Availability, Overtime, and Your Rights
This is in relation and response to some of the trending issues with the company right now, not that it's new, but it's getting more prevalent, more obvious, more extreme. And it's wrong.
I recently left the company and had been a department manager. I did my best to do right by my team members, I knew all of their availabilities, I knew some of the struggles they faced that they were comfortable sharing with me, and I advocated for them to the SD, and I kicked ass doing it, but it cost me a lot. I kept asking for more people with availabilities that actually matched the department and he kept saying they were in training or that more people were being crosstrained, or other bullshit, but they weren't. I never got anymore people unless someone quit. I had to step in to cover the department because my team members either couldn't, or didn't want to do so themselves, so my team members worked reasonable hours, but my hours kept going up. Every time I went to the SD and was like, dude, I can't keep doing these hours, they need to go down, we need to find a more sustainable solution, my hours went up instead. I started working 50, 60, or even 70 hour weeks (which was over half the allocated amount of hours for my department btw) for months and it severely affected my mental heath. I had two breakdowns on the clock the month before I left, and experienced a mental heath relapse on my depression and ptsd. I needed to be able to call out, but I didn't/couldn't because I knew no one would cover the shift. That is a problem. That is an issue. That shouldn't be happening to anyone because it's not right.
So, if you feel like that, if you're being taken advantage like that, look at my story and prioritize your health and wellbeing because they won't. They benefit from you not doing so. They haven't earned your loyalty. They are not your friend. They are your boss and you need to keep their motivation in mind when you interact with them because they CAN and DO attempt to manipulate you. This is, of course, in relation to those who have proven to not care through their actions, they're are probably some who have rightfully earned the loyalty of their employees, but they are few and far between because the system doesn't prioritize that mentality, because the system doesn't prioritize the employees.
Do not hesitate to set boundaries with them on when and how and why you work overtime. They are not entitled to your time and if the store is suffering from your refusal, then it's the SD's fault for not having enough employees trained to cover shifts. It is not your responsibility to work anything other than what you are scheduled and they cannot force you to do overtime, you are able to volunteer for more hours, but they cannot force you. Any illusion of them doing so is only an attempt at manipulating you. Your availability is not a suggestion, you saying no is not a suggestion, your time is not a resource they can infringe on.
You have rights and you should know and advocate for maintaining them. If you're union, do not hesitate to contact your rep even if they do jack all, enough voices can break down even the strongest of walls. It is long since time this treatment stopped and had actual consequences for the people doing this to you, but it won't happen without your action, you have to be the one to advocate for you because no one else will do it for you.
We are NOT machines, we are NOT robots, we are people with thoughts and friends and family and hopes and dreams and goals and hobbies and the want to do literally anything else other than work. Ironically, to quote my last SD, "We work to live, we do not live to work" and the company has to start, not only understanding that, but putting it into practice.
I no longer work here. I left and work for a boss who actually cares, even though she can be a bit of a mother hen sometimes. I do not care about this company anymore, they have long since lost my loyalty. But if this can help someone whose experiencing what I did, or if I can prevent it, that is what I care about.
You deserve better.