To wonder how much notice you normally get of shifts in retail work?

Trevorsarse · 2021-09-22T22:57:29+00:00

I have two friends who work in retail, one of them expects several weeks notice and usually works pretty much the same regular days. This friend never works extra even if someone else is off sick or on holiday (I have no idea how the business covers it). Another friend works pretty much from day to day never knowing exactly what hours she will be doing and also has to cover for other people’s absences. They both get paid basically the same hourly rate. Which is normal?

evtheria · 23/09/2021 00:17

Both are ‘normal’, if you mean commonplace - it just depends on your workplace. The former is ideal, obviously... but I’ve experienced both (mostly the latter, which was annoying) due to the type of manager I had or how busy it was at the time. My site was the kind where you’d check on the Monday to see if that week’s shifts hadn’t been changed, whereas I helped out at a different site (same chain) and they had 4 weeks of rota on the wall! Blew my mind.

Original poster

Trevorsarse · 23/09/2021 07:31

Thanks, I guess it depends on the management then. I am applying for retail jobs now and wondered what the norm is.

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Original poster

Trevorsarse · 23/09/2021 07:32

Surprising that even in the same chain it can be completely different, I’d have expected that there would be a company policy.

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Threearm · 23/09/2021 07:33

I've never worked in retail which wasn't the second :(

Original poster

Trevorsarse · 23/09/2021 07:34

So what normally happens if the shifts are published fairly late and then you don’t want to work a particular shift? Do they normally insist?

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SaltySheepdog · 23/09/2021 07:49

I’d say friend A has an organised manager who knows that rotas planned well ahead mean happier staff with good staff retention levels and good work life balance. Spaces on rotas can be covered through staff on zero contracts. The other friend has a manager with poor organisational skills who shows little respect for staff, expecting them to drop personal commitments with little notice and have no routine

SaltySheepdog · 23/09/2021 07:53

If you’ve applied for a retail job best state what your availability is and the days you can’t work. Also state you’d like routine days

PheasantsNest · 23/09/2021 07:54

My DD has had two retail jobs. One a lower end discount store she would get texts at midnight asking her in at 6am the next day. She would then go in for her set 8 hours and be told she must stay until closing so another 6 hours on top. The staff turnover was huge She has now got a job at a supermarket and has regular shifts.

KupoNutCoffee · 23/09/2021 07:59

Not quite retail, but I've done fast food (and varying customer services which can act similar. I'd say several weeks would be fairly unusual, most on paper have aimed to get a rota 2 weeks in advance...reality would normally be its released on Friday for the following Monday...

Having said that...these 2 people could be at the same place... there is always someone who is basically on fixed shifts and everyone else has basically make do around them...

evtheria · 23/09/2021 08:07

There was a company policy, and to be fair generally the management did their best. Honestly, it was due to the type of site I was at (not a typical high street store with predictable footfall), and staff would just say no if asked to change their shift last-min and they didn’t want to. There was a big enough team, and many who were extremely flexible, for it to be tolerated.

seaandsandcastles · 23/09/2021 08:10

You never have to cover for anyone’s absence. They can ask, and you can say no.

Annoyedanddissapointed · 23/09/2021 08:14

I never accepted less than a week unless an absolute emergency. Most of my time in retail and hospitality was on weekly rotas. In UK. In a different country I had monthly rota

icedcoffees · 23/09/2021 08:16

Both are normal.

I worked at a supermarket for five years and had set hours and days. I was asked to do overtime occasionally but it wasn't expected and I could easily say no.

Then I moved into clothing retail and your days changed each week. So if you were full time you did five days out of seven, getting your rota a month in advance.

I'm now self employed and have a client whose hours seem to constantly change At the last minute.

Donatella · 23/09/2021 08:19

DH gets his shifts a week or two in advance. He works full time though, and a fixed pattern of every other Saturday, so we know pretty much what days he will be working (apart from which weekday he will have off on his weekend in), its just the start and finish times that change.

slashlover · 23/09/2021 08:21

I've always had a mixture of the two, known my shifts about 3 weeks in advance (not set days though) but sometimes been asked at short notice to cover absences/late deliveries etc.

