3%

I work at Tesco, and they have a crazy 3% Attendance thing, where if you're absent more than 3% of your time there, you have to have an attendance meeting. This is all well and good, unless you only work 2 days a week.

I've worked at Tesco for 8 months, and I've had 2 days ill, bringing my absent percentage over 3% (3.71% to be exact). So I had to have a meeting with some supervior woman, and she said I'd have to have another meeting.

I had that other meeting today, and Im being put on some attendance disciplinary thing. I tried explaining to them that I only work 2 days a week (7 hours total), so If I'm ill again, it'll put my absence percentage over 3%.

She said it was already over 3%, I swear. My supervior doesn't understand her own rules, or maths generally. I tried explaining that it'd go down over time the more I turn up, but she didn't understand so I gave up.

Irony is though, a few weeks ago, I was sent a letter about having excellent attendance. Now Im off one day, and Im put on a disciplinary. I could even be given a warning. I've phoned in both days too, way before I was meant to turn up.

I just don't get it. I feel like all my supervisors are idiots, or just robots of Tesco.

Similar experiences?

Reply 1

tbm

13

Thats the most stupid thing Ive ever heard! Surely the 3% thing should apply to full time employees, surely if you work part time hours they should be reducing it accordingly??

Having 2 days off ill in 8 months is nothing, I cant believe they are being so petty about it.

Perhaps you should speak to someone about it again as it does seem unfair that you have been put on a disciplinary when you've only had 2 days off sick.

I used to work in retail (not for Tesco though) and Ive never heard of that being done before.

Reply 2

~x~FairyDust~x~

1

^^ Agreed, that's crazy!

If the supervisor's too dumb to realise that, why not talk to your manager about the whole thing? You can't be the only part-timer to have had a couple of days off :rolleyes:

Reply 3

louisedotcom

13

(I know im generalising here!)

But to be fair, they have ended up with a career in Tesco, they probably arnt that smart.

Reply 4

Dionysus

15

They work as managers in Tesco, therefore they are probably quite stupid to say the least. Just ignore them, or quit and get another job - it hardly matters really.

Reply 5

IndianDiva

My old workplace also implemented the 3% rule, though as I only worked one day a week, it was adjusted accordingly.

It meant I could only be off sick one day every 3 months or something. The system they used was that the first time you went over your 3% trigger point, you had a meeting and basically got told off... and the second time would mean a disciplinary.

But 2 days in 8 months does sound ridiculous. Just ignore them and stick it out.

Reply 6

Helicopter

Cage

They work as managers in Tesco, therefore they are probably quite stupid to say the least. Just ignore them, or quit and get another job - it hardly matters really.

Perhaps the manager in question's intelligence could be debated, but don't be silly enough to suggest that everyone who works in Tesco is "quite stupid to say the least". Not everyone gets the chance to go to university or work their way up a professional career ladder.

Airel, because it's a big company they probably won't change the rule for one individual, as ridiculous as it is in your circumstance! Perhaps you could ask for some overtime over Easter; you'll be able to keep your percentage down ands make some money while you're at it!

Reply 7

guccilittlepiggy

14

where I work you get a disciplinary if you are off on two occasions and everytime you are off you have to have a meeting (read: interrogation) with your manager, when I was off some of the questions i got asked by him included 'what did you take', 'what did you eat?', 'what did you watch on tv?' etc. and you also can't use your debit/ credit cards when off sick because they can look at you accounts to check up on you. honestly its like big brother.

Reply 8

~x~FairyDust~x~

1

guccilittlepiggy

where I work you get a disciplinary if you are off on two occasions and everytime you are off you have to have a meeting (read: interrogation) with your manager, when I was off some of the questions i got asked by him included 'what did you take', 'what did you eat?', 'what did you watch on tv?' etc. and you also can't use your debit/ credit cards when off sick because they can look at you accounts to check up on you. honestly its like big brother.

Omg where do you work?

Reply 9

guccilittlepiggy

14

~x~FairyDust~x~

Omg where do you work?

RBS.

Reply 10

Zippy59

Yeah this is a common thing with tescos, its stupid but nothing you can do about it, its a verbal warning at my store as soon as u hit 3% no allowances or nothing!

Reply 11

red_Rose

1

The reason you had a high percentage is because it is not calculated over your total time in tesco, i believe it is over 26 weeks (6 months) so after 26 weeks your absence percentage will be back to zero allowing the whole process to start again.

3% is very low but it does not matter that you only work 2 days or whatever as it is YOUR percentage, if this is the first time you've been off though i'd stress this in any back to work or attendance review meetings and speak to your union rep and always have them present at those meetings.

Reply 12

Ubiquitous

5

Cage

They work as managers in Tesco, therefore they are probably quite stupid to say the least. Just ignore them, or quit and get another job - it hardly matters really.

As a person who has just been offered a position with Tesco as a graduate manager, I suggest you rethink your assumptions. Come back when you have your degree and graduate job, kid. Tesco is a very successful business and is built on the work of its staff. Many may not know when the battle of the Bulge was fought, or where Disraeli died [you probably don't either, since you don't even have a degree yet], but they do have real world skills and talents - talents that you as a student are likely still lacking.

Reply 13

Helicopter

Too right. Glad someone else said something.

Reply 14

Airel

OP

14

red_Rose

The reason you had a high percentage is because it is not calculated over your total time in tesco, i believe it is over 26 weeks (6 months) so after 26 weeks your absence percentage will be back to zero allowing the whole process to start again.

3% is very low but it does not matter that you only work 2 days or whatever as it is YOUR percentage, if this is the first time you've been off though i'd stress this in any back to work or attendance review meetings and speak to your union rep and always have them present at those meetings.

So every Half a year. So that means if I have 4 days off a year, Im going to have a meeting. I don't think Tesco understands that illness doesn't adhere to their rules.

Reply 15

IndianDiva

They just expect you to have paracetamol and turn up. Well thats what my manager said in my old workplace... but she was a cow anyway :rolleyes:

Reply 16

john williams

15

go to the main store manager or even the area manager, they will most likely be graduates and quite intelligence.

Reply 17

Airel

OP

14

I was back at work today and I had a third and final meeting. They gave me a warning. I tried explaining but It was like I was talking to two cogs in the machine of Tesco, not two people. I know it isn't their fault, they're just following procedure, but now I resent my supervisors.

I think this final meeting was to try and catch me out of anything I'd said in the past. I described one thing as flu, and then later as a bug. Im so sure they don't believe me, and they think I was just skipping the day.

Two days in eight months, it seems so petty to have 3 meetings and a warning about. I was ill both days, I didn't attend college in the weeks I was ill either. And they give me an attendance warning, so I'm being punished for something way out of my control. I really think this is unfair, I even phoned in both days I was off and said I wasn't coming in. I don't think discipline is the answer when somebody is sick. Sure, I have a contract to fulfill, but I don't think anybody would want to catch what I had when I was ill. Believe me.

red_Rose

3% is very low but it does not matter that you only work 2 days or whatever as it is YOUR percentage, if this is the first time you've been off though i'd stress this in any back to work or attendance review meetings and speak to your union rep and always have them present at those meetings.

I didn't join the union, although I was given an option to have somebody represent me, but I declined.

Should I just accept this warning, and carry on, or do something about it? I think I'm going to get an appeal form as soon as I can. Anyone been in a similar situation?