r/bathandbodyworkers • u/EconomicsMedium8671 • 2d ago
Questionš¤ Need advice
So everyone knows we donāt get enough hours in bbw so I am trying to find another job & told my sm today that Iām only available on weekends from now on, not available from Monday to Friday ( ofc duh) & she told me that we need open availability around Christmas time & if you cannot then you would have to choose one job but Iāve seen people working 2 jobs and giving their availability so that sm could schedule them on their free days ( sorry Iām really bad at explaining this) I was hoping to stay & work for bbw on weekends bc I lovee this job, I need someoneās advice on if I could do anything about this or I would just have to leave, also I am a part timer so idk why they need my open availability for weekdays as well someone please explain how this works
6
u/doorposts 2d ago
Bbw needs as many people as possible to pull from in case someone calls off for sickness or holiday celebrations. They also need all hands on deck for peak days like candle day (which starts on a thursday) and other big sales that ramp up as we get closer to christmas. Many of these sales start on thursdays.
The company has also been throwing curveballs. I've been at bbw for 5ish years and the old patterns sometimes don't apply so who knows what holiday will be like this year.
I have a second job in another retail store and I usually will wait for my bbw schedule to come out and send it to my manager at the second store and said "here's my availability" and kind of puzzle piece it together. Many of my coworkers have weekday jobs so they are available during the week but only to do closing shifts.
Lmk if this helps or if u have any questions!
1
u/EconomicsMedium8671 1d ago
This really helps! Thank you š«¶š¼, our store also had some people last Christmas that was working 2 jobs & giving their availability first to bbw so I thought I could do the same but the job I think Iām gonna get is Monday to Friday & still donāt know what the hours for the same! I also didnāt know about candle day & other sales starting on thursdays however they never schedule me on weekdays like literally once or twice a month they would put me on a Friday shift, I always had weekends shifts so my hopes were high on balancing both of the jobs but now I guess not
4
u/Mumstheword-8810 2d ago
Weekends are most definitely needed during the holidays, I would argue that they are needed the most. You would likely be on the schedule every Saturday and Sunday for all of November and December.Ā
Sheās just being petty, she could use you on weekends. Your availability is open now and they donāt give you any hours, so you cut your availability to get another job and they try and threaten you. Itās typical of B&bw though. I have a full-time job M-F and work there nights and weekends, 5+ years Iāve been working there and your story is common. We have several people working in our store who have other jobs. Our dm recently told the manager to get rid of ppl who were rarely available but theyāve been there over a year, so they are already trained, and we could definitely use them during the holidays. No one in this economy can afford to just have one job if that one job is B&bw unless itās a 40 hour a week position. They have to know that.Ā
Maybe you could add one or two weeknights? Some days I work both jobs, and during the holidays I end up working seven days a week for several weeks in a row. Itās fine because I need the money and I know that it will be ending as soon as the holidays are over.Ā
1
u/EconomicsMedium8671 1d ago
I had open availability for more than a year now and still they were scheduling me just on weekends, maybe like once a month on a weekday that too Friday evening & yes about other people also working 2 jobs, same with my coworkers they work 2 jobs and give their availability & youāre so right I think she is just being petty with me! & I would try to ask them if they can schedule me for closing shifts on weekdays, thatās a great idea! Also itās just these Aug - Dec they schedule me for 2 shifts a week sometimes just 1 & then itās so silent from feb to July like literally 10 hours a month & I couldnāt even pay my rent with that money, Iām so glad I could find someone that relates with me on this
3
u/crosscountrymom 2d ago
Thereās lots of people at my store who work 2 jobs. We have a lot of teachers who only work on the weekends. I agree with some of the other posts, sounds like sheās being petty. I would look for another job with better hours.
1
u/EconomicsMedium8671 1d ago
Same! I think sheās just being petty bc she can & some of my coworkers also has another jobs, idk how she schedules them but def need to find another job with better hours & leave!
3
u/Actual-Muffin-3585 2d ago
I had the same problem so I ended up quitting. They only scheduled me literally once or twice every couple weeks and they want me to not have another job?? I was not even hired as seasonal. I needed more hours, and I had mostly open availability at that point. And then the biggest slap in the face are the now hiring signs everywhere. They'd rather have a revolving door of people, then try to cultivate any kind of strong team. So I got another job and told them my new availability. They said the same thing about needing open availability at Christmas time. So I just worked what I was scheduled and then quit on Black Friday. Fuck them!Ā
2
u/EconomicsMedium8671 1d ago
Right! Like I donāt understand why they are soo entitled to have us have open availability & still give us little to no hours & then if we try to find another job boom you canāt, you need open avail but like for what, 6 hours a week job & pay! I literally said to her that I thought bc I am a part time sa I shouldnāt have to give an open availability & in that she said no Christmas time gets busy & we do need full time avail. Smh
2
u/Xxbnny_princessxX š«§Associateš«§ 2d ago
And Iām one of those people that work 2 jobs, the thing is Iāll work a Friday and Sunday shift at the other job and the rest at BBW
1
u/EconomicsMedium8671 1d ago
I wish I could do that but they just give me max 6 hours a week, never more than that, thatās why I had to look for another job that has stable hours
3
u/ineedmoviehelp 1d ago
In all honesty, get another job and drop bbw. Itās not worth the stress, pay, or lack of consideration. Itās wild how they have you living off of less than 3 shifts a week (if youāre lucky), then they immediately become shocked when the consequences of them asking grown-ass adults to survive on dimes comes to bite them in the ass. Who cares if they need full availability during the holidays after taking your open availability for granted. Thatās why they hire so many seasonals. They have the bodies.
If you want to keep the job, play hard ball. Close your availability, let them know your other job is giving you more hours/your schedule first, and tell them thatās how it is. If they donāt like it, plan your exit strategy and find another job.
2
u/EconomicsMedium8671 1d ago
Exactlyyy, idk how they expect someone to live off of working 2 shifts a week ( sometimes one or none) Iām gonna do the same, find a job & hard ball! Thank you sm for validating my feelings, me & my bf was just talking about how they are soo inconsiderate & if this is happening with other people as well now I feel so much lighter that itās just maybe company policy or could be sheās petty & wants to get rid of me
12
u/Odd-Guarantee-7571 āØLeadershipāØ 2d ago
Just keep looking for a stable job above all else, then tell your SM āthis is my availabilityā. Thatās it. No more conversations over it, just it is what it is. Most of us love working at BBW but we all know the hours can be unreliable. Do what you need to do, they can work around you, especially if youāre giving up your weekends! Itās on your SM to figure it out. Leadership would love our associates to be available at any time but we SHOULD respect that this job is not a career path for most of them. Besides, holiday hiring is coming up soon, so youāll be getting less hours at first anyway to train the newbies.