Coles Has Not Offered Shifts for 2 Months, Want to Quit - What to Do?

avgbowlofpho on 05/01/2023 - 10:33
Last edited 05/01/2023 - 12:17 by 1 other user

Good morning OzBargain!

For those who don't know (and didn't get an update), I have been employed at Coles since August 2022.

It's a job which I have mixed feelings about attending due to physical and mental stress, and balancing another job which I also have in IT working in support.

I had been regularly attending shifts, about 1-2 per week on Saturdays and Sundays until I had applied for 3 weeks leave due to university exams back in late October to mid November.

Since then I have not been offered a shift by the managers, until last week on the 30th of December however that was subsequently cancelled as confirmed by my manager through a text message.

This morning I had received an email from "Coles Payroll" entitled "Casual 60 Day - Correspondence from Coles Payroll"

(for confidentiality reasons, I will be omitting personal and business information)

"Dear XX,

Our records indicate that you have not worked a single shift with us for over 60 days, despite you indicating you are available for casual shifts.

…

Please log on to your account and update your availability before 15.01.2023

If you do not provide this information before 15.01.2023 or if your availability does not meet operational needs, we will not be in a position to offer you any further shifts."

I assume that this means that they are planning to dismiss me due to my lack of availability, since I recently updated my availability recently to weekends only from Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

I've come to the forums of OzBargain to ask for advice of people who have been put in similar positions, or managers of casual employees who they have dismissed in the past, what is the best choice moving forward in order to resign?

I've added a poll with the options which I have considered but any and all other suggestions will be considered (except Bikies lol)

Thank you everyone for reading and have a great day!

TL;DR - casual employee at Coles, haven't been rostered for 2 months, want to quit, how to quit?

Poll Options

  • 18
    Do Not Change Availability, Wait for Outcome
  • 2
    Contact Manager via Phone to Announce Resignation
  • 5
    Contact Manager via Message to Announce Resignation
Education & Work

Related Stores

Coles
Coles

Comments

  • holdenmg on 05/01/2023 - 10:39
    +11

    If you want to Quit, Quit.

    If you want to offer your services to be available Weekends then log on to your account and update your availability before 15.01.2023.

    Highly likely they are preferring others for Weekend Hours over you that work other than Weekends.

    Simples.

  • cookie2 on 05/01/2023 - 10:40
    +4

    Why wouldn't you contact payroll back by email and advise that you're currently set availability is correct and that you haven't worked a shift because you haven't been rostered a shift? I mean if you don't want to work there then quit but I don't see why you would have the above limited poll options and not think to just confirm your current availability and that you're available but not rostered?
    Also are you a member of a union?

  • BillyStm on 05/01/2023 - 10:41
    +4

    It's likely a big company like that has automated some of their processes and you may be looking to far into it.

    If you still want to be considered for shifts then simply complete the request of logging on and providing an update on your availability. This is likely something they ask you to update monthly etc. This is for their operational planning, the bolded information makes sense why would they offer someone a shift without knowing their availability when they can offer it to someone who has indicated they would be available.

    If you simply want to quit then do as you would at any job and simply advise them of this decision.

  • Gunnar on 05/01/2023 - 10:45
    +3

    Having worked at Coles when I was at uni (albeit sometime ago), your availability more or less means you won’t get first pick of shifts. Generally if you can do more shifts you will be offered more shifts first, regardless of the day and you specifying that you’re free today. Eg it’s a Saturday and there’s a shift going the hiring manager can call me (who has availability everyday) or you (with your current availability). Assuming we have similar levels of performance the manager will generally call me first.

    BUT for the most part retail managers suck, especially when it comes to dealing with casuals.

    You can just do nothing meaning it is implied you’ve resigned (which is what I did when I quit but I also had another job and just couldn’t be bothered doing anything about it)

    However what I’m more interested in is that you seem to be very hesitant to follow through with your want to formally resign, assuming I’m correct, why is that?

    • avgbowlofpho on 05/01/2023 - 10:58

      My reluctance to formally resign is because of the fact that I am unable to meet with the manager in-person to do so.

