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Sep
26

The Worst Retail Companies to Work For. Vote Here

Category: Worst company to work for US Tags: worst companies US Leave a Comment

Who are the worst retailers to work for? Some of the companies on this list have earned the dubious honor because their employees are terribly unhappy. Not all retailers are created equal: Some are most definitely better than others, as evidenced on this list of the best retailers to work for. But the ones here? Yeah, not so great. Vote for the worst, and feel free to re-rank this list any way you like. Also, feel free to add any particular retailer that is missing (especially if you worked for them and hated it).

A note to major retailers: If you think that people don’t pay attention to how well you treat your workers, you are dead wrong. Need proof? Check out this list of the best reasons to support a brand or company. See? We all pay attention.

What makes a company terrible for its workers? Well, in the case of some of these retailers listed, low pay is a major factor. Retailers who pay minimum wage to workers, and then expect them to man the customer service lines for eight hours straight, every single day? Terrible. No one could handle that day in and day out. Paying a fare wage can certainly offset any frustrations on the job. And really, when a company doesn’t treat its employees well, you can bet that company has terrible customer service, too.

Another big gripe about some bad retailers: They don’t offer any hope for advancement. Having a job is step one – having a job with hope for advancement is step two. Nobody likes being stuck in a dead-end gig, with nowhere to go but down (or out). Want to move up in management? You might be well served to avoid some of the companies listed here, because they aren’t known for promoting employees within.

And now for one of the biggest factors that separates the good from the bad as far as retail companies go: worker benefits. Having decent benefits can offset making a slightly lower wage for many of us. Decent health care, paid time off and even dental and eye care can go a long way towards making employees happy.

The Worst Retail Companies to Work For

Sourced from Ranker.com

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Sep
1

By IHWIR Admin

The Ten Worst-Paying Jobs in America

Category: Interesting Facts, Worst company to work for US Tags: Worst paying jobs Leave a Comment

The Ten Worst-Paying Jobs

It’s easy to forget now, but the original purpose of Labor Day wasn’t to invite your friends over for a cookout, some beers, and one last chance to celebrate the summer. It was to recognize the contributions of American workers, at a time of struggle and unrest .

According to the Department of Labor , the first official celebration took place in New York, in September of 1882. It was the height of the Industrial Revolution—a time when American workers could expect to work twelve hours a day, seven days a week, but still live in poverty. They toiled in mills, factories, and mines without access to basic necessities like sanitary facilities, if they were even allowed to take breaks. Five-year-olds were sent to work to help support their families.

Pay and working conditions are a lot better now, obviously—thanks in no small part to the labor movement and laws, like the minimum wage, that it helped pass. But even the most basic financial security remains elusive for many Americans, as my colleague Danny Vinik noted recently. One reason is that many jobs simply don’t pay very well—and lots of people have those jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 22 percent of Americans hold one of the lowest paying jobs that the agency categorizes.

What are these jobs? We decided to take a look, by going through BLS statistics and compiling a set of the ten worst paying jobs in America. We adapted the official numbers in one important way: Going strictly by BLS categories, nine of the ten worst paying jobs are different occupations within the food services industry. We decided to group the jobs by industry—in other words, to lump all the food service industry jobs together, and then provide a salary range that includes the median wage for each one. We did the same for a three other industries: agriculture, recreation, and sales. The chart just above has all the information.

Not everybody in these jobs is struggling. Sometimes people in low-paying jobs are students, or take them part-time and, while they aren’t making much money, they also aren’t living in poverty. But of the Americans who are getting by on the federal minimum wage, it’s important to note that in 46 out of 50 states, women make up more than half of minimum wage workers. (I have written about this previously, for Forbes , if you want to read more details about the breakdown and its sources.) In the remaining four states, women still make up roughly half of minimum wage workers. This is one reason that 40 percent of households with single mothers as the sole breadwinner were in poverty . This, of course, plays into why the problem of reliable and affordable child care is so urgent. Child care, by the way, is the eleventh worst paid job in America. But that’s another story.

