The companies "way" is to now hold managers "accountable" for every aspect of their stores. Being "accountable" if fine and good on paper, but being 100% in the fast pace of a store isn't possible, specially with a workforce hired with one expectation, now being "told" to live up to another. When being "busy" is 24/7, and managers are riding them, the only option is to quit.
Kroger is a toxic environment. There were many times I wanted to walk in the past couple years but due to being a slave to the health insurance I can't. I almost wish we had universal health care. I would of quit a long fu-cken time ago. This job might be toxic but it's more reliable than other jobs I have had. When society goes belly up it's still actively going. I won't do government jobs any more because they've had too many shut downs. Unless you're prepared every 3-5 years to be off work for 3-6 months it isn't happening. Most of us don't earn enough to live like that.
People quitting is good. Using social media to spread the word so people don't apply in the first place is better. The insane and often illegal crap this company pulls would cause most people to choose to shop elsewhere, if they only knew.
Rather than requiring a certain level of education they'd rather just hire people off the streets, give them @$$ed training then send them into the fire. Our store has had a lot of people quit too. I hate to say it but this is what the company wants: Make long term people quit and replace them with minimum wage. Minimum waged employees are cheaper to pay than long term individuals earning journeyman wage. The company is winning. This is what they want.
Rather than requiring a certain level of education they'd rather just hire people off the streets, give them @$$ed training then send them into the fire. Our store has had a lot of people quit too. I hate to say it but this is what the company wants: Make long term people quit and replace them with minimum wage. Minimum waged employees are cheaper to pay than long term individuals earning journeyman wage. The company is winning. This is what they want.
In my area no one is making min. wage, starting pay is $11-$12, min wage is around $9 in my state. Part of the issue is the Hiring Managers not having any connections to the Store/Department. When Hiring Managers don't actually know what is expected in the department and or are always getting moved from store to store, they really don't care who they hire. They are only graded on how many people they hire, and then everything else isn't their issue....
After another good employee quit after constantly being harrassed, I actually heard one of the co-managers say they deliberately come down hard on the good employees. No wonder they can't keep anybody. I've learned a couple things to get by. Don't learn anything beyond the scope of your job. Once you learn how to do something, you'll be stuck with it. I've been there over 30 years and I've never tied the bailer. The second thing is related to the first. Let them think you're not smart enough to do anything beyond your normal routine. Just play dumb.
After another good employee quit after constantly being harrassed, I actually heard one of the co-managers say they deliberately come down hard on the good employees. No wonder they can't keep anybody. I've learned a couple things to get by. Don't learn anything beyond the scope of your job. Once you learn how to do something, you'll be stuck with it. I've been there over 30 years and I've never tied the bailer. The second thing is related to the first. Let them think you're not smart enough to do anything beyond your normal routine. Just play dumb.
I don't think it actually state like that, but STR MGMT has been told to hold people accountable, and be more productive. How do you really make someone more productive if they are a good, bad or average worker? Yes, you can motivate someone to be more productive on a specific day or occasion, but long term the associate either is or isn't. The biggest problem is there are too many people making sweeping decisions and STR MGMT doesn't have any real input to actually run their stores. Too many times they are the scapegoats for when a program doesn't live up to the expected profit or expense savings. In reality, most program designers always promote expense or profits unable to be obtained to get their program launched.
I can remember 10-15 they started a yearly goals to increase productivity and decrease labor/hours by 5% year after year. Remember when the indicated "MORE SALES, MORE HOURS" ? They forgot to mention, they were just going to change the labor standards in the ELMS system year after year, even with sales increases.
After another good employee quit after constantly being harrassed, I actually heard one of the co-managers say they deliberately come down hard on the good employees. No wonder they can't keep anybody. I've learned a couple things to get by. Don't learn anything beyond the scope of your job. Once you learn how to do something, you'll be stuck with it. I've been there over 30 years and I've never tied the bailer. The second thing is related to the first. Let them think you're not smart enough to do anything beyond your normal routine. Just play dumb.