      Maybe I might be old-fashioned in thinking that resignations should happen in person rather than over a phone call or message (since i cannot email the manager directly)?

      Regardless of how big or little my contribution to Coles, I do not want to leave the company with a bad reputation to my name.

      But thanks for commenting on your own experience, probably wise to just do nothing.

      • Unorthodox on 05/01/2023 - 11:24
        +2

        I think your heart is in the right place with this comment and it's always good to have that convo.

        You should message him/her first and ask to have a chat and talk it through. (Can be done via text or via another team member with access)

      • Yola on 05/01/2023 - 12:32
        +5

        The Store Manager most likely has better things to do than meet with you. As a casual and one that they do not seem to value you are not that important to him. If you want to resign just do that in a message and offer to meet if he withes. It is unlikely that he will. You are more likely to damage your reputation by leaving them hanging.
        Source: Human Resources Manager in a past life.

  • onetwothreefour on 05/01/2023 - 11:31
    +2

    It's a job which I have mixed feelings about attending due to physical and mental stress

    Is it really worth your mental and physical health holding out for more shifts that you don't sound like you will appreciate anyway? Just move on and focus your time on your other job and studies.

  • Mechz on 05/01/2023 - 11:57
    +4

    Just do nothing. The fictional entity that is Coles will have no hurt feelings.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 05/01/2023 - 12:33

    So you just want the shifts with penalty rates

    • cookie2 on 05/01/2023 - 15:40

      How dare they want to work for more pay. They want the shifts that are weekend as they now have another job.

  • Seraphin7 on 05/01/2023 - 13:16

    Cutting right to the chase, if you want to resign, then do so. Today.

    I note your comment above about wanting to meet with the manager in person, but (1) there must surely be a way to do this that doesn't take two months to organise and/or (2) it may well be that this is not in anyway expected.

    While noting the above, what is it that you want to get out of the in person resignation?

    • avgbowlofpho on 05/01/2023 - 13:20

      While noting the above, what is it that you want to get out of the in person resignation?

      Nothing in particular, but it just seems to be the morally right thing to do as an employee.

      • Seraphin7 on 05/01/2023 - 13:21
        +1

        I agree with you, but if your employer effectively doesn't want/expect this, go with the "standard" process.

  • fredz0r on 05/01/2023 - 13:19
    +1

    It seems like the job was a convenience thing for you so you could get a few extra bucks. When I used to manage retail stores, I didn't hire people that already had a fulltime job because they would always call in sick and never had any interest of the business. If you want to do the right thing put in your resignation and give the chance to someone else that actually needs a job.

  • POSITIVEVIBESONLY on 05/01/2023 - 13:54
    +1

    I have had countless jobs lost due to not having availability and the same circumstances of having 7days available and switching to weekends only when school starts again. Usually this is the norm, they have an excess of casuals who are only available weekends and it's an automated firing essentially. Sometimes there's always one or two shifts so you can call in and try get them to stay on the roster but otherwise to move on and find another job. I don't think the store manager really cares if you meet them in person or not, most likely they wouldn't even remember you. Stores have hundreds of employees with super high turnover.

  • Some Human on 05/01/2023 - 19:33

    Normally when a company doesn't want you to work there anymore, they cut your hours to either such a low amount you're forced to look elsewhere or they just stop giving you any shifts.

  • Gustavo Fring on 05/01/2023 - 21:51
    +4

    Keep it just for the discount

  • doctordv8 on 06/01/2023 - 08:10

    First and foremost. Contact your manager and express your concerns in person.

    Why all the conjecture and creating confusion between you and your Employer?

  • Sleeqb7 on 06/01/2023 - 10:14
    +3

    If I was a casual and did not receive any shifts for two months, I would presume I'm already (functionally) fired.

    • freefall101 on 07/01/2023 - 11:14
      +2

      This, huge unemployment and staff shortages and coles doesn’t bring someone in for a single shift?

      Either there’s a software glitch or this is coles firing someone without firing them.

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