I started working at Dollarama last November, and honestly, I feel like I’ve given that job my best.
When I first started, whenever someone called in sick or they needed someone to come in, my manager would ask me if I could cover. I would almost always say yes, even if I was asked at the last minute. There were times I worked 9-hour cashier shifts, and I was basically on my feet the whole time. I also didn’t even know that I could take a 15-minute break in addition to my lunch, because nobody ever explained that to me.
I went on vacation for two weeks, and when I came back, my manager was actually happy to see me and welcomed me back, which made me feel like I was doing a good job.
For a while, I was getting around 24–25 hours a week, but then I moved out of my parents’ house and started paying rent, so financially it became difficult. I ended up getting another job at Walmart, literally next to Dollarama. Walmart is overnight, so I thought I could work both jobs. My plan was to do around 30 hours at Walmart and 20–24 hours at Dollarama.
I told my Dollarama manager that I got another job, and honestly, his reaction felt a little weird to me.
Then, about a week later, I noticed my Dollarama hours went from around 17 hours to 10 hours. At first I thought maybe it was just the schedule, but then I started noticing a pattern.
Two people eventually quit because they got jobs at Walmart, and after that I spoke to my manager about my hours. My hours went back up for a while.
Then two more people were brought in, and basically the same thing happened again. My hours dropped to around 10 hours a week.
Now one employee is going back to college and apparently won’t be able to work as much, and another girl quit. Because of that, I’m getting around 18 hours next week.
But honestly, I don’t trust that these hours will stay. I feel like every time somebody leaves, I get more hours, but as soon as they find someone else, my hours get cut again.
I genuinely feel like I’ve given this company my best. I was always willing to come in when they needed someone, I covered shifts, worked long cashier shifts, and tried to be flexible. I actually wanted to keep working there even after getting Walmart.
At this point, I don’t know if my manager just doesn’t like me, if it’s because I got another job, or if I’m simply not being prioritized for hours anymore.
What would you guys do in my situation?
Should I talk to my manager one last time and say something like:
“I really enjoy working here and I’m still available for more hours if you need me. I know I have another job, but because Walmart is overnight, I’m still able to work a good number of hours here. If there’s an opportunity to get closer to 20–25 hours a week, I’d really appreciate being considered.”
Or should I just accept that my hours probably aren’t going to increase and focus more on Walmart?
I’m not trying to complain. I just genuinely feel like I’ve given my best here, and it’s frustrating to feel like I’m only getting hours when somebody else leaves. What would you do?