I don't think it actually state like that, but STR MGMT has been told to hold people accountable, and be more productive. How do you really make someone more productive if they are a good, bad or average worker? Yes, you can motivate someone to be more productive on a specific day or occasion, but long term the associate either is or isn't. The biggest problem is there are too many people making sweeping decisions and STR MGMT doesn't have any real input to actually run their stores. Too many times they are the scapegoats for when a program doesn't live up to the expected profit or expense savings. In reality, most program designers always promote expense or profits unable to be obtained to get their program launched.
I can remember 10-15 they started a yearly goals to increase productivity and decrease labor/hours by 5% year after year. Remember when the indicated "MORE SALES, MORE HOURS" ? They forgot to mention, they were just going to change the labor standards in the ELMS system year after year, even with sales increases.
When I said I heard a co-manager say they come down harder on good employees, I mean I was standing right there not two feet away when he said it to the department manager.
After another good employee quit after constantly being harrassed, I actually heard one of the co-managers say they deliberately come down hard on the good employees. No wonder they can't keep anybody. I've learned a couple things to get by. Don't learn anything beyond the scope of your job. Once you learn how to do something, you'll be stuck with it. I've been there over 30 years and I've never tied the bailer. The second thing is related to the first. Let them think you're not smart enough to do anything beyond your normal routine. Just play dumb.
I don't think it actually state like that, but STR MGMT has been told to hold people accountable, and be more productive. How do you really make someone more productive if they are a good, bad or average worker? Yes, you can motivate someone to be more productive on a specific day or occasion, but long term the associate either is or isn't. The biggest problem is there are too many people making sweeping decisions and STR MGMT doesn't have any real input to actually run their stores. Too many times they are the scapegoats for when a program doesn't live up to the expected profit or expense savings. In reality, most program designers always promote expense or profits unable to be obtained to get their program launched.
I can remember 10-15 they started a yearly goals to increase productivity and decrease labor/hours by 5% year after year. Remember when the indicated "MORE SALES, MORE HOURS" ? They forgot to mention, they were just going to change the labor standards in the ELMS system year after year, even with sales increases.
When I said I heard a co-manager say they come down harder on good employees, I mean I was standing right there not two feet away when he said it to the department manager.
Again, I'm thinking the "come down harder" is again just to make good, bad or any worker "more productive". Hell, a Co-Manager isn't really that much higher in the company then any clerk is. They are only at the store to make sure clerks do their job and the store is profitable. I'm sure any message the Co-Manager was relaying had a "Telephone" effect, which def. changed the message. Remember for 2-3 year they said "staffing" isn't an excuse....funny how "COVID" opened eyes to the staffing issue. In reality, unless the company decides they want to be different then all the other grocery retailers, nothing is going to get better or change. Your comment "let them think you're not smart enough to do anything" should basically sum up your personality and possible work ethic. Its hard not to actually learn anything over 30 years...unless you really try not to learn anything.....
Management is trying to get people to quit. Makes no sense.
Management isn't making people quit, they just don't understand they can't make employees do more and more, without them quitting. Its one thing if you ask an Associate to bust their butt for a special occasion, but when its day after day, with no end in sight....plenty of other retails pay just as well if not more.
After another good employee quit after constantly being harrassed, I actually heard one of the co-managers say they deliberately come down hard on the good employees. No wonder they can't keep anybody. I've learned a couple things to get by. Don't learn anything beyond the scope of your job. Once you learn how to do something, you'll be stuck with it. I've been there over 30 years and I've never tied the bailer. The second thing is related to the first. Let them think you're not smart enough to do anything beyond your normal routine. Just play dumb.
Yup managers are just back stabbing dirty scum ass holes that will throw you under the bus to save there own ass
Management is trying to get people to quit. Makes no sense.
Management isn't making people quit, they just don't understand they can't make employees do more and more, without them quitting. Its one thing if you ask an Associate to bust their butt for a special occasion, but when its day after day, with no end in sight....plenty of other retails pay just as well if not more.
Management is trying to get people to quit. Makes no sense.
