Can they send you home?
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
March 8, 2011 12:03pm CST
My only day scheduled @ my part time job was Sunday it was a smidge over 4hours. Well things died down drastically and I had 20 minutes of my shift to go. Mind you we don't get paid by the exact minute but by the quarter hour. So the one manager had asked me how much time I had left and if I could do a project for her. Well I did not have enough time left to complete my project but she asked me if I would like to go home and I said no. I only had 20 minutes left and it was my only day this week schedule. Then she asked me if I'd stay another 90 minutes so someone else could go home early and I would close, I said no. I only said no because I needed to get the kids ready for school and do whatever needed to be done that my hubby had not done. So I sized and straightened things up as much as I could find to do during that last 20 minutes.
Have you ever been asked to go home early? Can your employer force you to go home early though you were scheduled to work? I know sometimes my hubby gets sent home for various reasons and then uses vacation time to make up the difference (not that we can afford a vacation anyway, so no point in saving all of his earned time off). Whereas I would have to make the request in advance for vacation time.
3 people like this
13 responses
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
8 Mar 11
Did you tell her the reason why you could not work the extra 90 minutes? I work hours over my 40 hour work week and am on call 24/7. I do not get extra pay but I am expected to turn up for a while on Public Holidays too and I am not paid the extra that I should be paid by law.
I don't know the laws in your country but as long as you told her about the children then I do not think that you have to worry. It would have been good to have worked the extra though as she would see that you were willing. In our country jobs are so scarce that the person would have been too scared to say no. Blessings
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
8 Mar 11
I've not yet been sent home early.. normally I'm scheduled to close and just stay till it's all done. Usually I stay an extra half hour after close to finish my work, sometimes we can leave 10 minutes after close if we're done.. it depends on what you have to do, how busy it's been, and who you're working with. Last night I had a slow kid on with me till 8 then I was by myself. I rushed to get everything finished and didn't stop to breathe until I punched out!
I think they can send you home early, because if it's slow, then there isn't enough income coming in to justify paying your wages, you know. Though like you, I wouldn't like being sent home early because I need the money, but if they didn't give me a choice I'd go. Normally I'm given extra hours though. Yesterday I accidentally showed up for my shift an hour early, I thought I was in at 4 so showed up at 4, but I was not scheduled till 5. They let me punch in early because that would have left the slower kid all by himself for that hour, and I doubt he would have done anything.
Once in awhile I"m scheduled out at 8, like today. If it gets busy and they don't have everything done by 8, then I will stay until they feel comfortable letting me leave. Only twice have I actually left at 8 because everything was done enough that they didn't need me. I don't know how tonight will be. There will be 2 people on until close, so I shouldn't be needed.. but one of the people is one of those who doesn't do much actual work.. so I might have to stay.
Now.. what ticked me off.. oh boy!
I told them when they hired me that I can't work Thursdays. My daughter has dance Thursday night until 5pm.. so I just requested that night off. Well, they screwed up and scheduled me to work this Thursday. So I wrote a note so they were aware I'm still not available for Thursdays.. then I went and made arrangements for my daughter so that I could work my scheduled shift. So I go in last night and find out they gave my shift away.. leaving me with only 2 scheduled shifts next week. Ugh!! I was stressed when I saw I was scheduled that day, now I'm stressed they took it away after I made arrangements.
So, the owner called me today, he was the one who made this mistake. We discussed it.. I'm still not working that Thursday shift.. no problem. Instead he gave me a shift tomorrow.. noon to close (9:30).. that could turn into a 10 hour shift.. OMG!! And I'm closing with one of the slow, sloppy boys.. yay!!
I'm going to need a serious pep talk after tomorrow so I don't quit my job, LOL.
When I got home last night after that hellacious shift I said to hubby "Why am I doing this again?"
I just have to keep reminding myself of my goals.. that will hopefully stop me from quitting, LOL.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
9 Mar 11
You need a pep talk huh? Well you have your goals as previously mentioned. You know you need to do what you need to do to get to the next level for your family and finish school. Every job has a few bumps in the road here and there.
Do they do 90 day reviews or anything? I hope your dedication to your job and the success of their business comes into play because you seem to be quite a team player when the team isn't too much of a team most of the time. Keep your chin up and just think of your goals girlie!
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
10 Mar 11
Perhaps you could trim down your availability give a shift away to someone else?
I went thru all that you are worrying about the kids and whats going on when you are not home. I still worry and I've been back to work pt for 2.5yrs. YOU have to do what you need to do to keep things afloat. I talk to my neighbor and she's never been a SAHM raised her kids while working and never seemed to feel guilty about it. I know I feel a bit guilty about not being here constantly. But I do need to put on a hat that isn't just "mom" KWIM? And my DH can deal for a few hrs a week the joys of being home with the kids.
So don't give up! It won't be any different when your youngest is in school except you could work perhaps more shifts during the day time. But like you said you need a good job reference for when you look for the next job or once you graduate to show stability. They also want you on the job for 2 yrs + when you apply for a mortgage.
Most places don't give frequent raises. I've only worked one job where I did get more than one raise a year.... 2x a year. No company does give more than a yearly raise if you get a yearly raise. You can't expect a raise modern times, you have to be thankful you are working. I know after 9/11 my hubby's company didn't give raises for a few years. And the same is true now for most companies, they want to keep in business and if that means paying people minimum til things get better that's what they do. Since the economy took a dump they lowered the % of a raise people get at my store in half you get a raise but not even a quarter.
