"Bryan-TGWWW" > wrote in message
...
> It doesn't pay super well, but who cares? It's got medical insurance,
> and
> it's almost all M-F day shift. At the church, I worked 48 weekends a
> year.
>
> --Bryan




I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?

It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy to
work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if you
would be happy to do so.

"Gus" > wrote in message
...
> "Bryan-TGWWW" > wrote in message
> ...
>> It doesn't pay super well, but who cares? It's got medical insurance,
>> and
>> it's almost all M-F day shift. At the church, I worked 48 weekends a
>> year.
>>
>> --Bryan
>
>
>
>
> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>
> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy to
> work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if you
> would be happy to do so.

I just got home from the grocery store. I was chit chatting with the
cashier when I noticed that she just had a rather blankish look on her face.
Like maybe she wasn't happy. Maybe she was thinking of something else.
Maybe I should just shut up because clearly she wasn't listening to me.
Turns out she was deep in thought about what I said. She had given me
credit for the four shopping bags I had brought in. I then said that I
likely wouldn't need all those bags but as she could see, I had come in for
just 5 things and gotten quite a lot more. I would rather have more bags
than not enough. She was then trying to figure out which 5 things I had
come for. And she got them right but... A little smile would have been
nice!

I filled out a job application for a clothing manufacturer on Cape Cod when
we lived there. That would have been probably 20 years ago. Asked me what
religion I was, what my ethnic background was and also what clubs I belonged
to. I couldn't believe it! All that was illegal to ask and yet they did!

>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>> to work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if
>> you would be happy to do so.

I don't see that as inane. I know some people that will never work
overtime, not for a minute. I know other, including myself, that have
never turned down OT if offered. As a manger, I'd like to know who I
can count on in a pinch to help out if someone call in sick or it
suddently get busier than normal.

On Thursday, August 21, 2014 12:34:03 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>
> >> to work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if
>
> >> you would be happy to do so.
>
>
>
> I don't see that as inane. I know some people that will never work
>
> overtime, not for a minute. I know other, including myself, that have
>
> never turned down OT if offered.

I was to go to person for any overtime for years. I was happy for the
extra money.

--Bryan

On 8/21/2014 1:36 PM, Bryan-TGWWW wrote:
> On Thursday, August 21, 2014 12:34:03 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>>
>>>> to work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if
>>
>>>> you would be happy to do so.
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't see that as inane. I know some people that will never work
>>
>> overtime, not for a minute. I know other, including myself, that have
>>
>> never turned down OT if offered.
>
> I was to go to person for any overtime for years. I was happy for the
> extra money.
>
> --Bryan
>

Absolutely. Especially in the early years starting a family. For the
past 45 years I've been salaried in different positions and get no
overtime. I still work extra as the job requires. While I don't get
OT, it is noticed and I've always gotten good bonuses or other benefits.

In reply to Gus:

> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>
Heh. If the job involved interacting with the public, what's wrong with
that question?

> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy to
> work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if you
> would be happy to do so.

You do realize that question really means "willing" (or "able"), right?
It doesn't mean you have to be deliriously happy about working extra
hours.

Some people can't work certain hours. They may or may not hire you
depending on the shift. Then again, lots of people are willing to work
overtime. Time-and-a-half or double-time pay.

Jill

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On 8/21/2014 1:36 PM, Bryan-TGWWW wrote:
>> On Thursday, August 21, 2014 12:34:03 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>>>
>>>>> to work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if
>>>
>>>>> you would be happy to do so.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't see that as inane. I know some people that will never work
>>>
>>> overtime, not for a minute. I know other, including myself, that have
>>>
>>> never turned down OT if offered.
>>
>> I was to go to person for any overtime for years. I was happy for the
>> extra money.
>>
>> --Bryan
>>
>
> Absolutely. Especially in the early years starting a family. For the
> past 45 years I've been salaried in different positions and get no
> overtime. I still work extra as the job requires. While I don't get OT,
> it is noticed and I've always gotten good bonuses or other benefits.

other benefits like: keeping your job, too.

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> In reply to Gus:
>
>> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
>> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>>
> Heh. If the job involved interacting with the public, what's wrong with
> that question?


it might be racist.

On 8/21/2014 4:24 PM, Pico Rico wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In reply to Gus:
>>
>>> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
>>> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>>>
>> Heh. If the job involved interacting with the public, what's wrong with
>> that question?
>
>
> it might be racist.
>
>
Excuse me?! WTF does being willing to smile at customers have to do
with racism?

