slackers

[angel607]

one thing that I have complained about over the years was slackers. we had more then our share at kmart. I have had to deal with people not bothering to show up, someone who repeatedly ask me to cover for her, a guy that was so lazy he actually changed his pants in the locker room where we put our coats and stuff. how sick I had to walk in on a employee in their boxers. not only that but he spent 30 minutes shopping while he was working. I was glad he was fired after christmas. another girl abby who decided it was best to quit, not tell any of us and screw us all over. there was another lazy girl who handed in her 2 weeks notice and told some people she was pregnet. she went on her dinner and claimed she forgot to eat. she went to checkouts and passed out. she fell on the back of her head yet she put the ice pack on the front of her head. my co-worker told me that the manager was never told she was pregnet. after that incident the girl never came back to work and screwed us. during christmas we were so backed up in returns yet 2 idiots couldn't be bothered to help because they were busy sitting in the fitting room talking. one girl doesn't like me and said stuff about me how I lie throughout the store. she left the store with her boyfriend and layaway was going off. well nobody could find her and she was on break longer then expected. she was on video leaving the store gone for 25 minutes which was 10 minutes past her break.

the manager went outside and screamed at her. the girl felt I told lies and the manager took it out on her for no reason even though it was on video. I have been having problems like severe problems with this one slacker who has been here for a year and only helped me twice that I can remember. one night I almost snapped because at 10pm she slacked off so much in ladies straightening that the manager paged us because the back of ladies was trashed she only did the front. then the sale signs in jewelery were never taken down so the guys had to do it. we stayed 15 minutes to take care of her mess. however this girl takes breaks all night. she comes in 5-10pm instead of a 15 minute break we have caught her on 30 minute breaks. she was caught by a manager talking to her cousin and cousin's friends at the store for 20 minutes and the girls were thrown out of the store. she is 17 years old and a minor and my co-worker said she had 1 30 minute break and 2 15 minute breaks because she worked 6 hours and she is a minor. I looked up the laws and she should of taken a 30 minute break and that was it. this girl has a way of getting away with everything. but my co-worker told me the girl is looking for a new job because she doesn't like it at kmart. I am crossing my fingers this girl leaves. she won't help me do any returns. sorry this is so long and I should of put it in the vent topics. it's just one of those nights.

[Classicblast]

This is probably a better topic for everybody else on the board but me. The reason I say that is until the end of the 2009 baseball season I never had to seek a conventional job like everybody else.

I played baseball under contracts from 1993 rookie leagues through 2009 double A.

In that situation there's very little opportunity to slack. Obviously if you're not bringing what managers think is good effort you get benched. An exception might be made if you're so good you're still contributing more than others who might try hard but aren't talented enough to out play you.

I was never one of those players so I learned early in my playing days that if I don't run my butt off the managers are going to seat me on the bench or release me altogether so I always had to try.

I did last to age 34 in minor league baseball that's ancient believe me.

Obviously my brother has tons of experience with slackers. He runs our family's construction business. He's had employees only last a few days. But sometimes he has to try them out because they need bodies that are available and cant be as choosy as they'd like to be.

[Phil]

There's tons of them around my work. Some in my division others in other subdivisions but when there's joint work which is pretty often you really see the slackers.

I guess my job is to make sure that at least 3 children do not grow into slackers. Make sure they learn the importance of holding up your end and work ethic. The big moments are when others are not pulling their weight I would point out that the non weight puller doesn't have the cash to go to sports games, parks, take trips and even put gas in their car. You can do all that because you stay on task and take on extra jobs. Sometimes motivation like that is needed to keep it moving.

I have gone as far as to say if I was a slacker bicycles and Xbox games would not be in the house. That's probably an exaggeration but I've used it anyway.

[angel607]

i have a lot of respect for basketball players, football players baseball players, ice skaters, people in the army defending our country because they do intense training and do everything they can. I think in this economy employees should do the same thing. I don't think it's fair someone gets paid to hang out in the break room and slack off and not help out. when she is in our department she won't even help put clothing returns away. think of all the work that goes into sports. the more you train the better you do. kinda like the more you work the more respect you get. there are people I love to work with because they do everything to help out. if I have no returns I simply go around the store and ask others if I can help them with anything. when you do projects time goes by much faster. im just under a lot of stress with black friday coming up more hours and the fear of people not working so I will end up staying late hours.


