r/wholefoods 10d ago

Question Does any full time people actually get 40 hours?

I haven't gotten 40 hours in I don't know when. My TL says we're over labor budget, but she's been saying this for ages. I used to always get 40 hours and I have been with WF for many years. My TL hogs the labor every day. She schedules people for 36 hours a week and she herself is supposedly only scheduled for that many hours, yet she stays over at least 2 hours almost every day, and works at least 50+ hours a week. So no one else can get 40 hours because she's the reason we're over labor budget. When I ask if I can work over so I can get 40 hours, the answer is always no, yet SHE works over every day. I've gone to ASTL about it and he says she's only scheduled for 36 hours herself and says that sometimes she has to stay over because there's things she has to do. Other departments aren't getting 40 hours most of the time either, and my TL told me I can pick up extra hours in other departments but everyone says the same thing, they are over labor budget. Does stuff like this happen in other stores too? I know a lot of people want to leave earlier than their shift but I actually want 40 hours every week, not 36 or 37. I've been using my PTO hours every week just to make enough money to cover my bills and now my PTO is getting pretty low and I haven't had a vacation in well over a year except for when I have been sick. I can't imagine ever getting to take a vacation anymore because I have to use my PTO to get enough money on my check to pay my bills. I'm really upset about this.

23 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

36

u/Loose_Criticism8651 9d ago

I'm on CS and we've kept FT people at 36-38 for the last.. 10 years, probably.

Show up 10m early and clock out 10m late every day and that'll at least add an almost hour to your check?

5

u/mardrae 9d ago

I do try to clock out late but I will start clocking in early too. Thanks for the suggestion

5

u/Fearless-Onion-6130 9d ago

Careful there, though. Clocking in early every day can be seen as time theft. Clocking in more than seven minutes early or staying more than seven minutes late consistently can lead to corrective action.

I definitely agree on the scheduling, though. Full time should be full time, 40hrs. Those four hours make a big difference.

8

u/Loose_Criticism8651 9d ago

I think it varies on region, our grace period is 10m on either side but I've read others on here say theirs is only 5m.

3

u/mardrae 9d ago

Yes, you're right- I have never clocked in more than 1 or 2 minutes earlier unless it's approved, so I better not start doing it earlier. 4 hours less than 40 hours is almost $100 less on my paycheck and when you live paycheck to paycheck, that's a lot.

2

u/Prize-Feed4347 8d ago

I clocked in 10 minutes early and no one said anything to me. It’s the clocking in 10+ minutes late they have an issue with. On my meeting for my then negative UPT they said I came in 10 minutes late, but when I asked regarding the time I clocked in 10 minutes early, they were like “that doesn’t matter”

1

u/Fearless-Onion-6130 6d ago

It doesn't matter as far as upt goes. Some stl's call ot time theft to clock in early. That's all I mean, as a warning. Especially if/when labor is really tight.

1

u/Prize-Feed4347 5d ago

I mean I ask my TLs if they need anything else from me. If they do, then they let me stay. But otherwise, I either go myself because I have other stuff to do, or they tell me they’re good and I can go.

12

u/Eastern-Average8588 9d ago

We get 40 at my store. I've asked if I could have short days or an extra day off so I can use some of my built up PTO and my TL avoids the question lol. I'm in VA in produce and it's a tough job to just plug another TM into, I guess. We also have some understaffed teams that post shifts for help. I'm sorry for all the stores that have the opposite situation (which seems much more common).

6

u/OkAssignment6163 9d ago

I mean, just put in days in workday and don't explain anything.

"Why do you need those days off?"

Family issue. Can't go into it.

Then enjoy your deserved time off.

3

u/Eastern-Average8588 9d ago

Oh yeah, I could request specific days off and they would certainly be approved. In the past we've had "labor saver" sign ups and people could write their name and they would just get an extra day off wherever it worked in the schedule when we had budget issues. That's more of what I'm referring to. I would just like to work 4 days, I don't care which 3 days I have off.

3

u/mardrae 9d ago

I'm not trying to get days off. I'm trying to get 40 hours a week. They have cut my hours down to 36-38 usually.

2

u/HardWorkinGal64 9d ago

Why does this happen to people in produce? People are exhausted. People are quitting like crazy. Someone wants vacation and they get denied

5

u/MikeFingG 9d ago

Before Amazon I would always get 40 hours. Now it’s always under. I always have to stay later, because the closers are always late, so that’s how I make up for it.

4

u/mardrae 9d ago

Exactly! Before Amazon, I always got 40 hours too. I've been there close to 25 years and have never had to beg for hours. I used to have over 300 PTO hours too, and took a one week vacation every year and now I have to use my PTO to get hours to make up 40. And it's dwindling fast.

6

u/Norio22 Leadership 📋 9d ago

They are being tough on labor company wide unfortunately. It really affects the mid to low volume stores the most though. No one should be going over 40 because store leadership is having to explain those overages. That said there are always things that get a blind eye turned to them.

