If you are a paid manager of a charity shop.. could you possibly answer a few questions for me?

[alltoomuchrightnow]

I have worked/ volunteered for several charity shops

This is my second paid job as a manager of one

It's very different from other places I've worked at
Just trying to establish if this is the norm...

If you are a paid worker...

Do you get an unpaid half hour/ hour a day, of which you can never take for a break / lunch? (from my past experiences inc other retail, I realise this is probably the norm). If you can't take it, is it because you are told never to leave volunteers? Or it's just impossible to do so for various reasons. Or do you just eat on the job, whilst still supervising? I don't get paid for an hour a day, and they (those above me) acknowledge that I can't take this break and that I will not get paid for it but that more money will go to the charity by not paying me (see manipulation below)

Do you ever meet or work with Trustees for your charity? Do they heavily influence your role inc appraisals, targets, etc ? Did they interview you for your position? (I've always had three people for appraisals,meetings and the initial interview.. my branch manager, branch support, and Trustee. The Trustee is above the other two so what that person say goes)

If you are off sick (or book time off for, say, an operation) are you always told you must take this as holiday? Or, do you have to make up for the missing days? (eg I have an op booked.... I have been booked it off as holiday - they did this automatically) When I was off sick for one day I got paid for it but then had to work on my day off to make up for it. Being a charity, there's lots of emotional manipulation because everything you do must be for the good of that charity

I should point out that this is a charity that I really do believe in above all others I've worked for, it's a personal thing for me too... and I do go the extra mile, way more than what have mentioned above. This is not necessarily a critical post but would love to hear if it's similar for others in same line of work

Did you get a statement of terms and conditions when you started? What did that say about sick leave? I don't think they can make you take holiday for sickness, they can pay the minimum sick leave but not just pretend it doesn't happen!

yes I need to find it.
It definitely does not say that sickness should be taken as holiday though. It says paid sick pay. But I have been told not to claim statutuory sick pay but to take it as holiday. I mean I didn't get a choice anyway. Branch manager said 'I've booked you off for four days holiday but you must be back at work on the Monday' (knowing I'd have two days in hospital....then she's 'given' me two days at home to recover

I'm in the position where I feel I can never speak up because then the guilt trip starts (''we thought you were an animal lover'') (it's an animal charity) Yes I am so then feel I can't say a word

But, they do take the pee just a little . On much more than mentioned above. and do nothing but criticise despite what they get away with

I did wonder re Trustees and their influence as I never even knew the name of any let alone met one, when worked for other charities

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) was what I was thinking of. It may be a pain for them to claim it AND it may well be less than what you'd normally get but they should NOT be making you take holiday. (I'm a former HR worker).

Go back and say you don't want to take holidays for this and they need to pay you SSP (you can check the current rate of SSP online) and unless they are medically qualified, they can't say how long you'll need off after the procedure.

They sound blood thirsty and very uncaring. How can they get the best for the charity by teeating people like this? Sorry no experience of working in charity but do you have any idea if the branch manager treats herself this way?

no she certainly doesn't! We are not allowed more than two weeks off in one row but she recently had five weeks abroad because 'my daughter needs a proper holiday after finishing uni'

I thought with the SSP, they'd get it all paid back. It's because it's a hassle for them
The branch support person has left (probably stress!), so it's more work for the branch manager

Also..and I have an old thread about this... I job share and the woman I share with had an emergency with her child and asked me if I could cover for her the next day. Which I did, no problem. But the branch manager then told her to work one of my days for me, or give me cash, to make up for it. She didn't want to work an extra day (as needed time to be with her child) so gave me cash! I kept refusing as it made me feel so uncomfortable and that they shouldn't have asked her

I just think some of it is a bit odd as other shops and charities I've worked for have not been like this (apart from unpaid breaks I could not take.. that seems to be the norm in my 28 years of retails! although one paid for the whole day, knowing that I would not be able to take a break because of the nature of the job

I am pretty sure they are breaking the law. You are entitled to a break during the day and you cannot be forced to work unpaid.

You are also entitled to SSP. No mater whether it is charity or not. You are a paid employee and they are an employer and you are being exploited.

My advice is go and get another job. The charity is taking advantage.

Really fed up / gutted as love the actual work, the customers and the volunteers
I beat a lot of people to this job and then had to do an unpaid trial to get it
it means a lot
but I'm also being bullied (micro managed mainly) by the Trustee
It's so hard to find another job .. I was out of work ages before getting this (I volunteered, for another charity)
but I know I just needed to have it confirmed here :-( Even without the Trustee I feel increasingly resentful and uncomfortable

There was an incident this week which I know will blow up and they'll call a meeting when BM is back from her sixth hol in the last year, which wasn't my fault and I know that at least the trustee will hold it against me. That will clinch things really.
I can't afford to do this, at minimum wage, I have to live. I give them many more unpaid hours inc in my own time.. because I believe in the charity..but am just met with criticism (my job share doesn't have it great either, but a breeze compared to me.. she's been there a lot longer and the Trustee at least likes her as she was the one to train her)

I could overlook the unpaid hour etc though if it wasn't for the trustee. also I do find it odd that she can override everyone. I've never heard of this in other charities. They remain unknown. She influences and monitors every aspect of my working life.
She does bully the BM too in a passive aggressive way but the BM will still take her side for an easier life (and because she, like me, has anxiety - which obviously Trustee takes advantage of) So i feel i can't go to the BM with a problem..and she's also HR!