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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To actually expect my "Saturday Girl"

29 replies

AngelHMum · 30/10/2010 12:06

to turn up for work on a Saturday ?

This is the third Saturday this month she has called in sick. Well actually no, not called - she texts which drives me mad.

I feel like saying to her "Do you actually want this job ? Because if you don't I'll be happy to find someone else who does!"

Am I being unreasonable having worked Mon - Fri already, to not wish to be left on my own on a Saturday with no opportunity to get a proper break, go to the loo or go out for a cup of coffee without having to close the whole shop up ?

OP posts:
hazchem · 30/10/2010 12:10

You should call her in and speak to her. (don't wait to next saturday) start with concern however ask her what has been happening as your worried that she has been sick for three weeks.
also explain what happens when she doesn't come in.

Suncottage · 30/10/2010 12:17

Put an advert in the window now saying Saturday Girl required and text your other girl telling her she is no longer needed.

AngelHMum · 30/10/2010 12:17

Yes, we've done that - we had "a word" on Wednesday following her no-show last Saturday.
I suspect she has taken to going out socialising on a Friday now that she has left school and gone to 6th Form and that is why all of a sudden she is having sickies.

She also knows full well what happens when she doesn't come in. She knows too that I would never ever not come in on a Saturday without arranging cover because I wouldn't leave her on her own.
Texting me at 8.59 on a Saturday doesn't give me a hope in heck of getting one of the week girls to arrange their childcare / plans in time to help me out.

I am so cross this week I can't politely put it into words.

OP posts:
fluffles · 30/10/2010 12:19

three sicks and you're on a warning at my work.

you need to:
a) find out if she's really sick and if so work out a way to support her (a temporary replacement)
or
b) if she's not sick, warn her officially and then sack her if it continues.

no point in a young person having a job if it doesn't teach them about responsibilities.

NewOrImproved · 30/10/2010 12:19

YANBU at all.

There should be plenty of reliable teenagers willing to do it - Nice little job in a shop sounds a lot better than my Saturday jobs!

Suncottage · 30/10/2010 12:19

Are you still paying her when she doesn't show up?

tribpot · 30/10/2010 12:19

You need to let her go, surely.

brimfull · 30/10/2010 12:20

yanbu
she does not deserve the job
loads of kids would love a regular sat job

myboysarethebest · 30/10/2010 12:27

I would be pro-active as well and make that call. Maybe you should consider finding someone else? or even having another person for back up. Is that possible?

Know exactly how you feel

laweaselmys · 30/10/2010 12:27

Has she got any long term health probs/had a major incident/surgery/could be up the duff?

In which case you need to talk about it, obviously.

If not - might be time for the sack. Sounds like she'd rather have Saturdays than the money.

Suncottage · 30/10/2010 12:28

Where are you? Maybe there is a Mumsnetter in your area who could pop in now and lend a hand Smile

AngelHMum · 30/10/2010 12:31

Suncottage, no I don't pay her when she doesn't show up.

The thing is, it's not so easy to sack someone these days, even for Saturday Assistants strict procedure has to be followed verbal warning (she got that on Wednesday) followed by two written warnings, followed by disciplinary and they all have to be spaced -you can't just do it in a week or so.

However, I can't continue like this - I am being worn to a frazzle. I have just drafted a letter to her asking her to consider whether the job is really right for her but I'll have to check whether I can legally send it on Monday.

It isn't just this one though - I have had others before her who don't understand what "work" means - I had one who actually objected to working. When I asked her to complete tasks such as hoovering or cleaning mirrors she said "I didn't have to do chores in my last job" One day I caught her sitting reading a book when she wasn't on a break and told her off only to get "I have to revise for my exams you know"

It drives me daft - it really does.

OP posts:
GivesHeadlessHorseman · 30/10/2010 12:31

Sack her. She's taking the piss. There are thousands of kids who would gibve thier right arm for her job right now. She obviously either doesn't need the money or she has no gumption. Doesn't bode well for her future, if she;s such a lightweight.

If she were my daughter I'd be dragging her to work.

sethstarkaddersmummyreturns · 30/10/2010 12:34

OMFG @ your Saturday girl experiences AngelHMum!

how did they get like this? I mean, honestly, how can they think this is ok?!

Vampireteggies · 30/10/2010 12:36

I now lots of people -Teenagers and Adults who are desperate for a nice Saturday job like that.

If it were me I would go round to the house and see how ill she is .3 weeks of illness merits a home visit surely?

Are you paying her while she is ill?

AngelHMum · 30/10/2010 12:36

If she were my daughter I'd be dragging her to work.

