I work part-time in a tutoring center, six days a week. Because of the center’s budget, management keeps staffing to a bare minimum. For day-to-day scheduled visits by students, this is fine. However, problems arise if we are unable to come in. We are obligated to find a substitute. Since most people work the same time/day, this can get difficult. Many of my co-workers are grad students/work other jobs on top of this one, so finding a sub is sometimes impossible because of people’s schedules.
Because the job is part-time, we get no ‘sick days’ or equivalent. I don’t mind being unpayed for days I didn’t work. However, because of the staffing situation finding a person to cover is aggrivating, especially if it happens over short notice (illness, family emergency, etc). Normally we get the week after Christmas off. I had planned a vacation with my girlfriend the week after Christmas to capitalize on the most consecutive days off I’d ever get in a year.
Much to my dismay, our manager informed us recently that we will in fact NOT get the week off after Christmas, and instead work reduced hours. I was not amused, considering I planned on being six hours away during that week. I asked co-workers if they could cover for me but they, not surprisingly, balked because they wanted the time to spend with their families. In short, NOBODY wants to work that week. Since hardly any students will be coming in that week anyway, I think it is pointless and a waste of money for the center to be open. Because of the inconvenience to everybody, I had an idea.
When making small talk with students, I’ll casually tell them who isn’t planning on being here. I’m hoping they’ll figure we’ll be so dead they might as well just schedule make-up sessions and come in early January instead. If nobody is scheduled to come in on a day, there’s no point in even having the center open. I’m kind of torn about this, because it does feel sneaky and underhanded, but at the same time I feel like I’m being put in a near-impossible situation.