and phil I agree with the motivation with extra tasks and more money. last new years for the holiday I was asked to do overtime for new years eve or new years day. I only worked 5-10 on that one holiday. I asked if I could work 1-10 both days and the manager was happy. I wanted the extra money because after the holidays my hours get cut so I need extra money. for the selena gomez concert 3 people quit with no 2 weeks notice in 1 day so I stayed for a 14 hour shift and got extra money for the concert. I had to pay for 4 other people including myself. so the money was great. I can't slack off because I watched kmart file for chapter 11 bankruptcy and it was really a sad and scary time with stores closing. after christmas they called people in the office and let them go. one employee cried as she punched out for the last time. there was one time I suprised my job. last winter we had a blizzard and I slept over at that gross motel for 2 days because I knew the roads would be really bad. they were surprised I came in because 70 percent of the store called off. I told them I paid for the closest motel and walked. I was glad I did because I got rollbars of clothes that needed to be put on the floor and I was the only one on the floor for softlines and jewelery. the store closed at 3pm I herd some employees had a really hard time getting home. it's great that you teach your kids good values so they will have good jobs. it's sad that there are some parents out there who just don't care about what their kids do.

[Demona]

I'm happy not to work in retail anymore. I had a job once they didn't train you for and expected you to just know after a week. Not only that, I was working one, two days tops, so how's it possible to get my full potential out of that? One girl took longer than she was supposed to on breaks, and was b*tchy, but so were alot of the women who worked there. Where I work now we have our share of people I don't care for, and I don't have a good impression of 18 year old boys based on what I see. Two got in trouble for pulling a prank on a guy they apparently don't like, and I hope they realize it's time to act different now that they're not in high school.

[angel607]

that's the problem I have with this girl. I swear she lives in the break room. last time she never showed up she got called in the office the next day. we thought she would get fired. but the manager said I understand it happens. she also got arrested and went into work bragging about it. I guess that is considered a great thing in life to have a record at 17 lol. I don't get it. luckily everyone I work with is really nice. but I have had a hard time dealing with slackers. I end up covering jewelery a lot and had no training. some custermers have a lot of detailed questions about jewelery and it's hard to answer. the worst was working in that department black friday. lots of rude people. I agree with teenage guys. we had 2 teenagers start work at only one month there. it was before thanksgiving and they were caught shoplifting. so instead of having a nice holiday they spent their time in jail because they were led out of kmart in handcuffs to a police car. to be fired for shoplifting is embarrising to me. you know you will be caught and it's not worth losing your job over.

[Classicblast]

Obviously its going to be on record too and that means getting other jobs will be difficult. Who can trust a known thief?

[Beangirl]

I can relate to all of you. I work at Walmart and we have had a huge shake up in our fresh department. Associates as well as department managers have been fired for things as too many absences slacking off and taking too long at breaks.This makes it hard on all of us as we must pick up the slack.

[angel607]

i agree classicblast and sometimes it suprises me more that employees steal. they know the store has undercover security walking around and cameras watching you on the ceiling. stealing just isn't worth it. if you want something bad ask for more hours but don't risk your job. that's not something anyone would want on their record because it's hard to get hired.

beangirl sorry to hear about that. when you lose employees because of them not working you sometimes have to pick up more hours and it becomes overwhelming. a lot of times kmart keeps the slackers because they say they are looking for a replacement and months later we know it's a lie. we are stuck with slackers. they make the work place miserable. it gets worse around christmas because that's when it gets hectic.

[Classicblast]

Oct 19, 2010 23:47:29 GMT -5 angel607 said:

i agree classicblast and sometimes it suprises me more that employees steal. they know the store has undercover security walking around and cameras watching you on the ceiling. stealing just isn't worth it. if you want something bad ask for more hours but don't risk your job. that's not something anyone would want on their record because it's hard to get hired.

beangirl sorry to hear about that. when you lose employees because of them not working you sometimes have to pick up more hours and it becomes overwhelming. a lot of times kmart keeps the slackers because they say they are looking for a replacement and months later we know it's a lie. we are stuck with slackers. they make the work place miserable. it gets worse around christmas because that's when it gets hectic.

I say so. There's cameras everywhere. Sometimes it looks like a little reflector or whatever but its everywhere. You can't blow your nose and put the napkin in your pocket anonymously anymore.

I can't believe more employees don't realize that. Obviously where there's a will there's a way but they're going to have to be more creative than take something off a shelf and put it in your coat pocket or purse. Those days are all but extinct.

[Beangirl]

Holy crap yeah. I mean how dumb do you have to be not to notice the cameras? ::)Not to mention.. loss prevention plain clothes guys that roam the store looking for thief's as well as slacking associates.I guess they believe it can't happen to them. We had associates who had only been there 3 months tops and they frequently called in sick or were tardy. This is a country out of work. I like produce a lot better than working in meats. My co workers are really hard workers. The meat crew is full of slackers and all the work energy goes to the few good workers like myself and maybe 2 others.

