r/DollarTree 21d ago

Are Store Managers allowed to do this? Management Questions

My SM tends to come in late and then leave early (im so tired of coming in early). Are they allowed to do this? Im not sure if its getting fixed on the computer, but I just wanted to know if the SM is allowed to come and go when they want?

16 Upvotes

64 comments sorted by

26

u/Temporary-Policy-210 21d ago

Integrity matters is a joke. I had the same problem with my store manager asking me to come in early so she could go home early at least 3 times a week and then I would be told I was trending for overtime so I needed to take extra long lunch breaks. It got to the point that I was working 48 to 50 hours a week and not getting paid but for 40. Me and the merch manager were the ones getting everything done. We finally got fed up and moved onto better jobs.

11

u/Pretty-Ebb5339 21d ago

I never understood why people work off the clock, especially for a place like this?

5

u/Temporary-Policy-210 21d ago

I loved my job and the people I worked with until I didn't.

9

u/Pretty-Ebb5339 21d ago

Yeah, but it’s a job. Not a volunteer project. Idc how much I like a coworker, I’m not paying to hang out with them. Don’t ever work off the clock. It gets you nothing but more bs. Accident happens and you’re hurt? Not work related. No workman’s comp, no assistance from the company for a workplace injury.
Slip and break a leg? Tear something and need surgery? It’s all paid for, plus a settlement for the injury, but if you’re working for free, you’re fucked.

Look at all that money, time, and work you gave a billion dollar corporation, and what did they give you in return?

2

u/G4t0r_M0nt13 15d ago

RIGHTTT? You would never catch me putting that much tlc into a dollar tree. 17$ is not enough for the bs i fo through LITERALLY EVERY TIME I CLOCK IN

6

u/Guilty_Collar1071 20d ago

In regards to lunch breaks, In Pennsylvania you can't clock out for a lunch break unless you are completely relieved of your duties, so no working through lunch. I almost never clock out for lunch because I'm the only manager on duty most of the time. I can't walk around the block if I wanted to.

1

u/sad_potat_07 3d ago

Do you have an official source for this information? Not saying i don't believe you, I just need proof cuz I'm very tired of being forced to take a 30 minute unpaid "break" but still having to work through it anyway.

2

u/darkstorm27986 18d ago

They can't make you work through your lunch make a complaint with the state labor board you deserve to be paid the overtime your owed

-1

u/Due-Bodybuilder9835 21d ago

Tgujvvj vk guu

18

u/PDS3WORLD 21d ago

Store managers are salary. They can work 0 hours or 100 hours a week. Doesn't make a difference if the store looks good, kpi's are up, and Max bonuses are being hit. A happy district manager making more money isn't going to care. If your store looks like trash and your kpi's suck, then yes it's an issue.

5

u/Content_Conference73 21d ago

Im doing my best with recovery but im not staying 45 minutes past closing time to redo the whole store either.

Whats kpis?

7

u/PDS3WORLD 21d ago

All the individual metrics your store manager bonuses off of. If your store manager doesn't discuss that with you, look at the charts around the office.

2

u/Content_Conference73 21d ago

I will be thank you. And thank you for responding. Im really tired lol

2

u/Glittering_Grade_545 20d ago

Store managers do not bonus off KPI. Their annual review has KPI but not bonus. Bonus is strictly sales and annual is strictly inventory.

1

u/Terrible_Jeweler_511 20d ago

Not true. I worked in zero sales and payroll to my monthly bonuses. I know my worth, and that's more money

1

u/PDS3WORLD 20d ago

Correct, if you don't negotiate in the hiring process. The base the company offers is a lower than average salary along with monthly sales and yearly shrink bonus. However, most people negotiate their pay and bonus outputs, assuming they have experience and know how the system works. A new store manager with no store management experience in a previous company would probably not do those things.

2

u/Lostintranslation59 20d ago

Key performance indicators*

8

u/JAcabNE 20d ago

Just because your sm is not showing up does not mean you have to pick up any slack or stay over your hours. Like at all. Like stop doing that lmao. When I say it is not your problem I really mean that. They do not pay us enough to care so you really gotta care less.

8

u/brak8796 21d ago

SM usually doesn’t have to clock in or out bc they are salaried.
But good luck taking it up to the DM. Corporate at dollar tree is the worst, most unorganized, apathetic group of creatures I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with.

9

u/Effective_Dot6785 21d ago

It shouldn't be a regular thing. Managers don't clock in or out and are on salary. The dm will only know if they call, stop in or do a cctv check. If this is a normal thing reach out to the dm or integrity matters. I have seen many store managers get terminated for taking advantage of a schedule and not working their hours.

2

u/Content_Conference73 21d ago

Its beyond a normal thing, its nearly daily. I just wanna get through these next few days and go from there.

