1. It’s definitely a thing- shifts don’t necessarily play favorites, but they certainly put the stronger people on bar when it’s busy and they’re trying to keep times down.
2. When I first started, I had luck asking at the *beginning* of the shift, “Hey at some point today (when it’s slower) can you put me in other positions/bar so I can practice?” That way the SS has the opportunity to plan what the floor might look like in advance.
3. Ask to double bar with someone you want to learn from. Shifts might feel better about giving you bar time if they know there’s someone strong to keep an eye out for you.
4. It’s easy for management to shoot themselves in the foot by not giving their whole team an opportunity to practice. And people who bitch about being put in any other position than bar probably need to be talked to by a manager. Regardless, just do you and hopefully more bar time will come!💫

My first store was also very similar. I tried to speak up and ask for more bar time (and more rotation out of drive at all) multiple times, but only one shift ever really listened to me in nearly a year of working there. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm being unfair when I say there was some favoritism at play.

For the record, even if you're not getting bar time per se, you shouldn't be stuck on any position for 8 hours straight. You ESPECIALLY shouldn't be stuck on a customer-facing position for 8 hours straight during a pandemic. Even if you can't convince them to give you bar time, please know you have every right to ask your shifts to not pull this nonsense with you.

Definitely start by speaking up again (and again). Sometimes it can help to offer availability at different times, especially evenings if you don't already work then. Show your SSVs and SM that you are flexible and realistic and they may be more willing to work with you. But if you do your part to be flexible and months pass and the shifts by and large still can't be bothered to give you training or rotate you at all I'd really just say transfer.

I've been borrowed at other stores where the shifts immediately gave me bar time, rotated me, generally treated me like I was competent, etc. That was when I realized that the way shifts at my store did things wasn't normal. Sometimes it just comes down to the culture of a store and no amount of good faith attempts to speak up for yourself are going to change it. If you're able, see if you can pick up shifts at some other stores around the district to get a sense of how they operate before you request a transfer.

I experienced this almost exact same situation at my first store. I ended up just transferring and promoted at my new store and now I dont ever bar because I'm always running the floor. I played myself lol.