Right now you need this for a good reference and to use as a stepping stone for when you interview in time for a position elsewhere.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
10 Mar 11
It's wearing on me though, you know. I'm already starting to feel like I work too much. How weird is that? I remember my first couple of weeks I only got 2 shifts a week and I'm thinking "How am I going to do everything I want to do with 10 hours a week?". Now I'm being scheduled for 3, but usually picking up an extra shift a week so I'm getting closer to 20-25. Now I'm wishing I could get back to the 10 hours a week so I could get a little breathing room, you know! Some days I don't feel like I can keep going this way for the next 2 years. It's taking a lot out of me, plus I worry about the house and kids and FIL when I'm not here.
This is why I quit my last job. They started scheduling me too much and I got stressed from all the hours, and was too anxious about leaving the kids with the in laws.. so I just stopped showing up to work. I can't do that this time.. I need this job. Not only do I need the money to help get our finances straightened out, I also need the good reference for my resume.
So far that's a strong enough motivator to get me into work tonight.. but how long until I say screw it? How long until I feel what I'm putting myself and my family through isn't worth what I'm getting out of it?
I might need some help to keep this motivation rolling! A raise would be great.. but I've heard this company doesn't give frequent raises.. even though the owner did originally tell me they like to move people up quickly.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
27 Mar 11
yea,sometimes we had call in days too where if there wasn't enough to do,we were told to stay home.i think technically if they schedule you,they're required to let you work,but as far as leaving early,they have to ask,not insist.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
8 Mar 11
I think an employer can do anything they want--it's their place and you're the employee, not the owner. But most of them, like your supervisor, give you a choice about it.
A lot of people don't understand the time constraints of moms like you. I hope your supervisor did.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
9 Mar 11
She didn't say anything to me afterword other than when I was walking out like "bye have a nice night" kind of thing. The more I read the posts I hope I don't get in trouble for it. However, I have been asked to go before and told them I would prefer to finish my shift.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
9 Mar 11
I've got bills to pay so I don't want to leave. However, I am not used to working late, I've been spoiled by getting out at a decent hour. And I know how much prep my kids need before school the next day including home work.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
9 Mar 11
Though depending on the employer and how ill you are it may be worth you going in ill. Some places frown on you calling in sick, but if they see it for themselves and send you home it's not a mark against you if that makes sense.
@Christmas2006 (1661)
• United States
8 Mar 11
You will have to check with your state labor laws on the actuall legal requirements about this because it is going to vary state to state. When I was working I know I went in once and could only work a 1/2 hour because I was already at my 39 hours for the week! So even though I was scheduled for 8 hours that day I went back home, no I wasn't impressed about it since I had driven almost 40 miles round trip! My daughter worked, as a teenager, for burger king and I know there were times when I took her to work and came home and she was calling me to come back and get her because they had sent her home. At this point all I can say is be glad you have a job!... good luck!
@sizzle3000 (3036)
• United States
9 Mar 11
They actually don't have to ask you, if they really wanted to they could just tell you to go home. They do this when things are really slw so they don't have to pay for people they don't need. My daughter had that with Target. She would only have two days and then one day would be really slow and they would want to send her home because she was the newest hire.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
9 Mar 11
Hi Snuggle,
I actually think that they can do that. I've only been sent home early once in all the years I've been working at this job. I got sent home because I live out of town and there was a severe snowstorm. Because it was my boss's call and not mine, I got paid for the lost time. Now my daughter works for Wendy's and has been sent home early a few times when things were really slow and they don't pay her for that time. I think the rules may vary depending on whether you are a full time or part time employee snd probably differ from company to company. I kind of get it why an employer would not want to pay an employee to be there if it is not needed. Since you did not want to leave early, she probably figured she would send another employee home early and give you an extra hour and a half that the other employee would have had. I would have probably taken it and asked the hubby to do a little more at home. Extra hours don't come my way often and lord knows I can always use the money.
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
10 Mar 11
Technically, if you are scheduled to work a certain schedule, they can not make you go home, but they can ask you to leave if they need to lower their labor costs, but as far as I know, you do not have to agree to go home...
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
8 Mar 11
Grrr for the most part throughout my career I have always been a salary employee so no chance of ever being sent home early, in fact stay later was always the golden rule for me.
An employer can send you home early if work is slow, however if you are a full time employee and it becomes too repetitive then the employee can at times have rights to unemployment benefits here in the US. But it has to be that they were sent way too many times and the employee was not benefiting from the pay and it was impinging them from earning.
@maryjane41 (90)
• Abbeville, Mississippi
8 Mar 11
i have been sent home early alot. to me it was no big deal. that is money that the company is not makeing to pay me. i always enjoyed being sent home early. the boss can not say nothing and then you can get things done that needs to be done.
@tiffnkeat (1673)
• Singapore
9 Mar 11
Life is a balance of give and take. If you keep saying no to your manager, have you considered that he ( or she) may think you are highly inflexible? Maybe all he wanted was to try to please the team but load balancing so that someone could go back earlier since you didn't want to, while giving you additional work (and probably pay). He might mean well.
As for you having to make request in advance for vacation time, as I mentioned, if your manager perceive you to be inflexible, he might not accommodate you in future. Had you stop and consider that by being more flexible with him, he might also be more flexible with you.
I am not saying he will be, but maybe give a little first, then take back some later would have helped. :)
