To think I don't need to look at the rota when I'm not due in?

[FinGizz]

Pretty pissed off really. And I don't think I'm on the wrong but hell let's let MN decide.

I work 3 part time jobs

2 of then have standardised regular hours each week.

The third is very ad hoc, and I give my availability 8 weeks in advance. Think pop up hospitality.

At the end of December I told the newish supervisor at AdHoc that I was available for an event on January 6th 7th 8th and then free any Fri/Sat/Sun in February except the first weekend as we're away.

The supervisor replied thanks and she'd let me know my shifts. Interestingly my presence hasn't been required since she started the responsibility for rotas in October.i also haven't heard from her since I messaged with my availability.

I don't rely on this role for income; I do it because it's so much fun and the tips can be amazing - distributed through payroll and even after tax they're still worth it.

After giving supervisor my availability for Jan Feb, I saw I wasn't needed first weekend of Jan and them muted the AdHoc WhatsApp chat. Rotas are added to group chat on Mondays for that week. (It's rare the pop up operates Monday - Weds).

Last Friday lunchtime I had a text from AdHoc owner asking me to bring something specific for the event that evening. I didn't see text till 4pm - and responded that I wasn't available and the supervisor knew my availability.

I was told I'd let my colleagues and the company down with an hour's notice when the rota had been up for 4 days - plenty of time for me to let AdHoc Owner know.

I've now had a message to say the owner and supervisor would like some time with me when I'm next in to talk about the incident.

YABU -of course you should check the rota.

YANBU - no the rota is irrelevant when you're not due in.

I agree with everyone who said resend the message showing your availability

its a tricky one when you are ad hoc and on a computerised system that allows supervisors/managers to give you work without asking, unless you have clearly stated “UNAVAILABLE” gets abit fraught at times.

Moving forward, if you want to keep the job, (I fully understand where you are at - I have a job similar - great fun, great people, great money - and most of all - it makes you feel great) I wouldn’t turn off the notifications, it sounds like they don’t ping that often, but when it does, it doesn’t make you anxious - if you are getting anxious - you don’t need the money - don’t do the job.

I would email them both reminding them when your availability was. Find the original email. Because this is your 3rd job that has to work around the other two jobs. You cannot work outside availability.

Tbh honest I don't usually mute the chat, but when I'd seen the rota for the weekend I was available for Jan, and yet again I wasn't scheduled I had a bit of a moment and thought soddit I'll have a break from it till 6th Feb when I'll check to see if I'm finally scheduled after 4 dry months.

I've been working for AdHoc owner for a long time, supervisor us quite new and I think feels that my history within the company is competition to her role. But I've no aspirations - just love the few hours I do now and then as it's fabulous.

I mentioned in my reply to the owner that I'd been clear on my availability but Supervisor had put me down for dates I hadn't offered. I was tempted to send screenshots but thought that might be a bit, uhm, pointed .

I think making me out to be the baddie in this scenario would be highly beneficial to someone.

Also even ufo hadn't muted the chat, I wouldn't have glanced at the rotas posted that weren't pertinent. But think I will do in the future because even though I reckon I'm without fault, I wouldn't want my colleagues to have a Man Down shift. So I'd raise the error if it ever happened again.

YANBU. You told her your availability and you weren't available to work that day as I understand it.

These companies using zero hours contracts (to shaft their workers imo) can't have it always.

She messed up, not you and you're right to be pissed off.

Nope YANBU. You clearly stated your availability and AdHoc made an error.

Be clear about your availability, put it in writing and stick to it. Who wants to receive unnecessary messages and be checking in when not working?

I also have 3 jobs - similar set-up but no pop-up situation.

I can’t be doing with WhatsApp and work chat groups, as they’re filled with drivel about cats walking across keyboards, followed by 101 coos, oohs and ahhhs among the work-related stuff. This also happens on the work-based platform. Needless to say I have all groups on mute. If they need me to know something important or a specific response on something, someone will message me separately. Currently have over 300 unread messages on each group. 90% will have been crap chat!

I'd have sent the screenshots. They are proof this is not your problem and is someone else's mistake.

She could have called you to check availability?