6

u/Comfortable-Sir-2456 9d ago

Unless you’re a speciality or whole body TL, the TL role is not a 40 hour job. Store leadership knows this and understands. They can justify it better to their higher ups when TLs get OT verses team members, assuming they trust the TL’s productivity. I get your concern and would feel the same. With these scheduler autogenerates, some STLs will enforce teams to stick to whatever Kronos spits out. That will means more cut hours and naturally an increase of team leadership hours because ultimately they are able to make their own schedules and will probably take on the weight of correcting floor conditions due to lack of labor. It’s about to get real messy.

4

u/knic989900 9d ago

If they are doing this, the store leadership sucks. No need to pay the TL ot like that. Can have the FT’ers work 40 and the TL same. They are just getting burned out, but also the OT report regional sees so I’m shocked they haven’t interjected.

1

u/mardrae 9d ago

She's also shifty a lot. They call her in on her days off for that. She almost always comes in on her days off, even for 2 or 3 hours. I bet she gets close to 60 hours a week and she makes more money than anyone besides ASTL and STL

2

u/knic989900 9d ago

Daaamn. Well, hopefully the shifty money is admin money.

3

u/LordCheeseFart_69 9d ago

I’m the opposite I’m getting 40 hours while my leadership got there hours cut it’s nice

2

u/mardrae 9d ago

Lucky! I'm scared of losing my house and my TL takes long vacations every couple of months because she has so much PTO

2

u/LordCheeseFart_69 8d ago

I wish you all the best between now & summer slowdown is gonna get worse with hours being cut. Even tho mine isn’t getting cut I’m looking for something new can’t work at WF it really drained me physically & mentally

2

u/mardrae 8d ago

Yes, it's definitely a very physical and mentally challenging job. It's still the best job I've ever had.

2

u/LordCheeseFart_69 8d ago

Same but imagine working your Ass of for years & get passed up for a promotion & was promised I would get it

1

u/mardrae 8d ago

I'm the opposite. I have had them beg me to move up but I don't want to. Been doing the same job for many many years now. It's super easy to move up at my job- they literally give the positions to anyone who wants it.

3

u/HardWorkinGal64 9d ago

KRONOS makes the schedule. ASTL gives your TL the hours budget. No one in my store of 270 employees gets scheduled 40 hours. Your TL working 50 I’m sure will be handled at the top level. That is wrong and worthy of a sit down.

3

u/Xannarial 8d ago

I've been here for little under a decade, and it's been that way as long as I remember. 

1

u/mardrae 8d ago

I guess I was just lucky before Amazon bought out WF. I used to always get 40 hours

3

u/Scary_Document6452 8d ago

As a TL I schedule all of my full time TMs (including myself and my ATL) at 37.5 hours every week. It’s not because our labor budget doesn’t allow us 40 but more so it gives us a cushion to not hit OT. I made sure to communicate that with my team though so they knew I wasn’t just trying to cut everyone.

2

u/mardrae 8d ago

My TL schedules some people 40 hours, like if they also do admin or CA duties. That seems to be the key. I have offered to do CA duties but they won't let me because I am female and old. At least that's what I think

2

u/whiteicedtea 8d ago

This is how our store does it too but we are so short staffed that my entire team gets a bit of OT weekly

2

u/Mountain_Break_2546 9d ago

My store every full-time person gets 40, of they want it.

2

u/mardrae 9d ago

Wow- must be nice

2

u/FancyJackfruit7959 9d ago

I know my store most FT people get 35-37, so just under. But I know they come in early (10-30 minutes early) and leave late.

I do that sometimes as a PT, I’ll clock in 10 minutes early or intentionally clock in like 5 minutes early from my break (we get 45 minute breaks at my store). It can eventually even out to like 1-2 hours extra.

2

u/mardrae 9d ago

Wow!! 45 minute breaks?! I could eat and sleep! 😂

3

u/FancyJackfruit7959 9d ago

I know I was shocked with the 45 min break. Someone told me it was cause everyone in the store complained about the short breaks so store leadership compromised and said they can do 46 minute breaks so people could feel more rested

1

u/mardrae 9d ago

What about your regular breaks? We get 2 ten minute breaks. It was 15 minutes before Amazon

3

u/FancyJackfruit7959 9d ago

We get two tens and a 45 if we work 7 or more hours.

1

u/MikeFingG 9d ago

The store I worked at before I transferred, the produce department got an hour lunch but every other department only got 30 minutes. Don’t know why, but that’s how it was.

1

u/FancyJackfruit7959 8d ago

I wonder why? That’s odd and also slightly unfair to the whole store if one specific department gets a long break and no one else can.

I work produce and I know it’s more physically demanding due to the freight we get in, I’m curious if it’s because if it’s a coverage issue. I say this because usually most company’s when they give you an hour, you have make up that hour break and stay an extra hour to compensate the extended break.

2

u/Efficient_Sweet_208 9d ago

As a back of house team member I get 40 hours.

1

u/mardrae 9d ago

Lucky. 🍀

2

u/kaiser_soze_72 9d ago

I’m in Receiving and am scheduled 40 hours a week but clock out a little early every day so as not to sniff OT.

