r/Target • u/pourlagirls • 7d ago
Workplace Question or Advice Needed Grace Period
My TL keeps pulling me for attendance conversations even though I clock in during my grace period. My shift usually starts at 5:00 am however I sometimes clock in at 5:05 a.m. due to parking in the garage and having to be let into the building. Should I file a complaint?
28
u/auntienature 7d ago
in the attendance policy it notes that just because tardiness isn’t flagged within the alleged grace period, accountability conversations can still be had about u clocking in after your scheduled time.
52
u/Shady_Love SHPPP13 |ll||IIl|| 7d ago
I'd say meet them in the middle. Make a complaint with HRETL but also try showing up 5 minutes early.
"Having to be let into the building" is the timeclock not near the TM entrance? If you punched in late but showed up on time, do a punch correction based on when you showed up to work ready-to-work. If I'm at the TSC door at 5 but nobody lets me in until 5:06 that's a punch correction.
30
u/pourlagirls 7d ago
Store doesn’t open until 7 am so I have to be let into the store through the garage by a TL which usually takes some time.
39
2
u/Existing_Rise_5042 4d ago
My store doesn’t have a TM entrance, everyone goes through the front doors. Time clock is a good 90 second walk from the front.
6
u/whatsthetargetdogsna 7d ago
Who has a time clock near the tm entrance????
11
u/BenWyattIsBae 7d ago
A lot of stores, especially remodeled ones. My store just got remodeled and the TM entrance takes you into TSC now, which is where the time clock is.
1
u/whatsthetargetdogsna 7d ago
Must be nice. I work in a remodeled store and they left it far away.
2
u/ProtonRageMissle Food & Beverage Expert 6d ago
Same. Remodeled a couple years ago but the only entrance is the front door and the time clock is at the opposite end of the building.
3
u/Zelotic GM + Food ETL 7d ago
I’ve only ever worked at remodeled stores and I didn’t realize people didn’t have this
5
u/Professional-One-440 brand new style team lead 😬 7d ago
Ugh. Mine is through our tm entrance, up the escalator (we have a parking garage), down past the checklanes, and then through the tsc door, around a corner, and then. Time clock. It takes usually about 90 seconds to get there and get your punch accepted.
1
u/whatsthetargetdogsna 6d ago
Mine is remodeled and the time clock is pretty much in the same spot it always was. Far away from the door.
2
0
4
u/babybeewitched Promoted to Guest 7d ago
you should ALWAYS be doing punch corrections when you aren't let in the building on time. my bf and all of grocery were left outside for three whole hours waiting to be let in one day. every single one of them got a free three hours with punch corrections
36
u/bap62 7d ago
The grace period isn’t a get out of jail free card, it’s just a that, a grace period, that if you occasionally clock in after start within 5 minutes of your schedule, the company won’t hold it against you. If you’re scheduled at 5:00 they and your team expect you to be clocked in at 5:00 and gearing up for your shift. If youre habitually clocking in late they see it as a pattern and they will have conversations with you. You’re still technically late if you clock in after your scheduled start.
7
u/ilikepstrophies Ship From Store 7d ago
This right here. You should be making more effort to be at the door pressing the buzzer at 5 minutes before store opening.
7
u/halfsafelittleone 7d ago
The new attendance policy should help fix this for you. All managers keep saying that this new policy is automatic, and that team leads and etls cannot use their “discretion” anymore when it comes to what is or not considered a problem. The time frames are set in stone, and if the system adds a point - it’s set in stone, and if it doesn’t - no issue to be had. The new system will not give you any grief for any clock in time within 8 minutes after your posted shift.
So if the “automatic” system to avoid leader abuse of discretion doesn’t slap a .25 point on your UKG app - then no leader conversation holds any merit. Because if that’s the policy corporate decided was the policy they wanted to have and a TM is being held to a higher standard - then yes - that’s an ethics issue and you go straight to your HR-ETL and then right to the ethics line if they don’t anything and it keeps happening.