And now, for the full breakdown:

10. Parking Lot Attendants

AP Photo/Mike Derer

The popular image of the parking lot attendant is the two guys from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” joyriding around Chicago in a Ferrari they were supposed to watch over carefully. In reality, the job is rarely that much fun. It pays $10.26 an hour, and while some parking lot attendants do work full time, many string together part-time or temporary work for large events or for certain evening and nighttime hours when restaurants offer valet parking. It’s fine as a way to supplement earnings, or help pay for school. But as a living? That’s a problem. The jobs typically don’t provide benefits and, for outdoor lots particularly, the work can be demanding.

Mean hourly wage for parking lot attendants: $10.26

9. Personal Care Aides

Lisa S./Shutterstock

Personal care aides make a mean hourly salary of $10.09, and, according to BLS, only half of all personal care aides worked full time in 2012. Yet their work is not just demanding physically. It can take an emotional toll. These men and women are responsible for tasks ranging from feeding a disabled person, to lifting an injured or elderly adult into and out of a wheel chair. The job has a number of occupational hazards , which include a higher rate of injuries and illnesses (usually caught from the client), as well as exposure to potentially violent situations with mentally ill or cognitively impaired clients. Ironically, many personal care aides work in private homes and do not have access to employee benefits, like medical insurance, even though delivering health care is a big part of their jobs.

Mean hourly wage for personal care aides: $10.09

8. Lifeguards

Gene Chutka/ E + Collection

Lifeguards spent hours in the summer sun, and are charged with keeping people safe while they enjoy recreational activities. Unlike park attendants, though, whose responsibility usually ends once a person is harnessed or buckled safely, lifeguards have to be on constant alert so that they can save anyone who appears to be drowning. The job tends to be more whistle blowing than heroic action, though, with occasional yelling of “don’t run,” and “adult swim.” Another job primarily held by teens, it’s unlikely that lifeguards will see a push for higher wages anytime soon, especially because many lifeguards see tanning (aka skin damage) as an important job benefit, not an occupational hazard .

Mean hourly wage for lifeguards and other protective service workers: $10.05

7. Gaming Dealers

Andrey Popov/Shutterstock

The job of a gaming dealer may seem like all play and no work. It’s not. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes it as “physically demanding,” because dealers are expected to stand behind a table for nearly their entire shifts. Casinos frequently allow smoking, which makes second hand smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes an additional—and serious—occupational hazard. On the bright side, casinos typically offer full time work and employee benefits, and jobs are no longer limited to Nevada and New Jersey as they once were.

Mean hourly wage for gaming dealers: $10.04

6. Garment Workers

Stefano Gilera/Cultura

The garment industry is famous for its history of unsafe conditions. Quite possibly the most famous workplace tragedy in our country’s history was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911, in which 146 of 500 employees, mostly young women, died from jumping from the burning building or from being trapped inside it, where emergency exits had been locked to prevent employees from using the bathroom too frequently. Today, such accidents mostly take place in far away places. But American garment workers still work for low wages and in rough conditions—in some cases, because their ranks include undocumented workers who are in no position to challenge employers over workplace standards. In 1996, the Department of Labor estimated that half of the country’s garment contractors were in violation of federal minimum wage or overtime laws. It’s difficult to determine if and how much we’ve improved since then, as statistics are not collected regularly on garment worker conditions.

Mean hourly wage for pressers and other workers in the garment industry: $10.03

5. Cashiers

Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock

You might think the worst part of being a cashier is the monotony. Think again. It turns out that cashiers are the victims of robbery and homicide more often than most other workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Less dire occupational hazards include standing all day long and missing holidays with the family. The holiday season is the busiest time of the year in retail. So what do cashiers make? The mean annual salary is around $9.83, but that factors in retail workers, who typically earn more than grocery store and gas station cashiers. Grocery store and gas station cashiers, combined, make up 42% of the profession and their wages usually start at the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour.

