I’ve taken a seasonal job at a major department store and my manager is a shrew. I feel like we are being treated like crap because she knows we are only there through the holidays. Do I have any rights even though I am not a regular employee? I feel like not showing up on the busiest shopping day of the year!
Unless the treatment crosses the line and is unlawful — in which case you go straight to the HR Department and report it — there is no law against a boss acting like Ebenezer Scrooge. So, you’ve got the right to put coal in their stocking. You’ve got the right to reply “Bah, humbug!” or simply quit. You also have the right to let it roll off your back, because, as you say, it is only a seasonal temp job. You are only there, I presume, to make some needed dough and perhaps enjoy a store discount through the holiday season, and then you are moving on. Try smiling and being jolly regardless.
I’m two months into a new job, and it’s not what I wanted. I don’t have the responsibilities promised, and I’m really unhappy. Recently, a new position opened up in the same office — different department — that I know would be a better fit. Would it be terrible to try and go for a new spot with a different team?
If you were two months into a relationship feeling the same way, I’d say to cut bait even if another fish didn’t come along. But in a job, it’s a little different. Sometimes new situations and staff need to find their groove and equilibrium. It’s like adding a new ingredient to a recipe — you’ve got to let the sauce simmer for awhile. But sometimes it’s just a bad recipe. Talk to your boss professionally to see what he/she thinks about the current situation, and if there’s a remedy to get to what everyone expected. If not, then suggest that perhaps a change of departments would be in everyone’s best interest and see how that goes. You’ll get a really good sense of how they feel about you and the situation, and — handled properly — it won’t necessarily damage your relationship.