Yanbu - if they want you to work on a day when they have been told you are unavailable onus is on them ro actively contact you to ask if there's any chance plans have changed.
Supervisor fucked up, wants to blame you . Use the proof, speak to ad hoc owner & point out you haven't been required the last 12 times when you have been available so absolutely no expectation of being required when unavailable!

Is this a WhatsApp group or a computerised work system that has shifts and allocations, and when you are on holiday, and your payslips.

Personally, I would wait til the supervisor and the owner and you are having your “tete a tete” about where the problem arise, just show her your messages about when/when not available, and that you are confused as to why this distressing upset has being caused, and that let’s discuss options to make life easier for everyone moving forwards

I think if I were you I would send the owner screenshots of the messages and ask why were you rota-ed for a day you had clearly said you were not available.

The fact is, rota mistakes happen for a variety of reasons, and yeah the supervisor messed up... But it is unreasonable in a role like this to not be checking the chat/rota discussions regularly as this situation was inevitable eventually.

Lesson learned, but even though the supervisor made a mistake, if it was me and based in you not checking/muting the chat, I wouldnt have you top of my list for future shifts that's for sure.

I too would be sending the screen shots to Adhoc owner PRIOR to the meeting! He/She can then see clearly the conversation and formulate a plan. They might even decide that the supervisor isn't needed in the meeting at all! Don't just show them at the meeting itself though which would put the owner on the spot.

If the meeting is about you letting them down at very short notice, I'd just say:

I didn't, I sent you my availability on X date, clearly someone put me on the rota as a mistake on the date in question, here are my texts/emails clearly stating my availability, could you please explain the issue?

I'd be polite but clear and brief and accept no responsibility. I'd also ask to receive an acknowledgement of my communication about availability going forward, so we can all avoid a repeat of a stressful situation.

So supervisor fucked up by rotaing you when you'd said you weren't available. But it's your fault for not checking her work and correcting it?

It wasn't your mistake and it wasn't your job to check.

Considering she hasn't put you on for months I don't think it's a mistake she put you on when you had said you weren't available.

At the end of the day, it’s only one persons choice how this is handled.

I personally would show the messages in the meeting with everyone present, there can be no accusations levied about you by the supervisor.

The job I’ve had for the last 20plus years is adhoc and a second job, I have seen quite a few supervisors over the years, some are good, some the owner has expressed regret at hiring, but supervisors are required for the more mundane chores of the company.

Also, having managed numerous rotas all at the same time, mainly consisting of part time/ad hoc staff, I absolutely take ownership if I make a mistake. But, I do send the rotas well in advance and ask for acknowledgement from everyone, to ensure I haven't made an error and everyone is happy.

Was it the owner who told you you'd let the company down? Or the supervisor?

I don't think you did anything wrong. Checking the rota would be sensible in lots of jobs, but here, it's quite clear you said you weren't available and it's the sort of job where you won't be hanging on the other end of the phone waiting for shifts. If you were busy you were busy.

Quite apart from the issue that she scheduled you at a time you were known to be unavailable… if you are putting someone on a rota for the first time in 4+ months it’s only common sense to check in with them. For all she knew you’d lost interest and given up by then!!

Why should you have to waste your time making sure new supervisor is doing her job correctly?

You def need to show evidence of your communication with new supervisor & that that is the system used over the past x years which has always worked to date.

I’d copy in her superior next time you give your dates & doubt she’d f up again.

Owner, it never even occurred to me to double-check Supervisor’s work on the rota. This is the first shift she has given me in four months and I told her I wasn’t available for this shift on such-and-such date back when she asked.

So they haven’t scheduled you at all for over four months, and then scheduled you on a day you’d told them you already weren’t available, and now they want to discipline you for that? I’d want paying for my time being disciplined but actually in reality would be telling them ‘thanks but no thanks’

YANBU and I would print out the screen shots to take with you to the “talk” they want to have (though what do they mean by “when you’re next in” if you haven’t been scheduled for months and still aren’t?)

However, if you like the job and want to keep doing it, unreasonable or not it’s not the greatest hardship to check the rotas. So if I were you I would assume that was going to be one of the ongoing costs of being employed by Adhoc.