Would you take a "fun" job that offers little flexibility?

I worked in retail, which had a crazy-ish schedule and it had more flexibility not less than a typical M-F 9–5 job. Maybe I don’t understand that part. I liked a crazy schedule when I was younger as long as I am not working any hours that are very difficult for me, like I hate very early morning. I liked being able to sleep late some mornings, I liked being able to run errand, doctor’s appointments on days off or days I started late. I like not having both days off together during the week and also being able to take a long weekend without having to take a vacation day.

You say docked points if your late, what are the points?

Ew!

I don’t mind the varied schedule. It would be nice to wake up late sometimes. But the points are x amount of points you get toward your record and if u accrue c amount you get in trouble. Things outside your control whether it’s a snow storm, car accident, traffic jam, or even emergency with doctor note. But she said I should be fine if I’m on time most days…

I think I don’t work Christmas and thanksgiving if I get the job, some holidays I may work. But if not I don’t get it paid. But I think I might end up taking it because experience is hard to get..

I’m spoiled by working for the government. However, I realized times are hard. You don’t say what the pay is.

It sounds like a typical retail job.

Showing up on time every day is just part of being a responsible employee. Having a retail environment full of customers without sufficient employees to service them costs the business money.

How often do you have car trouble? It’s basically the same story at my job, although we don’t have official points going to a record. In customer service jobs, they try to allocate the exact right amount of people to run the operation. Too many people, and the payroll ends up cutting into a narrow profit margin. Too few, and they don’t have enough people to run the operation, and you get a backlog of pissed off customers. The reason they’re so intense about tardiness is that if you’re late, you’ll inconvenience other people and the business as a whole.

If you do regular preventative maintenance on your car, you should be fine. You could also check the traffic on google first thing when you wake up, and find a few alternate routes to work. Crazy things will always happen, but you can get car trouble and traffic under control to a certain extent. With jobs like this, if you’re sick you should find someone to cover your shift as far in advance as possible, and let management know as early as you can. Etc.

It might take some getting used to, but it becomes… I don’t know, just another part of everyday life? Also, salaried jobs in the service industry are notorious for this. If they say you “may work weekends,” it means you will work weekends. 50 hours a week means a minimum of 50 hours a week. Whatever schedule they are telling you now- that’s the best case scenario, and it could get far worse. Last year we had like ten major snowstorms where I live, and I went to work in all of them.

This casino has a variable schedule and a big emphasis on timeliness- it sounds like they’re a busy operation running on low labor. A lot of businesses like to keep their staffing as close to the minimum as possible without everything descending into chaos. Financially, that’s the most efficient scenario.

You may find that your job is indispensable to the company and that you’re under pressure to work extra hours or not to take time off. I don’t want to scare you- again, that’s kind of just how it is in some industries. But it’s not for everyone, so you should think hard about it.

I forgot to also mention I see the doctor every 3–4 months…I think I might mention my appointments if they offer me the position. I have cells in my body that they are closely monitoring to see if I may need surgery or not to prevent cervical cancer.

This MAY be an issue for them but it’s like once every 3–4 months…

You didn’t mention this, but casinos normally are full of smoke. Wouldn’t be ANY fun for me. That crap makes me sick. And being sick would cost me my job anyway.

Besides that, it seems you don’t even get ONE regular day off a week. No thanks on many levels.

It is smoke free employees and area. We aren’t allowed to smoke. It’s illegal in our city to smoke in buildings lol

She said it was rare that I would work weekends er unlikely.

I’m kind of worried about my dr appointments and having that affect my points. But I feel like it would be illegal right? If it’s due to a medical condition I may have.

To me, work is to pay for the life I lead outside of work. If I enjoy the work, that’s a plus, but not a huge factor. I tend to be introspective and self-entertaining so any job I don’t hate it okay, including boring.

Mixing up the hours might sound like fun for sleeping in, but it’s a major pain in the butt for scheduling your life.
“I forgot to also mention I see the doctor every 3–4 months”

Pass.

