Job descriptions always end with "and other tasks as necessary." But how much is asking to much ? Heavy lifting, dismantling shelving and fixtures, climbing or desending stairs or ladders with bulky merchandise can be dangerous, expecially if you are normally sedentary or have health issues. Even nasty dust kicked up in areas not swept for years is questionable. But when you think that it's time to say "No" who will advise you and back you ?? 88Sears?? ...The more severance involved the greater the chance of someone putting up with more than they should. Take care...🙏
15 replies (most recent on top)
Massachusetts too. They will respond to asbestos complaints quickly.
If you are in California and you are concerned about asbestos call CALOSHA and register a formal complaint. Even if they don't get out there right away there will be a record of your concern in case something happens in the future. Also, in our county here in California they are all over asbestos complaints and have held up projects until they are satisfied the area is clear of asbestos.
I quit right before our store liquidation because I had helped at another closing store and I did not want to go thourgh it again. Half the store quit. A few days later the liquidator hired us back at twice the pay to help with liquidation because they did not have enough help due to all the store closings. Don't know if they still do that but I made as much in three months of liquidation as I did the previous two years working part time with little hours.
If you don't want to the job your boss is asking you to do the alternative is to quit
And you might want to consider getting a 3M respirator if you're concerned about stirring up asbestos dust, too. The little paper masks are better than nothing, but a real respirator is the best protection if possible.
If you're not used to physically-demanding work and the liquidator wants you to do stuff like that, don't do it without a back support / lifting belt, even if you have to buy it yourself.
We hired temps and they did all that
@1rdi; Sounds like a completely different kind of liquidator than we had. We were the ones breaking everything down, as nobody wanted to buy any of our crummy old shelving units (Kmart here) and so it was our job to dismantle and palletize everything. Meanwhile, ours being an older store, things were being dragged around over old asbestos tiles and mastic, ripping it all up and apart. I'm sure everyone who was left at the end got a healthy dose of it in their lungs and will be seeing the effects in a few decades.
The line is a when it becomes a legal violation--being asked to do something illegal or truly dangerous.
OP sounds like a stereotypical millennial whining about having to work. Job descriptions says tasks as assigned. If you don't want to do the job then don't but don't expect to get paid for not doing it. Sometimes work s---s. When you work at a s---y place it s---s more.
During our store closing the most strenuous activity, aside from our normal routine, was sweeping. All fixtures, displays and shelves were handled solely by the people that purchased them. Per the liquidator we could not assist them in any way, shape or form; we couldn't even hold the door open for them! The liquidator said there were liability issues involved. Anything left was then handled by the scrappers. Yes, the sweeping in some areas was extremely dusty. If that is an issue I would suggest keeping a kerchief with you to cover your nose and mouth. I and number of the other associates are in our sixties and we had no issues dealing with the work assigned to us.
They take full advantage of the "...and other tasks as necessary" line, even before a store closes. Believe me. If your store manager isn't forcing you to do something you're not responsible for in a department you don't work in, you are in an alternate universe.
You may be a consultative sales associate, a cashier, a lead, an AP associate, a backroom associate, etc., but it's standard operating procedure here at Sears and Kmart to have you do things outside of your work area/job description that you are not at all responsible for.
And because 1) they have cut hours for just about every store and their departments and 2) they are having a heck of a time filling all of these empty positions from all the employees who have quit, they are going to have you and everyone else responsible for filling in all the gaps.
Now you guys are starting to understand why SHC does not payout severance until after a store has closed and you have stayed to the end. You have to do whatever they need you to do and stay until the end. Your decision is to weigh staying and working your a** off and getting severance or looking for another job with more pay. which is worth it to you? Is the new job going to make up for your loss of severance?
@TNdQwn6-yfy WELL SAID
@vxt, OP asked a legitimate question. Who are you to say quit? This person is in the last days working for Eddie. Whether they have been there a few months or many years, they are still getting a paycheck. Not everyone is 25 years old and can just jump into a new job. Why don't you have one last beer, go beat your wife and kids and then go f-- yourself!
So quit then.