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Author Topic: Sending employees home Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: California, U.S.A. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-03-2005 01:41 AM                     I'm the only one I know of that doesn't jump at the opportunity to go home early. Don't get me wrong, I've done it before but it's rare. Sending people home at our location is like giving them Christmas early. It's weird.  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 08-03-2005 01:59 AM                     Like most others have said, I sometimes send people home but it is almost always voluntarily on their part. The one time I have actually sent someone home I kept them for their minimum 3 hours.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 08-03-2005 11:27 AM                        My theory on this is simple. If I've taken MY time to schedule them they work. As others said, something ALWAYS needed to be cleaned in the theatre... When I was FORCED to send employees home, I always asked for volunteers first.. and usually had no probelm getting them. There was once a policy that the 16=plex I managed, in a resort town where business was always good- but often unpredictable, I was required to run a cashier and an asst or two. This lasted about as long as it took to read the email.. How can ANY manager actually oversee operations while stuck manning a concesion terminal? Granted, I had no issue with working anywhere (I actually enjoyed it- lead by example), but it's hard to work with customers n any issue when you're trying to fill a family of five's order.. Policies mandated, in blanket form, usually ar eproven to be more ineffective at maintaining costs than allowing a seasoned, and EFFECIENT manager to do their job. And I still miss the business... *Forgot to mention the legalities in sending someone home whom you have scheduled to work certain hours. If they show up for work, as scheduled, in some, if not most, states, you have an obligatin to pay them for those hours. Irregardless, even in those situations where you have a person or two more than business supports, it al balances out in the end when you're slammed unexpectedly on a rainy day and can't get extra employees in... or when you have a slow day and someone calls in sick... Efficient management is all it boils down to... IMO.  |  IP: Logged Brandon Willis Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Richmond, VA, USA Registered: Apr 2004 posted 08-03-2005 11:34 AM                     I HATE, HATE, HATE sending people home. I only do it if my GM tells me he's going to write me up if I don't. In that case, I NEVER force anyone to go home. I ask for volunteers. If nobody volunteers, then I'll find something for the extra people to do to occupy their time. As has been stated before, there is ALWAYS something to do or something to clean up in the theatre.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-03-2005 12:01 PM                        We try our best to schedule according to what type of night we think we're going to have, based upon weather, movies, other community events, etc. Sometimes we get it right, other nights we miss it by a mile. On the nights that we mis-judge our predicted attendance, I'll send folks home. Running a drive-in is a little diferent than an indoor, but when payroll comes out of my personal pocket, I do what I can to control costs. Most of the teenagers volunteer - and they're fine with that.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-03-2005 04:14 PM                     S.O.P. at our place as well. Many times I have heard the managers downstairs relate that they rarely have a situation where nobody volunteers to go home. Usually the reverse is true- they all want to go home. Most of our kids work because they consider it "fun", and not because they are broke. Mom and Dad generally provide everything they need (cell phone, wheels, pocket money). When it gets slow, they become bored very fast, and most decide they want to do something else. On the other hand, I don't have a problem in the booth. When it gets slow, I can't send the operator home.  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 08-04-2005 08:22 AM                     I honestly can't recall a time when I didn't have at least one volunteer to leave early. I try to make my schedule at least two weeks in advance which employees love. They have time to switch with others or plan their days accordingly. I usually think I do a pretty good job at scheduling correctly, but I think it's highly unlikely to assume that any manager can always predict accurately how a movie or week is going to open. This year has been especially true for that, many things I thought would open better did not. quote: Bruce Hansen How do you expect your employees to care about the company, if the company doesn't care about them. When you need them, they may just decide that it isn't important to show up. Simple solution to this, if they don't show up, they don't have a job. Very few of my employees have enjoyed their employment at other jobs as well as the theatre and we pay less. Many of them work at theatres because they enjoy it, not because they have to get every last 1/2 hour they are scheduled.  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 08-04-2005 09:01 PM                     California requires that employees be paid for 2 hours when they come in. We frequently cut people out early if the business isn't there - but, like most have said, you will always have kids wanting to leave early. I can't remember the last time we set someone home that didnt want to leave..  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-07-2005 08:40 PM                    I think Pauls attitude is way off base. Treating kids like their nothing but a payroll number is just wrong. The "who cares if you dont like it, well find someone else as worthless as you" mentality is a good reason why theaters CAN'T keep employees. The job is fun, the atmosphere is great, but its disgrunted managment with piss poor attitudes that create the large turnover....If your burned out, find another job, but ease up, your attitude is just wrong.  |  IP: Logged Darren Solomon Film Handler Posts: 28 From: unknown Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-07-2005 08:44 PM                        What about the slow season, between Jan thru April? What our theatre did during those months for the booth supervisors was, that the first show was at 12:30pm (Mon thru Wed) and only one booth personel came in early, threaded up all 16 projectors, ran both sides of the booths (one side has 1-6 and the other side has 7-16 auditoriums) until the 2nd booth personel came in at 1 or 2pm. But for the 6 oclock shift booth change, there would be 2 booth personel running both booths until 9pm, (last show goes in at 10:30pm) and the Booth personel that opened and ran both sides til 2pm gets to go home early. Upon the next day, the booth personal that went home early the night before, opens up early the booth and runs the booth til 2pm. Thursday we didnt do this. corp wanted us to..and no, we didnt do this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All to cut costs. Thats the only time booth personel get to go home early.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-07-2005 09:02 PM                    Do you have a split booth? We have 16 projectors and a split booth, but we've never needed more than 1 person to run it. granted our booths arent that far apart, basically across the hallway, but 1 projectionist is all we've ever needed. Theaters just need to schedule the best way they can, and roll with the results. Sometimes you'll be understaffed, sometimes you'll be overstaffed, but to treat the kids like they their worthless is just bad...asking for volunteers to go home is fine. If no one volunteers, then get some extra cleaning done with your extra personel....I've found that theres ALWAYS something to do. ALWAYS.....  |  IP: Logged Darren Solomon Film Handler Posts: 28 From: unknown Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-08-2005 01:52 AM                        Yes, split booths. Down the steps to the lobby, across to the other side to go up the stairs to the other booth.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-08-2005 04:36 PM                    Ah..Ours is open door, walk across hall, open door. Still... with a little creative scheduling of movies, I would bet 1 projectionist would do the trick.  |  IP: Logged Darren Solomon Film Handler Posts: 28 From: unknown Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-08-2005 07:10 PM                        Yeah, right, like thats never gonna happen. I'd have to be on the ball 24-7 to get the schedual to be that smooth with management. Sometimes I make the suggestion to make a movied last show be on the one side that gets out the latest so low side can exit greet more smoothly. For example: low side end times could be 12:30am and high side's end times would be 2am. This raely happens, and only if I see it that it spossible to change to make it easier for exit greeting and then maybe the manager will recommend one of the projectionists go home early and let the other person who's staying late, close down both sides..on a Friday nite...  |  IP: Logged Chase Hanson Expert Film Handler Posts: 172 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 08-11-2005 02:07 PM                     You cant really force anyone to leave, so you ask for volunteers. Its usually not that hard to find a 16-18 y/o person who would like to be someplace else other than at work. Running a fat payroll doesnt help you or them in the long run.  |  IP: Logged

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