I stand at the end of aisles looking like slender man staring at my TMs when I catchen them on their phones/goofing off till they realize. Then they do the whole "boss is coming run meme". And we all end up laughing and getting back to work
Ask them how the zoning is going? Or if everything is ok? I would be a bad TL I think because nothing makes me more mad than people allergic to earning their paychecks. Like come on bro. I have fellow TM’s that will be having full on phone calls with people but they are still working, stocking shelves pulling etc. homies not even doing anything (that we can see). Like I use my phone for the target app and my time (to see what time my breaks are and such) while I am working that’s it.
One of the ladies in style at my store is always either on the phone or listening to a podcast or video of some sort any time I go by where she’s working.
But she is without question one of the best if not the best team members in my store. So it’s like alright fair enough, not supposed to be doing this but we won’t stop you because your productivity is never in question
exactly my take as well as a lead. like if you're new or being performance managed because you're not meeting expectations, follow rules and processes. but if i never have to worry about you not coming clean i'll overlook things as long as they're not like egregious offenses or safety violations (specifically i'm thinking of one of my tms who always does repacks last, process is technically repacks first but she comes clean every single day without fail so i let her do her freight in the order she wants).
as far as i'm aware, target best practice is repacks first. it seems counterintuitive because you'd think you'd want to clear vehicles first in preparation of the next day's truck, but pushing repacks first is best because anyone can push casepack vehicles, but not everyone can push repacks because they're sort of specialized. if the person pushing that department rolls their repacks, it can be difficult to find someone else to push them efficiently, and if you start rolling repacks they usually start to snowball and it becomes very difficult to come clean on them (been there done that lol).
From a personal standpoint I agree, however I tend to just draw lines across the board, if I'm going to enforce it for one person I gotta enforce for everybody because I have no energy for "well Susy does it and you don't say anything..." scenarios
that is fair and i do that with like 99% of things (safety, attendance, etc.), but if the end result is the same (like with repacks) i leave it be. if anyone comes at me like "i want to do my repacks last >:(" i just go "are you coming clean consistently? do you come clean but cut it close every day?" and if the answer is "no i don't come clean daily/yes i cut it close daily" then i explain why, if they're going to roll freight or if it's looking like they're going to roll freight, i'd rather roll casefreight vs. repacks. if you want to do repacks last fine, prove to me that you will absolutely come clean on everything including repacks and i won't care. (i keep using the repacks example because now that i'm thinking about it, that's the only thing i can actually think of where i don't hold everyone to the same standard lol)
Based on what I know about this woman from working with her for close to three years now, I don’t think that’s it. I think she’s just the type who does her thing and she’s such a good worker that no one questions it.
Not saying you’re definitely wrong, just that it’s not necessarily my read on the situation
I mean, I get it when someone says "work your wage" but when I see something like this I think "wage theft" .... TM's be dying for hours and here we have one wasting time.
I've been known to talk briefly on the phone in the back room while pulling priorities, or stepping off to the side to make a call while on the clock. My TLs are really cool about it, because I'm a good worker and my work is done and done well by the end of the day. And if a guest was to approach me, I would quickly end my call and excuse myself to the guest. I do use my phone for a lot of work related purposes as well, it works better than my zebra a lot of the time.
Ask if everything is ok? Then if answer is yes ask why they have phone and talk about loafing. Document as needed. If answer is no ask if they need to go talk alone in office and offer as much support as able.
Last remodel Corporate decide to rip out the tile and polish the concrete with the agenda of going green. No more chemical waxes with toxic fumes. It took a while to get used to this as it effected the lighting (darkened the ambience) .... now it's just a floor that's cheaper to maintain.
this is such a weird scenario. what leader is lurking and watching TMs like this? realistically a leader would get on a TM for being on their phone even if they only had it out for a second. they aren’t waiting to tell the TM off lol
I could have written that better, it certainly would never happen like that.
The actual scenario was I walked by once and noticed them. A bit later I walked by and they were still in the same place. Several minutes later I came by and they were **STILL** there. After about 15 minutes I snapped this photo and shared it with the ETL for that area.
Before I start, I am a tm(a trainer and "DBO"). I am trying to move up to be a lead. I have absolutely no experience. Just putting that out there before someone thinks I'm trying to be some know it all lol.
As an empath I would want to first make sure they are okay. Then see if there is a warranted reason why they are sitting on the phone (emergency call? emergency text?) if ethier i would suggest they go off stage and to let me know if they need to leave.
Now if there is no reason besides just laziness. I have no time for that. If this was the first time I caught them doing this I would have a conversation with them in the office. If this was a repeat offense I would ethier write them up or put them on a ca.