Mean hourly wage for cashiers: $9.82-9.83

4. Amusement Park and Recreation Attendants

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Gone are the days of the old Action Park, site of multiple deaths and lawsuits—where, reportedly , amusement park attendants suffered traumas ranging from being shot point blank with tennis ball cannons to having to test out the park’s infamous Cannonball Loop water slide. But working at an amusement park still has its occupational hazards, like cleaning up after sick park-goers and the threats of sun-sickness and dehydration, since it requires long hours in the summer heat. When you think of attendants, you probably think of teenagers on summer jobs, for whom low wages aren’t such a big deal. But lots of grown-ups work at amusement parks, too—in maintenance, for example, or at resorts that operate year-round. These attract older applicants, who depend on these jobs to feed their families. Low wages for them are no laughing matter.

Mean hourly wage for ticket takers and other amusement park workers: $9.76-10.22

3. Farm Laborers

Oktay Ortakcioglu/E + Collection

Farm laborers are some of the lowest paid workers in our country, despite working in what is arguably one of the most essential, and wealthy, industries in our country. A U.S> Department of Agriculture study on Crop Production, published in 2013, estimated that American farmers annually produce close to $143 billion worth of crops and close to $153 billion worth of livestock. But the money goes primarily to the owners, frequently large agriculture companies—who, all too often, take the workers pretty much for granted. One sign of that treatment is safety, or lack thereof, on the farm: A 2013 study from the Center For Progressive Reform found that, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, more than one farm worker dies in a work-related accident every day. This was found to be seven times higher than the average for all private sector jobs. Philip Martin, a labor economist at the University of California-Davis, estimated that in order to raise farm wages by 40 percent, the average American household would have to pay only $15 more a year for produce—though that still wouldn’t address the safety problems. By the way, work-related accidents aren’t the only hazard farm workers face. Seven chilling incidents of tomato farm slavery involving workers who had been abducted, confined at gunpoint, and suffered starvation wages and pistol whippings have been discovered and prosecuted in Florida since 1997.

Mean hourly wage for agriculture workers: $9.65-10.20

2. Shampooers

Rich Legg/ E + Collection

Sometimes entry-level positions go to those people who are ambitious enough to deal with low wages and menial work, just for a chance to learn and start working their way up to better-paying jobs. That’s frequently the story with shampooers. Many are aspiring stylists who hope eventually to cut hair. The job has its advantages: Many can work a real 40-hour workweek, and some even earn tips. That said, at a mean hourly salary of $9.09, the job barely provides a living. Many take on the position part time, using the wages to offset the costs of beauty school.

Mean hourly wage for shampooers: $9.09

1. Fast Food Cooks

Oktay Ortakcioglu/E + Collection

Fast food cooks have the lowest paying job in America, according to BLS statistics, although most other jobs in the fast food industry don’t pay much better. With a mean hourly salary of $9.07, 40 hours a week should yield close to $18,870, but many fast food cooks work only 25 hours a week. Working every week of the year, without a single day off, these men and women make $11,791 before taxes, which puts them just above the poverty line for a single person with no dependents. But many of them also do not make $9.07. In January, President Obama had a conversation with a man in the fast food industry who has gone on strike four times because he makes only $7.25 an hour. Even if this man works 40 hours every week—again, without taking any time off—he makes $15,080. If he is supporting anyone beside himself, that income puts him below the poverty line .

Mean hourly wage for the food service industry: $9.07-10.18

Sourced from Digg.com

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Jun
22

By IHWIR Admin

America’s Worst Companies to Work For

Category: Interesting Facts, Retail Stories, Worst company to work for US Tags: worst companies US Leave a Comment

Employees can now share their opinions about employers online. As a result, companies face new reputation risks that can affect their customers and shareholders.

For the third year, 24/7 Wall St. has identified the nation’s worst companies to work for. 24/7 Wall St. analyzed thousands of reviews from jobs and career website Glassdoor.com and selected the 11 companies with the lowest ratings.

