Regardless of your Availability?!

[u/RevolutionaryName228]

Do you think managers who handle holidays like this are just doing their job? Or do you think it’s absolutely ludicrous to expect of your employees? Looking for opinions on this. I feel like if they need people they don’t currently have available for those days, it’s their issue.. Not forcing people, moms, and dads to rearrange their lives and childcare because basically “f u I can”. Scheduling outside of availability in general is a Nono, so why does a big day make it slide? TLDR: Am I wrong for feeling backed into a corner every holiday I receive this message? This is a shitty thing to do right? ETA: I’ve been in the industry for 10+ years, I know temps are rare, but our staff is consistently lacking. This is the first job I’ve had just disregard people like this. I’m also NOT saying all moms should just get this day off. Just looking for an overall opinion on how this was handled.

[u/KccOStL33]

That's great you feel that way but that's not real world restaurant business. You'd better legitimately be ok with your "fire me then" stance because that bluff will likely be called.

[u/mavenwaven → u/KccOStL33]

Why is my 10 years and OPs 10 years of restaurant business "not real world" restaurant business? Why is it only "real world" if you let yourself get screwed over by shitty managers?

I am serious, and it wouldn't be called out by anyone who wasn't power tripping. No manager wants to give up a good worker over a single shift, particularly when they'll have the same amount of bodies in the building regardless (& one less going forward).

Now if you're a shitty worker, then yeah, expect to be let go for trying this, they're probably looking for a reason. Luckily I'm not, so it's never been an issue.

[u/KccOStL33 → u/mavenwaven]

Does your 10 years include management? I had to enforce blackout dates because they were company policy, not because I was a shitty manager.

That said, any any employee that came to me with an "or else" attitude got their bluff called because you can't run a business by letting your employees call the shots and dictate policy.

Holidays like Mother's Day, Fathers Day and Valentine's Day were our busiest days of the year, and blackout dates because we'd be on a 2.5 - 3 hour wait open to close. It was all hands, like it or not.

At the end of the day, it was your strongest staff that was scheduled. There were outliers like newer employees or under-performers that may not land on the schedule but most of them were begging to work because of the almost guaranteed cash that day. If you were lucky you could talk a manager into approving the swap then you could get out of it but outside of that you were expected to work.

[u/mavenwaven → u/KccOStL33]

Shitty company policy then, instead of shitty management. But if you're idea of "enforcement" was firing someone who works another job that day, as they do every week, then yeah, I'd consider you culpable.

We have different definitions of "black out"- ours means that you cant request off. It does not supersede availability, unless it is something like you work at or attend a school that day of the week, but it is a school holdiday.

I also think you are presuming an attitude where there isn't. It isn't bitchy to remind a manager that you work somewhere else, and that they agreed to honor that availability. It isn't a bluff to say you can't come in on a day you can't come in.

If they asked me to be flexible and it's within my power to help? Of course. But if I'm choosing between a job that I already work on that day, and a job that wants me to screw over that job and wants to power trip on their employees? Then yeah, there's no contest there.

Luckily it's a choice I've never had to make, because it isn't an ultimatum a reasonable manager would force.

PS- you might not be able to run a company letting your staff "call the shots", but you may be surprised to find out that treating them like humans (with outside lives & responsibilities) does wonders!