More and more newsagents are finding themselves rostered in sales roles in their businesses as they work to cut labour costs. Cutting hours is a move many newsagents are reluctantly taking in response to tough retail conditions.
The risk of this approach is that the business replaces people who appreciate behind the counter work with those who are not so keen to be there.
Newsagents who are finding that they are spending more time behind the counter need to approach this work with a view to the bigger picture and with gratitude that they have this option.
Don’t be angry about it. Embrace it. If you have other staff behind the counter, be one of the team when you’re there. Use the opportunity to lead by example, for the good of the business.
I read a book a few years ago, How Starbucks Changes My Life. I think that newsagents who have had to roster themselves behind the counter because of tough times might find this book helpful, especially if you are not happy in a behind the counter role.
Personally, I like working the shop floor and time behind the counter. Every customer interaction is an opportunity. Every time I learn something. That said, I appreciate that my work week has plenty of diversity – I can’t say how I would feel if I had to do sixty hours a week there out of necessity.
I’m glad you added the last sentence Mark, as some who are “stuck” behind the counter because they cannot afford to pay staff and need to do it themselves would love to be able to duck in and out and interact instead of being caught up in the grind of the ady to day as well as running the shop in your spare time. Also I’d love to be doing only 60 hours per week.
we’d like to know what VANA is doing about influencing the structure of the award that covers shop staff. One of the key challenges of creating an effective and efficient roster is trying to reconcile the hours staff can be available with the typical opening hours of our business. We have just taken 2 very long term staff members off permanent and made the casual to overcome this. It’s a clear case of how a supposed “fair work” initiative has worked against the interests of both employee and employer.
In 10 years we have worked 60+ hours,with no more than 2 days holiday together a year. Days off usually are for medical reasons. I would be happy to work on the counter which my husband does but I’m the one stuck with the juggling act of who will scream the loudest if I don’t pay the bill and fixing stupid computer hic ups.
Being a bit more positive than my last comment. The revised decision to allow school kids to work less than 3 hours now has now allowed me to re-emloy a fantastic kid that I had had to put off. I also had been putting in a lot of time on the counter because I was sick of employing useless staff that either wanted to sit down between customers or simply not turn up at all. I was related this story to a regular customer who I did not know was looking for work. She wandered in a few days later and said she would like a job if I had one going. She is fantastic and does more in 16 hours a week than my last staff did in 30 hours. So I do have something good happeining.
We have been going through a few staff changes lately replacing people that have left so we have had to serve at the counter more when we have been short staffed. Because I’ve been at the counter more, a few customers have been asking me why I’m out the front so much so I just tell them that the boss said I needed to improve my customer service skills as they’re a bit lacking. The customer has a good laugh and it also reminds me that I do need to take time out from the back office to reaquaint myself with our customers.
I should clarify. I actually work 70 to 80 hours a week. What I do have is flexibility in the nature of my work.
Ricky,
Can I ask what you mean by “reconcile the hours staff can be available with the typical opening hours of the business”?
@ Ricky,
How have you “taken 2 very long term staff members off permanent and made the casual “?
I thought once an employee was permanent to change their hours/role legally required making them redundant (if they didn’t request the change).
i.e. if the employees didn’t want to go casual – you would have to make them redundant, otherwise you would still be in breach of the fair work laws which is what the whole arrangement is trying to prevent
Wow, how can anybody see counter time as a chore, it is the main thing that allows us to most easily differentiate ourselves from all the ‘non service’ providers such as supermarkets and department stores. My problem is that it is too easy to spend too much time at the POS. This is where you can upsell, build rapport, review procedures, communicate, train, and much more. I guess I am a glass half full sort of a guy, but come on, how could anybody look at this critical interaction time with both customers and staff as a chore ???
I agree with Ben. But then again, if I had to do it all week it would suck.
Ben I agree. I was coming at this more from the perspective of newsagents who have no choice.
