The Woolworths Thread (20 Viewers)

[townie]

You guys get plasmas in your staff rooms?

yeah, but they just show WoWTV, and nothing else, so not as good as it sounds.

 

[danberg]

We get a plasma but I have NEVER EVER seen it turned on, and I have been working there for over a year- its one way to save energy I guess...

 

[meow-says-kitty]

Yeah we never have it on. But when Melbourne Cup was on we were allowed to change the channel. Weird as our store manager is a huge huge nazi. For example, Christmas Eve last year the service manager, as if in a person who never works with food, wore tiny dangly christmas earrings and he made her take them out.

 

[lordtopcat]

December 1st! I started putting tinstle up around the produce department today, but someone told me it isn't allowed? Whereas another person told me it was... I'm confused. Is it, or isn't it lol ?

*bitch start*
We have prime position at the front of the store, with two large bins where we place our high selling items in (Tomatoes etc) and the other day during the Dept. managers meeting the Grocery manager asked if we could get rid of them so he could put his christmas stock there. The SM said NO, absolutely not. I then went to her afterwards and asked if they were safe, and she assured me that no one would touch them.

Today however, she approached me and said she needs to take one away! I am so mad as these bins are where our sales come from. (If some of you recall I am acting manager as real one is honeymooning) She strictly told me when she left to make sure those bins stayed there. I did try my best, explained to the SM about the sales and how the manager didn't want them moved. All she had to say was "Tough".

I AM SO MAD! I might call our produce group manager tomorrow because he was the one who put the bins there, so I imagine he wouldn't be too impressed either.

Oh well. It's not my fault if our sales drop.

*bitch finish*

 

[Schoolies08]

Hey guys
im 18, need a job is woolies good to work with?
whats the rate per hour for a PPT who works in produe/cashier?
and whats the rate per hour for a PPT who works Nightfill?
Is it easy to get a job at safeway?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[rachana12]

@ Kaan10


How long have u been working with woolies?Have u got ur discount card?
How many hours are u getting each week(approx)??

 

[SpongeHead]

hey guys,

I've been working at my local woolies for about a year now as a cashier but I've got a few questions....

I'm also a full-time uni student so usually I can only manage about 2 shifts a week (eg 8 hour shift on sat and a 5 hour shift after uni on one weekday). My SM has been cool with this and even let me have 2 weeks off for my exams and STUVAC (which I really appreciated) even though I'm casual. But they still call me throughout the week while I'm at uni/in lectures (sometimes two or three times on the same day) to see if I can come in and work but I just refuse.

The problem is now I'm on holidays and they are hardly giving me any shifts - this week I've only been rostered for 4 hours! :O Are they punishing me or something - even though my SM has been quite happy with me all this time? lol I asked one of the supervisers the other day wat the go is and she said they are giving all the new ppl at our store the shifts... so where does that leave me? Can they do that? I know I'm just casual but if I dont understand how they can call me so many times during semester begging me to come in to work yet now when I'm on holidays and it's getting busier with christmas, I'm only getting one lousy 4 hour shift? Should I just tell them if they cant give me more shifts, I'll jsut go elsewhere and look for a job where they actually need me??

 

[mlee72]

Aah what a great forum to bitch on...

Today was my first ever shift as a supervisor. my customer service manager didn't even bother to talk to me about it or train me in opens in any way shape or form (although the 2IC said 'you'll be right', which really tipped the velvet in terms of helpful advice), so i got there and pretty much had to make it up with help from the cash office woman and what i'd picked up from other supervisors.

it actually went all right for a while because it wasn't so busy and i had good staff, and i was like 'hey, this isn't so stressful'. Then i called the duty manager and was like 'yo are you right to do my break at seven?', and she goes '(scoff)..No!' and just outright refused and told me it was my CSM's job to make sure there is someone in the store able to do my break (surely that's her!!) So then i just decided not to have one. And it went downhill from there in the form of extreme busyness, express alerts (which no-one responds to) and annoying customers who always ask for the most difficult things at the worst of times. So it was flat-out, all registers open and me with no formal training and the duty manager doesn't even bother glancing in front end's direction!, let alone help. and she responded to like one call over the PA, i usually had to go hunt her down.

Surely that's just irresponsible management?

Also, the other day, our store manager was doing duty and at the end of the night -i was an operator- he told me to pack my own register and was all shocked when i told him that the supervisors do that. He reckons its part of our job and made me do it. But that must be against the rules because can't i just slip a few fitties into my pocket and say i've counted them??

that is preaty bad management our duty managers always respond to calls and even open up on a register when its really busy

couldn't the office cashier do your break?

and maybe the SM asked you to pack your register because you are a supervisor (im not to sure cause our registers go to the cash officce for counting

and yes you could slip a few fifities in your pocket and say you've counted them but you wouldn't get very far before they realised. it is basically impossilble for cash to go missing and not be recognised.

 

[mlee72]

hey guys,

I've been working at my local woolies for about a year now as a cashier but I've got a few questions....

I'm also a full-time uni student so usually I can only manage about 2 shifts a week (eg 8 hour shift on sat and a 5 hour shift after uni on one weekday). My SM has been cool with this and even let me have 2 weeks off for my exams and STUVAC (which I really appreciated) even though I'm casual. But they still call me throughout the week while I'm at uni/in lectures (sometimes two or three times on the same day) to see if I can come in and work but I just refuse.

