How should I go about getting answers from boss as to what is going on at my work?

[Anonymous]

i work at a small business and things have been very slow for a while with few answers from boss lady owner as to what is going on or when she will have more work for me.

with Easter holiday i'm only scheduled to go in there 2 days this week weds/thurs and haven't heard anything from her at all since i left work last week

i'm not entirely sure what her issue is , her mother had health issues a couple months back but those seem to be mostly resolved. now her husband has health issues too but he seems ok.

and not sure why they is so little work , normally boxes of stuff would come in and i'd have tons of things to sort through and photograph for resale but lately hasn't been anything but her own stuff that she had in storage or such

i'd like to talk to her next week but unsure how to go about it and don't want to be too harsh as she might have legitimate issues in her life she's dealing with

[Oliverlogan263]

Here's how I would approach the conversation with your boss:

Hey boss, do you have a few minutes to chat? I wanted to check in about the slow workload we've been having lately. It's been pretty quiet around here and I'm just wondering if there's been any change with our suppliers or if you're expecting things to pick up soon.

No pressure, I know you must have a lot on your plate with family health issues and all. I just want to make sure everything is okay from a business side of things too. Is there anything I can help with or take off your plate so you can focus on what's really important right now?

I'm still happy to come in the couple days you scheduled me this week. But if the slow period continues, I may need to pick up some extra shifts elsewhere so I have steady income coming in. Hopefully things start looking up again soon here though! Let me know if there's any way I can support you and the business in the meantime.

Hope this chat finds you and your family doing as well as can be expected. Don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything else I should be aware of work-wise. Otherwise, I'll see you Wednesday.

[strateguy632]

you should ask "which days should i come" if she says two, continue asking, "when else" then argue politely about how you need more hours to earn enough.

but don't ask why.

[Asker]

i already know what days i'm scheduled for this week and realise with the Easter holiday obviously were closed Friday / Sunday.

more wondering about the weeks ahead and when exactly she is expecting more work to arrive , its been slow for a while now

[KrakenAttackin]

It's reasonable to have a respectful conversation with your boss. If work is as slow as you say, you may be facing a layoff.

[Asker]

she seems to want to keep me around and not interested in entirely idling the business at this time. although at her age you have to wonder if she is thinking about retiring soon and not even continuing the business although she has not stated that to me and under impression there is still more work coming