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Exclusive: Wal-Mart manager speaks out about his store’s ugly reality

From no time off, to working multiple roles at once, here’s what’s really going on at the mega-chain

(Credit: AP)

President Obama sparked a new round of big business ire this month, directing the Labor Department to reform rules that exclude salaried managers making over $23,660 a year from overtime protections.

That was welcome news for a Wal-Mart assistant manager – granted anonymity due to concerns over retaliation – who told Salon the retail giant exploits managers’ lack of overtime protection by making managers do rank-and-file employees’ work in order to cut costs. (Wal-Mart did not respond to a request for comment last week.) A condensed version of our conversation – on chronic understaffing, firings of strikers, and why he sympathizes with the union-backed non-union workers group OUR Walmart – follows.

The regulatory change that’s been proposed by the president on overtime — how would that change things for you, if that went into law?

That would force Wal-Mart to, one, start to count how much managers are working … The more time I spend at work, the less time I spend with my family … Without compensation for it, it makes no sense to me … My time with my family is worth a lot more.

How many hours a week do you think you’re working now?

Right now, it’s consistently about 48 hours a week. However, when we get toward the holiday season …you’re regularly working 60 hours a week.

How much do you bring home … from doing that?

My yearly salary is $44,000.

What would change in your life if you were covered by overtime protections?

I think I would get more time with my family — and if I didn’t have more time with my family I would definitely have money … to compensate me for time spent away.

Right now, do you think there’s work that Wal-Mart has managers do rather than rank-and-file employees because they don’t have to pay you for overtime?

Absolutely … What the average customer sees in the store is forcing the manager to step out of that manager role, and into that hourly associate role. So you’ll have managers that are cashiering, stocking shelves … We’re trying to take care of our managerial duties too …

[Managers are] not getting proper lunches or getting breaks. There’s no way for Wal-Mart to ensure that we’re getting breaks, because we don’t punch a clock, of course – we don’t track our time.

It’s been suggested by business groups that this kind of regulation would kill jobs … If this kind of regulation went into effect, do you think your store would be hiring more people or fewer people?



You know, I think Wal-Mart’s way is Wal-Mart’s going to hire fewer and fewer people regardless of what decisions are being made …

With the recent Sam’s [Club] restructuring, Wal-Mart, you know, might pull something like that within their actual [management at] Wal-Mart positions …

[Already] there’s a lot of work to be done that’s not being done right now with the amount of people we have.

In management, in the rank-and-file positions, or both?

In both …

As a salaried manager, if I’m [moving] freight all night long, I’m not able to give my associates in the building the attention that they need, or you know, the developmental process … [to] grow within their role within Wal-Mart. You know, it makes the job very hard to do.

How does that affect Wal-Mart customers?

If you have a manager that’s running a cash register, you know that manager is not on the sales floor ensuring that product is on the shelves. You know that manager is not able to respond to customer calls as quickly …

So I think customer service definitely does lack.

Your job as an assistant manager – what do you think is different about it from what people imagine?

When I came into the role, I thought it was going to be that I’m going to handle paperwork, be there for the associates, and help them with issues that may arise with them; I’m going to be the guy that they can come to for answers, I’m going to develop leaders …

There’s not enough time in the day to do it … They don’t have enough people to get the job done. And it shows. It shows on the shelves, in terms of the stock. You know, it shows with the morale of the associates. That definitely has issues …

If you look at companies like Wegman’s or Costco, you know, that staff their stores, and they have high payroll percentages, but they’re still [showing] profits, because they’re getting the product on the shelves …

If you have empty shelves, your baskets aren’t as good. What really matters is: How much does that customer buy going through the register? You know, if the customer comes in with a shopping list of 35 items, and you only have 20, you lost a good portion of that sale … to your competitor …

The company made $17 billion in profit last year. They paid the CEO $18 million … There’s no reason why they can’t pay overtime, they can’t give hours back to associates.

The group OUR Wal-Mart … What have you heard from Wal-Mart corporate or Wal-Mart management about it?

Corporate has been very quiet recently about … OUR Wal-Mart. What they have told everybody is “most of these aren’t Wal-Mart associates” and … “the union sees Wal-Mart is a big paycheck.”

And you know, I can understand Wal-Mart’s stance on unions, and why they don’t want it. However, I can say I see a lot of validation in these associates’ claims that are part of the organization.

And you know, I think that they’re trying to bring the issues up the best way they can … Sometimes managers don’t hear it, and it’s not because we don’t want to hear it. It’s because we have 65 things going on at one time …

The individual attention is just not there in the stores right now, because … they’re understaffing.

Have you been tasked personally with doing anything to talk to people about OUR Wal-Mart or discourage people from getting involved in OUR Wal-Mart?

No … I’m on the fence.