That's what I keep thinking too - when I was a teen and had a Saturday Job my mum didn't allow me to get away with skiving if I had a hangover or just didn't feel like it.
The job was a responsibility and others were reliant upon me turning up and doing a day's work for a day's pay.

Unfortunately there are many parents around today who were not brought up the same way and allow their offspring to do as they please with out any thought for others.

Ooooh - sorry if that's generalising a bit but I am rather mad.

OP posts:
pickledbabe · 30/10/2010 12:36

What kind of business are you, angel?
If you're ltd, then, yes, it's harder to sack someone, but if you're a sole trader or partnership, you have more leeway.

either way,
You really do have to tell her that it's not on to text at 1 minute to 9.

I strongly suggest that you tell her that she must tell you at least 2 hours before her shift starts if she is not going to come in, and that if the shift starts at 9am, then she must tell you before 9pm the night before.

And if she doesn't, then you can start disciplinary.

My Saturday girl does sometimes take the piss regarding fb on the shop floor, etc, but she would never text me a minute before she's supposed to start to tell me she won't be in.

pickledbabe · 30/10/2010 12:38

(she knows my MN nickename, so I just want to add, that she does work very hard, and has it on in the background and chats, and she does a lot of cleaning that isn't technically part of her job & i have to leave her on her own as well)

HauntingTheTardis · 30/10/2010 13:18

My dses all have paper rounds - they get up early each morning, cycle to the village, do their rounds and get home in time for showers before school. At the weekends they can get up a bit later, but the saturday and especially sunday papers are really bulky and heavy - but even the 13 year old gets on and does it.

Dh and I are always willing to support them with their rounds, partly because we think it is a good thing that they are earning their own money and getting that bit of independance (plus learning to budget etc), partly because they are bringing money into the house, so that they can afford things we mightn't be able to afford for them, and partly because we believe they have a responsibility to their customers, some of whom are elderly and rely on them for their papers.

We have covered their rounds when they have been ill or away, driven them round in bad weather (when it was so snowy and icy last winter, dh drove them round their rounds every day for weeks). Dh often drives them to the paper shop at the weekends, and on sundays he drops stashes of papers round their rounds so they don't have to try to cycle with their full loads (which would be nigh impossible and dangerous).

Ds1 is hoping to get a weekend job too, and I know for sure that he will commit himself to it properly and won't let his employers down, any more than he lets his customers down.

Frankly, we would not let any of them let an employer down in the way that Angel's saturday girl is letting her down. We would drive him to work if the buses let him down, and chisel him out of bed if he'd stayed up too late on the Friday night. I suspect that this girl is going out partying on Friday nights and then pulling these sickies - if any of mine did that, they'd be getting a serious lecture from me, and a boot up the bum!

She needs to learn that a job is not a hobby, nor is it a right - and if she takes on a responsibility, she has to live up to it. If she treats her employers this way when she leaves school, she's going to find herself losing jobs and getting shit references - and she is not going to like the consequences of that.

Angel - I hope you can get this sorted out and either get her to buckle down and do the job, or find someone more responsible.

ScaredOne · 30/10/2010 14:24

Are you in Glasgow by any chance? I could really do with such a nice Saturday job Wink

I even know how to hoover, haha.

But honestly, poor you. Make sure it is lawful to send that letter and try to get rid of her.

emptyshell · 30/10/2010 14:48

Start working your way through the warnings toward firing her. It might be that a written warning is the kick up the arse needed to bring her back into the real world.... it might be that getting the boot is what's needed for her to develop a clue in time for her not to muck up her first proper job in years to come. Also possibly worth sending a memo around to all the staff reiterating absence proceedures if you're sick - we used to have one saying "ring me at home by X time - texting your mate to tell them to tell me you're not coming in isn't acceptable."

You're doing neither of you any favours letting her prat you about though really - you're getting frazzled and mucked about, she's getting the impression that it's ok to behave like this in the world of work - means she'll go to the full time world of work thinking you can pull sickies etc and take the piddle generally.

pippoltergeist · 30/10/2010 14:54

Next time you speak to her about this, I would also mention that if the warnings continue to the point of you letting her go, she should not expect a positive reference from you.

JeezyPeeps · 30/10/2010 14:55

Why don't you tell her that her hours are changing, and she is to work every second Saturday - and advertise for someone else to do the other 'every other Saturday' - and be on call for sickness/holiday cover?

KatyMac · 30/10/2010 14:56

Maybe you could suggest that Saturday work isn't for her & if she would like to resign you could come to some arrangement about her notice

SandStorm · 30/10/2010 15:13

What does her contract say and how long has she been with you? If she's still in her probationary period there's no problem - you can just say it's not working out, there's the door.