picked over a Sat late shift in the majority of cases.  Hence, the Sat late, and all other weekend shifts become harder to fill.
Grocery may survive with one down on a Sat night as others will have to support or delivery is handed over. The CSD will however have to be manned.  It's not that the job is more important it's because we can't close a service area.  The CSD may not be as productive on a Sat night as someone filling grocery but the shift has to be filled.

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