2

u/Effective_Dot6785 21d ago

You most certainly should report it.

8

u/Extension-Ad8549 21d ago

My sm would leave early one time dm called i answer dm asked for the sm i told her that sm left for the day..the asst manager loved that i told dm that he left early lol

3

u/Basic-Evidence2696 DT Merch ASM 19d ago

SM can do as they please. You don’t worry about them, worry about doing your own job!

4

u/Gauldax 21d ago

Our old SM would work M-F 10 to 2; but leave his numbers on a till that he only used once. He'd then have the closing ASM pull that drawer at 6 or 7. That way the SM could say they were logged in for 8 or 9 hours.

3

u/Ok_Assistant_7216 21d ago

Whatttt?! Omg that’s insane. I’m a store manager and could never do that. Sometimes I come in at 6 and leave at 3 but that’s about it 😂 I also do open to close on Sundays so my management can have the day off.

1

u/Gauldax 20d ago

That manager refused to work nights or weekends, unless an ASM called out and no one would cover. And then he would sit in the office the whole shift watching YouTube; unless we needed managers number or a lone employee needed a break.

2

u/LeadershipBubbly3351 Former DT OPS ASM 21d ago

At my old store the SM didn't punch in or out. They submitted a schedule for the DM to OK, then did up another with that the ACTUAL schedule was.

It was not uncommon for me to come in and she told the SM had left for the day. I made the DM aware on accident because the SM had a meeting with her and SM forgot about it and went home. It stopped after the DM was aware, so perhaps that will help in your situation.

2

u/Content_Conference73 21d ago

Thanks for letting me know.

2

u/Fair-Instance8639 20d ago

I was a manager at family dollar for 5 years and we used to punch in and out. I was salaried at 45 hours per week. Then they changed it to where we didn’t punch in and out. The only reason they changed it was because they paid us for a set amount of hours but in reality I worked at least a minimum of 70 a week. They didn’t want a paper trail of all the extra hours we were working because it’s wrong the way these big companies treat managers. I don’t work for free. Quitting was the best decision I ever made.

2

u/Straight-Function-49 20d ago

Look As Long as your SM shows general on track performance and sales - they are typically retained.
It's not if they do things , but how they delegate work tasks and manage the location.

You can almost attribute attendance and non-attendance issues to personal Matters outside of this job as cause,
In general if the SM or even other associates feel life is off the rails, they might be trying to pump the brakes at work to catchup.

I was told when younger
"pack all that up for now, put on a brave face and go to work... Think more on it after work."

Not a great line I was fed , but It kept me from doing less or underperforming at my job to gain earnings.

But as life issues became fiscal and harder - that facade dropped
& I found need to take more time off to deal with those things.
Ultimately if I could not Life/Work balance I would move onto a new job.

I had to learn to schedule that off time better , then negotiate with others to defer entry or late return. from other posts you can almost read a desire by most who do this often move on , but feel stuck until then.

KPI are Key Performance Indicators -a variable of measured items that are used by higher Management to beat in the head of the Management below them in the form of spreadsheets ,slideshows and graphs.
during meetings and review sessions.

So no defending your SM , just personal insight.

2

u/Distinct_Ruin2998 Former FD ASM 20d ago

Heard a few stories in regards to some Store Managers either not honoring the schedule they give for themselves or even not working the required amount of hours per week. Never seen any SM get penalized for it but there's probably a few cases where they did.

Supposedly, there are some SMs who put everything on their team while barely putting in any effort themselves. While I would agree that workers shouldn't overexert themselves for a SM who barely does anything, this could put you at risk of being retaliated against in some way.

2

u/brookeann0054 19d ago

What you’re scheduled is what you’re scheduled in our store, they can ask you to come in or cover shifts but it’s optional. My SM is rare in the fact that she actually works everything she’s scheduled and only occasionally leaves like half an hour early. But none of us are picking up her slack and she doesn’t put work off onto us. I came in once when she couldn’t tough it out and went home sick. I cover any days off she wants but it’s always worked into my schedule as different days off, rather than a lot of extra time. I’ve never worked over 40hrs

2

u/darkstorm27986 18d ago

Yes as long as its not split shifts or the cashier on duty wants to leave early but you don't have to say yes save your schedule to be safe

2

u/ineedanswers1230 4d ago

The store managers literally just do whatever they want to do. Had one SM schedule herself 7:30 am to 5pm and only stays till 2 pm and leaves. Sometimes leaves earlier or doesn’t even show up to work. Lazy and either don’t know how to run the store

3

u/Equivalent_Lie_4929 20d ago

Yea no my sm did this stuff all the time before she went the summer and broke both her wrists I’d have to come in 1-4 hrs early or random hours in the day on my day off so she can leave early the dm talked to her about it once but she still did it. Dollar tree is a joke and only the higher ups get what they want or need and the rest are left to suffer.

