Poll of the Day > Is it unfairly stressful to be a cashier?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Or is it just me? I work for a large-scale pharmacy/convenience store mix. For a while now it's been set up so that there are only two people in the store on most nights (shift lead and cashier) from 8 P.M. till closing at 12. Despite this these two people are responsible for

- Checking people out (and we have an old-folks home right across the street. Ouch.)
- Restocking goods
- Handling all Returns
- Sweeping the floor
- Mopping the floors
- Taking care of all garbage
- Facing the entire store between 12 and 12:30
- Running the Photo Department
- Closing out cash registers and counting money
- Any additional tasks that may arise (two days ago someone pooped all over the toilet and walls of the mens room and guess whose job it was to clean it up?)

This is a medium/medium-large strip-mall store (10 long aisles across). Due to the high number of customers constantly coming in, often right up till closing, I find myself to be completely unable to complete all the tasks. Even when confined to just cashiering it's rare for me to even get ten seconds every hour to, say, take a drink from a water bottle. It's really stressing me out but there are only two non-shift leads whom are able to stay till 12 and it's been this way for seven months now. As-is I basically have to work every night except one (which they consistently try to change to being every night) and it's really stressing me out. I can't spend time with friends (working when they're off work) and I'm having trouble sleeping out of fear of sleeping through my alarm clock. I will even admit to, multiple times, wishing a car accident would happen to me on the way in so I wouldn't have to go in, actively trying to encourage minor illnesses to become 'sick-day worthy', and the like. Is this normal for a cashier or am I just being a big baby about it?
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What you describe is par for the course. Sounds like you have management that is more interested in meeting labor / payroll numbers than in taking care of their staff. Unfortunately, that is normal. Source: Decades in retail and food service.
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I_Abibde posted...

What you describe is par for the course. Sounds like you have management that is more interested in meeting labor / payroll numbers than in taking care of their staff. Unfortunately, that is normal. Source: Decades in retail and food service.

That's sad. I'm already debating trying to build a little fort in the corner to try and hide away from it, but I know it won't do any good.
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Dont worry, that job can easily be automated
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Worrying about coming up short is probably the most stressful...or getting held up, depending what kinda area you live in...

Plus you're only working 4 hrs? That shouldn't be that bad...

pionear posted...

Worrying about coming up short is probably the most stressful...or getting held up, depending what kinda area you live in...

Plus you're only working 4 hrs? That shouldn't be that bad...

8 hours. But before 8 we usually have 3 people in the store. And it's technically more as we're expected to finish our work but, due to customer volume and a lack of employee's we never finish by 12:30. We usually don't get to leave till 1, have to leave multiple things undone, and get lip for it the following morning. I estimate that, if we actually 'finished' everything we'd be there until 2 A.M. It's just not possible to get it done any sooner with the number of customers we have before closing.
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Unbridled9 posted...

Or is it just me?

Probably not just you that feels their job is stressful. The most stressful part of being a cashier for me was the fact I was held responsible for any cash going in and out of the till. Thankfully I didn't work the tills long though(I was a customer adviser so had multiple tasks that rotated each day) . I wouldn't want to be in that situation on a permanent bases. This gal actually got the sack because the till didn't add up. She didn't steal anything, was only 18 and I felt bad for her. Must have gave out the wrong change or something.
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Prepare to be fired for 18 cents after constantly helping them by staying hours over your part time schedule. Definitely don't go and put any actual effort into it since they're probably paying 10 dollars less than a liveable wage and 40 hours minus a functioning business.

Unbridled9 posted...

Is it unfairly stressful to be a cashier?

Yes but it's also extremely normal for this to be an unreasonably shitty job.
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As someone who has worked and supervised about every position in both big and small box retail, cashier is usually one of if not the least stressful position in a store.
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Unbridled9 posted...

pionear posted...

Worrying about coming up short is probably the most stressful...or getting held up, depending what kinda area you live in...

