Short answer: Suck it up and deal with it , with a smile, even if you have to fake it, or move on...
Long answer:
"Management" is excluded from most labor laws, the best way to achieve a better work/home balance in retail is anticipate and get the job done before they ask, and demand maximum productivity from your subordinates. If they get it done, you wont have too. More often than not, retail managers end up having to spend more time working as a sole result of lack of productivity from their underlings.cycle through them via the appropriate means (daily feedback, training, and when necessary written documentation) until you have the right people doing the right jobs. that may sound cold, but your only as effective as the least effective member of your team...if that person isn't getting it done, than their bringing everyone else down with them, and your working mega hours playing catchup. if your not willing to do that, then the upper management will make you do it, or give you your walking papers for productivity issues. its not how much you work, it how effective you are when you are working.
With massive staffing cuts, yes, we are working more to ensure "coverage" I now work more "nights" than i ever have, but this is 2009, and that is retail today. If your talking "legal" at work, you will be put on the short list of people to dispose of, thought of as not a team player, and at some point, directed toward the door. And they will do everything they can to prevent you from collecting unemployment. I dont know about NJ, but most states disqualify employees termed for lack of "productivity" from receiving benefits. the company has to pay a share of those benefits, and beleive me, they dont want too and wont if they can avoid it.
Just so you know i know what im talking about, I know retail, ive been at every level from door greeter to corporate regional management, on the operational and support side, protective service/security/loss prevention/operations, my last position was at the director level. Im in a field position now, anticipating the recession three years ago, I took a lower position for a bit of job security, so far so good (and i needed a job after my last position was "eliminated" the higher yougo, the shorter the job lifespan, fact of life.) I also do a 55 mile commute each way(and DONT get paid extra for it), and average 65 hours a week plus the 12+ commute, sometime more, sometimes less, but even in my middle management position, I am the senior person in my district after only three years with my current company. my staff is one of the most productive in my company, and makes me look allot better than i really am on a regular basis. i manage through setting expectations, a high bar, and constant feedback, not through a heavy hand (unless its absolutely necessary.)
Lets face it, as a retail manager, no matter what level, in today's horrible retail environment (even much worse than the early 90's when i started in retail) there are people knocking down the door that are better qualified, willing to work more, for less, and will jump into any position available in a heartbeat. we can be easily replaced, all we can do is suck it up, and be better than our competition (both internally, and externally) and hope for the best.. 18 hours days? no problem, just keep keept sending me that paycheck... Ill sleep on my one day off... I consider myself very fortunate to be employed, hope it stays that way, and continue to watch my superiors loose their jobs, my peers get "counciled" out of theirs for performance, ect.. if i have anything at all to do with it, i wont be on that list...and when things improve, ill be in a much better position to get back to the level of management that i am capable of...