If there are aspects of the job that you think you may have trouble with and may want to quit within 6 months, I wouldn’t pursue it. You don’t want to look like a job hopper. You’ve already had a few jobs since you have been on fluther haven’t you?

Just one. I had my parents job for like 9 yrs, customer service rep, my internship, and my hr job.

Customer service rep I don’t list on my resume and my internship lasted only two months so I didn’t quit. My precious job I was laid off.

So really on my resume the only thing looking bad is me being laid off

Can someone respond to my issue with my frequent dr appts?

I would keep that to myself. From the list of times on that schedule, you should be able to schedule a doctor appointment on one of your days that you are working later in the day. Don’t give them a reason to doubt your ability to be on time and at work when you are scheduled.

Being on time is expected at most jobs. That shouldn’t be a factor in your decision unless you plan on being late or having car trouble often. As far as scheduling, it might end up being in your favor seeing as you have doctor appointments every few months. With that type of schedule there should be no need to take time off. You can simply make the appointment around the work schedule.

How would you or could you schedule a doctor’s appointment when you don’t know a few weeks out what days you are expected to work?

Work holidays and weekends. No overtime on weekends. What about the other holidays? No overtime on weekends but I will assume they will comply with laws that specify that if you work more than 40 hours you get paid overtime.

What is “14 pto?”

I am guessing it’s possible you work one night till 9 pm and then have to come in the next morning at 7 am? That’s not the toughest schedule but still seems not much fun.

Again, I’m spoiled. I wouldn’t do it. You still don’t say what the pay is.

Yeah I forgot about the varied schedule lol

Yeah @jca I was spoiled at my last job and didn’t realize it. I had 14 pto days, 5 sick days, and holiday pay…which was a lot compared to most people and didn’t realize until this job hunt. Pay is $15/hr.

The lady told me most people choose to come in at 9 instead of 7am so I guess that’s the choice there but some days maybe once or twice a week we do that 12–9pm or 10–6:30 rotating between employees.

I think she said it would be unlikely and rare for me to work on a Saturday, it’s usually hr managers and generalists that work Saturdays alternating.

I can’t imagine you can’t request a day off or late shift for a doctor’s appointment. I don’t mean a day off an only work 4 days, I mean you request Tuesday, October 22, off and so that is one of your days off during the week. This is how every varied schedule I have ever done has worked. Or, you trade a shift, or you schedule a 10:00 appointment and don’t go into work until 3:00. Usually it is easier to see a doctor when working a varied schedule, not harder. If they offer you a job you can ask how requested days off are done.

Good point, @JLeslie. For something like medical appointments, since it seems like @chelle21689 doesn’t have zillions of appointments, you would hope the job would be somewhat flexible in that regard. If they were not accomodating to employees’ requests, they’d probably have a high turnover rate. Maybe they do have a high turnover rate, who knows. If @chelle21689 makes her appointments weeks ahead of time, scheduling around her one day or half a day of need should not be too hard for the company.

@chelle21689 How far in advance do they make the schedule? I don’t understand why you would think it is easier to take time off at a M-F 9–5 job? In that situation you definitely have to miss work for a doctor’s appointment. 4 times a year isn’t really that much. Most women see a combination of doctor and dentist 3 times a year already. Now you are just adding 3 more. If a woman needs to see any sort of specialist they add at least one more to the original 3 times a year number.

Take the job if that is all you can find for now but I would keep looking. A schedule like that gets tiring fast. You will feel after a while like you are actually working around the clock because it gives you little time to plan anything much in your personal life.
Now if they allow you to switch with co-workers your days off of time schedule than that isn’t bad. If they do not, I would move on.
I had a job like that once. Loved my work team and we were very easy with switching days or time when someone needed to make a doctor appointment or simply needed a day off to go to a family event. My bosses didn’t care so long as we let them know ahead of time and we would sign off on the wall calendar that we agreed to take each others day.

We had each others phone numbers as well. So if an emergency came up, it was our responsibility to call our replacement. You would think that we would screw each other up but we didn’t because we knew to screw a co-worker would mean that other co-workers would never cover for you once word got out that you wouldn’t honor your commitment.