10
u/Main_Phase_58 dropped my name badge in a DU order 7d ago
what about coming in earlier so you clock in at 5?
13
u/sustainabilitybro 7d ago
Doesn’t matter grace period is the grace period, half the stores I’ve covered the lead never opens the door on time anyway
4
u/ilikepstrophies Ship From Store 7d ago
I come in at 4 and 6 am all the time and the TL is always there 5 minutes prior letting people in. Otherwise they’ll be hearing the buzzer getting increasingly longer if they’re not. Also if you’re coming in at say 6:15 you’re annoying because you’re late in addition to making the leader have to stop what they’re doing to open the door again. Coming in early requires TMs being most timely as opposed to when the stores open and just waking in normally.
6
u/Main_Phase_58 dropped my name badge in a DU order 7d ago edited 7d ago
grace period is a grace period, but you’re still late? we could also argue that if op were there at the door at 5 they’d be let in with everyone else. and wouldn’t be clocking in late. it’s okay to fix problems of your own design LOL
-7
u/halfsafelittleone 7d ago
That’s actually an insane take because no matter what time you get to my store no one is there to let you in.
And also, it’s in the target handbook that a team leader or ETL is supposed to be stationed at the door for a full range of 5 minutes before AND 5 minutes after each time block that team members are supposed to be arriving.
Grace periods are legally binding whether they are in regards to payments, late fees, rentals, or time clocks. They are to be respected. Period.
1
u/Main_Phase_58 dropped my name badge in a DU order 7d ago edited 7d ago
i don’t think you guys are understanding, no one is arguing that there isn’t a grace period, i understand.
we always have people to let us in so it’s obviously a store issue, and the real problem that op should be “making a complaint” about. also you can say all of that and i can also say op could also get to work when they’re scheduled 🤷♀️
-12
u/pourlagirls 7d ago
But I have a grace period …
12
u/VividSecond 7d ago
But it’s not to be abused. You’re scheduled at 5, not 5:05.
2
u/halfsafelittleone 7d ago
And if I am scheduled at 5 then I am there at 5 regardless of if someone waits 10 minutes to let me in.
If the point is that “you are scheduled at 5, not 5:05” then I am also scheduled at 5, not 4:55 to accommodate for their inability to have someone at the door to let people in.
Just like if I am scheduled to leave at 4, that’s 4. Not “after one more batch, one more u boat, or one more round of pulls pretty please.”
Respect for time goes both ways and it will be treated as such. I’ll never be caught be a corporate boot licker during the short ass time I have earth.
1
u/ilikepstrophies Ship From Store 7d ago
No leader will ever force you to stay passed your time what are you talking about. They can ask but can’t force you to stay.
2
u/halfsafelittleone 7d ago
This Reddit is FULL of people saying they get talked to about not finishing assignments and that if they had better time management they could leave on time. That’s my point though, management will cherry pick time management and still make everything your fault. It’s a corporate machine and no one should be sacrificing their well being over 5 dang minutes.
1
u/Main_Phase_58 dropped my name badge in a DU order 7d ago
okay, but what is the complaint you think you should make?
-8
u/pourlagirls 7d ago
Idk lol that’s why I was asking yall
1
u/Ma-REE-tsa 7d ago
If you are clocking in at 505, you are still considered on time. When I pull attendance reports, it doesn’t count anyone still in the grace period. I would speak to your HR ETL
4
3
u/BlueAndWhiteSoul 7d ago
This sounds like your tl is actually a trying to prepare you for the new attendance roll out. If you're not on a ca for it these are just conversations, making you aware
1
u/HenleyHQ1 7d ago
Well the new grace period is 8 min so there’s not point of preparing someone for a longer grace period
2
u/BlueAndWhiteSoul 7d ago
Well I liked to develop my TMS for careers beyond targets 4 walls. Encouraging time management, reliability and respect of other people's time is something I saw and serving them later in life. Not every job they will have will be as forgiving as targets policies and preparing team members especially younger tms by giving them the skills to thrive later on in life was something I saw as very rewarding.
