Recently the mall management has informed tenants that effective November 1st, 2021 they will be running at maximum operation hours. This means Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. Which is equivalent to a busy mall like West Ed. 

As a person that has been a retail manager in this mall for 5+ years, traffic has been a continuous issue. Before Covid-19 we were running these hours and stores ended up wasting so much money on employee costs for no one to come in. The company I am currently working for sees an average of 12 people by 3 pm. I am aware that this doesn't mean every store is the same. However, speaking to multiple other retailers many have agreed that the "expanded" hours are completely unnecessarily and cause financial strain on their location and store management. 

Most companies allot only a certain amount for a payroll budget. Out of the other retailers I spoke to all but one would have to run their day with multiple points where there is only one or two people running an entire store due to the expanded hours but their budget not changing for payroll. The budgets not changing is directly caused by the data provided from Pre-Covid volume not meeting what it would need to in order to justify an increase. 

For individuals working with these expanded hours they will be facing:

-Loss prevention issues due to not enough people on the floor to run a successful business

-Fatigue due to being under stimulated by hours of low traffic entering

-Appropriate break coverage 

-Having less hours as the same allotted payroll having to be spread over an additional 15hours of open for operation.

With everything just touched on I haven't even brought up the amount of retailers that have had to re-negotiate lease terms or completely close due to the traffic of this mall. As a worker here I am constantly fearful that I will lose my job due to a closure. Customers often joke with staff any time there is a sale saying "Are you closing?" "This mall is so quiet." "Every time I come here, even on a weekend, there is no one."

Unless the Property group can do something to increase the foot traffic coming to this mall it does not warrant the expansion.

Retail workers already have to deal with so much. Please sign this petition is hopes to not add additional strains that are completely unnecessary.