Our store has not told us who in the Jewlery Complex is being cut yet??
What are they waiting for?
February 3rd is next week!
17 replies (most recent on top)
My Jewelry Supervisor changes our schedule all the time but he won’t change the official schedule in the computer. He has plenty of time to make the changes but I think he doesn’t know how to do it! He asked me to change my Day off but didn’t take the day I was supposed to work out of the system and I lost a point. He tells us all to just disagree when it comes up for sign off. I’ve also caught him in a lie about schedules too. Now we are loosing half our people and I dread what this mess is going to be after next week. I think this job is too much for him and he’d rather be a watches associate.
This is in reply to @Rpb4P0H-epfs. In reading other posts here I know that our jewelry department operates very poorly regarding staffing and who is responsible for what tasks. Our prior jewelry manager was replaced with a new jewelry captain who had never even worked in fine jewelry. There have been gaps on the schedule for nearly a year at our store. Gaps as in no fine jewelry coverage - no one staffed at certain times. When associates were willing to work this out between ourselves and we requested that the schedule reflect what we wanted to do we were met with Macy's is watching the edits and they don't like changes or we cannot add hours to the payroll etc. So basically the schedule did not change and someone came in early, or someone else stayed late or another associate came in and their clock in was unsuspended to cover the gap. And here's the big kicker...our fine jewelry associates were told under the new tiered commission system that we could no longer pick up in other areas of the store even when we wanted to work in another area of someone called out. But when we were assigned to fine jewelry and working in fine jewelry we often had to go to other areas to cover that person's lunch. What a crock. When an employee wants to do something.....it's against policy. When Macy's has an "emergency" such as a call out or lunch well they will move you to where they want you. And there were many times we jewelry associates were met with resistance over taking dinner and lunches or breaks because there was only one jewelry associate working which meant management had to come down and cover. Other departments always had priority with the lunch schedule and we often had to cover those departments even though jewelry had to be in the store an hour prior to those employees arriving. We were first in and last to go to lunch. It certainly was not unusual to be on the floor 5 hours before the first break. OMG I almost forgot the late afternoon shift. Say one person was to leave at 4:00 p.m. and the closer came in at 3:00 p.m. well that meant the closer was directed to go to their evening meal at 3:30 before the opener left at 4:00 p.m. I do think our associates put up with too much for too long. It's definitely going to get worse now after the cuts.
And the jewelry business manager or supervisor submits edits to the DMET for their schedules before they are released, to ensure coverage is adequate for their business. “The computer makes the schedules” is true only in that a shell is generated and the manager is expected to fix what’s wrong. Again, you have a very weak manager or supervisor who has no business being in charge (and is just a figurehead because the team tells him or her what to do😵).....smh.
How does a full timer “refuse” to work nights and weekends, especially the weekend? Who is letting this person get away with dictating what she will do? Ft associates can set an availability with some flexibility but no one can say no weekends. People can get accommodations for certain religious or medical needs but without anything other than “I won’t do it!” Means you have a weak manager and the associates are running the asylum.
In response to Rpb they are all gone ...stores are lucky to have a captain. Although at this point captains are just selling associates. My stores hours and staffing have been cut so much that the clerical is covering sales shifts and everyone pitches in to get all the daily tasks done, and try to sale and presale. Oh back in the day when we had staffing ......
I have been reading this thread and have found it interesting to say the least. The question that comes to mind is where is the JBM, Selling Supervisor or Captain? They are a 40 hour a week position dedicated JUST to Fine jewelry. Why cant they not step in and do clerical work, close the nights to help set the sale. I did it when I was a JBM. What this thread sounds like to me is there is no Jewelry Manager involvement. FYI I only had one PT Clerical as well during my JBM days.