Plus you're only working 4 hrs? That shouldn't be that bad...

8 hours. But before 8 we usually have 3 people in the store. And it's technically more as we're expected to finish our work but, due to customer volume and a lack of employee's we never finish by 12:30. We usually don't get to leave till 1, have to leave multiple things undone, and get lip for it the following morning. I estimate that, if we actually 'finished' everything we'd be there until 2 A.M. It's just not possible to get it done any sooner with the number of customers we have before closing.

You said in the OP 8pm to 12 midnight...unless you meant 12 Noon then that would be 16 Hrs...

I see a lot of larger stores are phasing out most cashiers and replacing them with self check outs.
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TigerTycoon posted...

I see a lot of larger stores are phasing out most cashiers and replacing them with self check outs.

last time i visited a walmart there was no one at the regular checkouts at all, and like four rows of self checkouts
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If it's busy enough that you have customers at the register almost constantly till close then that does seem a bit excessive. I say find a new job.

pionear posted...

You said in the OP 8pm to 12 midnight...unless you meant 12 Noon then that would be 16 Hrs...

He said they were only two people from 8-12.
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Literally one of the easiest and most stress-free jobs out there. You have almost no obligations whatsoever. At most you have to deal with some asshole customer for 10 minutes out of your day.

Know what happens if you don't have the time to take the trash out? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
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DocDelicious posted...

Literally one of the easiest and most stress-free jobs out there. You have almost no obligations whatsoever. At most you have to deal with some asshole customer for 10 minutes out of your day.

Know what happens if you don't have the time to take the trash out? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I get yelled at by the manager for failure to complete my assigned duties.
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why don't American cashiers get chairs? why are American grocery stores always grossly understaffed and cashiers are expected to do jobs outside of their station?
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Beveren_Rabbit posted...

why don't American cashiers get chairs? why are American grocery stores always grossly understaffed and cashiers are expected to do jobs outside of their station?

Because it's 'unprofessional' and 'costs business'. As for the understaffing, to save money.
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depends on company/bosses imo.

it does seem like they get picked on more than other roles, though. i imagine it's probably worse with shittier bosses.
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...that's not really stressful work.

Unbridled9 posted...

This is a medium/medium-large strip-mall store (10 long aisles across). Due to the high number of customers constantly coming in, often right up till closing, I find myself to be completely unable to complete all the tasks. Even when confined to just cashiering it's rare for me to even get ten seconds every hour to, say, take a drink from a water bottle. It's really stressing me out but there are only two non-shift leads whom are able to stay till 12 and it's been this way for seven months now. As-is I basically have to work every night except one (which they consistently try to change to being every night) and it's really stressing me out. I can't spend time with friends (working when they're off work) and I'm having trouble sleeping out of fear of sleeping through my alarm clock.

If your manager is giving you shit for not getting stuff done, give them shit for not having more people on staff. You're in retail, bro. They're ALWAYS going to try to make do with as little staff as possible.

Unbridled9 posted...

I will even admit to, multiple times, wishing a car accident would happen to me on the way in so I wouldn't have to go in, actively trying to encourage minor illnesses to become 'sick-day worthy', and the like. Is this normal for a cashier or am I just being a big baby about it?

Either quit or suck it up. It's a lousy job, but you know what you're in for.

Unbridled9 posted...

8 hours. But before 8 we usually have 3 people in the store. And it's technically more as we're expected to finish our work but, due to customer volume and a lack of employee's we never finish by 12:30. We usually don't get to leave till 1, have to leave multiple things undone, and get lip for it the following morning. I estimate that, if we actually 'finished' everything we'd be there until 2 A.M. It's just not possible to get it done any sooner with the number of customers we have before closing.

Are you getting paid for working that extra time? If not, report it to HR and, if that doesn't work, file a labor complaint with the state. When I worked retail and I was scheduled to a certain time, I would only work the extra if I was clocked in and getting paid for it. If they asked me to clock out, I left.
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