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Author Topic: Sending employees home Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-11-2005 11:15 PM                    I think any competant manager can adequately schedule the appropriate amount of help need on any given day. Granted, there will be some surprises, but not enough to make bad blood between management and staff by forcing people to go home. I do agree that it isn't that hard to find 17-18 year olds who would rather be somewhere other than work, but its not always up to them...the parents have a lot to say. For some kids, its either work, or home doing homework...and working at a movie theater isnt like flipping burgers or stocking shelves. .....this job pays less and is less gratifying at the end of the day  |  IP: Logged Robert R. Mayer Film Handler Posts: 4 From: Milford, IA, USA Registered: Aug 2005 posted 08-12-2005 01:06 AM                        As a theatre employee, I have no problem with the practice of sending people home. quote: Barry Floyd: 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. Also, we ask for volunteers and hope that our slowest and least-motivated employees will choose to go first (they're usually the ones who get sent anyway). This is a fun job, and one can always go in and watch a movie  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-12-2005 03:24 PM                    ...but watching a movie isnt work. I would think anyone who DOES go in to "watch a movie" would be a good choice of who to send home.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-12-2005 03:50 PM                        quote: Frank Dubrois ...and working at a movie theater isnt like flipping burgers or stocking shelves. True, working in a movie theatre isn't quite like many other jobs. I don't know about your theatres, but at mine (Drive-In) we have a steady flow of customers at the concessions line starting at about 1 1/2 hours prior to show time, and the last 30-45 minutes before the show hits the screen, it's all we can do to keep up. My employees work their butts off solid and steady, without a break or a smoke, for 1 1/2 - 2 hours straight. Once the movies start... it's like a ghost town in the concessions building. What does a manager do with 14 employees for 2 hours once everything is cleaned, stocked and refilled? I know, I know... clean some more. There are some nights like Friday & Saturday nights where we can end up with 250 - 300 cars on the lot, and then there are nights like Tuesday's with 8 cars on the lot. We know week nights are extremely slow, and we do schedule accordingly. It's the weekend's that are sometimes hard to predict.  |  IP: Logged Jon Morgan Film Handler Posts: 60 From: Raleigh, NC Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-12-2005 05:52 PM                     I never have trouble finding one person on staff who woulnd't rather be out at the club or whatever it is that kids do these days.  |  IP: Logged Edwin Schwing Expert Film Handler Posts: 116 From: Las Vegas NV Registered: May 2002 posted 08-13-2005 03:19 AM                     on occasion we have to send them home. Lately, I wish they would SHOW UP!!!! E  |  IP: Logged Timothy Ervin Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Oklahoma Registered: Jan 2001 posted 08-17-2005 02:40 PM                     I personally do not like to do send employees home but will if business is slow.  |  IP: Logged Lee Michael Breese Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Ankeny, Iowa, USA Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-21-2005 05:40 AM                     I am not a big fan of sending people home. I try to schedule to fit what kinda night we are going to have generally (Slow). If I do have to send them home then I ask for a volenteer. If then no one wants to go home in some cases I have had. I make them play rock paper Scissors who ever wins gets to stay. (It is childish but it is rather ammusing to watch) Also they all know if they do not show up for work and they don't call then they can stay home and there check will be mailed to them. If people show up late they have to call me and give me explination why they are late or what is making them late. But no call no show equals no job. Curtians broken the show is starting what do you tell people? "Don't worry folks I get paid minimum wage to do this."  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-21-2005 01:14 PM                     Same at our place. No call-no show-no job. Our regulars don't seem to have a problem with that. You will, however, get new hires who don't believe it. Then they are shocked when it happens. Oh, well...this isn't high school. Welcome to the business world, kids.  |  IP: Logged David Yauch Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Mesa, AZ, USA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 08-25-2005 07:32 AM                     I use a lot of varying methods to cut payroll. Sending people home is usually a last resort, but it's never too tough to find volunteers. Sometimes I'll give out extra-long breaks to save some payroll, and sometimes we'll offer to let an employee clock off and watch a movie, with the understanding that if we need them we are going to come into the movie and get them, and they need to check with us after the movie to see whether we are slow enough for them to go home. We never have problems finding kids to volunteer to watch a movie and be "on call" for a while. I can't think of a single time I haven't been able to get someone to volunteer to go home.  |  IP: Logged Paul Goulet Master Film Handler Posts: 347 From: Rhode Island Registered: Jan 2000 posted 08-25-2005 03:44 PM                        Hey David, Random crazy question for you, but are you the same David that married Shannon Ford who was originally from Massachusetts?  |  IP: Logged Adam Heath Film Handler Posts: 20 From: Rock Island, IL Registered: Dec 2004 posted 08-28-2005 02:47 PM                     Sometimes the kids get mad if I don't send someone home when we are slow. I always have a volunteer too. I think it is bad practice not to atleast ask (you can't force) for volunteers if it is slow. I don't care if it makes you feel bad, that's not your job. Your job is to manage the building. That includes expenses. If no one wants to go home, then give them extra work to do. I can't imagine any theater that would have a constant problem with teenagers not wanting to go home.  |  IP: Logged David Yauch Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Mesa, AZ, USA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 09-02-2005 03:52 AM                     quote: Paul Goulet Hey David, Random crazy question for you, but are you the same David that married Shannon Ford who was originally from Massachusetts? Lol no. Arizona born and raised here  |  IP: Logged

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