Wal-Mart gets the bad rap, but kroger DOESN'T?!?

GenesisOne · Guru

RE: Wal-Mart gets the bad rap, but kroger DOESN'T?!?

Lord_Uboat · Guru

FrontEndSlave wrote:
BagBoy wrote:
non-union stores will always pay more. it's their way of saying "don't unionize so we can fire anyone who ****s up or gets too old."

I made $9 an hour at Home Depot and - I swear this is true - one of their "training videos" tackles the subject of unions.
Their take? "Don't listen to anyone who talks about unions, don't think about starting a union, if someone mentions 'union' go to your supervisor or management."
They're so scared ****less that they have AN ENTIRE VIDEO on how NOT to join a union and how evil a union could be if you joined.
(although, since Kroger's rarely helps, I suppose it could be called 'evil'...)

Target has a video like that too! Even mentioning a union will get you sent home.

Anon Fan · Veteran Member

FrontEndSlave wrote:

BagBoy wrote:
non-union stores will always pay more. it's their way of saying "don't unionize so we can fire anyone who ****s up or gets too old."

I made $9 an hour at Home Depot and - I swear this is true - one of their "training videos" tackles the subject of unions.
Their take? "Don't listen to anyone who talks about unions, don't think about starting a union, if someone mentions 'union' go to your supervisor or management."
They're so scared ****less that they have AN ENTIRE VIDEO on how NOT to join a union and how evil a union could be if you joined.
(although, since Kroger's rarely helps, I suppose it could be called 'evil'...)

Have you been laid off from Home Depot?

FrontEndSlave · Guru

Yes, it was a seasonal position.

Date: Oct 4, 2015

Stumbled across this after a particularly terrible day at work, and will just share my experience. I work at Kroger, out at their Fuel Station, and it is absolutely the worst job I've had. (Worked for two other companies, BJs Wholesale and Flash Foods)

I regularly work shifts ranging from 6-8 hours long with absolutely no break. If I have to use the restroom I have to basically break the law, put a sign in the window, and run to the McDonald restaurant beside us. We work our shifts alone, (both a gift and a curse) at the least we don't have to deal with managers most of the time...but we also have absolutely no backup from anyone should a customer start threatening to kill us, and hurling product around, which is what happened to me. The people from the store, even though we are all Kroger employees, typically treat us like crap and basically as bad as the customers treat us.

Oh and from what I was told, though I don't really care I guess, the gas station employees of Kroger can't even join the union, not even an option for us...

Our "Lead" clerk makes the schedule, and gets away with giving themselves nearly a four hour overlap on their 8 hour shifts and STILL gets no work done, while I get to clean up after them with only a forty five minute overlap on my eight hour shifts...(Overlap, for anyone who doesn't already know, is the time they give us to count our tills, swap out, and the previous person count their drawer down and leave)

Like 90% of the effort I have to put in for my job is dealing with entitled piece of human garbage customers.

One quick example? People who jam their credit cards up where the receipt comes out, and then get mad at us because it gets stuck.

...uhg...Anyways I'm done ranting -_-

Date: Oct 5, 2015

haha you guys are funny the union is a joke if kroger wants you gone they will find a way to make you go and the union wont do a damn thing about it.

Date: Oct 19, 2015

I work at Kroger. I understand low wages for less experienced employees. In Appomattox, VA it's complete and utter bull **** that we deal with. Customer service can't do their job correctly because their being asked to walk behind bagger and make sure they do their jobs right. Why would they hire the baggers if they can't trust them. If your under 18 you can't place trash in the compactor or trash bin and its STUPID. WHY HIRE BAGGERS IF THEY CANT DO THEIR JOBS. I for one am holding on the pay my cell phone bill and insurance but other then that I'm looking for another job. I get, on average, 8-14 hours a week. I'm available from 4-12 all week and open available on weekends and get terrible hours. We just opened a Walmart a few years aho and it's stupid that we don't get a pay increase due to our "contract". Kroger is such a greedy and bull **** company. Don't work here.

Date: Nov 12, 2015

i've been working at kroger for little over a year now and ive only gotten 1 .10 raise... my pay is now $7.55/hr

Date: Nov 13, 2015

I've been working over 2 years and my raises added up to $0.35

Date: Jan 5, 2016

Does no one here realize that the break differences are due in a large part to the managers and indiviual store. It's funny though, by law you are required to get a paid 15 min break every 4 hours and a nonpaid lunch for a minimum of 30 minutes every 8 hours. Also the whole firing for no reason, they can legally do that if you sign the at-will employment form.That means they can fire you for any or no reason. Even if you dont sign it most hourly employees are at-will.

Date: Jan 18, 2016

While it true the Federal min wage is $ 7.25 an hour. A lot of states have increased the min wage in FL now the Min wage is $ 8.05 an hour . You need to check with your current state if they have increased the min wage over the Fedral one Please note the Fedral Government is trying t raise the Fedral min wage too. I will believe it when I see it .