I’m not going to say that a union is the answer for Wal-Mart; I’m not going to say that it’s not. However …associates should speak up … Those concerns should be able to be handled by people that have the time to handle them …

It’s not fair to the associates to bring a concern to a member of management in their store who doesn’t necessarily have the time to take care of it … If I don’t get my compliance done, that could cost me my job …

The firing of more than 20 people who had gone on strike with OUR Wal-Mart – what’s your view of what motivated that?

My view on that would probably be: They don’t want it to spread. Wal-Mart’s going to say, you know: “Hey, it’s an attendance policy” [being enforced] … The real reason … is that you don’t want that apple spoiling the bunch, as they would say. The last thing you would want to see is associates … speaking out and … organizing and not facing retaliation, so other associates feel more comfortable with it.

When the president or members of the Obama administration do events appearing with Wal-Mart executives or promoting Wal-Mart, do you think that’s a good move or a bad move?

I think that it would be a good move if Wal-Mart had good intentions …

We can donate a ton of money to everybody out there … That’s something that Wal-Mart should be proud of. But Wal-Mart should take its pride back in taking care of its associates and taking care of its customers …

It’s kind of sad that, you know, you have associates that are struggling right now — especially struggle this time of year — to get 24 hours a week … They didn’t ask to be part-time. A lot of them would love to be full-time …

I think that the associates that are out there voicing their concerns — especially through their organization — I think that they should continue to do so … I think the only way that things are going to change is for the public to start understanding what we’re going through …

I think it’s important for the associates to know that not all managers are monsters. There are some people that are certainly bad managers out there … There are a lot of managers – and I’m, you know, personally speaking to managers at my store and managers at other stores — that are unhappy with the direction that the company’s going. It’s a lot different when you’re working at a store than when you’re sitting behind a desk in Arkansas.

Sourced from Salon.com

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Top Reasons the Walton Family and Walmart are NOT “Job Creators”

walmart

The six Waltons on the Forbes 400 list—Christy, Alice, Jim, Rob, Ann, and Nancy—are worth a combined $148.8 billion. According to the most recent data available, they have the same wealth as the bottom 42% of American families combined. Walmart associates, in comparison, have been risking arrest in their fight for $25,000 a year for full time work.

Some have responded to criticism of the Waltons by arguing that the family is helping to create much needed jobs. Sadly for U.S. workers and families, the facts just don’t support this statement. Here are the facts.

Fact: Walmart is a job killer.

  • Walmart store openings destroy almost three local jobs for every two they createby reducing retail employment by an average of 2.7 percent in every county they enter.
  • Walmart cost America an estimated 196,000 jobs – mainly manufacturing jobs – between 2001 and 2006 as a result of the company’s imports from China.

Fact: Walmart jobs are poverty jobs.

  • Walmart workers average just $8.81 hour. This translates to annual pay of $15,576, based on Walmart’s definition of full-time. This is less than two-thirds of the poverty line for a family of four, and well below what most families actually need to get by.
  • According to the company, most workers make less than $25,000 a year. In a September 2013 presentation, Walmart US CEO Bill Simon included the fact that out of all Walmart associates in the country, only 475,000 make more than $25,000 a year.
  • Walmart pays less than other retail firms. A 2005 study found that Walmart workers earn an estimated 12.4% less than retail workers as a whole and 14.5% less than workers in large retail in general. A 2007 study which compared Walmart to other general merchandising employers found a wage gap of 17.4%.
  • Last year, Walmart slashed already meager health benefits againdropping health insurance for new hires working less than 30 hours a week and leaving more workers uninsured.

Fact: Taxpayers are paying the price for Walmart.

  • Taxpayers subsidize Walmart’s low wages and poor benefits. Just one Walmart store costs taxpayers an estimated $1 million in public assistance usage by employees, according to a new report from the Democratic staff of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  • In many of the states across the country that release such information, Walmart is the employer with the largest number of employees and dependents using taxpayer-funded health insurance programs. A few examples:
  • In Arizona, according to data released by the state in 2005, the company had more 2,700 employees on the state-funded plan.
  • The company also topped the list in their home state of Arkansas, with nearly 4,000 employees forced onto the state’s plan according to data released by the state in 2005.
  • In Massachusetts, in 2009, taxpayers paid $8.8 million for Walmart associates to use publicly subsidized healthcare services.
  • Despite all the damage they have done to US workers and communities, a 2007 study found that, as of that date, Walmart had received more than $1.2 billion in tax breaks, free land, infrastructure assistance, low-cost financing and outright grants from state and local governments around the country. This number has surely increased as Walmart continues to receive additional subsidies.
  • Meanwhile, the Waltons use special tax loopholes to avoid paying billions in taxes.According to a recent Bloomberg story, the Waltons are America’s biggest users of a particular type of charitable trust that actually allows the donor to pass money on to heirs after an extended period of time, without having to pay much-debated estate and inheritance taxes. According to Treasury Department estimates reported in Bloomberg, closing the two types of loopholes the Waltons appear to use would raise more than $20 billion over the next decade.

