To assume that my new retail Manager is cutting my hours purely because he wants me out

[Strawberrylemonlimes]

I work for a well known Supermarket, and have been there for almost 8 years.

My contracted hours are 18, but for over a year I've been doing 30 hours weekly, with regular Mon to Fri morning hours. (This is apart from a month at the start of the year when another Manager cut all overtime, but gave it back again).

The other Manager has now left and a new one has started about six weeks ago. His attitude is quite rude at times, for instance he'll constantly say that he 'didn't want to come to our store as he's now got a really long journey, but he's got to sort all of us out'
He's told us that he got 'rid of the deadwood at his previous store, and that he'll do the same here if he has to' .... charming!

He continuously goes on about all the changes needed in the store, but mostly sits out the back barking orders at the team leaders, which filter down to us assistants, and occasionally pops on to the shop floor to ask why 'so and so has taken this long to do' ...... he seems oblivious to the fact that when I'm working, I'm literally on my own on the shop floor, except for one person working on the till.
I not only have to deal with customers who come up to me, but I also help on the till when it's often busy, take in parcels, watch for shop lifters, etc etc.

In the meantime, I'm also doing my own job of putting all of the fresh products out, therefore going back and forth to restock fridges . The job I do alone is a job which 3 people used to be employed to do.
I work as quickly and as efficiently as I can, but now I'm noticing more and more that the Manager seems to be targeting me, as he's told me that my job should only take one hour and not three.
There's no way that's possible, unless I literally throw some of the stock out (not checking all of it) and not rotating it properly. I'd rather do a job thoroughly and correctly, especially as the correct date rotation saves the Company money.

He makes me feel constantly under pressure to work at lightning fast speed, and it's making me feel quite stressed. The Manager also tells me how he's given a letter of improvement to two members of staff (giving me the impression its my turn next) .... but, just to point out, he shouldn't be discussing other staff members with me or anyone else.
(As I said, I work efficiently and no other Managers have ever had an issue with me)

Without warning, the Manager haa now decided to reduce my hours back to 18, saying that he's taken on other staff now so doesn't have the hours. Which ok, I have to accept that, but I found out the other day that he's still giving overtime to people who've only been working at the Store for a year. One lady has a 12 hour contract, but she was given 30 hours this week (and for the foreseeable) , and is working my shift today whilst I'm laid off.
I've been looking for other jobs, but as I'm in my 50's, I'm concerned that they're not going to be so easy to get.
In the meantime I need to work and earn money, so to have my hours drastically reduced suddenly is a bit of a blow, especially as it's only my income coming in as I live alone.
Can my Manager just drop my hours with no warning?
Sorry for the ramble!

There are so many jobs in your field right now that finding a new job will be no problems. Also your age isn't a factor. Much better for a manager to have someone who will be there for the next 15 years than a student who will leave in two years for University.

Get something else but you do you until you do. Then, when you hand in your notice, watch the look of panic sweep across his face.

Are you in a union? If not contact ACAS. If you’ve got the stomach for it I suspect you have a good case for constructive dismissal. Doesn’t mean you’d have to go through a protracted process- they’d settle it’s a large company. In the meantime keep records of your hours and his behaviour.

I don't know if I'd be too worried about date rotation, fire the stock out. He obviously doesn't care. I know where I worked the waste management had a massive shift from being managed on the sales floor to being managed by better ordering. So although you're saving money with date rotation on a waste line you're driving up labour costs which is obviously his hot topic.

He sounds like a complete arsehole. He's also going to be aware that if he has a constant 12 hours in the budget he'd be better off putting it into a contract or it can be taken off his budget. However Christmas is coming- if you want to stay there your hours will definitely be getting higher. Lash the stock out keep your head down and look other places- the chances are any of the culture you like in your current place has will be decimated after him.

Sounds like he probably “got rid of the dead wood” just by existing and being insufferable ie people left in droves to avoid him. He probably shouldn’t be boasting about that.
Find out what other similar places are paying most and go elsewhere .. do consider targeting jobs a grade up from what you were doing as you’ve obviously loads of experience.