Date: Apr 4, 2016

I have worked at Kroger for nearly 3years. Started at $7.85 and only making 8.70 now. When hired I had much more hours than I get now, started as bagger, now a cashier. I was getting 20-35 hours a week and currently average 6-18 a week...I am about to leave for Wal-Mart since I cannot pay my bills making only a $100 per week or less...in my Kroger store, our managers are pretty much hiring people and promoting them right away...last summer, two cashiers were hired and within a week both were promoted,one to grocery and one to front desk...our store manager is kinda hostile, he expects the hardest working people to do the most work. My husband, a perimeter clerk at Kroger, has been there 17 years, and is expected to receive all four trucks during his shift (perishable, milk, bread, and grocery) and there are two grocery trucks at times but also to keep milk, eggs, bread, and water filled, work the dock, work some back stock and clean the dock and come up to run register, work assigned tasks from management which are hour long tasks or more, and be the only person working grocery during the day/evening. He is only one person and is expected to pretty much kill himself for the company to do all the work he does. When he is working, there are no other grocery clerks or dairy clerks on shift to help...all for 15$ an hour, 40hrs a week...granted the current managers have set me up and almost set him up to be fired numerous times, I have almost been fired for customer accusations about things I have never said to any customer in my life and the union helped with that. Our head store manager has even fired employees using an ultimatum of your career at Kroger over school! Kroger is not a career at minimum wage...I am a college student and kinda expecting this ultimatum to pop up when I decide to leave for Wal-Mart...Although Kroger has better medical than Wal-Mart, to my understanding, I am ready to leave the hostile Kroger and my hubby is too but he stays for the medical, not the union or poor management, but the medical insurance and 15$/hr. Keep in mind, Kroger will keep hiring to cut hours of veteran employees/senior full time employees and what not. Everyone above me on schedule is full time,below me part time and I am part time, I have only 6-18 hours per week...not much of a check when I'm in college and have bills to pay...I was offered $9 at Wal-Mart this past week, my orientation is tomorrow, And I am only concerned with the job/cashier, promotion, paid time off since I would be losing two weeks vacation by leaving Kroger, and medical insurance since I don't want to qualify for really bad deductibles on Wal-Mart's insurance. Their best plan, to my knowledge is a $1250 deductible and Kroger basic is 1000$ while Kroger premium is $500 deductible, for kroger's best medical plan...I am apart of my hubby's medical which is kroger's premium. I am nervous about even qualifying for Wal-Mart medical since hubby would have to take me off his when they do...

Date: Jun 9, 2016

Perhaps it comes down to how you are treated at these places. I currently work for Kroger and I find that it needs improvement (like having a C- average). The pay is crap, like you said, but with the exception of the store manager and co-managers, I feel like I am respected and appreciated. The only reason that I am considering going to Walmart is because I would make $2 more an hour. At Kroger I currently make $8.25/hr (I am part of the union). Walmart/Sam's Club said that cashiers start at $10.25/hr. I think that the extra $2 an hour would make a big difference. Another thing is that it depends on who you are on how they act about you working off the schedule or getting overtime. Managers often work past their shifts off the clock and depending on what they need you to do, an associate can get up to 4 hours of overtime in extreme circumstances (it's been flooding in Texas). We had to take an annual survey and I did say that I am dissatisfied with working at Kroger, because I know that they can do better and be the company they were 20+ years ago. I suppose Walmart gets a bad rap because of the people that are associated with it. Many of the Walmart stores in Houston are known to be in the low income areas and as such, low quality people show in them (not to say that low income equals low quality). An acquaintance of mine frequently shoplifts from Walmart and I don't think they care. Walmart usually has the lowest prices for comparable items and as such, I think the attitude of the associates is mediocre. If you pay really low prices for things then they feel that they can treat you with a lower level of respect. I know that not all Walmart associates are bad, but many of them can adjust their attitudes. An associate told me to find an item myself (she was not on break) instead of just saying that she didn't know and my friend was called a "dumb cracker" for trying to return an item. Overall, for those reasons Walmart is seen an unfavorable place to be. Walmart is at the bottom and Central Market/Whole Foods Market is at the top, then of course Walmart will be looked down upon.

Date: Apr 12, 2017

I work at Kroger's and started at 10.10, it's all about previous work experience with your starting wage

Date: Jun 5, 2017

Couldn't agree with you more. I too have worked in other retail jobs and was paid more. At the same time I have something to add. The store manager and his new assistant manager he is training walk around the store just to see what his employees are doing. If they're not happy with what they see they walk over berate the associate in front of customers then retreat to talk and laugh about it. Talking about hostile environment I am out of this store as soon as I line up another job. Tired of working late to cover them and now that I saw that and heard the comment they're just part time doesn't matter! Really crazy to stay here.

Date: Jun 7, 2017

Not everyone starts out at minimum wage. It is based on your relevant experience. Everyone who whines that they don't make enough, how much experience did you bring to the job you are on? Oh boo hoo you're a cashier and you make 7.25 an hour. What did you do before? Nothing relevant? Tough. I've been a single parent on 6.25 an hour and made it work. This was obviously before minimum wage was raised. My point is that unless you have experience before coming to kroger then yes you will start out on the lower end of hourly rates. Nobody is forcing you to work for kroger. You could have turned the job down when you found out what you were being paid. I've switched positions and gotten more hours as a result 4x in the year I've been with Kroger. I didn't start out at minimum wage. I brought years of experience with me and make more now than I ever have. Hell be thankful you have a job and aren't jobless or homeless. There are always people who are happier with less than you have so keep that in mind.

Date: Jan 18, 2020

In my area both Walmart and Kroger start employees out at $11 an hour minimum. It use to be minimum wage for both. Both give you two 15 minute paid breaks and a half hour unpaid lunch for a full shift, which is 8.5 hours. Our raises were a quarter every year but now they're $0.40 every year. Once you're topped out anyways. I can't remember what they were before I topped out. Companies promoting employees who have been there longer but are lazy is pretty common everywhere unfortunately. So in my area I prefer working at Kroger over Walmart. I did work for Walmart once. Very shortly. Walmart can and will fire employees for anything and nothing. They'll cut hours for absolutely no reason. With our union Kroger can't do that. Unless you steal or hit somebody they have to give you so many warnings before they can fire you. We had somebody call somebody in upper management a bitch and she still kept her job with the union's help As a full time employee they also can't cut my hours to anything less than 36 hours a week.