Black Friday

Before reading, a brief lesson on "Target Speak:"
Store Manager: Highest Authority
HR: Next step down (Human Resources)
LOD: Next step down (Leader on Duty)
GSTL: Next step down (Guest Service Team Lead)
TL: Next step down (Team Lead)
TM: Lowest of the low (Team member)


Last weekend, my LOD at Target came up to me and asked when I would be available to work on the Friday after Thanksgiving. My GSTL was standing next to me at the time.
I told her I still had to work at my office job and that I couldn't make it in.
She said, "You HAVE to work that day. Everybody HAS to work that day."
I said, "Fine," and told her I worked until about 6pm that night.
She said, "Good, I'll schedule you from 6pm to close."
I said, "No... I work downtown. It's going to take me 30 minutes to drive home and then I have to change and drive here, which is another 30 minutes so the soonest I can be there is 7pm, and that's with no traffic and if I leave work on time. But doesn't the store close at 10pm? So what's the point?"
And then I remembered...
It's the "holiday season." Which means Target is open until 11pm every night until after Christmas. YUCK!
She said, "No, we're open until 11pm. But that's still a 4 hour shift and that's the minimum amount of hours you HAVE to be here. Perfect. See you then!" and walked away.
My GSTL told me that the LOD was correct and that when I started working for Target, I was told that there were certain days out of the year that I *HAD* to work... Black Friday was one of those days.

Damnit!


On Thursday, I went to Target to buy a few things, so I headed upstairs to check out the schedule for Black Friday. I noticed that I was scheduled to close as a CASHIER from 7pm-11:15pm. BLAH! No thank you!

On Saturday, I went in for my shift and looked at the schedule again. There were about 10 people that were NOT scheduled for Black Friday. Wait... I thought EVERYBODY had to work that day? Not only were there about 10 people, but there were a few that were marked as "unavailable" on that day. WTF?!?! I thought that wasn't allowed??!! And then... THEN... I noticed that there was someone that had the same availability as I did (weekends only) that was NOT scheduled to work on Black Friday. WTF?!?!!!

I ran into her on my way down to the sales floor.
I asked her, "Did anyone ask you if you could work on Black Friday?"
She said, "No, and I'm glad they didn't schedule me, either. I can't come in."
I said, "Yeah, same here. I have to be at my other job, too."
She said, "I wouldn't have come in even if they had scheduled me, though."

ARGH! What kind of crap is this, anyway? This TM was hired on after I was, technically, since she left the company before Christmas 2006 and was recently re-hired. I talked to a TL about it and she said to talk to HR about it. Apparently, HR knew that they were scheduling people to work that day, regardless of their availability. Nice, eh? However, if there were any problems, have the TM talk to HR about it.

So I did.
I called HR this morning and let her know how I felt about this whole ordeal. She understood where I was coming from; I mean, really, who wants to be at work from 8:30am to 6pm, only to have to leave to go to another job from 7pm until 11:15pm on the same day? I wake up at 7am... and then I wouldn't be home until about 12midnight... That's one hell of a long day. Not only that, but after I realized that there was someone else with my same availability that wasn't scheduled... but yet, I was? And not only was I TOLD I HAD to come in, this person wasn't even asked to come in? She told me that it was nothing personal and that she'd ask the LOD and find out why it wasn't as... even across the board... as she thought scheduling for Black Friday would be.

I still haven't gotten a call back.
But I sure as F*CK had better not have to work that day.
Grr.


Quick Edit: 11/18/08
I DO NOT HAVE TO WORK ON BLACK FRIDAY!
The nice HR lady said she took me off the schedule! YAY!
I shall have to call her tomorrow and tell her, "OMG! THANK YOU!"
Life is good. :)