I care about people and want them to know they can come to me for support. And I absolutely despise conflict and the idea of putting someone on a ca or a final. But I cannot enable laziness.
Good answer! btw .... my TL said this TM was seen doing this exact same thing before (or maybe it was the next day). We have another TM who does this but we can see she's working, she's also a high-functioning neurodivergent so she gets a bit of a pass. But I kid you not, the TM in this image only moved 4 feet in the 15 minutes I observed them.
You can't give anyone a pass. Treat everyone the same, or you'll be accused of mistreating a TM.
You go after one TM for using a phone during working hours but not after others, and Target could be facing a lawsuit.
That's why the rule is no phones. There are no water bottles for anyone on the floor. Of course, this is broken daily.
But should someone complain.
I think why the othe TM is given "a bit of a pass" is because they're actually zoning and only do it to reach everything in the back of the shelf on the bottom shelves (deep zone). But I agree because it's easy for others who see her doing it that way to get the idea that it's okay. As for me, I'll go to my hands and knees to zone bottom shelves, I would never sit to do it.
as someone with chronic joint pain i always have to sit if i’m zoning a bottom shelf. my knees can’t handle the hard tile. i just scoot along as i’m doing it, lol. i’ve done this in front of tls and even the sd and nobody has said anything, i think they figure that as long as i’m doing my job it doesn’t matter what position i get in to do it.
I go over, sit down next to them and ask if they're okay.
If they're not in ask them if there's anything I can do to help and send them on a 15 so they can collect themselves. When they come back in i check in again, once again asking if there's anything I can do to help. I then proceed to spend the next 10mins or so zoning with them close by in case they do need something but far enough that I'm not crowding them and before walking away tell them they're doing a great job and to keep going but do not hesitate to call me over the radio if they need something. Periodically checking in over the night silently because who wants a TL just bugging them every 10mins to see if they're okay.
If they are just being lazy and opting out of work we have a performance conversation, they get back to work and if it happens again I send you home. If it's an on going issue some one else will now be utilizing your hours and the days you do work, you work with me until I see improvement. Setting very clear time goals of where you should be by the time I come back since closing TL I can't really just hold your hand because you suck.
Decently zone at least. If I was a TL and given all provided context. I would walk away, walkie the tm the next task on their to do list (while not looking like I’m singling out that tm by doing multiple walkie check ins with other tms). All while watching the security footage of that tm to see their reaction. đź¤
If the store is open, tell them they need to get off the sales floor if the phone call is that important. If the store isn’t open, ask them if they can keep working while talking on the phone. Some of my TL’s have taken phone calls while on the clock and I don’t think any of them would care if I had to take one in front of them as long as I’m not just standing there doing nothing.
It’s blowing my mind how many people here think it’s ok to talk on the phone on the salesfloor. The only calls I’ll answer on the floor are from my SD or BPs.
And if they replied that they were having a family emergency, and they don’t have family emergencies every other night, I would be sympathetic. Don’t come at me Reddit I’m human and I am able to empathize with other humans
I would radio them and ask how the zone is going, and when they answer, I would say out loud not on radio, why have you been sitting on your ass for 10 minutes.
I’d make sure everything was okay first.. and offer them to get off the floor and into the breakroom or just take them to the office to talk to them to try and understand why they were just sitting there💀
Honestly, I’d lean against the aisle and just time how long it takes. Hit them with a “so you don’t need to be on your phone to zone, or on the floor for that matter” and just a little reminder of you’re on the floor, no phones, no sitting, etc.
If they’ve done it before or aren’t the best, you can drop loafing into the conversation and tell them if it happens again it’s not gonna be a fun conversation
I stand at the end of aisles looking like slender man staring at my TMs when I catchen them on their phones/goofing off till they realize. Then they do the whole "boss is coming run meme". And we all end up laughing and getting back to work
lmao .... thanks, I needed that! 🤣
 Who will flinch first
Ask them how the zoning is going? Or if everything is ok? I would be a bad TL I think because nothing makes me more mad than people allergic to earning their paychecks. Like come on bro. I have fellow TM’s that will be having full on phone calls with people but they are still working, stocking shelves pulling etc. homies not even doing anything (that we can see). Like I use my phone for the target app and my time (to see what time my breaks are and such) while I am working that’s it.
One of the ladies in style at my store is always either on the phone or listening to a podcast or video of some sort any time I go by where she’s working. But she is without question one of the best if not the best team members in my store. So it’s like alright fair enough, not supposed to be doing this but we won’t stop you because your productivity is never in question
exactly my take as well as a lead. like if you're new or being performance managed because you're not meeting expectations, follow rules and processes. but if i never have to worry about you not coming clean i'll overlook things as long as they're not like egregious offenses or safety violations (specifically i'm thinking of one of my tms who always does repacks last, process is technically repacks first but she comes clean every single day without fail so i let her do her freight in the order she wants).
