floating question

[pharm00123]

I've been floating with cvs for a couple months any my supervisor just told me that my 40 hr/week permanent store will be this crazy, super busy 24 hour store. its like the 2ns busiest pharmacist in our district. I really hate working at that store (i worked there for many shifts) but I just dont know how to tell the supervisor that I do not want to be placed there. I was previously working in hospital so retail is still pretty new to me and I just cannot handle that high volume store. Im afraid of emailing him and asking if I can just rather float because I do not want to get fired. Do you think its even worth asking or will it reflect bad upon me?

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[rxglasshalffull]

i floated for a chain for 13 months. i quit just last week. all the stores sucked, i didnt see myself in any of them full time. but i REALLY would not want to be placed permanently in a busy 24 hr store. i understand where youre coming from. i think it will reflect bad upon you if you tell you supervisor. however if you dont, you will be very miserable in that store. like you said, youve been there many times, you know how it is.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I think once you are working full-time in a store, you will have a better chance of getting transferred to a store you like. I'd tell your supervisor that you will take the job, but that you want to work at XYZ store as soon as there is an opening (have a plausible reason, like its closer to your home, or has better hours, or something.) If all else fails, start dating a tech at your store, and then they will have to transfer you.

 

[M0df]

He has no reason to fire you but I highly doubt he will listen to any of your concerns. If you want to talk to him, do it face to face, because that is what most supervisors do anyway. They prefer not to discuss these topics in emails. The only reason to talk is to calm yourself down and feel you tried working it out. If you are a new grad, your value to him is limited and it is a win-win situation for him to put you in a busy store. You will either sink or swim. Either way he wins.

 

[dblock05]

I've been floating with cvs for a couple months any my supervisor just told me that my 40 hr/week permanent store will be this crazy, super busy 24 hour store. its like the 2ns busiest pharmacist in our district. I really hate working at that store (i worked there for many shifts) but I just dont know how to tell the supervisor that I do not want to be placed there. I was previously working in hospital so retail is still pretty new to me and I just cannot handle that high volume store. Im afraid of emailing him and asking if I can just rather float because I do not want to get fired. Do you think its even worth asking or will it reflect bad upon me?

Don't take this the wrong way but it seems like your manager wants you to quit which is why he is putting you at that type of store unless he doesn't realize your new/struggling. I've seen that type of approach done before...

 

[PharFromNormal]

He has no reason to fire you but I highly doubt he will listen to any of your concerns. If you want to talk to him, do it face to face, because that is what most supervisors do anyway. They prefer not to discuss these topics in emails. The only reason to talk is to calm yourself down and feel you tried working it out. If you are a new grad, your value to him is limited and it is a win-win situation for him to put you in a busy store. You will either sink or swim. Either way he wins.

No the reason they prefer not to put these topics in emails is because the prefer to not have them documented. Document. Document. Document. If you have a face to face ask for a summary or provide a summary back typed up and emailed back asking to review the conversation. If you raise a valid concern and it's documented and they didn't do anything, their liability has now increased because they were made aware and didn't act. If they commit to something face to face and it never happens they can deny deny deny. Get it in writing.

 

[Auriel619]

I think once you are working full-time in a store, you will have a better chance of getting transferred to a store you like. I'd tell your supervisor that you will take the job, but that you want to work at XYZ store as soon as there is an opening (have a plausible reason, like its closer to your home, or has better hours, or something.) If all else fails, start dating a tech at your store, and then they will have to transfer you.

Just to offer another viewpoint from BidingMyTime, I know of a couple pharmacist who had a similar train of thought. They didn't want to stop floating and thought that if they did get placed into a very busy store as a full-timer, they can transfer out later. It took one of the 4 years to transfer out. Because he ended up doing well at the store, even though he hated it, took no bathroom breaks etc, the DM kept him there.
For 8 years.
Of course he wanted to transfer out, but he had just proved he can handle the store. So of course the DM dragged his feet and kept him in the super busy store. It wasn't until our DM left that he was able to transfer out. So keep that in mind, even if you only do a Okay job at the busy store, the DM will most likely keep you there.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Just to offer another viewpoint from BidingMyTime, I know of a couple pharmacist who had a similar train of thought. They didn't want to stop floating and thought that if they did get placed into a very busy store as a full-timer, they can transfer out later. It took one of the 4 years to transfer out. Because he ended up doing well at the store, even though he hated it, took no bathroom breaks etc, the DM kept him there.
For 8 years.
Of course he wanted to transfer out, but he had just proved he can handle the store. So of course the DM dragged his feet and kept him in the super busy store. It wasn't until our DM left that he was able to transfer out. So keep that in mind, even if you only do a Okay job at the busy store, the DM will most likely keep you there.

That's a very good point. If you do too well at a job nobody else wants, you will be stuck there forever.

 

[pharm00123]

what do you suggest I tell the supervisor if I do not want to be full time there? I just feel like its such an awkward conversation to have and I dont want hime to have any doubts about hiring me

 

[M0df]

You are already working for them. Do not stress on his doubts about hiring you. Here are the most common excuses to pass up on something your boss wants you to do:
- Family/Personal issues - make something up that sounds good.
- Store is too far away and commute is killing you.
- Safety issues (typically for females) if store closes late and it is in bad area.
- Check your potential schedule. If you are on the hook to work too little/too much, use that as excuse.
- You are still new and learning and floating offers you best way to learn.
- Talk to other newly hired pharmacists in your district and see what they say.

Honestly, you probably have no say in this. He will not feel awkward at all. So if you want to get anywhere with this, learn quickly not to be shy about your desires with this. Just think of it as practice for the future and probably start looking for another job if this conversation doesn't go as planned. Not because he will fire you but simply because you might be at that store for awhile, or at least until new graduating class comes in!