Anybody out there have any advice on how TD's schedule their assistants in busy theaters where amateur one off shows needs sometimes aren't known until the day of?
I usually find out if I have to work tomorrow today. This sucks... this means that I can't actually schedule anything for my private life just in case little Billy needs some one to hold his hand as he walks out onstage for his big first grade droolfest piano recital.
At my theater I play the "Assistant to the Technical Director" role. Some days I program the lightboard, some days I project video or 35, some days I run the sound board, some days I pull rope and load weight. Some days I set up shell and music stands and act real nice to our guests. If there's no shows going on, I clean up our shop which is perpetually trashed from the volume of shows that we do (approx. 15 a month) and the lack of staff (me and TD) that we have...
I have recently been told that I am not to work over 40 hours a week due to overtime costs. Since then i have worked overtime each week, because there isn't anybody else around. And apparently we can't hire anyone else because it would be too expensive (more expensive than my over time?).
The deal is that...
My TD refuses to schedule me. So I'm left in this weird place where I don't know when I'm supposed to work and when I'm not. I understand that he isn't always able to predict when exactly I will be needed, but he works 60+ hours a week. So how am I supposed to balance it all out? Say Friday rolls around and we have a big show on Saturday and I already have 37 hours for the week, am I supposed to come in for 3 hours setup and leave my TD hangin come show time? I don't wanna do that because I don't wanna let my boss/friend down, but on the other hand I have my own life to live outside of the theater (imagine that?!?!?!).
All I'm askin for is to know whether or not I can go play in my softball league this monday night...and I can't get an answer...
Thank y'alls for the room to rant, any advice, and for the site. I lurk around quite a bit. Love this place. Hope this post isn't too rambling...
I usually find out if I have to work tomorrow today. This sucks... this means that I can't actually schedule anything for my private life just in case little Billy needs some one to hold his hand as he walks out onstage for his big first grade droolfest piano recital.
At my theater I play the "Assistant to the Technical Director" role. Some days I program the lightboard, some days I project video or 35, some days I run the sound board, some days I pull rope and load weight. Some days I set up shell and music stands and act real nice to our guests. If there's no shows going on, I clean up our shop which is perpetually trashed from the volume of shows that we do (approx. 15 a month) and the lack of staff (me and TD) that we have...
I have recently been told that I am not to work over 40 hours a week due to overtime costs. Since then i have worked overtime each week, because there isn't anybody else around. And apparently we can't hire anyone else because it would be too expensive (more expensive than my over time?).
The deal is that...
My TD refuses to schedule me. So I'm left in this weird place where I don't know when I'm supposed to work and when I'm not. I understand that he isn't always able to predict when exactly I will be needed, but he works 60+ hours a week. So how am I supposed to balance it all out? Say Friday rolls around and we have a big show on Saturday and I already have 37 hours for the week, am I supposed to come in for 3 hours setup and leave my TD hangin come show time? I don't wanna do that because I don't wanna let my boss/friend down, but on the other hand I have my own life to live outside of the theater (imagine that?!?!?!).
All I'm askin for is to know whether or not I can go play in my softball league this monday night...and I can't get an answer...
Thank y'alls for the room to rant, any advice, and for the site. I lurk around quite a bit. Love this place. Hope this post isn't too rambling...
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