I work 30 hours a week. 9-3 everyday, Mon- Fri.
Management are a shit show (not paying people right, manager believes 'people don't need breaks' and will often ask people to not have breaks working a 9-5 shift as we're short staffed, taking holidays during December and leaving us even more short staffed) BUT despite this I love the job, the people and I don't want to leave!
Due to being short staffed, I am asked 2-3 times a week to stay longer, cover an evening shift or work weekends. I can't afford childcare other than school, let alone emergency, and my kids are too young to leave at school (not that I could as there's no facilities) so I always say no. The same goes for weekends, I have no childcare and can't magically come in when asked at 8am Sat to come in for an hour later!
I do the occasional weekend if I know in advance.
The rota also keeps changing last minute. Ie they will change my start time from 9 to 8am and not say anything. I then turn up at 9 not knowing and they have a go at me or I have to tell them no (can't do school run that early, can't find anyone on 24hrs notice) and get glared at whilst they find someone else, moaning that because of me 'we'll open late.'
I told them at my interview that aside from occasional PLANNED over time I am inflexible due to kids and they were find with it. Now people have left (students for uni) they suddenly make me feel like a complete bitch for saying no to overtime. Everyone else I work with is younger and don't have kids and everyone else cancels plans, accommodates rota changed and doesn't complain.
A lot of people I work with (a good 80%) have come to England from abroad from less fortunate countries and work incredibly hard as they are determined to get promoted and make a better life in this country. A lot of my coworkers also have family back home they need to provide for, as well as needing to support themselves in very expensive rented rooms (near to London.) The other workers (only 2 or 3) are students who also jump at extra hours. They study part time so can easily do the majority of over time asked (although I imagind it affects their studies) I can't explain the sheer commitment of my coworkers who jump at extra hours or overtime. They will drop everything to accommodate management. Hence when I can't stay when we're short staffed as I can't abandon kids at school I feel terrible. They are all so determined and committed, I feel like a cop out when I let them suffer with being short staffed when they already do so much for the store I work for.
I do feel like management takes advantage of this fact (they don't bother to rehire temps for Christmas as they are well aware that mostly all their employees will agree to extra hours and they take advantage of this)
It's lead me to wonder if my attitude to work isn't right, or if I'm being unreasonable by not being more flexible.
So AIBU?
This is my first job in a while and I really am trying to find my feet still. I don't know what I'd expected of a retail employee.