Pressure to promote even further

Pizza Shop Talk The Think Tank
1

Hey all,

My boss wants me to work at another location of his that is in desperate need of help, and promote to GM.

As you all know, when I began working for PJ last year, I just wanted a 2 day a week cook job, and then went ahead and accepted a shift manager promotion about 6 months ago, and then my reoccuring back problems came back, and I was off for almost 3 months.

Now, I am slowly working my way back into my hours…and rather than me working my 40 hour a week, daytime Saturday/Sunday off (because I coach the team he sponsors is why I had weekends off) job as a shift leader, if I accepted the GM slot, I would be working Saturday and Sunday, and my only 2 nights off would be the nights my kids are at their school basketball games.

Yet, I don’t want to decline the position, because I think that the girl who has been working my shift while I was recovering will cause a stink (she’s in cahoots with that one employee who went postal on me many moons ago) and it may end up with me being unemployed.

It’s just a gut feeling I have, considering now that I am working some hours, this woman doesn’t even talk to me at all when I come in…in fact…she seems to take great effort in avoiding me…which, when she wanted to get a job at PJ again, she had no problem “loving me up” for a good reference.

So…in my shoes…help me figure this one out. Sure, I wouldn’t mind the GM title and pay…but I needed the hours that I worked so hard for as a shift leader at the store in my town to accomodate coaching the PJ team (their games are on the weekends) as well as being there for my own kids at their games.

This other location is about 20 miles one way, and isn’t open in the day except for Friday/Saturday/Sunday…the rest of the time, it’s open 4 - 11 p.m.

It was just part of the franchises he bought when he bought ours…I guess they came as a package deal, and this one is just not in the best location for good #'s, yet, when I worked there last weekend to reprieve an assistant manager for his vacation, the day shift volume doubled each day…which means that us suspecting the former management was turning down orders may ring true.

Ugh…why does it all have to be so confusing?

Thanks for letting me ramble.

2

Considering your physical situation, I would not take it. Have you considered approaching the PJ corporate office and becoming a sort of divisional quality manager? You have great ideas and a dedication to quality. It would be less physically demanding and put to use your particular competencies.

3

I disagree only on the corporate thing.

There is allowance for way too much drama in this franchise (investment). My advice is a one on one with the Owner (as you seem to have a fairly good relationship) and discuss your options as you have here. You’ve already drafted them so you’re ready. :slight_smile:

You don’t want to commute to store in a bad location unless you are confident you can spend all hours required rebuilding the reputation it has established. A losing cause. Perhaps another staff member can take this on.

PD
PD

4

Why?

5

I agree PD. There is WAY too much drama.

I mean, I LOVE my boss…he is a man of honor and will help you out as much as he physically and financially (he lets people advance on their paychecks and deduct it from the next) as he can.

With me, obviously, he’s kept the door open for me, knowing I have a bad back, because of my hard work…and you know, in all of my years of food service, this is one of the FEW times that my hard work has been even acknowledged, much less rewarded.

But, his one fault is that he is TOO nice, and WILL let drama go on.

He doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t empower employees to work things out among themselves when he hasn’t put everyone in their place to start with (such as my situation with that one wench).

I don’t understand why he would rather honor my request at going back to my old position as a shift leader, with perfect hours for what I do personally and professionally, when he wants me to do the same hours at another store or more, and take on that much more responsibility, KNOWING I could leave him in a lurch at any time if my discs herniate rather than bulge like they are now.

EXCEPT for the fact that wench and the woman taking my position during my recovery may be doing things or saying things behind the scenes, and he doesn’t want to lose 2 over one, or 1 great employee over 2 average “fill ins”.

That is the only thing I can think of as to why I am meeting such resistance (never been negative, but I know it’s there) on coming back to my old position.

That’s what makes it so hard…I want to remain loyal, but man, it sure is getting harder to do so.

I mean, the other day, had I not called and told him hubby could work a driver shift on Tuesday, I would NEVER have known that the former manager at the other store had scheduled me to open at that farther store on Sunday, and even though I was SUPPOSED to be off and resting for my steroid shot given today, I had to go in, no prep time, dirty store, etc…and it made me feel like an “a” even though he even said it completely was NOT my fault.

sigh

6

I’m a little confused reading your post - I’m not sure how, if you’re off ill, you are being scheduled in a totally different store without your knowledge?? sounds very odd?

Whilst you see your Boss as a nice guy he doesn;t seem to be a very ‘good’ boss - he seems to be far from controlling what happens in his stores you say he has managers stealing, poor comunication (staff being scheulded when they are off) and general lack of control of his staff structure - very poor!

If your back is bad it just ain’t worth more hours it is it?

If he can’t decide or structure his stores to accomodate 1 good staff or 2 staff who cause problems then he has problems not you.

My advice - go look for another employer who will appreciate your experienece and can fit around your schedule.

7

I can understand your commitment to your personal relationship with your boss. It is a fine thing having such a cordial and satisfying relationship like that.

From reading through this and some of your other posts, it seems that the problem rests in the dual relationship you have with your boss. You have the professional, which seems to be frustrating, stressful, sometimes choatic, unstable most of the time, fraught with interpersonal conflict, lacks effective structure and chain of command, and is now compounded with a somewhat surprise promotion offer. Then there is the more personal, which I include with the health accommodations, coaching the team, lots of friendly and satisfying stuff. I don’t know which place to put the difficulty you might have landing another flexible employment with your history of chronic and sometimes debilitating back issues.

If I were to strip down to just the merits of the job and the potential promotion, I would recommend to anyone to get out fast while you still have your sanity. There is so much dysfunction going on in that workplace that it is hard to begin advising anything else. While there is good going on there, and the boss has many solid leadership traits, what you describe is just beyond anything I can comprehend working in. I’d suggest sitting with your boss and having a heart to heart. Let him know where you are in all this. Lay it on the line clean and open. Then offer whatever notice you feel comfortable giving and bail. All this is unless you have to have this job to survive . . . then it is just going to be a tough row to hoe.