[Blastgirl]

I am back in a job I had before. I work in the offices of our Local Baseball team. I worked there before when Classic played for that team. It's only three days a week but during the beginning of the Season when they're pushing the incoming season its more hours sometimes even seven days a week.

I resigned when our first Son was about a year old and we didn't have our second boy yet.

Classic and the team had parted ways too so that was a good time for me to stop and the boys needed my attention more then too.

There's lots of office people that are unessential. There's four or five girls who get about the work of two or three done but they know how to use each other well enough to make it look like they're all busy but they all do minimal I think on purpose to make it so none of them have to work hard but arent noticed by those who are not there to see them everyday.

I told Classic I had a comment for this very Topic he said "Some of the staff in your office have discovered Team Work." Its kind of dishonest though because they could get more done if they were interested in doing so.

[Mahnarch]

The problems I have with my job is the Union shops - or people who used to work for a Union shop and still think that they do at their new non-union job.

If that break bell rings, the building could be on fire and they will drop their fire extinguishers and go to lunch.

If you ask them to move a skid to the other side of your trailer they'll laugh and drive their hi-lo over to the break room.

They could be unloading the very last skid from your trailer - CROSSING THE DOCK PLATE - and if the quitting time bell goes off, they'll shut the hi-lo off and leave.
They won't even sign your paperwork!

Even trying to sway them to your side by bringing in pizza doesn't work.

That is slacking WITH EFFORT!!


Luckily, I now have a designated run where none of my stops include the Unions but, I do have to deal with 2 people (at two different stops) that are former Union.
Usually, I try to avoid them and go to Jim or Paul, instead.

[Phil]

Plant mentality! I hate it. 'its not my job, where's Steve?'

If you see it needs to be done, do it!

I tell my sons, my daughter is too young yet for this but she's getting closer to this routine, I'll say 'you see an empty cup and you're going to the kitchen anyway, why not put it in the dishwasher, if the dishwasher is running put it on the counter.'

Reply 'its Eric's cup not mine,' Answer I did not ask who put it there I'm telling you to move it!

Dad wins lol

Its just about you see something not in use put it away even if you're not the 1 who brought it out. I think that plan can be brought to work too.

[Kimm]

Slackers are a problem everywhere. I have only had a few jobs but its a big problem in restaurants and stores. The probable most frequent first jobs for most people. While they are important jobs most people get them because restaurants and stores are all over and it takes a short time to learn to serve food or sell products.

Some people get better at it than others but theres times stores and restaurants just need people and thats how they get started.

I worked at a Hooters for 2 years. I loved the tips but hated the well pervish kinds of guys. I dont mind being looked at but some of the things that get said and the amount of times you get asked out gets tireing.
I went next to a department store. It was independently owned but like a target WalMart or K Mart idea. The store is smaller but that concept of carrying everything from lawn mowers to notebooks

Both places theres people who take their time hoping to get as little done as possible in the frame of the day. That way other people get it done and they quietly slide through the work day.

That was a case both places.

Now I teach and it still happens. The students will do just what they have to to pass. A passing mark is enough and learning the subject is not the part of their agenda as long as they remember 65 or more percent long enough to get that much of it right on tests.

They still dont know their history. Or their English or algebra, or biology for that matter.

[Beangirl]

Oct 22, 2010 19:09:44 GMT -5 Kimm said:

Slackers are a problem everywhere. I have only had a few jobs but its a big problem in restaurants and stores. The probable most frequent first jobs for most people. While they are important jobs most people get them because restaurants and stores are all over and it takes a short time to learn to serve food or sell products.

Some people get better at it than others but theres times stores and restaurants just need people and thats how they get started.

I worked at a Hooters for 2 years. I loved the tips but hated the well pervish kinds of guys. I dont mind being looked at but some of the things that get said and the amount of times you get asked out gets tireing.
I went next to a department store. It was independently owned but like a target WalMart or K Mart idea. The store is smaller but that concept of carrying everything from lawn mowers to notebooks

Both places theres people who take their time hoping to get as little done as possible in the frame of the day. That way other people get it done and they quietly slide through the work day.

That was a case both places.

Now I teach and it still happens. The students will do just what they have to to pass. A passing mark is enough and learning the subject is not the part of their agenda as long as they remember 65 or more percent long enough to get that much of it right on tests.

They still dont know their history. Or their English or algebra, or biology for that matter.

Kimm! You worked at Hooters? All right! you go girl! ;D

[Kimm]

Yep, I sure did. ;D

It was fun but it also had some problems like perverted kinds of guys.

[Phil]

I remember you talking about working there.

I think the slacker mentality starts in middle school or high school and stays for life. In middle school there's still a chance to turn it around before it becomes a lost cause. Once they're 18 or more years old only the military can reverse it by then.