Work related

[Whycantiwinmillionsandsquillions]

Sorry for the moan.
The company I work for have come to the conclusion that staff leave mainly for the following reasons:
Lack of flexibility
Drawn out working pattern.
By the latter I mean full timers have to work at least 5 full days, 6 days every other week.
We are not paid extra for the 6th day. You don’t work all day on the 6th day but you cannot do anything on the week you are working 6 days so it’s generally regarded as a major reason for the high turnover.
We have to take long unpaid lunch breaks to make up for the 6th day.
After a consultation it was decided that staff would prefer to work longer over less days. So no more than 5 days. Also the issue of having sone flexibility time was raised.
Instead of addressing this, management keep banging on about ‘wellness.’
Let’s all bring in a cake sort of thing. Because of course I’d much rather bake or buy a flaming cake than not work an extra day or go home early and have a quick lunch break.
I am thinking of looking elsewhere.
I do like the people I work with and enjoy the job.
However, I’m not sure I can keep working 6 days ( even if it’s 5.5 days) it still totally screws up plans I might have. Plus once I’m getting up for work I’d prefer to start early/finish later/ have a shorter lunch.
Just seem a new wellness idea and this is the reason I’m posting.
I don’t want wellness ideas. I want flexibility.
Rant over.
And yes I know I could leave. Just seems a shame to have to do that.

Working a day you aren’t paid for seems mad to me! Is it in hospitality?

I’d leave as well. I can see why there is such a high turnover and perhaps, because of the negatives, those who do start working perhaps only view it as short term anyway.

you are expected to take long lunch breaks (so split shifts) to cover up for the fact that you work for free on the 6th?

I am going to guess no union. Leave. Tell them their stupid batshit hours are to blame. Write that on glassdoor

No it’s not hospitality.
Yes unfortunately my family have said to leave.
The management know how staff feel, they know why people leave yet they have done zero to address the real issues.
I’m beginning to get tired of going to work either 5 full days or 5.5 days without seeing the benefit.
No chance of ever finishing early or starting late either.
They dud promise to look into it but that was months ago.
All we hear us ‘ let’s bring in cake’ or other irrelevant stuff.

What kind of place expects you to work line that? How are the contracts worded?

Brefugee yes that’s correct.
I know it sounds crazy but it’s true.

I worked 6 days a week for a few years and it was awful. I did it because I wanted be extra money which is different from being forced to do it.

Getting up early 6 days a week is no fun and I would definitely look for another job.

I keep hoping things will change. Am I being daft. Management have said they will look into it but how long does it take?
I know deep down I need to look for a job with better hours.

Sadly I don't think this will change.

How many hours a week is this? What is the pay like? Is is per hour or salaried? What's the industry?

join a union. It won't help here but it may help in your next job (they can advise, it's not all "out, brother, out!")

What would happen if you said "nope, not doing it"

I’ve decided I am going to look for another job.
I don’t want to say what it is as I don’t want to out myself. It is a skilled job which requires lots of concentration so it’s tiering.
I knew the hours when I accepted the job but at the time it seemed ok.
Other staff who have left say that yes it seems ok to start with but eventually it gets everybody down.
The staff turn over should not be this high, it’s the way the department is run that cause such high turnover. Oh and the manager never works more than 5 days a week and works flexi time so builds up time to extra days off.

The staff turn over should not be this high, it’s the way the department is run that cause such high turnover. Oh and the manager never works more than 5 days a week and works flexi time so builds up time to extra days off.

and this is what you say when you leave. To boss of boss.

Reminds me of a company I used to work for. They'd work you to the bone - 7 am to 11 pm some days. Whenever the issue of work/life balance came up they'd claim it was something they were really good at - they'd encourage people to nip out 20 minutes in the middle of that stretch to pick their kids up from school (providing they were then cared for by somebody else so you could keep working). If you get to do the school run, you have work/life balance!

That employer, and yours, know very well that there's no comparison between a day off work and a cake. But while your problem is the current arrangement, it's an arrangement that suits them well and that they don't want to change. Their problem is simply the noise you're making about it. So the 'solution' is to make sympathetic noises and fob you off with a small gesture, hoping it will shut you up. I know you don't want to leave, but it's your only option - they have no inclination to address the real issue here.