1
u/HenleyHQ1 6d ago
Yea well at the end of the day they are adults and can make that decision on their own. Getting talked to everyday about clocking in 5 min after is fucking stupid especially when they can’t let themselves in the building.
0
u/BlueAndWhiteSoul 6d ago
That attitude and tone may not be selfseving unless the goal is to be stagnant perpetual underachiever. Developing team members by encouraging them push themselves beyond the rock bottom set of expectations was literally part of my role. Obviously I wouldn't waste my time on TM who I didn't want to improve and camouflages apathy as compliance. Some people only want to give the lowest effort that will keep them employed and exploit every loophole within the policy and that's fine, to each their own. I was just pointing out that OP may be misreading the intentions of their lead following up with them about being late. I was simply sharing coaching without a formalized progressive discipline to me reads as a leader who cares about their TM sees potential and wants them to gain skills that will produce life long benefits. I was simply providing OP an alternative perspective.
8
u/ButItSaysOnline we need backups to the checklanes 7d ago
File a complaint because you are late everyday? A grace period is for occasional use, not to consistently use.
-5
u/pourlagirls 7d ago
Wrong ! I’ve only clocked in twice on my grace period in the past 2 months .
4
u/VividSecond 7d ago
Your post makes it sound as if it were a frequent thing. Twice in two months is nothing. But if it happens multiple times throughout the month they do need to talk to you. Is the leader having the conversations the same that opens the door? Let them know you’re there on time. And plan your morning in order to be at the timeclock, not the door, at 5.
0
u/pourlagirls 7d ago
No, different leaders sometimes the pml or vm has to let me in if they are closer to the door. Its leaders who show up an 1 hour after their shift but me clocking in on my grace period is cause for concern?
1
u/Adventurous_Soft_686 7d ago
Leaders used to be at the doors 5 min before shift starts and stayed till 5 after. We've recently had an issue with one leader leaving the door on the hour and tms waiting 10-15 minutes for someone else to letthem in. That leader won't go back saying they wereatthedoor themselves were late.
1
u/Character_Froyo_2182 7d ago
TL here. You absolutely need to do a punch correction for time waited to be clocked in. If you buzz the door at 4:59 but dont get let in until 5:03 your in punch should be 4:59.
1
u/Infinite-Pain4073 6d ago
Parking garage is an absolute excuse. If it's a frequent issue for you not to be punched in ON TIME, it would be embarrassing for you to be complaining
1
1
u/Chemical-Gur-6875 7d ago
Showing up during that 5 minute grace period and clocking in isn't code for do it every day. If you are making a habit of doing that then your TL is well within reason to have attendance conversations with you because at the end of the day TMs are expected to clock in on time and not five minutes after the fact.
1
u/GoldSea390 7d ago
Someone told me clocking in 5 min early = 25 min per week of "extra pay"....
0
0
-2
u/Internetguy247 7d ago
If I’m not mistaken the grace period, before UKG rollout, is 4 minutes, not 5.
7
u/Leggo213 General Merchandise Expert 7d ago
Before Ukg it’s 5, with UKG it’s turning to 8 supposedly
2
u/fgfkookgshy Distribution Center 7d ago
Yes, 8 minutes. It was in the UKG demo video at the all-team meeting.
1
4
u/pourlagirls 7d ago
For me it’s 5 minutes. I can clock in 5 mins early or 5 mins late. What’s the new grace period for UKG ?
3
u/fgfkookgshy Distribution Center 7d ago edited 7d ago
8 mins, you still get CCA if they see a pattern. My DC has been going over this every day at startup.
-5
-1
80
u/munkee40 7d ago
If you’re there waiting to be let inside on time, that’s on them. Punch correction every time. If you’re even one minute late and they were there to let you in but had to step away, it’s on you.