Asked my boss if he can avoid scheduling me after 6:30pm

Question

I have been at this company for 3yrs 7 months. Before the schedule was made, I emailed my boss asking him if he could please not schedule me after 6:30pm because I don't know when my car will get fixed, due to my financial situation. He already knew that my car wasn't working because I told him a week before my email. And that the bus gets to my job at 6:57pm. I asked this because if I don't take that bus, I will have to wait till 9:47pm for the last bus. Costco closes at 8:30pm. So, it is very dark and lonely after that time and I would be having to wait outside.

Well he did the schedule for the next 2 weeks and scheduled me for the first week until 4pm. Which is good, however the week 2 he schedules me from 2 to 8pm. Now I am going to have to wait 1hour and 47 min in the dark alone outside of Costco to get the bus home and I would arrive home about 11:35 pm.

There was a situation about the timesheets on 7/28 I didn’t get paid for Sunday which is our ending day of our pay period. So, I called HR and asked why. And told her how our timesheets are handled. So, HR brought it to his attention and it had to change. Ever since then he put us on a point system we ate allowed 11 points a year. By that time, he knew I didn’t have a working car. So, I have been late or requesting to leave early to catch the bus. Well I now have 9 or 10 points. As to before us arriving late wasn’t a problem for him as long as we called before our shift that we are running late. We’ll all that was changed, we have to call in 1 hr. before our shift if we are not going to make it to work and if we are going to be late.

Even though we do this point are added and it effects the point system. Other things have happened since the timesheet situation.

But is there anything I can do? Because I feel like I am being harassed by my boss.

Answer 1

In jobs with a fixed assigned shift schedule, it is not unreasonable to have a system for tracking when employees don't make their shift. This has a negative impact on the department/company because if the boss has to find a replacement and potentially someone has to work overtime. The specific legalities of what the employer can do are different based on country and possibly state. I've known of companies where people have been fired for missing shifts, so the system your manager has using points actually seems more flexible in allowing for some misses.

With regards to your car situation, it would be nice if your manager were accommodating of your problem, but I don't believe they are obligated to adjust the schedule for you. The means and length of the commute are the employee's concern, not the employer's.

Answer 2

Without knowing the circumstances of everyone on the schedule it's impossible to know whether your boss deliberately ignored your request not to be scheduled after 7pm or whether that was just the way the proverbial cookie crumbled. Given they only scheduled you for the later shift in the second week it sounds as though it's not as though they are punitively scheduling you late.

And I say "request" because that's what it was - it sounds as though your company operates until 8pm and that it's legitimate for someone in your role to be working that 2pm-8pm shift. You aren't going to be the only person who has reasons not to want to be working the later shift and it's not fair to dump it all on other people for weeks on end.

And to be fair it sounds as if you've been pretty flaky for some time already. Yeah the points system has come in at an awkward time for you which is unfortunate but it's still your responsibility to be at work on time and to work your alloted shift.

i feel like i am being harrassed by my boss.

Really? Sounds like your boss is trying to actually ensure that their employees show up and do their jobs.

Now i am gonna have to wait 1hour and 47 min in the dark alone outside of costco to get the bus home and i would arrive home about 11:35 pm.

Yeah that sounds pretty unpleasant and despite what the blunt tone of my answer might suggest I do sympathize. But really this is a you problem - not your employer's. It might be worth talking to some of your colleagues and seeing if any of them would be willing to trade shifts with you for that second week. If so you can take the proposed schedule change to the boss and then you are bringing them an already solved problem rather than just dumping a problem in their lap.

For any shifts you can't get swapped then it might be worth seeing if there is anywhere nearby that is open that you might find a safer/more pleasant place to spend the wait.

Hope you get something sorted!

Answer 3

It looks like your boss has either forgotten that you are having issues with your car or is under the assumption that your car issues have been resolved.

Talk to your boss and remind him that you are still having issues with your car. Also, let him know when you can expect your car issues to be resolved so that he can keep that in mind for future schedules.

As for your current schedule, ask your boss if you can swap schedules with someone else. I would speak to the other employees and make sure it is OK with them before proposing this to your boss. Some people are more flexible than others so you may be able to have your ideal schedule.