Many of the companies on this list continue to be in the retail sector. As a result, complaints tended to focus on wages and hours worked. In many cases, these concerns focused on how difficult it can be for sales employees to meet targets that qualified them for commissions.

In other instances, employees complained more about how they thought a company was mishandling its customers. In the case of the Children’s Place, employees protested the pushy sales tactics. Jos. A. Bank employees wrote that the company’s changing product prices made it hard for them to make sales.

However, employees working in retail are not all unhappy. Scott Dobroski, associate director for corporate communication at Glassdoor.com, suggested that pay plays a big part. “We know that compensation is the number one factor job seekers consider when determining where to work.” Starbucks and Costco are examples of retail companies that offer benefits or pay above the industry average and that employees rate highly.

A significant share of employee grievances was directed at middle management. Workers at these companies were also highly likely to disapprove of their CEO. Chief executives at 10 of the 11 worst companies to work for received positive approval ratings from less than half of their employees. At six of these businesses, less than 30% of workers endorsed the CEO.

In the case of a number of these businesses, such as RadioShack and hhgregg, falling revenues, weak earnings and a sinking stock price may all contribute to lower employee morale and negative perceptions of executive performance.

However, negative employee opinions are not always a direct reflection of a company performance. Dillard’s has been a Wall Street darling. The company’s stock price has risen tenfold in the past five years.

To identify America’s worst companies to work for, 24/7 Wall St. independently examined employee reviews on Glassdoor.com. To be considered, companies had to have a minimum of 300 reviews. Of the more than 500 companies with more than 300 reviews, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 11 publicly traded companies that received the worst scores — 2.4 or lower. Employee totals are from each company’s latest 10-K filing.

These are America’s worst companies to work for

11. RadioShack
> Rating: 2.4
> Number of reviews: 1,255
> CEO approval rating: 46% (Joseph C. Magnacca)
> Employees: 27,500
> Industry: Electronics retail

RadioShack Corp.’s (NYSE: RSH) abysmal performance in recent years has reflected poorly on senior management. Employees rated senior management 2.2 out of a possible 5.0. And less than half of employees approve of CEO Joseph Magnacca. Many reviews cited low wages and poor benefits, conditions that often lead to employee dissatisfaction. While entry-level retail associates complained of inadequate hours, the opposite was true for store managers. One reviewer said that, considering the long hours managers put in, the increased salary isn’t really much higher.

After $400 million loss last year — the second consecutive year in which the company has lost money — RadioShack said it could close more than 1,000 of its retail outlets this year, roughly a quarter of its U.S. company-operated stores. Despite RadioShack’s efforts to remain competitive in the ever-evolving electronics industry, the retailer is nearing irrelevancy. According to The Wall Street Journal, 25% of all electronics purchases were made online in 2013.

10. Children’s Place
> Rating: 2.4
> Number of reviews: 427
> CEO approval rating: 27% (Jane Elfers)
> Employees: 16,500
> Industry: Apparel retail

Generous employee benefits — such as up to 30% off including clearance items — contributed to numerous positive reviews for The Children’s Place Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE). Such perks, however, did little to offset complaints regarding low pay and difficulties in getting adequate hours. Entry-level sales associates disapproved of training protocols by and large. These protocols include promoting rewards programs and other pushy sales practices when dealing with customers. Like with many of the companies on this list, the company’s CEO is unpopular. According to Glassdoor.com reviews, just over one in four employees approve of the way CEO Jane Elfers is running the company, among the lower approval ratings on Glassdoor.com.

Shareholders, too, are likely unhappy with the company. Revenues have been relatively flat in recent years, while earnings per share have declined in each of the past four years. Over the past year, the company’s share price has dropped by about 4.5%, even as the stock market has largely risen.