 

Sourced from walmart1percent.org

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100 Ways to Annoy People at Walmart

Here’s a list of 100 ways to annoy people at Walmart. They work especially well during the peak shopping season. Use some of these if you need to get a better place in line or cause some people to give up, leave the store and give some poor soul a great parking spot.


1. Take all the fudge, whipped cream, or anything like that, and make a slip n slide.

2. Walk up to any guy with his girlfriend and slap him crying out “but you said you’d love me forever and ever!!!”

3. Walking by someone, start singing a Barney song, when they join in, say “what a bunch of retards” and walk away.

4. Sit in the ice cream isle and (while eating all the ice cream from the carton with your hands) yell at anyone passing by that they cant have any, and to make your point, throw some ice cream at them.

5. Paint a ‘mural’ with the nail polish, when yelled at, ask them why they hate art.

6. Invite all your friends for a movie night at Wal-Mart. This must include turning off all the lights, opening all the bags of chips and cans of soda, and when watching your movie in the TV section, “shhh” anyone such as the manager and others and them lecture them about being rude.

7. Demand to see the manager at once, muttering about things like ‘bad service’ and ‘rude employees’. Once face to face with the manager, insist that you need his/her autograph straight away.

8. Hide in the clothing racks. When someone starts searching through the clothes, jump up, saying, “Pick me!!!”

9. Walk around in the dishware and say to people as they examine cups and such, “Please don’t touch that one. It is a very fine piece that I picked up in Volterra, Italy.”

10. Ask someone for the time, and before they answer, break out into the chorus for the Phantom of the Opera.

11. Take all the money out of the cash registers and put it in a big pile and roll in it screaming “I’M RICH!!”, when the security comes, tell them that you inherited Wal-Mart, then lecture them about respecting their superiors.

12. On the intercom, broadcast very irrelevant conversations between teenage girls (OH NO U DIDN’T!!! he’s totally like going to dump her, he’s too hot for her, did you hear about that???) etc. (broadcast until it stops being funny)

13. Ride the little electronic cars at the front of the store.

14. Set all the alarm clocks to go off at 10 minute intervals throughout the day. 

15. Walk up to an employee and in an official tone of voice say “We’ve got a code 3 in House wares”. See what happens. 

16. Turn all the radios to the polka station, then turn them off, but turn the volume as high as it’ll go. 


17. Play with the automatic doors. 

18. Walk up to complete strangers and say “Hi!! I haven’t seen you in…” etc. and see how they respond. 

19. Leave small gifts in the hands of mannequins. 

20. Play soccer with a group of friends using the entire store as your playing field. 

21. As the cashier scans an item, say “Wow, magic!”.

22. Move “Caution: Wet Floor” to carpeted areas. 

23. Put M&M’s on layaway. 

24. Set up a tent in the camping department. Tell friends they can only come if they bring pillows from Bed & Bath. 

25. When an employee comes and asks you if you need help, say “Why won’t you all just leave me alone?!”. 

26. While looking at guns in the gun department, suddenly ask the clerk where the anti-depressants are.

27. Attempt to fit into very large gym bags. 

28. Attempt to fit others into very large gym bags. 

29. Two words: “Marco Polo”. 

30. In the auto department, practice your “Madonna” look with various funnels. 

31. When a someone gives an announcement, assume a fetal position and start screaming, “No, no! not the voices again!”. 

32. When someone strays from their cart looking at something, take their cart and run away. 

33. Follow people throughout the store staying about 5 feet away at all times until they leave the store. 

34. Hold shopping cart races. 

35. Ask newly hired employees about made up products, i.e. “Do you have any Shnerples here?”. 

36. Ride the bicycles around claiming that you’re taking it for a “test drive”. 

37. Ask employees, “Would you be so kind as to direct me to your Twinkies?”. 

38. Drape a blanket around your shoulders and run around saying, “…I’m Batman. Come, Robin–to the Batcave!” 

39. Grab some random kid and when their parents demand for their child back, demand a custody battle.

40. Lay on one of the bed displays with a rose and stare at everyone that walks by with a grin on your face. 

41. Randomly throw things over into neighboring aisles. 

42. When 2 or 3 people are walking ahead of you, run between them yelling “Red Rover.” 

43. Dart around suspiciously while humming the theme from Mission Impossible.

44. “Re-alphabetize” the CD’s.

45. Pay off layaways 50 cents at a time. 

46. Drag a lounge chair over to the magazines and relax. Go to the food court, buy a drink, and explain that you don’t get out much and ask if they can put a little umbrella in it. 