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 8/21/2014 4:24 PM, Pico Rico wrote:
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> In reply to Gus:
>>>
>>>> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
>>>> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>>>>
>>> Heh. If the job involved interacting with the public, what's wrong with
>>> that question?
>>
>>
>> it might be racist.
>>
>>
> Excuse me?! WTF does being willing to smile at customers have to do with
> racism?
>
> Jill

just about as much as a lot of the things being called racist these days:
not a damn thing.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...

> Absolutely. Especially in the early years starting a family. For the
> past 45 years I've been salaried in different positions and get no
> overtime. I still work extra as the job requires. While I don't get OT,
> it is noticed and I've always gotten good bonuses or other benefits.

I almost always took advantage of overtime. Once in a while I could not
because I had other plans like a dentist appointment or a family birthday
dinner or some such thing. And I never worked on holidays such as
Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving. I could have worked on Christmas as my
family never did any family type things on that day after my brother and I
moved out of the house but... I knew there were enough other people where I
worked who really did need the most excellent pay that they would have
gotten on that day and also the free meal or two that they would get. The
store always put on a fancy, catered meal on that day and it was all you
could eat. So if they were working an 8 hour shift, they could eat on their
lunch break then eat again before they left work. I let those people work
on those days. But if they had needed me to work, I would have done it.

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> In reply to Gus:
>
>> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
>> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>>
> Heh. If the job involved interacting with the public, what's wrong with
> that question?
>
>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy to
>> work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if you
>> would be happy to do so.
>
> You do realize that question really means "willing" (or "able"), right? It
> doesn't mean you have to be deliriously happy about working extra hours.
>
> Some people can't work certain hours. They may or may not hire you
> depending on the shift. Then again, lots of people are willing to work
> overtime. Time-and-a-half or double-time pay.
>
> Jill

I know people who refused to work one minute past their scheduled time. One
had no real reason. She had no kids and no other job. But when I worked at
the golf course, if I was working the late shift, the two workers who
swapped off days and worked before me would go nuts if I didn't arrive 15
minutes before the end of their shift. Both that children at home and were
paying a babysitter and they didn't want to have to pay that sitter for one
more minute of work.

I thought this was just wrong because there was nothing in my contract
stating that I had to arrive early for work and not get paid for it. Why
should I? It took me a good 15 minutes or so to close out the till, shut
down the computer and do all of the other things that could not be done
until the end of my shift. And the Pro Shop was open until 8:00 so I really
couldn't do these things until 8:00 although if I knew we weren't busy, of
course I could start the process of doing this still.

They reasoned that if their shift ended at 10:00 a.m., they should be able
to walk out the door then. Perhaps this was a fault of the person who did
the scheduling because they should have allowed for a 15 minute overlap in
there. I used to chuckle to myself whenever that one woman would glare at
me and tell me that she was going to tell the boss on me if I arrived late
again. Late in her eyes was 10 minutes before the start of my shift. I
would just smile and tell her "Okay!" She didn't have a leg to stand on.

As it was, I was working double shifts most days anyway and some days more
than that still. We were all supposed to be part time but I was the only
one (until I got pregnant) who didn't have other issues that would have
prevented my working more hours. One guy was in the military and the rest
were either sick, pregnant, or had kids at home.

"Pico Rico" > wrote in message
...
>
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On 8/21/2014 4:24 PM, Pico Rico wrote:
>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> In reply to Gus:
>>>>
>>>>> I started to apply for a job couple days ago online. There were
>>>>> preliminary questions. Like: Are you willing to smile at customers?
>>>>>
>>>> Heh. If the job involved interacting with the public, what's wrong
>>>> with
>>>> that question?
>>>
>>>
>>> it might be racist.
>>>
>>>
>> Excuse me?! WTF does being willing to smile at customers have to do with
>> racism?
>>
>> Jill
>
> just about as much as a lot of the things being called racist these days:
> not a damn thing.

I did see a show on PBS some years ago about Finland. They said that
Finnish people smile less than the people in any other country. Now that
may only apply to those who actually live in Finland. One of my friends in
high school and beyond was Finnish and he certainly smiled.

On 8/21/2014 9:26 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In reply to Gus:
>>
>>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy to
>>> work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if you
>>> would be happy to do so.
>>
>> You do realize that question really means "willing" (or "able"),
>> right? It doesn't mean you have to be deliriously happy about working
>> extra hours.
>>
>> Some people can't work certain hours. They may or may not hire you
>> depending on the shift. Then again, lots of people are willing to
>> work overtime. Time-and-a-half or double-time pay.
>>
>> Jill
>
> I know people who refused to work one minute past their scheduled time.
> One had no real reason. She had no kids and no other job. But when I
> worked at the golf course, if I was working the late shift, the two
> workers who swapped off days and worked before me would go nuts if I
> didn't arrive 15 minutes before the end of their shift. Both that
> children at home and were paying a babysitter and they didn't want to
> have to pay that sitter for one more minute of work.
>
If you're paying a baby sitter it makes sense to want to leave as
quickly as you can. As for people without kids, do you really know what
they were doing after work? Maybe they wanted to get ready for a date.
Maybe they had to take care of a friend or family member. Or, it
could be they just didn't care and wanted to leave.