9. Family Dollar Stores
> Rating: 2.4
> Number of reviews: 509
> CEO approval rating: 39% (Howard R. Levine)
> Employees: 58,000
> Industry: Discount retail

Like many retail operations, Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) offers entry-level workers low-paying high-stress employment. Family Dollar has added hundreds of stores in the past several years, reaching a total of 8,100 U.S. retail outlets. According to numerous employee reviews, however, these new stores are the most likely to be poorly run. One such reviewer complained about inconsistent schedules, part-time hours, product shortages and overall chaotic management.

Family Dollar’s CEO received a 39% approval rating, hardly spectacular but better than a number of peers running companies with the lowest employee reviews. However, the opinion that matters most may be that of famed activist investor Carl Icahn, who recently disclosed a sizable stake in the discount retailer. Icahn has announced that he will push for Family Dollar to sell itself via an acquisition or shareholder buyout.

8. hhgregg
> Rating: 2.4
> Number of reviews: 397
> CEO approval rating: 36% (Dennis L. May)
> Employees: 6,100
> Industry: Electronics retail

hhgregg Inc. (NYSE: HGG) is a 58-year old electronics and home furniture retailer with 6,100 total employees and 228 stores as of March. Employees largely had negative views of the company, often criticizing its commission-based compensation model. Former and current sales staff also indicated that the commission structure, which rewarded employees for selling highly profitable items, often felt arbitrary or unfair. One employee noted that, “they make you do a lot of operational work and since you are on commission you don’t get paid for that work.”

hhgregg has failed to impress shareholders as well. The company has struggled with declining sales and earnings of in recent years. Its shares fell more than 40% in the past year alone, even as the broader stock market has risen substantially in that time.

7. ADT
> Rating: 2.4
> Number of reviews: 561
> CEO approval rating: 48% (Naren Gursahaney)
> Employees: 17,000
> Industry: Security and alarm services

Home and business security systems company ADT Corp. (NYSE: ADT) is the largest company of its kind in North America. It currently serves more than 6 million customers, but its popularity does not mean employees are satisfied. Sales representatives, who pitch the company’s security package door-to-door or over the phone, were among the most likely to give the company a poor review. Employees complained of stressful commission-based pay structures.

In addition to criticisms from employees, ADT has also been scrutinized by regulators. The company has come under criticism for secretly paying experts to endorse its systems on TV shows and in interviews. ADT has recently reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission on the matter.

6. Dillard’s
> Rating: 2.3
> Number of reviews: 913
> CEO approval rating: 24% (Bill Dillard II)
> Employees: 40,000
> Industry: Department stores

Founded in 1938, Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS) is currently among the largest clothing and home furnishings retailers in the nation. The company owned and operated nearly 300 stores nationwide as of the beginning of this year, and employed roughly 40,000 workers, just less than half of which were part-time workers. Like many other entry-level retail positions, sales jobs at Dillard’s tend to involve penalties for unmet sales goals. While these pay structures offer higher wages for high achievers, employees reported poor job security and unreliable work schedules.

While employees appear unhappy, customers are relatively satisfied with Dillard’s. Americans are more satisfied with Dillard’s than with most department stores. Customer satisfaction, as measured by its American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) score, rose 2.5% last year. Investors, too, are likely happy with Dillard’s. Shares have risen by more than 1,100% in the past five years.

5. Brookdale Senior Living
> Rating: 2.3
> Number of reviews: 322
> CEO approval rating: 51% (T. Andrew Smith)
> Employees: 49,000
> Industry: Senior living facilities

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD) is an operator of assisted-living communities. Employees of the company are among the most miserable. Numerous current and former employees reported poor management, understaffing and high turnover. A large proportion of the company’s nearly 49,000 employees are considered part-time. Yet, several reviews cited hours well in excess of traditional part-time schedules. Some employees have expressed concern over the company’s increased focus on profits. “They’ve lost sight of their values — the bottom line comes first and the residents are last,” one reviewer said on Glassdoor.com. Despite these complaints, however, CEO Andrew Smith had a better approval rating than his counterparts at any of the other companies on this list, at 51%.

