Honestly, most of the adults I work with have faced hardships in life and are just trying to better themselves. If I worked with a bunch of "retarded" meth heads with mental problems, Id quit lol. As for me, im over 25, and I work to get out of the house while my kids are in school. I do not need to better my career because this is NOT a career for me. It is literally a hobby. I know you posted this from a place of care and concern, but it doesn't come off that way. Bottom line is the people who work in retail either do so out of necessity or because they want to. You wont save anyone from thenselves with things like this. Have a great Easter!

I think I fall under A and C.  But, I am a well paid retarded crazy person.  With OT, I take home $60k for a simpleton job.

Anonymous wrote:

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 For the most part, any adult over the age of 25 still doing this is either A) retarded, B) chemically addicted, or C) mentally ill. Go on and hate me for such harsh language, but if you're self-honest you know I'm right.

If you think you fall into those latter two categories (cuz the first doesn't apply if you've read this far into the post), get help. If neither apply and you just fear change too much, find a way to get past that.

 

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I will agree that there is a higher percentage of "mentally ill" or "chemically addicted" people who work at Kroger,(compared to other "better'companies) but not anywhere nearly as much as your offensive and just outright DISHONEST post would indicate.  

There are a wide range of reasons why people end up working at Kroger. Some of them include:

1) they didn't attend college, and many of the "high end employers' tend to despise people who only have a high school education. 

2) Age discrimination. I know from experience that lots of companies refuse to hire anyone over the age of 45 or 50. They have subtle ways of weeding them out, via online questionaires and other means. 

3) They started out young at Kroger, and don't have enough courage or willpower to make the step into another field. They are afraid they might be jumping from the fire into the frying pan.

4) Some people hate so-called "desk jobs" or "office work" and love being physically active, even though alot of those jobs are not high-paying.

5) Alot of Kroger employees do this for a second job (to make extra money) or to supplement their retirement.  

6) Some people are more than happy with a life that doesn't revolve around money, money, money, i.e.always worried about getting a more expensive car, or a bigger house, or whatever. They live within their means, and Kroger pays them a modest amount which is OK with their subdued lifestyle. I know that is hard to believe, but some people actually are OK with a small, unpretentious home, and making enough to make ends meet. 

7) Some employees love working with food, or household products, or apparel, whatever, and just plain ENJOY retail. It has it's good and bad points. Yes, Kroger is increasingly making the retail scene a BAD place to work, but there are still a few stores here and there, and a few employees that can deal with it, and still like their jobs.  

I find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with the op.  For most employees, baggers/stockers/checkers/etc., the pay and benefits are never worth what you put up with.  Only way to make a living is to move up to lead/head positions or management, both of which add more stress.  On the other hand retail doesn't have a monopoly on bs, almost every field of work has it's own issues.  There's also the fact that people have responsibilities beyond themselves; ever present bills and family.  Personally I have a mortgage to pay off before I can seriously consider leaving kroger, while it might be possible to go to back to school, continue as a full-time lead and pay my mortgage along with the inevitable student loans I'm just not willing to put myself in that precarious position just to be able to possibly leave kroger a few years earlier.  That and I'm a bit of a lazy doofus

I'll be 24 in June and I'm really trying to get out, but it's the insurance that's keeping me. I have a 2nd job that I want to work at full-time, but they don't have benefits. However, when I graduate next spring, I'm quitting Kroger. 4 years is long enough and I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things.