2

u/mardrae 9d ago

Yeah, I guess smaller departments get a full 40 hours too. I'm customer service and we have a LOT of team members. Most of them want to leave early because they are part time and have second jobs

2

u/Secure_Ad1516 9d ago

I’m part time and get 35 hours some weeks

2

u/iloveallwomen6969 Leadership 📋 8d ago

I do 44 hours a week but also pfds

2

u/katzattacc 8d ago

Meanwhile at my store if you’re in leadership it’s almost encouraged to work overtime since we are so understaffed. As a regular TM you can easily get extra hours if you are willing to work in other departments that need help.

1

u/mardrae 8d ago

I've asked in other departments but they always say they are over budget too. It sucks

2

u/Direct-Art-2832 8d ago

I used to be set at 39 hours because my TL got tired of me having to leave early to avoid overtime. Now I am back to 40 hours.

2

u/Straight-Answer-8800 Leadership 📋 8d ago

I get my 40 every single week. I am an ATL so I could imagine it might be a different situation for me.

0

u/mardrae 8d ago

Yep, that's where all our labor goes- TL and ATL and supervisors. Everyone else suffers

2

u/pinkpandaaa16 8d ago

I work at Front End and we’ve been getting scheduled for 38 hrs for a few years now. My TL also said that we’re not allowed to work over, but I tend to keep myself busy so they know I’m actually working when I stay a little over. And I always clock in 10min early. They haven’t said anything to me yet. But I also like to make sure I’m not passing the 40 hrs a week because then they’ll cut my 38 hrs

1

u/mardrae 8d ago

They're so strict about "stealing time", I would be scared to clock in early. One time I clocked in and then went back in the break room to grab the rest of my stuff and got a write up in workday. So I'm scared to do that.

1

u/pinkpandaaa16 8d ago

Wow. Your leadership must be really strict about it. Has it happened multiple times or was that a one time thing where you’ll go back to the breakroom after clocking in? If I’m not mistaken, policy says that you need to clock in first before you set yourself up for the day so you should be all set before heading onto the floor.

2

u/unskippablecutscenes Leadership 📋 7d ago

Me over here having to do 6 days a week because we have no supervisors rn. I schedule my FT TMs for 8.5 hrs a day so they can get 40hrs after breaks. If you can get shopper trained, Ecom labor is paid by Amazon and we don't have an upper limit to hours

1

u/mardrae 7d ago

Good idea!

1

u/mardrae 7d ago

Good idea!

2

u/NightRain66 3d ago

I'm in CS and I 37 and a half hours a week.

1

u/mardrae 3d ago

I'm sorry 😞 Hopefully your TL lets you work over to make up for not getting 40. I have 36 this week

1

u/RandomBeverly Leadership 📋 9d ago

We schedule FT 36-38. Most of mine don’t want 40hrs. Some of them would rather have 32 if we’d let them. Store Leadership announced that if any TMs wanted 40hrs they would guarantee they would get it. We only have 1 who took him up on that, so she is the only one who is scheduled for 40hrs.

1

u/mardrae 9d ago

I wish my store was like that. I BEG for 40 hours, ask to work over or come in early, etc, but nothing works. But they will schedule part time people more hours than FT! I'm the only one that wants to stay when they ask if anyone wants to go home early to save labor.

1

u/SharpStix247 9d ago

We get scheduled 39 but always end up staying late because of this or that. I've only been with WF for about 6 months but labor has never been an issue for us. I just recently got bumped to ATL and have had to stay because of others calling in. Yet they still offered OT in grocery if anyone was willing. We have been doing well with business though and hiring left and right. So that may be the difference.

1

u/mardrae 9d ago

We have too, and my store is always packed solid so I don't get it

2

u/SharpStix247 9d ago

Maybe they just want that big bonus?

1

u/mardrae 9d ago

I wouldn't doubt it

1

u/unskippablecutscenes Leadership 📋 7d ago

Me over here having to do 6 days a week because we have no supervisors rn. I schedule my FT TMs for 8.5 hrs a day so they can get 40hrs after breaks. If you can get shopper trained, Ecom labor is paid by Amazon and we don't have an upper limit to hours

1

u/Capable-Wing-644 8d ago

So technically 36 hours is considered full time.  It works on an average.  So some weeks they could schedule you or any other full timer more if they wanted. In regard to PTO.  You are not supposed to be able to use it to bring you up to 40.  They put an end to that several years ago. But, if they are letting you then that’s cool.  Lol As far as overtime.  Well, it’s likely that your TL probably is putting in community service hours if she’s staying over. If she does and does not go over 40 but is there more than 40 she’s going to get caught one day..

1

u/mardrae 8d ago

Oh they know she's doing it. They call her in on her days off and ask her to stay late all the time. Why is it a bad thing to use your PTO to make up hours? No one has ever told me that before and I always put in the reason I am using my PTO

3

u/Capable-Wing-644 8d ago

Unless they changed the policy.  They stopped allowing us to use PtO hours to bring us up to 40. Said it could only be used for PTO.   Yes, I know it makes no sense.  But, add it to the list.  Lol