I have always been told by my lead and etl repacks last…
as far as i'm aware, target best practice is repacks first. it seems counterintuitive because you'd think you'd want to clear vehicles first in preparation of the next day's truck, but pushing repacks first is best because anyone can push casepack vehicles, but not everyone can push repacks because they're sort of specialized. if the person pushing that department rolls their repacks, it can be difficult to find someone else to push them efficiently, and if you start rolling repacks they usually start to snowball and it becomes very difficult to come clean on them (been there done that lol).
From a personal standpoint I agree, however I tend to just draw lines across the board, if I'm going to enforce it for one person I gotta enforce for everybody because I have no energy for "well Susy does it and you don't say anything..." scenarios
that is fair and i do that with like 99% of things (safety, attendance, etc.), but if the end result is the same (like with repacks) i leave it be. if anyone comes at me like "i want to do my repacks last >:(" i just go "are you coming clean consistently? do you come clean but cut it close every day?" and if the answer is "no i don't come clean daily/yes i cut it close daily" then i explain why, if they're going to roll freight or if it's looking like they're going to roll freight, i'd rather roll casefreight vs. repacks. if you want to do repacks last fine, prove to me that you will absolutely come clean on everything including repacks and i won't care. (i keep using the repacks example because now that i'm thinking about it, that's the only thing i can actually think of where i don't hold everyone to the same standard lol)
Could be an Ada accommodation for adhd
Since when is there ada accommodations for adhd?
Just have a doctor note with a valid reason for the accommodation
Based on what I know about this woman from working with her for close to three years now, I don’t think that’s it. I think she’s just the type who does her thing and she’s such a good worker that no one questions it. Not saying you’re definitely wrong, just that it’s not necessarily my read on the situation
Yeah, I could only guess from what I know about Ada and employee rights and my own state standards. A shot in the dark perce
I mean, I get it when someone says "work your wage" but when I see something like this I think "wage theft" .... TM's be dying for hours and here we have one wasting time.
Tell em to switch over to market lol no one at my store is dying for hours in the cooler
I've been known to talk briefly on the phone in the back room while pulling priorities, or stepping off to the side to make a call while on the clock. My TLs are really cool about it, because I'm a good worker and my work is done and done well by the end of the day. And if a guest was to approach me, I would quickly end my call and excuse myself to the guest. I do use my phone for a lot of work related purposes as well, it works better than my zebra a lot of the time.
Ask if everything is ok? Then if answer is yes ask why they have phone and talk about loafing. Document as needed. If answer is no ask if they need to go talk alone in office and offer as much support as able.
This is the real answer.
I sit cross-cross-apple-sauce next to them and ask them if they’ve got any games on their phone.
Exploding Kittens! lol
That is some ugly floors ngl, just tell him to get off his phone?
Last remodel Corporate decide to rip out the tile and polish the concrete with the agenda of going green. No more chemical waxes with toxic fumes. It took a while to get used to this as it effected the lighting (darkened the ambience) .... now it's just a floor that's cheaper to maintain.
I sure like it better. 6 to 8 days after a strip and wax, o wad at tgr doctor with bronchitis.
It was a mess. I worked many overnight shifts breathing that crap with no ventilation in the building.
The cut their fingy??
Nope, sitting, legs crossed, scrolling on their phone.
this is such a weird scenario. what leader is lurking and watching TMs like this? realistically a leader would get on a TM for being on their phone even if they only had it out for a second. they aren’t waiting to tell the TM off lol
Yup, my TL would be on my ass in a minute if I was sitting on the floor and didn't need help up. lol
literally. so unrealistic lol
I definitely wouldn’t waste 7 minutes just watching them.
I could have written that better, it certainly would never happen like that. The actual scenario was I walked by once and noticed them. A bit later I walked by and they were still in the same place. Several minutes later I came by and they were **STILL** there. After about 15 minutes I snapped this photo and shared it with the ETL for that area.
I'd just assume he's trying to audit those empty shelves and needed to sit while taking care of it.
Ask them what the hell they're doing and why the hell they're sitting on the floor playing games and not zoning.