I have faced the same questioning from customers as Shelley in the last year as I have rescheduled staff and covered some quiet times by myself at the counter. I explain fully how costly it is to employ
staff, and detail what kind of rates we
have to pay, including leave loadings at 17.5% when people are ON HOLIDAY, and the way the early morning paper throwing bloke gets three hours pay for one and half hours work. I explain that we love the newsagency, but that in the long run there will only be a giant liquor store, a giant supermarket, a giant hardware store, and a big screen in every room of the house. Then I ask them what industry they are employed in……………
i agree ben i like to talk to my customers catch up find out how that card or gift went. gossip about the mags i think thats the easy bit the computer, deciphering newspaper accountsthe crap suppliers hand out is much worse
When you are standing behind a counter dealing with the public it has some great reward. We have watched bulging tummies turn into babies, got those babies off to school. Seen kids off to uni , greaved for families who have lost loved ones. Sponsered budding sports champion. You also need to be able to have a break and many struggling agents never get one. We become exhausted at times and we could do with some support and a break sometimes.
It’s just the two of us in our little shop.
We’re fortunate that we don’t have the headaches related to employing staff, but of course the trade-off is that it’s just us. All day, every day.
It’s still a good life 🙂
@ Blake: There is a possibilty to make changes like this if the employment duration is less than 12 months. Due to the business changing hands less than 12 months ago this has been enabled by the unique circumstances
@Jarryd: There are a number of issues at play:
The shop trades for 12.5 hours per day accross 6 days (74 hours). The award conditions are 38 hours per week, no more than 10 hours per day, no more than 5 days per week (or at least 6 plus 4 across 2 weeks) public holidays, sick days, annual leave, no split shifts, etc, etc. These plus established work patterns entrenched over years (e.g. won’t work Saturdays, won’t start before 07.30, want a 1 full day off each week etc) adds layers of complexity when creating rosters that aren’t there if you employ casuals, or wouldn’t be necassary if the award had more flexibilty to align working hours with shop hours.
Ricky,
Thanks for the response. I was trying to guage whether you weren’t happy with award conditions in general or if it was something specific about the award created under Fair Work. My understanding was that, overall, there was little change when the new award came in.
Newsagents do have special consideration in the award for ordinary hours of operation. They stretch a generous 16 hours from 5am-9pm weekdays and 13 hours from 5am-6pm weekends. If any of those employees are managers it is also worth noting that the award does not apply to them.
@Jarryd: Your comment about the 16 hours is interesting. Our VANA award documents show a limit of 10 hours. Thanks for the tip we will seek clarification from VANA.
Ricky,
Check out http://www.fairwork.gov.au/industries/retail/hours-of-work-rosters-and-breaks/pages/hours-of-work.aspx
An employee can work a maximum of 9 hours per day (within the ordinary hours of work) and 11 hours one day per week (again, within the ordinary hours of work).
This is assuming you come under the federal award.
here we go again, GFC MK2 is coming
Buckle up boys and girls, now we have no more surplus buffer, this one is going to hurt.
Luke,
I think you may be right. Joolya`s mob has already spent everything we had…..be very interesting to see where she can pull the rabbit from now !!!!
The mind boggles allan!!
Australia’s sovereign debt is still very minimal and if it was required the government would have no problem borrowing short/medium term funds to stimulate the economy. At this stage it seems unlikely that the global situation will become that bad.
It’s also important to remember that at present the market appears to be acting emotionally and many analysts are openly finding it hard to determine where the market will go.
It’s also important to remember that any downturn in foreign markets has the biggest effect on two things here – superannuation and consumer confidence. As is currently the situation, many consumers have money to spend but are wary of the market and are choosing to save instead (I believe household savings are at very high levels at present).
You can also blame the monkey in charge of the Reserve Bank for scaring people into not spending money due to his constant scare mongering in regard to rate rises. Mr Stevens has definately not been one of the better Reserve Bank Governors in regard to his communicating with the public. This in it self is ironic as his opening statement on appointment announced improved Reserve Bank transperency and communication !
