Work Schedule Question

No that's not normal. That's bad management. I would tell him he needs to tell you what your schedule is 2 weeks in advance or else there's a big chance you won't show up because you aren't psychic.

I'd even settle for one week!  I could deal with knowing the Wednesday before the new week, that was ok since we were still getting things worked out, but this making it up as we go thing is not working!  We are all getting very angry at her.  She is terrible.  She can be a complete you know what one minute, and super nice the next.  We are starting to wonder if she is bi-polar.  And, a few of us have some very good evidence that she and another of the managers are sharing pills like Vicodin.  The assistant manager flat out told another of of the assistant managers that he gave the general manager vicodin one day.  We are getting soooo close to calling our "hotline."  Its ridiculous.

The way I see it is waiting to make a schedule is just plain out laziness.  
 
Being a manager is not for everyone and if that person can not keep up with her responsibility someone above her needs to hear about it. 
 
My last job, my boss would plan out a whole month in advance and if we didn#%92t tell her before she made the calendar what days we needed off then we had to work those days or work it out amongst ourselves to find someone to fill in our spot if we could not be there.  Maybe if you suggest to your manager something like that or a way she can be more organized about it then maybe she can work out a better system for everyone.
 
Her problem may just be that she is so new to this that it's more confusing then she thought it would be.  She needs to hear what she is doing wrong and ways to correct herself so she doesn't have upset employees.
 

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I was manager for a pool once and I#%92ll admit trying to fit lifeguards who are also students into a schedule that would keep the pool open all day was a bit difficult at times. I ended up working more guarding hours then office work during school because that is how I was able to get things worked out.  After a year of being a manager and being a student I just could not do it anymore and moved on to other things I acutely enjoyed.  If anything I remember from that experience, the schedule was the most important thing for me to get done. 
 
If the schedule was not up at least a week in advance my lifeguard would not show up, then the patrons would complain about the pool being closed, then my bosses would come yelling at me.  It all goes around in a circle and always ends up at the person who was lazy.  I was happy to leave that job. 

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Your schedule, unless set in stone should be posted 1 to 2 weeks in advance. With the holidays coming up (yeah sorry for the reminder[]) this could turn into a huge issue.
 
If you feel comfortable enough to talk to them about it do so, if not the company should have a way for you to say something and your name not be given.
 
Good Luck,
Dawn

Shes definitely not new to this...she's been going around opening stores for the company for 5 years.  I think I'm going to talk to her today.  She can get mad if she wants, she won't fire me because I'm the only person in the store who can fill in in every department.  Training, small animals, reptiles, birds, dogs, cats, AND grooming...not bragging, but she really cannot afford to lose me especially since she knows shes about to lose her only assistant manager with experience in the company.

The pill issue would be my BIGGER concern. She doesn't sound bi polar so much as like someone with a drug problem. If you heard it firsthand about the scrip pill sharing that alone would send me to HR. What will end up happening if you don't is that YOU ALL will be picking up her slack and covering her a** and enabling her before too long...if she has a problem with pills.

If she and someone else are sharing pills, especially a controlled substance like Vicodin, more than likely she is violating company policy. I'm quite sure that your company does drug testing and unless she can produce a valid prescription that was written for her to account for drugs found in her system, that can be grounds for termination. Either way, I'd have a talk with someone. You work to live, you don't live to work. You should know your schedule at least a week ahead of time so you can plan accordingly. We had a similar problem at my job. They would tweak the schedule and wouldn't tell anyone. My hours are pretty consistant but they would put me on the schedule to come in a few hours early or stay a few hours later and wouldn't say anything to me. Imagine their surprise when I wouldn't show up early and imagine their horror when I told them I wouldn't be staying later. I work in an extremely busy pharmacy so it hurt them when they didn't have the proper coverage. Not only did this happen with me, it happened with others. They finally got their Sugar Honey Ice Teas together after the pharmacists began to complain about not having proper coverage and now the schedule is done about a month ahead of time and any adjustments to it have to be discussed first.. meaning that if they want me to come in early/stay later they have to ask me prior to the schedule being made. I'm pretty flexible but I have a life as well. While I don't have a problem coming in early/staying later, they can't assume that I will.
 
Anyhoo, I would bring this up. If you feel you can't speak to your managers, I'd go higher up. I'm sure corporate would love to hear how the store is being run all half arsed. []

My friend who is an assistant manager went to talk to the district manager yesterday.  She pulled him into the office and asked to talk to him.  While she was talking to him, the general manager(crazy one) came in and the district manager blurted out "****(name withheld) has a problem with you."  As far as I am concerned, that was very unprofessional of him.  The problem hadn't even been totally discussed yet.  I am going to talk to my friend(Asst. Man.) today to see what she thinks needs to be done.  I don't want to start something and be the only one complaining.  I would rather have some back up.

When I worked at a grocery store, schedules would be up Friday for the next week (Sunday through Saturday).  That's how it was.  I would assume most retail places do not give 1-2 weeks but should do a whole week schedule at a time and definitely by the Friday before.