The problem is now I'm on holidays and they are hardly giving me any shifts - this week I've only been rostered for 4 hours! :O Are they punishing me or something - even though my SM has been quite happy with me all this time? lol I asked one of the supervisers the other day wat the go is and she said they are giving all the new ppl at our store the shifts... so where does that leave me? Can they do that? I know I'm just casual but if I dont understand how they can call me so many times during semester begging me to come in to work yet now when I'm on holidays and it's getting busier with christmas, I'm only getting one lousy 4 hour shift? Should I just tell them if they cant give me more shifts, I'll jsut go elsewhere and look for a job where they actually need me??

maybe tell your CSM that you are on holidays and are avaliable to work more and even request some hours , let them know you want to work.

 

[Pilotman]

Our Duty managers were all the same, none ever came near the front end letalone run the bloody place.

Then i led a little campaign with all the supervisors and went above the store manager to the Regional Manager, and after a couple weeks all the Duty Managers were trained to do front end for breaks etc and when it was crazy and either i had to hop on check outs or they had to hop on checkouts.

Also expect cutbacks this time of year, always cut back staff leading up to xmas as it means they make more $$$ over the period and it's a bit of a competition between stores to win in their Regions and Areas. Not that they would admit it.

Things they care about are: Clearing xmas stock, $$$$, wages (keep em as little as possible leading up to xmas eve and then throw everything at that day)

 

[shinji]

Our Duty managers were all the same, none ever came near the front end letalone run the bloody place.

Then i led a little campaign with all the supervisors and went above the store manager to the Regional Manager, and after a couple weeks all the Duty Managers were trained to do front end for breaks etc and when it was crazy and either i had to hop on check outs or they had to hop on checkouts.

Also expect cutbacks this time of year, always cut back staff leading up to xmas as it means they make more $$$ over the period and it's a bit of a competition between stores to win in their Regions and Areas. Not that they would admit it.

Things they care about are: Clearing xmas stock, $$$$, wages (keep em as little as possible leading up to xmas eve and then throw everything at that day)

But there's no point in cutting back wages if they can't keep up with customer service. especially on the cash registers & the deli. cutting back on wages in xmas week would be pretty much, retail suicide.

 

[makemearedcape]

Does the regular rate of pay apply to working Christmas Eve?

 

[townie]

Does the regular rate of pay apply to working Christmas Eve?

yes

 

[rachana12]

thanx kaan.
I was askin coz i know u have started working wid woolies recently as i m new too.
this week they give me 9 hours shift and i m available full time.
why they dont give shifts,god knows.

 

[shinji]

thanx kaan.
I was askin coz i know u have started working wid woolies recently as i m new too.
this week they give me 9 hours shift and i m available full time.
why they dont give shifts,god knows.

lol.

Im working 20hours on the weekend. So basically my whole weekend is dedicated to work. =p
Not sure if you should be complaining about hat or not. . haha

 

[jas62]

Just thought i would tell you guys that there is a facebook group called I work at woolworths and im tired of pulling knives out of my back!! best group eva!!
Does anyone here know how much the woolies in hervey bay do because i'm heading there around april/may this coming year.

 

[SpongeHead]

maybe tell your CSM that you are on holidays and are avaliable to work more and even request some hours , let them know you want to work.

yeah I'm going to let her know the next time I see her... I would've gone to her first but she's been away for a a few weeks. I think she may be returning this week so I'll go hassle her now haha

 

[Pilotman]

But there's no point in cutting back wages if they can't keep up with customer service. especially on the cash registers & the deli. cutting back on wages in xmas week would be pretty much, retail suicide.

The proplem is woolies management doesn't see it that way. Xmas weeks usually they are allowed a certain percetage more that what their usual targets are.

Also depends on the store manager, more $$$ made and saved means better bonuses. I've seen a few management styles, some have heaps of staff all the time therefore service is quick and efficient but don't make as much money because the wages blow out each week, also seen the as little staff as we can possibly have style which is where they make their money.

Every department meeting i ever went to the key thing was "Wages" lol, drives you insane. A certain percentage of the sales are allocated for wages and as a store manager, you do not want to go over that limit! I went to a regional managers meeting once (waste of time) but i saw all of the store managers and dept managers reamed by the regional manager for blowing our wages when we tried to argue they were unrealistic, we were shot down in flames.


Say for Front End and Deli you have the grids, you can print them off people planner for the week and usually if everything within people planner is correct like availability etc it'll print a pretty good roster out and you need to fill in when you have gap's or not enough staff rostered and need to cut back when you are over the plan.

Some managers are Nazi's and go by what's planned so you had to roster to what the grid said and it was ALWAYS unrealistic hence we never had any staff, but the town only has 2 supermarkets and no one shops at coles cause it's gotta be the worst coles in Australia, have even less checkouts open that we ever did, 2 on a saturday where we would have 14!!.

Anyway lol i've gone on too much

 

[decypher]

Regarding the issue about packing up a register, I work at Coles and we pack up our registers if we are night shift. We count and bag it which involves counting the money and puting into the computer, then putting all the money in the bag and signing a form. Everyone does this - whether u're a supervisor or just started working there. On Sundays its a different process but everyone does that too.

What Coles is this at? Because our CSM supposedly went to national conference and came back saying all registers must be counted by supervisors and that operators aren't allowed to spot balance. Fuck I'm sick of counting registers it's all i do now.

 

[jirwin]

What Coles is this at? Because our CSM supposedly went to national conference and came back saying all registers must be counted by supervisors and that operators aren't allowed to spot balance. Fuck I'm sick of counting registers it's all i do now.

Waratah (Newcastle).

We do the occasional spot balance throughout the day also. Used to be every time we finished on a register such as end of shift but now apparently it only has to be done twice a day per register. But yeah operators are actively involved in the spot balance and bagging of registers.