Brookdale recently announced it would merge with Emeritus Corporation, another senior living company. The companies said that after the merger, 6.5 million Americans 80 years of age and older will live in relative proximity to one of the two companies’ facilities.

4. Jos. A. Bank Clothiers
> Rating: 2.3
> Number of reviews: 317
> CEO approval rating: 24% (R. Neal Black)
> Employees: 6,469
> Industry: Apparel retail

Sales managers at Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. (NASDAQ: JOSB) frequently expressed frustration at the number of hours they were required to work. Sales workers often complained as well, with many citing a difficult commission structure and the company’s ever-changing product prices. While many employees said they enjoyed helping customers immensely, others felt customers were often demanding.

But while employees were unhappy with the company, Jos. A. Bank’s former shareholders had reason to be quite pleased. After months of bitter back-and-forth negotiations — which helped to drive up Jos. A. Bank’s share price — the clothing retailer was acquired by Men’s Wearhouse for $1.8 billion in March. The deal formally closed in mid-June. Unlike Jos. A. Bank employees, Men’s Warehouse’s staff has a higher view of their business, with employees awarding their company a 3.3 rating on Glassdoor.com.

3. Frontier Communications
> Rating: 2.3
> Number of reviews: 306
> CEO approval rating: 27% (Maggie Wilderotter)
> Employees: 13,650
> Industry: Telecom services

Frontier Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: FTR) is one of the larger communications companies in the United States, known primarily for providing services to rural and smaller American towns and cities. While Frontier Communications has been downsizing its workforce in recent years –headcount dropped by roughly 1,000 between 2012 and 2013 — the company considers its relationship with its employees to be good. Its employees may disagree, however. A number of reviewers seem to think Frontier Communications is no longer on the forefront of communications technology. One current employee explained, “The reason you can’t hire is that no one wants to work on a dinosaur.”

Despite the challenges of providing services to small, remote populations, Frontier has sought to expand its control of the rural market in recent years. The company bought 4.8 million access lines from Verizon in 2009. The company’s revenue, however, declined from $5.2 billion in 2011 to $5.0 billion in 2012 and then to $4.8 billion last year.

2. Express Scripts
> Rating: 2.2
> Number of reviews: 646
> CEO approval rating: 28% (George Paz)
> Employees: 29,975
> Industry: Health care services

Express Scripts Holding Co. (NASDAQ: ESRX) is a leading pharmacy benefits manager, facilitating a wide range of pharmaceutical drug operations, including distribution and cost management. Poor work-life balance was one of the most common complaints among Glassdoor.com reviews. One former employee wrote, “work life balance is nonexistent, you are expected to be available to work all the time.” Less than a third of employees approved of Express Scripts’ CEO George Paz.

Unlike several other companies on this list, Express Scripts has grown considerably in recent years. After a merger with Medco Health Solutions in 2012, Some employees expected the company to conduct layoffs. Total employment declined only slightly, however.

1. Books-A-Million
> Rating: 2.0
> Number of reviews: 302
> CEO approval rating: 22% (Terry Finley)
> Employees: 5,400
> Industry: Specialty stores

Books-A-Million Inc. (NASDAQ: BAMM) employed roughly 5,400 workers at more than 250 U.S. stores as of the beginning of this year, most of which were part-time. Like many retailers with unhappy employees, Books-A-Million institutes commission-based pay structures. Perhaps as a result, high stress and low pay were common complaints on Glassdoor.com. One employee wrote, “to[o] much stress for the pay, very low pay, low chance of promotion, hours are based on magazine and discount card sales. Even if you’re normally good, if you have a bad week you get cut.”

Just 14% of employees said they would recommend this company to a friend. Books-A-Million’s culture and value were rated just 1.8, the lowest among companies reviewed. CEO Terry Finley is also not popular, with just 22% thinking he is doing a good job. Over the past several years, the company has struggled to keep up with other large retail and online book sellers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com

Sourced from: America’s Worst Companies to Work For

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The Worst Retail Companies to Work For. Vote Here