47. Make a trail of Mountain Dew on the floor leading to the restrooms. 

48. Challenge other customers to duels with tubes of gift wrap.

49. Go into one of the fitting rooms and yell real loud…”Hey, we’re out of toilet paper in here!” 

50. “Accidentally” get stuck in one of the frozen food doors. Give people strange looks and see if anyone helps you out. 

51. Add really funny things to other peoples’ carts and watch them pay for it and see if they notice.

52. Ask if you can buy a shopping cart. 

53. Bring a friend and get in a shopping cart. Have them push you around while you yell “ye-haw!”

54. Constantly wink at a person you don’t know. Follow them around and blow kisses to them. 

55. Fill your shopping cart with matchbooks and gasoline and walk around smiling at people. 

56. Find a parent with her kid in the shopping cart. Point at the kid and ask the parent, “What aisle are they selling these on?” 

57. Gather a bunch of bouncy balls and bounce them into neighboring aisles. 

58. Get 20 people together and play hide-n-go-seek. 

59. Get a friend, put on as many articles of clothing you can find and start sumo wrestling (use diapers if possible).

60. Go to the express lane and get an item, and say “wait, I forgot something“ Keep doing that until you have like 50, check out, then say “thanks, I forgot how much this costs,” and walk away. 

61. Go to the video game section and play one of the games for a minute the throw down the controller and start to bang on the display case when an attendant asks you what you are doing tell him your trying to change the game. 

62. Go up to a guy and start crying saying I finally found you mommy! And see what he does!

63. Go up to someone and start taking items from their basket and put them into yours. 

64. Go up to the clerk and say code Red! and see what they do!

65. Hide in the toy section, when someone comes close jump out at them throw a ball and yell “Pikachu I choose you!”

66. Joust with the electronic assist carts and wrapping paper.

67. Leave Cheerios in Lawn and Garden, pillows in the pet food aisle, etc.

68. Make the entire auto department smell by sampling all the spray air fresheners. 

69. Nonchalantly “test” the brushes and combs in Cosmetics. 

70. Page yourself and then after the employee says your name, say…“Oh that’s me, I’ve got to go. Thank you.” 

71. Play blind chicken with 12 friends putting a blind fold on one and them having that person trying to find you . 

72. Pour bubble bath into the fountains in the garden section. 73. Repeat whatever the store clerk tells you. 

74. Roll cans of soup down the aisles. 

75. Run around the store yelling I’m a princess while holding a toy wand. 

76. Run around yelling for your pet ferret “Stinky”. check out all the funny looks you get! 

77. Run up to a complete stranger, tag them, and say “You’re it!” 

78. Sample all the fragrances in the perfume department.

79. Set up a battle of laser tag . 

80. Set up ten pineapples in the shape of bowling pins and start bowling with a coconut.

81. Start Humming the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Theme song. Whenever someone looks at an item near you scream “TURTLE POWER” and run away as fast as you can.

82. Strategically scatter those novelty dog poops throughout the store and wait for some to announce “cleanup on aisle …” then yell “BAD FLUFFY!” 

83. Take a snickers bar, go in the bathroom and smoosh the snickers bar in your hand and reach over to the next stall and say “uh do you have some toilet paper over there?”

84. Take all of the free AOL cd’s on the end of the check out counter.

85. Take shopping carts for the express purpose of filling them and stranding them at strategic locations. 

86. Test the fishing rods and see what you can “catch” from the other aisles. 

87. Time yourself for two minutes and throw as many shoes as possible onto the floor.

88. TP as much of the store as possible. 

89. Try to fly on a broom. If anyone asks what you are doing tell them in a very annoyed voice, “the brooms don’t work!” 

90. Unload then entire bin of giant bouncy balls, get in the bin, have a friend put all the balls back on top of you. When someone walks by jump outta the balls causing them to fly everywhere. 

91. Walk about 10 centimeters in front of a moving shopping cart and yell “Its gonna get me!” 

92. Walk through the store pushing a cart that is upside-down.

93. Walk up to the automatic doors and walk back and forth through them and each time u go though look up at the sensor and yell “how does it work or ITS MAGIC!” 

94. When a woman with children walks near you in the toy aisle, throw yourself on the floor,screaming “MOMMY, I WANT THAT TOY!”

95. When there are people behind you, walk REALLY SLOW, especially thin narrow aisles.

96. Go over to the shoe department and try on every pair of shoes, not putting one pair back. Take the paper from the boxes and throw it in various aisles.

97. Try putting different pairs of women’s panties on your head and walk around the store casually.

98. Hide in the clothing racks and when people browse through, say things like “the fat man walks alone,” and scare them into believing that the clothes are talking to them.

99. Go up to a random person and begin crying “How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me! I knew there was another girl, but I thought I had won. You kissed ME darling.” Then act as though you are being beaten and fall onto the ground screaming and having convulsions.

100. Go to an empty checkout stand and try to check people out.

 

Sourced from youcanbefunny.com

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