The Student Room Group

Missed my shift at work

So I am working part time at my Local shop. I had received a new phone for Christmas, and I had given my manager my new number, she called me infront of her to see if it went thought it did, worked perfectly fine.

So it’s not the 2nd of January and I have been texted my a co-workers telling me I should have been working today. However I hadn’t received my hours or anything. I call my manager up straight away tell her I didn’t get my hours she sounds annoyed and starts telling me I should’ve called her and asked if I had any shifts this week( I’m only a few weeks into my job) so of course I didn’t know weather I had any shifts or not if that’s how they done it.
Trying to figure out if it’s my fault. Like I didn’t get my hours in the first place and she accepted me to be in.
Its a learning curve. You are in the right. But in any job it's up to you to make sure you know your shifts and it's left up to you to ensure everything is right even if you have to check with your boss
Reply 2
Original post by Owenstampy
Its a learning curve. You are in the right. But in any job it's up to you to make sure you know your shifts and it's left up to you to ensure everything is right even if you have to check with your boss


Also I texted her asking if I could book time of work, so she must’ve saw she didn’t text me the hours.
Manager sounds like somebody who refuses to take any responsibility for his/her actions (always a bad trait in work leadership)

Anyway, nevermind, you are new and it will probably all be ok. Just get your weekly rota confirmed every week as obviously you cannot rely on your manager to put up normal systems of informing staff of there shifts.

Becarful tho and cover yourself and collect proof about everything as much as you can, as this manager and the other staff sound problematic and most likely sack people for there own screw ups.

*Just my opinion obviously*
Reply 4
Original post by Kobiparis
Also I texted her asking if I could book time of work, so she must’ve saw she didn’t text me the hours.


I think it will just be easier to just accept liability and not make a big deal out of it. Put it down to a mix up due to the new phone.
Just as your taught the customer is always right; the same is true for mangers. Even if you prove its the managers fault you will not win any awards.
Make sure it wont happen again though. Either by taking a picture of the rota at work or just asking for a confirmatory text from your manager. Or however it works out in your place.
Original post by Kobiparis
So I am working part time at my Local shop. I had received a new phone for Christmas, and I had given my manager my new number, she called me infront of her to see if it went thought it did, worked perfectly fine.

So it’s not the 2nd of January and I have been texted my a co-workers telling me I should have been working today. However I hadn’t received my hours or anything. I call my manager up straight away tell her I didn’t get my hours she sounds annoyed and starts telling me I should’ve called her and asked if I had any shifts this week( I’m only a few weeks into my job) so of course I didn’t know weather I had any shifts or not if that’s how they done it.
Trying to figure out if it’s my fault. Like I didn’t get my hours in the first place and she accepted me to be in.

Big learning curve but yeah in future if you are not sure it is always best to ring up.
Not your fault if you don't get sent the shifts. Be careful with that manager, she sounds like a nasty piece of work.
Small businesses often have slightly dysfunctional management or internal systems that don't make much sense to someone new but are "how they've always done it". If you're going to work for one, you have to accept that there will be differences to working for a big business where everything is standardised.

I think it sounds about 50/50 fault- ideally the manager would have checked you received your shifts, but equally, you could have been more proactive. It's possible she took you asking for time off as indication that you'd seen your shifts. Just as an FYI it's generally not ideal to be asking for time off during your first couple of months of employment.

I would personally chalk this up to a miscommunication, apologize and move on. If you are lucky, the manager will apologize back, but don't count on it happening.

I'd also make the effort to appear very reliable over the next few months.
Reply 8
Original post by SarcAndSpark
Small businesses often have slightly dysfunctional management or internal systems that don't make much sense to someone new but are "how they've always done it". If you're going to work for one, you have to accept that there will be differences to working for a big business where everything is standardised.

I think it sounds about 50/50 fault- ideally the manager would have checked you received your shifts, but equally, you could have been more proactive. It's possible she took you asking for time off as indication that you'd seen your shifts. Just as an FYI it's generally not ideal to be asking for time off during your first couple of months of employment.

I would personally chalk this up to a miscommunication, apologize and move on. If you are lucky, the manager will apologize back, but don't count on it happening.

I'd also make the effort to appear very reliable over the next few months.

I asked for 2 days off, it’s for my Birthday and the next day.
Original post by Kobiparis
I asked for 2 days off, it’s for my Birthday and the next day.

IMO still doesn't make a brilliant impression- if you're old enough to have a job, you're old enough to work on your birthday. It's different if it's for a pre-booked holiday, or if you have a medical appointment or something you can't move.

Anyway, what's done is done- hopefully you'll have a good birthday!

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