The last several J.C. conference calls - all the higher ups (dds, regional VP and most recently Patti Whistler) all talk about how great the jewelry strategy has been the last year and what a success etc. and the company is 100% behind this must win blah blah. I don’t understand that if it was such a Success and the company is 100% behind it——then why are they are slashing Jewlry Complex staffs everywhere? It seems this might be the beggining of the end for the jewelry complex. We have barely any staffing at my store and plans are all planned way up? How does this amazing strategy make any sense?
To "Good Riddance"....
I am glad you enjoyed my comments....
I just wish that more stores would utilize the Clericals properly.... I would hate for them to be eliminated too.
The are a valuable resource to the Jewelry Complex.....if used properly.
In response to Post ID: @Rpb4P0H-6srq
Thank you so much for your post. That meant the world to me. Everything that you stated as in "fulfillment, bops, repairs, markdowns, shipments, damages, transfers, RTV's, setting specials for sales, organizes all paperwork to prepare for monthly audits and other Fine jewelry related things." All of this is being done by sales associates. Our store routinely scheduled one closer for the jewelry complex and that person was responsible for changing signs and setting the sale for the next day. It is nearly impossible to do those tasks in a three hour shift and serve customers. The clerical position is "fine jewelry clerical" and in reality there is nothing "fine jewelry" about it. Part time jewelry sales associates spent so much time on non-selling or non-commissioned activities such as fulfillment, markdowns, RTV's that basically the actual floor selling time was reduced by 25 - 30% each shift. The worst of it is when one person closes and you basically have three hours to set the sale for the next day, finish checking in countable jewelry that was not finished by the day crew, straighten out a screwed up count book from the day shift, do a full hand count due to a screwed up count book, and the dang jewelry phone keeps ringing because there is a "BOPS order waiting." This was routine. I don't know too many people who are willing to do this non-sense for $ 9.00 - $ 10.00 an hour.
In response to poster named "Good Riddance".......
Sounds like your Clerical Positon has not been utilized correctly.
Our Clerical spends most of the time in Fine Jewlery (but also helps in fashion when needed) doing fulfillment, bops, repairs, markdowns, shipments, damages, transfers, RTV's, setting specials for sales, organizes all paperwork to prepare for monthly audits and other Fine Jewlery related things. Our Clerical also helps customers when the sales associates are busy and sometimes covers lunches for sales associates when needed. Fashion Jewelry and fashion markdowns are done put out by sales associates and they get helped by the Clerical as needed.
Maybe now your store will use your Clerical more wisely....disappointed to think that person is not being used properly.
1 Part Timer and 3 Full Time. Wow! The exact same thing happened in our combined fine / fashion jewelry complex. We had one working manager (full time), two full-time, two part time, one part time 5 and a fine jewelry clerical (new position). Now we have three full time (including the manager), one part time and one clerical who really has never touched anything in fine jewelry and just puts out fashion jewelry and does mark downs in fashion. This is going to get interesting because one of the full time workers refuses to work nights and week-ends. And here's the best part....before the cut Macy's always had three or four people (manager, 2 full time and clerical) scheduled at the same time in jewelry on the week days when there was very little to no customer traffic and then would schedule one or two people to work at the same time on the week-ends when it is busy. If one person went to lunch or dinner it left one sales associate on the floor to cover fine and fashion jewelry on the busy week-end. When complaints arose during Christmas about the lack of people on the sales floor jewelry associates were always met with "The computer does the scheduling."
Our complex was cut to only 1 part timer and 3 full time. That includes the watch complex....one big happy family. The moron in charge obviously did not take into account the store is open 82 hours a week without the wonderful extended hour.....I guess the Managers are now going to be sales associates. That should be interesting!!!
Our complex was cut to only 1 part timer and 3 full time. That includes the watch complex....one big happy family. The moron in charge obviously did I open 82 hours a week without the wonder extended hour.....I guess the Managers are now going to be sales associates
They are being told now. We told three today. Bad situation. More to be told over the weekend. Half our staff being laid off feb 15
Probably ...Valentine’s Day too.
Do you know why?
Is it because of the semi-annual Jewlery sale?
Jewelry complex layoff has been extended to Feb 15