Before I start, I am a tm(a trainer and "DBO"). I am trying to move up to be a lead. I have absolutely no experience. Just putting that out there before someone thinks I'm trying to be some know it all lol. As an empath I would want to first make sure they are okay. Then see if there is a warranted reason why they are sitting on the phone (emergency call? emergency text?) if ethier i would suggest they go off stage and to let me know if they need to leave. Now if there is no reason besides just laziness. I have no time for that. If this was the first time I caught them doing this I would have a conversation with them in the office. If this was a repeat offense I would ethier write them up or put them on a ca. I care about people and want them to know they can come to me for support. And I absolutely despise conflict and the idea of putting someone on a ca or a final. But I cannot enable laziness.
Good answer! btw .... my TL said this TM was seen doing this exact same thing before (or maybe it was the next day). We have another TM who does this but we can see she's working, she's also a high-functioning neurodivergent so she gets a bit of a pass. But I kid you not, the TM in this image only moved 4 feet in the 15 minutes I observed them.
You can't give anyone a pass. Treat everyone the same, or you'll be accused of mistreating a TM. You go after one TM for using a phone during working hours but not after others, and Target could be facing a lawsuit. That's why the rule is no phones. There are no water bottles for anyone on the floor. Of course, this is broken daily. But should someone complain.
I think why the othe TM is given "a bit of a pass" is because they're actually zoning and only do it to reach everything in the back of the shelf on the bottom shelves (deep zone). But I agree because it's easy for others who see her doing it that way to get the idea that it's okay. As for me, I'll go to my hands and knees to zone bottom shelves, I would never sit to do it.
as someone with chronic joint pain i always have to sit if i’m zoning a bottom shelf. my knees can’t handle the hard tile. i just scoot along as i’m doing it, lol. i’ve done this in front of tls and even the sd and nobody has said anything, i think they figure that as long as i’m doing my job it doesn’t matter what position i get in to do it.
Sitting and zoning is *completely* different from just chilling in the middle of the floor on your phone
it’s Target … who honestly cares.
I go over, sit down next to them and ask if they're okay. If they're not in ask them if there's anything I can do to help and send them on a 15 so they can collect themselves. When they come back in i check in again, once again asking if there's anything I can do to help. I then proceed to spend the next 10mins or so zoning with them close by in case they do need something but far enough that I'm not crowding them and before walking away tell them they're doing a great job and to keep going but do not hesitate to call me over the radio if they need something. Periodically checking in over the night silently because who wants a TL just bugging them every 10mins to see if they're okay. If they are just being lazy and opting out of work we have a performance conversation, they get back to work and if it happens again I send you home. If it's an on going issue some one else will now be utilizing your hours and the days you do work, you work with me until I see improvement. Setting very clear time goals of where you should be by the time I come back since closing TL I can't really just hold your hand because you suck.
Decently zone at least. If I was a TL and given all provided context. I would walk away, walkie the tm the next task on their to do list (while not looking like I’m singling out that tm by doing multiple walkie check ins with other tms). All while watching the security footage of that tm to see their reaction. đź¤
If the store is open, tell them they need to get off the sales floor if the phone call is that important. If the store isn’t open, ask them if they can keep working while talking on the phone. Some of my TL’s have taken phone calls while on the clock and I don’t think any of them would care if I had to take one in front of them as long as I’m not just standing there doing nothing.
It’s blowing my mind how many people here think it’s ok to talk on the phone on the salesfloor. The only calls I’ll answer on the floor are from my SD or BPs.
Sit down with him and play multiplayer games on the phone
Ask them on the walkie how the zoning is going.
Sneak up behind them and ask, "Whatcha doin'?" If I observe this happening again, I'll send them home.
I personally would set a timer and once it passes the 15 minute mark, ask them how their 15 went
And if they replied that they were having a family emergency, and they don’t have family emergencies every other night, I would be sympathetic. Don’t come at me Reddit I’m human and I am able to empathize with other humans
I would make a lot of noises to see if I get an reaction
I would ask if they were okay and I wouldn't take a picture. If they said they were fine, I'd then have a performance conversation.
I would radio them and ask how the zone is going, and when they answer, I would say out loud not on radio, why have you been sitting on your ass for 10 minutes.
I’d have HR remove him from the schedule for a week. TL should explain why he’s not on the schedule
I’d make sure everything was okay first.. and offer them to get off the floor and into the breakroom or just take them to the office to talk to them to try and understand why they were just sitting there💀
You look tired,take your tired ass home...bye!
Honestly, I’d lean against the aisle and just time how long it takes. Hit them with a “so you don’t need to be on your phone to zone, or on the floor for that matter” and just a little reminder of you’re on the floor, no phones, no sitting, etc. If they’ve done it before or aren’t the best, you can drop loafing into the conversation and tell them if it happens again it’s not gonna be a fun conversation
This isn't the first time they were observed doing this, not sure if they've been given a CA yet but if not, I'm sure one is in their future.
DA-Loafing, automatic no questions.