Accidentgirlfriend · 23/09/2021 08:23

I work in retail and shifts are all Over the place I just get my set contract hours in any pattern . As it gets busier they will add more hours if you want onto your shifts .
Occasionally they might change a shift but you get an email to say your rota has changed . They try to give us a couple of weeks of Rotas in advance but have known it to get to Thursday and not know what we are working on Sunday (when our new week starts) I prefer it how it is rather than set shifts which are predictable .
You are generally asked if you want an extra shift or more hours this week but you don’t have to accept .

bigbluebus · 23/09/2021 08:39

When DS worked for a High Street store his rota was issued on a Thursday for the week commencing Sunday (ie 3 days before). He was often asked to cover absences - sometimes on the day - which he was happy to do as he was available. His contract was for a minimum number of hours but he mostly worked more. It's a system that suits young people without commitments. Absolute nightmare for anyone with children, I should think.
On the rare occasion DS had a reason he could work a particular day he could submit this in advance and this was accomodated into the rota.

PheasantsNest · 23/09/2021 09:05

@seaandsandcastles Not if you want to keep your job.

Pumpkinstace · 23/09/2021 09:08

One gave 3 weeks notice but once the rota was out there was pretty much zero flexibility in it.

Currently get a rota on a Sunday for the week starting the next day on the Monday but it's super flexible and the hours are pretty consistent.

Original poster

Trevorsarse · 23/09/2021 09:31

So I have an interview at a smallish independent shop. They have asked about my flexibility and I am very available, just got one teenage dc so no childcare responsibility. The job is very appealing cos it’s close to home but I’m worrying they’ll want me to do more than the advertised 3 days a week. They have said they will need me to be able to cover for other people’s sickness and holiday but it would only be an extra day or so a week and only in emergencies or peak times. I want to say that I’ll be flexible to get the job, but I’m not really prepared to work more than 3 days. That’s why I want part time. I’m also want to know what I’m working well in advance, ideally a month so I can plan my life. But is this going to be realistic in retail, especially in a small business?

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SusieBob · 23/09/2021 09:33

@SaltySheepdog

If you’ve applied for a retail job best state what your availability is and the days you can’t work. Also state you’d like routine days

Yeah, and fully expect any such requests to be ignored.

When I worked retail I learnt to not answer the phone if I had a day off.

SusieBob · 23/09/2021 09:35

@Trevorsarse

So I have an interview at a smallish independent shop. They have asked about my flexibility and I am very available, just got one teenage dc so no childcare responsibility. The job is very appealing cos it’s close to home but I’m worrying they’ll want me to do more than the advertised 3 days a week. They have said they will need me to be able to cover for other people’s sickness and holiday but it would only be an extra day or so a week and only in emergencies or peak times. I want to say that I’ll be flexible to get the job, but I’m not really prepared to work more than 3 days. That’s why I want part time. I’m also want to know what I’m working well in advance, ideally a month so I can plan my life. But is this going to be realistic in retail, especially in a small business?

Honestly I think you are being unrealistic, especially with expecting to have a month's notice of shift patterns.

Generallystruggling · 23/09/2021 09:37

Worked in retail a lot as a student and we always had 1-2 weeks notice.

PheasantsNest · 23/09/2021 09:39

@Trevorsarse It's highly unlikely you would get a months notice. If it's to cover sickness then they would be calling you last minute usually.

icedcoffees · 23/09/2021 09:46

@Trevorsarse

So I have an interview at a smallish independent shop. They have asked about my flexibility and I am very available, just got one teenage dc so no childcare responsibility. The job is very appealing cos it’s close to home but I’m worrying they’ll want me to do more than the advertised 3 days a week. They have said they will need me to be able to cover for other people’s sickness and holiday but it would only be an extra day or so a week and only in emergencies or peak times. I want to say that I’ll be flexible to get the job, but I’m not really prepared to work more than 3 days. That’s why I want part time. I’m also want to know what I’m working well in advance, ideally a month so I can plan my life. But is this going to be realistic in retail, especially in a small business?

While they can't force you to work extra days and hours, in the early weeks/months you have very little (almost no) employment rights so they may well manage you out if they don't feel you're able or willing to be flexible enough.