Unusual for Chain Retail Pharmacies Not to Transfer you?

[Keppra]

Just out of curiosity...is it unusual if you worked for a chain retail pharmacy for 4+ years to not transfer you to another location in the US if you requested you wanted to relocate? So for example, if I wanted to go to Cali and I worked for Walgreen's, I asked my regional manager to transfer me out there and it's been 3 months and I still have heard no reply. Why has she not transferred me out? Is it because they want to keep me in my region or there's some kind of politics involved? Are they badmouthing me within the company and Cali doesn't want anything to do with me? As far as I know, I have a decent work record. I don't know......but it's getting a little frustrating when I plan to relocate within 2 months. What course of action should I do?

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[sdn1977]

Well....California perhaps might be an unusual circumstance.

First, are you a pharmacist? If so, are you licensed in California? If not, you can stop right there - no license, no work.

If you are licensed in California, then it depends on where in CA you want to go. In S CA, the pharmacists are often regulated by a union, in which case, union rules will prevail. There may be limits on who gets to go where, seniority, etc.....

If you want to go to N CA, you will often take a float job first. Most pharmacy managers will get to hire whom they want - they don't have to take just anybody.

If you are a tech....things are entirely different.

So..I doubt they want you so badly they don't want to transfer you - and I doubt a chain as large as Walgreens really cares about you to the extent anyone is sending bad messages about you unless you are trying to obtain a position as a district or regional manager.

But, you may be barking up the wrong tree because this person you are trying to get to transfer you may not have any authority in CA at all.

 

[Keppra]

No, I'm intern licensed in CA. I want to work as a graduate pharmacist there first and then work full-time pharmacist when I get licensed.

 

[sdn1977]

Ok - so then - where do you want to go - N or S CA?

 

[Keppra]

I'm 100% positive that I'm going to South California - anywhere from San Fernando Valley, LA, even up to Antelope Valley and possibly as south as Orange County.

 

[sdn1977]

I don't mean to put a fine point on things, but its southern CA - not South California - we are all one state .

Anyway...southern CA is predominately union. Interns are part of the union. So, I think you must apply directly to Walgreens in their southern CA division, join the union then you're probably going to float. S CA is pretty saturated for pharmacists anyway & I'm going to guess interns as well.

I don't think you can rely on your local Walgreens person since they will have absolutely no influence or knowlede of union rules.

Good luck!

 

[clachan3]

Same here, I've been a PIC with the company full-time 2+ years. There are 3 positions (1 full-time staff, 2 part-time staff) open right now, and I was still denied. District manager at the new location kept telling me that they don't have anything that meet my needs, when I told them that I'll take anything they have. I'll float if they need me.

They are going to have to give me better reasons than that. I'm fully capable of working as a staff pharmacist. The interesting thing is my immediate district manager told me the exact same thing, word for word, a few weeks before when they made me PRN out there. It's like a line they memorized to tell you that they're not giving you what you want.

The way they said it was like I was the one creating that problem for myself. Hence they "don't have anything that meet YOUR needs" crap. Somehow they just have gotten away with leaving their employees in the dark/refusing to tell us the truth. I'm kind of sick of it.

 

[Angela1234]

Had that happen to me in Ohio. Spoke with the district manager in Ohio and she told me there were currently no openings, not even for floaters after she took 2 weeks to call me back.

 

[Momus]

DM has to serve his best interest. If it means he has to lie to you, he will lie to you. Who wants to be bothered trying to fill an open spot you have? Finding a suitable replacement is not easy, especially if you say you are as good as you think you are.