You are not being unreasonable. The manager can legally drop your hours to your contracted number, which is 18hrs. However, some of what you wrote sounds like ageist bullying in the workplace which is illegal. I agree with calling ACAS. I would document your interactions with this manager and if this other employee that has essentially been raised to your 30hr/week usual pattern is under 40..then it looks to me like he is phasing out anyone over 50 due to ageism.

No I'm not in any Union. I've been keeping notes of the things he's says etc.

I see what you're saying, but I think that if he does want me out then he'll have the lack of correct rotation (amongst whatever ever else he'll try and find) to use against me if I do a poor job.

I've been documenting everything but I'm not in a Union. I did wonder if he's being ageist, as the lady I mentioned is only late 30's, but another lady in her 50's has just been taken on (although she has transferred from working for years at another store so maybe he felt that he didn't really have a choice but to take her on)

The other lady in her 50s wasn’t hired then. Transfers are not hiring decisions.

I think he will. He is so obviously trying to set you up to fail so he can have a poor performance excuse to take disciplinary action.

You're probably right that people left because of him!

Presumably you work for a larger organisation with an HR team so you can get advice from ACAS and then complain to HR? If you have a track record of working well, you should have nothing to worry about (easier to say in theory than how things may pan out in practice, I know).

I also think you could get a better paid job elsewhere despite being in your 50s. There are lots of sales assistant jobs around, depending on where you live.

I'd imagine the employee only there under a year is on a lower rate and that's why she's getting the extra hours. Talk to a union they're the ones who can help- so join as soon as you can, it will be too late if he started performance managing you. Anyway if he's such a hot shot and being brought in to sort everything out he may be on his way in a few months.

Retail is like this everywhere op. And the management will like him because he clears out the older staff they cant be bothered with. Its awful. My place is the same.

The other lady is on the same pay. It's not just her though, a few weeks back he put someone else on one of my shifts (over time to them) ... the girl rang in sick and I was contacted to see if I could cover but I'd made plans.

I do think there are some places where the younger Managers want to employ staff that they can 'mould'

I think I'd rather get out of retail altogether tbh, but whilst I'm here I don't want to be made to feel like I do.

You can join a Union and access their help straight away

https://www.usdaw.org.uk/

Honestly he sounds like an arsehole, but you won’t win on this. Just start looking for a new job, you’ll be much happier when you get out.

I work in a simular role to you but thankfully we aren't treated like this. Most members of staff are Usdaw members, as one of the team leaders is a rep. If it's a big organisation then please do contact hr. If you can get many of the staff to do the same, then they surely can't ignore that the manager is an issue. Is there an area manager?

There is an area Manager, but he's new to the role and the Company , so I don't know if I'd get anywhere. For now I'll just keep documenting everything whilst looking for a new job.

He sounds awful OP. I don’t have any advice except leave ASAP. I used to work at Tesco and it was exactly the same! Power obsessed managers thinking they are something special. Sorry to hear you’re going through this. YANBU.

Places like supermarkets always have the wrong type of people in charge, in my experience most of them are bullies. It's the same where l work regarding the hours. No one is on a full time contract although most of us work full time hours, but only contracted 16, the rest is overtime. If the store goes quiet, we don't get the overtime.
Supermarkets are renowned for treating their staff like shit. They don't give a toss. All they care about is profit.
I only stick it because l start early and finish early, plus it's close to home.

I've found thar myself with regards to some Managers being power obsessed. This one definitely is I'm sure of it, especially as he loves to continually boast how he's 'got rid of people' (such a nice way to talk about colleagues isn't it!)

He also said how one or two people at my store 'won't be here much longer' , giving no names. Who the hell he thinks he is I don't know!
I can't wait to get out of there quick enough, but need the hours whilst I look elsewhere still.

I agree, you'd be replaced the next day if you dropped down dead