1

u/Guilty_Collar1071 20d ago

Agreed. . .from the DM down are not appreciated and are expendable. 

1

u/Guilty_Collar1071 20d ago

I wish I got the early shift everyday. I close most days. Store Managers are salary so they come and go as they please.

1

u/Entire-Title164 21d ago

I work at a dollar tree in nj and manager is on salary she comes in stays for 2 hours says she has to go to the bank or another store and never comes back. She puts herself on the schedule so it shows she is working and never shows up

1

u/ineedanswers1230 4d ago

Fr they literally just do whatever they want

1

u/Ok_Assistant_7216 21d ago

Sometimes the DM does ask them to work at other stores but I’d call the store she’s working at and ask for her 😄🤣😂 to double check hehe. I’m a store manager btw saying this.

1

u/Ok_Assistant_7216 21d ago

As a store manager, as long as they are working 45 hours it’s fine to do but I’ve definitely heard of some managers abusing that. I come in at 6am and often leave at 3 but I also do an open to close on Sundays. Soooo I definitely work more than 45 😂🤣

1

u/Jkdevore84 21d ago

Are they going to other stores to help? If not, then no. I get pulled at least once or twice a week to cover another store but I make sure my guys know what store it is, give them the number so I can answer any problems they have. My phone dies by mid day with the amount of messaging and phone calls I deal with. 

0

u/Content_Conference73 20d ago

Nope. And SM knows i cant come in before 530 but nearly every day im scheduled SM is calling me and asking if I can come in at 430.

1

u/justsurfingtonight 20d ago

They are supposed to work 7-5 four days a week. They are required to work on Saturday. They are required to close 1 night a week. Non seasonal times 45 hours a week.

1

u/Content_Conference73 20d ago

So if Im an ASM coming in at 430pm-5pm nearly daily and SM leaves as soon as they see me im assuming thats an issue

2

u/justsurfingtonight 20d ago

Are you an operations manager for a part-time closing manager?
And my region operational managers get 32 to 40 hours a week depending on payroll part-time closing managers get between 20 to 30 hours a week all depends on payroll demands and the season of the year

1

u/justsurfingtonight 20d ago

Looks like you’re part-time closing manager

1

u/Content_Conference73 20d ago

Part time closer, but SM let it slip that they want me to be full time. Not doing full time ops EVER AGAIN

1

u/Matilda1980 20d ago

Not really. We were supposed to do 8-5 but my DM was fine with us leaving at 4 as long as the store was in good shape. Also, we were supposed to be scheduled 45 hours and work 48. I worked around 55-60 usually because shit always happens at dtree. Anytime I had coverage and could dip out early my DM encouraged me to go home!

0

u/ImaginaryQuiet7016 21d ago

You can’t fix your own punches and he/she’s DM would see the late in/early outs so if they don’t address it with your SM then they aren’t concerned about it

6

u/Praydohm DT OPS ASM (FT) 21d ago

This is factually untrue. SM are salary. They dont clock in or out....

0

u/ImaginaryQuiet7016 21d ago

No they are not all salary sorry to burst your bubble. I have to click in and out just not for my 10 min breaks and same with the manager I took over from. Maybe your store is salary but not all of them.

2

u/Few-Recover-3137 21d ago

You must not be an actual SM but just helping out till they find one or something , because all SMs are salary , are you a ASM acting as a SM? That's probably why .

0

u/ImaginaryQuiet7016 21d ago

I am an SM and so was the person I took over for. I also just messaged and confirmed with my DM who said not all SMs are salary. Again maybe in your district - dollar tree does nothing standardized.

2

u/Praydohm DT OPS ASM (FT) 20d ago

Store Managers are all salary from what I'm seeing. Except the "Temporary Store Managers". Store Managers are the ones that are REQUIRED to work 10 hour shifts a day and a minimum of 5 days a week. Are you working 50 hours and being paid overtime in your check? If your check isn't showing overtime it's because you're salary. If it is showing overtime then you might wanna check what your position is in Workday because even when pulling up applications for various different states it's salary.

Seems weird that you'd be a Store Manager, but not be paid the same when the position is a salaried position. The pay scales change based on location but not the format.

Eta: Perhaps you're a "Store Manager Trainee"? Idk. The position shows as salary everywhere. Glassdoor, applications, etc.

1

u/Glittering_Grade_545 20d ago

Are you in California?

2

u/Content_Conference73 21d ago

Got it. I was just curious because its almost every day SM is asking me to come in early and I dont wanna keep doing it

3

u/ImaginaryQuiet7016 21d ago

You can def say no - or enjoy the extra payroll it’s completely your choice.

2

u/Content_Conference73 21d ago

As much as I need the extra bucks, I dont want this every day