Management isn't making people quit, they just don't understand they can't make employees do more and more, without them quitting. Its one thing if you ask an Associate to bust their butt for a special occasion, but when its day after day, with no end in sight....plenty of other retails pay just as well if not more.
Rather than requiring a certain level of education they'd rather just hire people off the streets, give them @$$ed training then send them into the fire. Our store has had a lot of people quit too. I hate to say it but this is what the company wants: Make long term people quit and replace them with minimum wage. Minimum waged employees are cheaper to pay than long term individuals earning journeyman wage. The company is winning. This is what they want.
In my area no one is making min. wage, starting pay is $11-$12, min wage is around $9 in my state. Part of the issue is the Hiring Managers not having any connections to the Store/Department. When Hiring Managers don't actually know what is expected in the department and or are always getting moved from store to store, they really don't care who they hire. They are only graded on how many people they hire, and then everything else isn't their issue....
Yep, just today my HR person all happy like, just told me about how she did a walk in interview for someone who is available for 4pm-9pm on weekdays. Ok, that's nice. But i need morning people too.
I stepped down in hrs because this is a health insurance job. I use the funds to pay my bills so I don't have to pull it out of my long term growth investments. I've gone back to school. This company suc-ks. I do one class a quarter then two classes every other quarter. A little slower but it's better than going back into debt for school. Not doing that again.
You know the best part: It's all random but now and then my store will have a high call out percentage and the managers will be running the store. When coworkers test positive for covid there's literally a mass call out the next day. Then a visit by corporate asking why did 80% of the store call out all at once?
Well 5 years ago.......staffing wasn't an reasonable excuse. Kind of funny now HIGHER ups are now using it as the excuse for everything and all changes. Wonder how long it will take them to understand, they will save more $$$ if they just don't expect 125% of people all the time. I remember back in the day there would be 3-4 people closing in each department, now your lucky if 2 close in the bigger department, 1 person in the smaller ones. Yes, you have to watch costs, but what costs are you incurring with the high turnover and sales losses? Remember 10 years ago when "Service" brings sales? ELSM is task based, NOT service based.
Well 5 years ago.......staffing wasn't an reasonable excuse. Kind of funny now HIGHER ups are now using it as the excuse for everything and all changes. Wonder how long it will take them to understand, they will save more $$$ if they just don't expect 125% of people all the time. I remember back in the day there would be 3-4 people closing in each department, now your lucky if 2 close in the bigger department, 1 person in the smaller ones. Yes, you have to watch costs, but what costs are you incurring with the high turnover and sales losses? Remember 10 years ago when "Service" brings sales? ELSM is task based, NOT service based.
True. I have two things to add, however...Our HR person has told me that it's hard finding qualified candidates to fill these empty positions...One, even if the workers are perky, energetic and able, they are not looking for longevity in the company, just a leg up to get somewhere else...So, the job is basically a stepping stone to better things...Two, our pharmacist has told me that me that a majority of people getting the biometric screenings for the insurance are showing higher-than-normal blood pressure readings...Coincidence that it's happening due to bad management and perhaps, more people doing heavier workloads with less people to help??? Is there something else I'm not seeing here???
Kroger does not train their managers to have a professional atmosphere. They practice opposite of what they preach. This is unfortunately making people leave.
If one is too toxic file ethics reports against them left and right. That's how I got three store managers fired.
One showed up to work and did nothing but sit in the break room. Employees that liked to try and take charge (the wrong ones) ended up creating chaos in the store. Manager did nothing to end it. We lost a lot of staff over these people being @$$ holes to the staff.
Another manager knew how to write a schedule but that was it. It was all the other company violations that got him fired. Any where from over ordering product to punishing people wrong. He got a lot of union grievances against him.
Another manager kept harassing us to stop theft. I reminded them it's against company policy. Well if the thief wants to buy thousands of dollars through self check out stop them intervene. Sorry that's against the theft policy paper we sign. They kept harassing us to stop it so I filed a claim. We also were failed to be updated about changes in policies and procedures so they started writing us up for them. I filed an ethics report against them. Now by company policy they must inform us before writing us up. Generally they make you sign a paper informing you of policy changes. They never even had the paper printed.