Bring back Ian McFarlane !!
Paul,
It’s had to blame the RBA when they are communicating and we just don’t like what they’re saying. And I’m not too sure how many consumers listen the the RBA – in fact I think we would cringe if we asked them how many knew what the RBA is and what it does.
I think e media have to take a large portion of the responsibility – they’re constant stream of gloom and doom, often unsubstantiated with selective fact picking, emotional ‘journalism’ and a serious lack of objectivity, continues to weight on consumers minds. Bad news is good news for the media.
It fill me with heaps of confidence when our own tax office is saying that it will be a good thing when a lot of small business collapse and close down as it will allow coles/woolies to make more money and make the ato’s jobs easier. Also it is great that our govt wants to introduce a card that forces people to spend a large chunk of their dole/pension chq only at coles/woolies and not small retailers.
But what can you expect from a Labor/green Govt that only care about workers and not the silly people who employ them.
Fewer small business means fewer jobs for your so called “working class” voters Juliar, we all cannot be employed in the NEW renewable sector or on the NBN, but you will find that out soon enough.
All we can do is hope that we are still around when it happens as we have a young family to feed but as far a Labor is concerned we are the enemy and not deserving of any help because we were stupid enough to own our own business instead of being a bludger.
Well said Luke!
Luke,
I agree that any income-management system that can only be administered by major retailers would be detrimental not only to many small business but, in many areas, competition itself.
I don’t believe, however, that any details of the system have yet been released and I think any system that excluded small retailers would see significant backlash.
It also might interest you to know that this method of income management was actually introduced by the Howard government in NT only a few years ago. Criticise the policy, not the party.
Luke
I cetainly feel your frustration, its nothing that I have ever felt before, I call it the new democracy and I am not a fan of it, I worry about my families future also. I think deep down most of us feel an uncertainty about the future.
In saying that, I wonder how the people felt back when the transition from Paper / Typewriter to computers felt about change. A lot of jobs did go then also however many different jobs and companies were created to cater for this change. The proof is in the pudding today.
Uncertain change being governed by deceptive poiliticians creates an air of anxiety and frustration.
By the way its the best job in town serving behind the counter. Forty hrs behind the counter and about 24 hrs away from the counter. I would miss it if it went away tomorrow.
One thing both major parties has a bipartisan approach to is small business. They both have failed us and continue to fails us in equal measure.
Defend them as much as you like Jarryd, they are doing such a great job at the moment aren’t they?
One of the behind the counter joys just happened – a customer spent time telling us about his times with Nancy Wake in London – I LOVE it when this happens, a great side benefit of people interaction.
A really good blog for current economics is catallaxyfiles, another is macrobusiness, both are educational
Thanks H
Very diplomatically said Mark, albeit correct
Luke,
My comments do not defend them. I only point out that your argument should analyse policy and be based on evidence. We don’t need to delve into unsubstantiated, emotional party bashing.
Jarryd, you say customers have money to spend but are choosing to save it. Scarily, I think they may have no excess cash to spend OR to save.
The macrobusiness website I mentioned earlier has this string about retail, well worth reading if you are made of tough stuff !
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2011/08/pc-report-spanks-online-retail/
h,
It was reported last week that the household savings ratio had reached a 20 year high.
The RBA are also expecting to see a modest increase in the household saving ratio over the next year.
Interesting article over at the SMH http://www.smh.com.au/business/baby-boomers-wealth-effect-hits-the-retailers-20110731-1i6dh.html
Spoken like a loyal lemming Jarryd.
Personal attacks do nothing for good debate. It’s okay for people to disagree. The best debate is one which has less emotion and more on the facts.
Luke,
A I have said here before, I am not a labor party member, nor did I vote fore them in the last election. Support your argument with facts, not personal attacks.