The bosses also made sure that if you promised to replace someone and didn’t show up, it counted as you taking an unauthorized day off. Not the person originally scheduled. The person agreeing to switch had to call our boss so they could amend the schedule.
So if they allow you to do that, than sure. I would take it. If not, I would only take it till something better comes along.

I don’t see how they can get away with penalizing you for an accident. Are you suppose to have some miracle protective bubble around you at all time? Or are you suppose to come in with the broken ankle and only go to the doctor after work is done? Sounds idiotic. I say if you have a legit medical excuse they shouldn’t be able to penalize you.
That alone would make me want to say no thanks. Sounds like they want any excuse to fire a person.

Thanks pandora.

I would take the job and see how it works out. Honestly, I don’t consider those hours that “crazy”. I don’t work 9–5 (I maybe work 1–2 weekend days a month, 2 at the max) and I work 8 and 12 hour day shifts, sometimes evenings, sometimes nights on a blue moon. Generally, I work 6a-2p, 6a-6p, or (rarely) 2p-10p.

I wouldn’t mention the doctor appointments. It’s not a big deal to have one every 3–4 months. I don’t know how much they schedule you guys in advance but you can always get your schedule in advance and then call the office and make an appointment on a day that you have off or something.

I definitely prefer having 12 and 8 hour days. I regularly get 3 days off a week and it’s totally worth it. I have Fri, Sat, and Sun off this weekend and that’s pretty normal for me, I love it.

Yeah, I think it’s worth a shot. If I find it bearable but still feel like I’m missing out on a lot then I would try to stick it out for at least a year if offered the position. If I hate it I can always quit even though that is not good. Just saying if worse comes to worse it doesn’t mean I have to stay forever.

@chelle21689 You’re young. Aren’t you still going out to clubs at night and hanging out with friend at odd hours? The irregular schedule is usually better for that. Plus, don’t your parents have odd hours owning a store?

@chelle21689 Exactly and your welcome. I tried to Pm you but that doesn’t work either for some reason. For future jobs you need current references and this is a job that is high in customer service and many jobs need to know if you can handle working with their clients. There is hardly a job out there that doesn’t require some sort of customer service, even if its in house, like IT.
Put out plenty of applications and don’t be discouraged. It may take a while before the right job comes along. A year sounds like a good plan.

Ahh, it’s hard for me not to roll my eyes. I’ve worked in emergency medicine for 15 years. We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Lol go out and clubbing??? I did that when I was 19–22 and it got old quick. Once in a blue moon is fine though. I like to relax at home, meet with friends or family, eat, watch movies, bowl, all that laid back stuff on a weekend. With an occasional party here or there

@syz well yeah the health industry is way hard core lol. Office schedule is very different to what I’ve been told for this position.

My parent’s hours aren’t like other regular american store hours.
Open every day usually 10a-8:30 p but I work only about 30 hrs from 12–6

If you need the experience, it could be a good opportunity. However, it does not seem they allow for actual life occurrences such as a car that breaks down, a doctor appointment or getting sick. It could turn out to be a poor experience if something arises that causes those points to pile up and you get fired. I would prefer a job with more flexibility. With no overtime pay, that’s an awful lot of pressure to take on.

I’m curious as to what kind of experience working at a casino would prepare you for?

@StaceyD: I think it’s no overtime for working weekends (in other words not time and a half for Saturdays). However, the law is hours over 40 must be paid at OT rate, unless it’s a salaried position (like if you’re the CEO of a company, for example).

@Dutchess_III: It would prepare her to move up in the casino. If it’s something that involves bookkeeping, it could prepare her for some kind of bookkeeping position. It may also train her for good customer service.

Wait…I just read it was for HR. Belay that question.

@Dutchess_III well I’ve worked for a 24/7 operation before so I thought it would be different for admin because even though it was 24/7 admin got holidays off.

edit
Sorry I thought you were talking to me.

Thanks for the “pe” talk everyone. I know I’ll accept it and just suck it up for a while and get as much experience.

(I was, but @jca answered.)

—It’s “pea” talk. Not “pe” talk. :D)

I meant to put pep! lol

Good luck at the job!