How do I talk to my manager?

cloud493

Hi. I have a problem in work. We lost 4 staff over the past 4 weeks, supposedly they quit or their contracts ended, which is fine, except we haven't hired anyone to replace them. As a result I'm supposed to be in earlier, finish later, do more shifts. Now I am getting paid for it, but its more work than I can handle at the moment, and even during when I'm supposed to be at work (normal shifts) I'm doing much more work than I'd normally be doing, I never get a break, I haven't had a break in a 9 hour shift at work in 3 weeks or so. How do I approach this with the manager?

Tokyo

Pretty much as you have done here - take your manager aside and ask him if he has time to talk about the current situation. Explain to him that you were fine to cover the slack on a temporary basis, but that covering the workload of four other staff simply isn't feasible and that it's more than you can handle. And ask him when he thinks he'll be taking on replacement staff. It doesn't have to be confrontational, but be direct, and also explain that you aren't getting a break during the workday as a result, which you are entitled to. And take it from there.

Wrongway1985

cloud493 wrote: »

Hi. I have a problem in work. We lost 4 staff over the past 4 weeks, supposedly they quit or their contracts ended, which is fine, except we haven't hired anyone to replace them. As a result I'm supposed to be in earlier, finish later, do more shifts. Now I am getting paid for it, but its more work than I can handle at the moment, and even during when I'm supposed to be at work (normal shifts) I'm doing much more work than I'd normally be doing, I never get a break, I haven't had a break in a 9 hour shift at work in 3 weeks or so. How do I approach this with the manager?

You need to be vocal about it straight away its appears to be common place in the current climate that a lot of companies will walk all over you if things like this are not addressed. Its also a legal requirement to not work 4 hours without a break, is there other staff its happening too? Is the manager approachable?

cloud493

Generally, we only talk on smokes breaks and stuff. But today, there was only four staff on the floor, and we were all moaning, but none of us have gone to the manager yet.

Diziet

If you don't go talk to the manager, he/she will assume all is OK. There is no harm in saying that the workload is getting to be too much.

suicide_circus

You need to emphasise the illegality of not getting a break. Although you do get smoke breaks?

Zulu

A smoke break is a break op.

tinkerbell

Zulu wrote: »

A smoke break is a break op.

This. OP, you are giving out about not getting a break but then you say you get smoke breaks? Smoke breaks ARE breaks! Maybe that's why you're not getting proper lunch breaks - are you taking loads of smoke breaks all the time? It all adds up ...

cloud493

Sorry I shoulda clarified, I meant as in, when we're finished, we go out and smoke. Cos if we went out during the shift, and there was no staff at all on the floor, then we'd be in trouble.