Is this right?

[Notnamechangeday]

I think my daughter has just experienced her first sexism in the workplace at a major supermarket.

She was employed an a 3 month temp contract and has had no time off or sick time or any complaints. Shortly other 2 same age boys employed on the same contract ...she was informed they not extending her contract it’s last in first out....she assumed the same for the two boys...she found out tonight they have both been extended. Same hours etc but she has been there longer. She is really upset and doesn’t know what she has done ....it’s not fair is it???

Totally not fair if they said first in first out. They may have another reason they have not shared with her though.

It would be difficult to prove. Maybe they were more efficient or flexible.

She has been flexible and hard working. She has another job she does in holidays and feedback is she a hard worker etc All 3 do the same jobs and are the same age. Just ones a female?

She’s not aware of any issues - she fits in well and has bonded with the team well. They are all as upset as her as it’s confused them all as she fitted in so well.

I’m just disappointed they’ve given her no proper reason which makes sense. She has two male managers which she thought she got with.

That sounds very frustrating.

Can she ask for some feedback into how the decision was made? Does she have a reason to think sexism is in play, or a general feeling that male managers may have preferred male staff?

Not sure - she gets on well with another female manager from another department so has asked to speak to her after work today to understand if she did anything wrong.

It’s hard personally as she has suffered badly with her mental health & this little job has lifted her so much. With lockdown again scared she will just go downhill again as no distraction- for the last three months she has been so happy and focused :(

It just seems unfair as the reason makes no sense and isn’t the case?

Well, is it just possible that her mental health issue which you mention, has been manifested in some way at work and that's why they picked her as the one to let go?

Hmm. Could they honestly just be better workers?

Temporary fixed term contracts are what they say on the tin, they lead to those who impress getting extended or used to discriminate. But it’s hard to know which and harder to prove. It’s not really last in first out as it more with not extending or providing a new contract.

I work in a supermarket and started on a seasonal contract, when it comes to being given permanent hours it wasnt sexism or favouritism, it was based on the hours available and the feedback from colleagues/customers and managers.

If they only have enough hours to offer 2 people permanent hours then they have to let someone go and your daughter may not have done anything wrong but she also may not have stood out enough to edge it over someone else. The decision could have come down to the fact that the other two had better appraisals from managers or even just that more customers had put in compliments about them. Last summer we had 5 seasonal colleagues in my department, all of whom were lovely and perfectly competent at the job, but there were two who was constantly getting praise from customers for just being so polite and helpful etc and colleagues were always commenting how hard they worked, that they were always wanting to learn and how great it was to have them on shift. At the end of the summer when we had hours available, those two colleagues were the ones who were offered them first. That's not to say the other 3 weren't hard working or did anything wrong, they just weren't as good as the two who were offered the hours.

Last in first out is actually considered "illegal" these days as being ageist since its most likely to be a young person who was the most newly hired

Anyway....there maybe be a number of reasons for her not being kept on and she should ask for feedback - since you don't work with her you can't know for certain what her performance was actually like

YABU to assume it's sexism with absolutely no proof.You weren't there and you have no idea how productive she was. If they were better workers then it's obvious they'd be chosen over her.

Also if she had another job then her availability won't be as good as theirs.

@Mrgrinch

YABU to assume it's sexism with absolutely no proof.You weren't there and you have no idea how productive she was. If they were better workers then it's obvious they'd be chosen over her.

Also if she had another job then her availability won't be as good as theirs.

I get your point but presumably OP is smelling a rat if the last in first out comment is not true?

Are the two lads doing the same work ? Did they actually say last in first out or have you told her it should be that way ?

They told her last in first out was the reason.

Having now spoke to one of the other managers she isn’t aware of any complaints against her and isn’t aware she has done anything wrong. She has recommended her to speak to the store manager which has been arranged for tomorrow. She has been available for overtime and done so.

Her mental health hasn’t affected her work or even raised its head - work has made her believe in herself (well it did)
Ironically she gets on better with the team than the boys. All the same age & responsibilities. She is well liked across the whole store.
She has never been late or taken a sick leave. And has been available and flexible.

Sorry yes all the same work - stacking shelves nothing interesting!

My two boys both had temp contracts last Christmas at Tesco. DS1 was let go when the contract ended but DS2 was kept on. Just the nature of hours and departments as far as I could see.

We’ve just found out one of the boys Mum works in the same place. & the two boys are friends.
Least we know now - isn’t right but it’s one of life lessons! Least my daughter knows it wasn’t her ability.

Nowhere I know does last in first out, otherwise you could end up with poor workers just because they've been there for a while.

So today she's found out they've been extended, spoken to a supervisor and suddenly found out that they're friends and one of their mum's works there?

@slashlover I agree no where I worked ever does that - which is why she wanted to understand what she had done. Having spoken to another manager they couldn’t give her a reason and the request has gone in to ask the store manager. But we since found out his Mum works there - so it’s a case of who you know. For my daughter who had been given positive feedback all along and is well liked she couldn’t understand. She still gutted but at least she sort of gets it - nothing she can do about it :)

@slashlover it’s been a fun old evening! She went to work her shift today ( she doesn’t leave till the end of the month) but was told earlier from one of her friends who works there that the lads had both been extended. As it was assumed that they both been let go also. After her shift finished she spoke to another manager to see if there had been any complaints about her or anything. She is well liked and made friends there, and just got a message from one of the other team members that the lad mum works there and that’s probably why . They all pretty gutted she’s going as she fits in well.
For me I just wanted her to feel ok about herself - she is going to ask for further feedback etc so she can improve.
Nothing anyone can do and it’s nice for her to see the support she had. She was bullied at school so to be accepted at work was a massive lift to her confidence- I don’t want her to loose sight of what she has achieved!