> I thought this was just wrong because there was nothing in my contract
> stating that I had to arrive early for work and not get paid for it.

Were you punching a clock? Filling in a time-sheet? If so, you should
have gotten paid for those extra 10-15 minutes.

Jill

On 8/21/2014 3:17 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 8/21/2014 1:36 PM, Bryan-TGWWW wrote:

Gus wrote:

>>>>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>>>>> to work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if
>>>>> you would be happy to do so.
>>>
>>> I don't see that as inane. I know some people that will never work
>>> overtime, not for a minute. I know other, including myself, that have
>>> never turned down OT if offered.
>>
>> I was to go to person for any overtime for years. I was happy for the
>> extra money.
>>
>> --Bryan
>>
>
> Absolutely. Especially in the early years starting a family. For the
> past 45 years I've been salaried in different positions and get no
> overtime. I still work extra as the job requires. While I don't get
> OT, it is noticed and I've always gotten good bonuses or other benefits.

As a salaried employee I didn't get paid overtime but I did get "comp
time" (extra time off) because I did work extra hours. Also annual
bonuses. The people who always wanted to cut out early or right on the
dot (they were also salaried) were noticed, and not necessarily in a
good way. They'd also drag out their [paid] lunch hour and come
wandering in about 30 minutes late every day. That was noticed, too.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 8/21/2014 9:26 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> In reply to Gus:
>>>
>>>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>>>> to
>>>> work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if you
>>>> would be happy to do so.
>>>
>>> You do realize that question really means "willing" (or "able"),
>>> right? It doesn't mean you have to be deliriously happy about working
>>> extra hours.
>>>
>>> Some people can't work certain hours. They may or may not hire you
>>> depending on the shift. Then again, lots of people are willing to
>>> work overtime. Time-and-a-half or double-time pay.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> I know people who refused to work one minute past their scheduled time.
>> One had no real reason. She had no kids and no other job. But when I
>> worked at the golf course, if I was working the late shift, the two
>> workers who swapped off days and worked before me would go nuts if I
>> didn't arrive 15 minutes before the end of their shift. Both that
>> children at home and were paying a babysitter and they didn't want to
>> have to pay that sitter for one more minute of work.


> If you're paying a baby sitter it makes sense to want to leave as quickly
> as you can. As for people without kids, do you really know what they were
> doing after work? Maybe they wanted to get ready for a date. Maybe they
> had to take care of a friend or family member. Or, it could be they just
> didn't care and wanted to leave.
>

She was married. So no date. She just didn't want to work at all but had to.
Same person always managed to be "sick" on Fridays when she had the weekend
off and the weather was nice. She was never sick when it was raining.

>> I thought this was just wrong because there was nothing in my contract
>> stating that I had to arrive early for work and not get paid for it.
>
> Were you punching a clock? Filling in a time-sheet? If so, you should
> have gotten paid for those extra 10-15 minutes.

Punching a clock. But I was not allowed to punch the clock until the exact
time that my shift started. They paid us in 15 minute increments but if we
were more than 8 minutes either way it counted as overtime.

On 8/21/2014 12:36 PM, Bryan-TGWWW wrote:
> On Thursday, August 21, 2014 12:34:03 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>> It continued on with other inane questions. Like, would you be happy
>>
>>>> to work beyond your scheduled hours if asked. It literally asked if
>>
>>>> you would be happy to do so.
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't see that as inane. I know some people that will never work
>>
>> overtime, not for a minute. I know other, including myself, that have
>>
>> never turned down OT if offered.
>
> I was to go to person for any overtime for years. I was happy for the
> extra money.
>

In retail, a lot of people are hired to work less than 40 so that they
aren't entitled to benefits, and then the employer makes them work
extra hours, so that they are full-time workers - but without the
benefits. There are also a lot of employers - Walmart is notorious for
this - who force their employees to work overtime without paying them
for it.

This is most likely a case of an employer screening for employees who
are either sufficiently naive or desperate to agree upfront to being
taken advantage of. They don't want anyone who demonstrates awareness
of their legal rights.

Congrats to whoever got the new job. Working is how I got my start. Hang in there. Target got busted for asking job applicants if they believed in Jesus and did they think He was coming back. They refused to hire folks who answered yes. Paid out some money on a lawsuit to settle it.