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

[Trevorsarse]

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?

Doing late notice shifts would mean that I’d have to change my plans though, I don’t want to just have to drop everything. And I always see my mum on Thursdays every week so I’d never want to work that day. Do you think if I said that at this stage they’d discount me for the job?

@icedcoffees 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.

Then I can work flexibly at first and then once I have all my employment rights I can then say no snd they’d have to accept it?

I worked in retail as a student and each employer had a different way of working. At one workplace I made it clear when I applied that, in term time, I could work three specific days only which they stuck to. I think we got our shifts about a week in advance, however as I always worked the same days/ hours, it didn’t really matter to me.

I’ve also worked at places who, although agreeing hours when applying, tried to change things at the last minute, including getting mad when I couldn’t immediately turn up to work a shift I wasn’t scheduled to work.

A relative started a new job and provided the hours she could always work, and explained she would work just about any other shifts if she had at least a week of notice. She got her first schedule at the very last minute, which didn’t include any of the shifts she said she could do.

I worked retail for the biggest supermarket in my home town, ASDA.

It started out ok, like scenario A. Regular shifts, based around availability, clock in, do your set hours, clock out and go

But it slowly started to change to scenario B when a new manager came in.. he'd expect life to stop so I could have the honour of going to work. I pointed out once that'd I'd worked 35 hours that week and my contract was only 20, he told me he'd worked 70, I pointed out that he was paid triple at least what I was... We didn't get on, especially when I started saying no to extra shifts and over time and coming in at 5am.
"Well I've been here since 4am..."
"More fool you..."

They can change your contract to suit them, they'll have that written in. My DD works at H&B. Shifts are two weeks in advance and her manager will accommodate shift changes for hospital appointments. She's having to change shop because they've changed the fill shift (7am-11am) to 5-9pm, they'd expect them to stay late to get all the stock out and tidy up after themselves, so she can't do it. Other branches have put their fill shift to 5am, to suit the lack of lorry drivers. On contract she can't get more than 16 hours, but works around 20.
On a zero hour contract you are expected to be available, so as said both are usual in retail.
Look at the jobs available in Tesco, Iceland etc, there's plenty of jobs, but all contracted under 12 hours. Unless you live in a twin were people don't want retail jobs, you won't get to dictate, unless seeing your Mum is an actual care visit. Is there a reason why you have to stick to one day?

When I've worked in retail its been set days/shifts and then extra overtime to cover holiday/absence when I could. My DH is a retail manager and they have their rota 3 weeks in advance. Last minute absence is usually covered by management or they go short for the day, as a small store they can get away with it.

I used to write rotas in a medium sized supermarket. They were all completed 2 weeks in advance, but obviously we would need short notice cover for sickness. Generally, full time staff would work more flexibly and shifts would change weekly as per the needs, part-time staff would have fixed hours, they would often be asked to pick up extra shifts but never forced. Although, this was a few years ago and certainly before zero hour contracts became a thing so things might have chnaged.

I’m not caring for my mum, it’s just that we like to see each other on the same day every week. If I get this job she will be able to pop in a see me in the shop while I’m working as well. My teen dc would also be able to call in and say hello on their way home from school so that’s another advantage.

@Trevorsarse I don't think you are being realistic about this job. You are supposed to be working not speaking to your family. You are there for the benefit of the company not the other way round.

@Trevorsarse I don't think youre suited to retail honestly. You want a months notice of set shifts, a maximum of 3 days a week with no overtime, no Thursdays and you expect your mum/DC to be able to pop in and socialise ... that's not practical or usual in retail. Retail requires a bit of flexibility on both sides and it doesn't look like you have any intent on being flexible at all.

I work in a supermarket, our rotas are supposed to be published 4weeks in advance but due to absence/sickness they are always being changed after they're published (holidays are accounted for and covered within that 4 week notice). While my schedule is fairly regular it is because I do 40hrs a week (Tues to Sat 2pm-10pm) and I am happy to do the late shifts so they don't mess my times around too much plus I'm one of the few people trained on everything in my department so they dont like to piss me off but if they need cover at different times then they can, and do, change my hours/days they just have to give me sufficient notice.

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. So it doesn't matter if staff on zero contracts are happy? They don't count?

My experience is that it's the norm to have the majority of staff on short hours contracts, with the expectation that they will work 40+ hours when needed. Yes you can say no to a request for cover, but with the best will in the world, a manager faced with staff sickness or other absence will ring round the people most likely to say "yes", so the consequence of saying "no" is that you work your contracted hours, which are not, of course, enough to live on.

Also, just because it says "rotas will be published two weeks in advance" in your contract/staff handbook doesn't mean to say that will actually happen.

If I get this job she will be able to pop in a see me in the shop while I’m working as well. My teen dc would also be able to call in and say hello on their way home from school so that’s another Do not encourage this! It will not go down well.

So it doesn't matter if staff on zero contracts are happy? They don't count?

Nobody has said that, in fact it says the opposite. Zero hours colleagues who have their schedule provided in advance are likelier to be happier than those who get late/no notice of changes. Zero hours contracts have no guaranteed days/hours but if you get a schedule a couple of weeks in advance then even if the hours offered are just "stop gap" hours, you can accept or decline and know that you can plan around those hours ... as opposed to getting shifts added/changed last minute.

I work in a supermarket, if we have someone who regularly works on the cig kiosk 6-2 and someone else does 4-10, then there is a gap between 2-4 ... some weeks one of them might be happy to do the overtime, but other weeks they may not. At those times the colleagues on zero hours contracts would be used to plug the gap (eg 12-4, 2 hrs on checkouts and 2 hours in the kiosk). They obviously can turn the shifts down but if they are informed in advance then they are more likely to accept, in the knowledge that they won't get those hours every week.

I'm not sure this job is for you...

When I worked in retail I found out on the Sunday what I would be working the next week

I work in retail in a well known supermarket and we work set shifts - most of the time. At interview they ask what your set availability is, depending on which department they are recruiting for will depend if your availability is suitable. Due to child care around my partners shifts I could only commit to a Sunday morning, luckily the manager was happy to work with this and we came to the arrangement that I would work Sunday mornings and pick up any shifts I could throughout the week. Some weeks I only do 8 hours, others I do 30. My sister works in a different well known retail chain and she can give her availability over a 3 week span and then a 3 week rota is published. A lot depends on the stores rota system and alot depends on the person doing the rota aswell.

I just want to echo what others have said - it’s fine to want set shifts or a good rota scheme, but I think your issue is expecting it to be okay that your family can drop in on a regular basis to see you at work...

I work in a small pharmacy/shop... I work on 3 days, pretty much fixed days. Can be asked to cover for sickness and leave of the other 2 who cover the rest of the shifts... it is never expected that I will drop a prearranged event or appointment. I generally cover when I can, as that means others will cover for me, or swap an inconvenient shift. Give and take...