So I work produce at a Kroger. We are now somewhere about 60 hours unused in our department because our new hires either quit or moved because of medical problems. Meanwhile our front end is so short on help, or dealing with call ins, they have like 120 hours unused. So everyday its a constant struggle for us to get done because were being called up front to check and bag, and management just brushes us off like Oh itll get better Eventually. All of us are tired, worn out, and sick of getting shafted so much worse than any other department.
Management sometimes pages for our produce employees too. I eventually tell them 1 on 1 that they shouldn't be calling us since we are already so short handed ourselves and we are also a service department, and we need to keep our shelves full. They listen. They should page for meat clerks, bakery, or grocery clerks since they seem to always do the least amount of work.
Management sometimes pages for our produce employees too. I eventually tell them 1 on 1 that they shouldn't be calling us since we are already so short handed ourselves and we are also a service department, and we need to keep our shelves full. They listen. They should page for meat clerks, bakery, or grocery clerks since they seem to always do the least amount of work.
Produce is not a service department. You do not have a counter where you regularly take customers' orders. You may have to wait on customers and help them find things but that's part of everyone's job at Kroger. Deli, bakery, meat, and seafood are service departments.
I'm 50+ hours short every week on my schedule. i only have myself and 3 other people in our bakery department. going into holiday week next week, it's going to be impossible to keep up. if i schedule overtime, i might be able to get us to being only 25-30 hours short, but all of us are starting to get burnt out.
Management sometimes pages for our produce employees too. I eventually tell them 1 on 1 that they shouldn't be calling us since we are already so short handed ourselves and we are also a service department, and we need to keep our shelves full. They listen. They should page for meat clerks, bakery, or grocery clerks since they seem to always do the least amount of work.
You are the biggest dingbat I have ever seen. Produce has no more work than Deli Meat or any other department. Even the front end is a service department. let me explain, Taking out groceries is a service. Bringing in carts is a service.
Guys, we are in this together. NO department should be called up to help bag or be a cashier. Every department has plenty of it's own work, customers, and we are all understaffed with hours cut.
It doesn't really matter if you have a service desk or not. If you do, customers come up to the desk to be helped. If you do not, they mill around in your department and they ask for help. Not only help in that department (Produce), but specific questions about where some specific bakery, dairy, deli, meat, grocery or GM item is.
Instead of turning on each other, we should all insist on front end staffing enough people to cover them. Not that it matters, because FE will never listen. Even if just having 1-2 extra baggers or combo clerks would help the whole store out and it would solve lots of problems. They can be at the front when busy, and doing go backs, replenishing shelves or cleaning when it's more slow.
You can't even blame FE either, because they're really doing all they can as well with what they've got.
But I agree, going back and forth and saying which departments do more and which don't isn't helping. EVERY department is in the same boat. I work bakery and see that the meat department, produce, drug gm, etc are all understaffed. My store doesn't even have a drug gm backup right now!
I'm not blaming the Front End, or any department. I'm blaming corporate for not letting stores to schedule needed help and hours. And upper store management for not pushing back at corporate.
But yes, there is something going on in the Front End. Looking at the schedule with 2.5 - 3 pages of combo clerks, cashiers and baggers, it's hard to believe that they don't have people to schedule. I understand there are many with restrictions because they are students. But I also hear about many people calling in almost daily, and yet they still work there. Also, I never ever hear any front end managers urging their people to step on it. You can tell who is from a department and who is from front end by the speed they walk and bag. At least at my store, not a single bagger that seems to care, they don't bounce, sweep is done by walking down middle of the aisle in straight line, dirt on the sides be damned. Abandoned locked up carts are left just inside past the door, even if many FE people walk by for a sweep or to go out for carts. THAT is why many in departments don't feel much love for the Front End.
-- Edited by tov on Thursday 16th of November 2017 11:49:50 AM
Management sometimes pages for our produce employees too. I eventually tell them 1 on 1 that they shouldn't be calling us since we are already so short handed ourselves and we are also a service department, and we need to keep our shelves full. They listen. They should page for meat clerks, bakery, or grocery clerks since they seem to always do the least amount of work.
Bakery least amount of work at thanksgiving? Are you serious? There are mass amounts of holiday pies. rolls, breads, etc . And bakery is a service dept, part of deli. Deli/bakery is by far the busiest of service depts. on thanksgiving and are always the least staffed. I don't know what store you work in but every other Kroger is like what I have described. Deli bakery should never be paged.
Everyone is in this together, but it seems that Labor Management/Labor Expense do not see associates have different levels or speed/ability. Kroger has always gotten praise for hiring "special needs" to work in their stores, but they are expected to work at the same level as anyone else. HR has expressed a desire to hire retired individuals, but don't understand some of these individuals also do not have the same capability. While we should continue to hire a diverse group that represents our customers, why are we not scheduling to the needs of our customers? From talking to others, most departments forecast seem to be a joke. I know what my forecast calls for, which is laughable. To RESTOCK KROGER we need to be honest with ourselves, if we have associates not wanting to come to work......everything else is pointless. OH....blaming the UNION contracts for everything also isn't a legit excuse, since the Union would not question paying people more. The Union would only question paying new hires more without adjusting current associates.
