So, I got stuck as a bagger or as the real term is "courtesy clerk" again today. It was only me and another courtesy clerk. Well, we both got stuck doing carts since there was nobody else. Getting stuck on carts doesn't sound bad, but IT WAS POURING RAIN! Literally pouring. I was getting soaked from head to toe and they made us stay out there until the lot was clear. It wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't so man of the damn carts. It was absolutely terrible. Thankfully, I only had 3 hours of my shift left because I was absolutely drenched. So, basically, if I get sick then I can blame it all on Kroger.
Your management is piss poor and hearless if they don't provide some form of BASIC protection against bad weather.
The store I used to work in would let us pull gloves, raincoats/poncho's and hats from shelves when absolutely necessary. Though it rarely happens because we've got plenty to go around.
I'd invest in a polypropylene (Froggtogg or similar brand) rain jacket along with some waterproof boots and possibly even some pants of similar material. I don't know your long-term career goals, but if you plan on continuing to be a bagger, you'll need adequate protection from rain and snow.
With winter approaching, I recommend purchasing a high-quality snow jacket. I use the Columbia Back Shot II along with some waterproof gloves I got on Amazon. I'm also considering some Timberland Hyperion work boots for those really nasty, slushy, snowy days. Go for a North Face or Arcteryx coat if you think you'll find yourself in sub-zero conditions.
Besides being useful for Kroger, it's good to own clothing that'll keep you warm, safe and/or dry in the elements.
So, I got stuck as a bagger or as the real term is "courtesy clerk" again today. It was only me and another courtesy clerk. Well, we both got stuck doing carts since there was nobody else. Getting stuck on carts doesn't sound bad, but IT WAS POURING RAIN! Literally pouring. I was getting soaked from head to toe and they made us stay out there until the lot was clear. It wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't so man of the damn carts. It was absolutely terrible. Thankfully, I only had 3 hours of my shift left because I was absolutely drenched. So, basically, if I get sick then I can blame it all on Kroger.
Oh ho, you have only hit on the smallest part of the worst of it, my bagger-in-arms.
For me, personally, there are many, many things wrong with the way that The Kroger Company (and you can tell I'm serious because I spelled out the entire name of the company) treats its employees when it comes to cart retrieval.
Lately, today at least, I kept thinking back to the fact that the company -- or at least my store and its management -- are a bunch of cheap sons of b-it-ch-es for not providing me with a second shirt. Whenever I come off that goddamned parking lot, I look like I fell into a pool. And it is very uncomfortable wearing the shirt having to go nearly right back to bagging for customers and feeling the soaking wet shirt and sweat on your back. And no amount of deodorant, no matter how much I put on before I leave for work, can halt the smell of sweat on me for one hour out there.
All I am asking for is a second freaking shirt to change into when I come off of the parking lot. Then, if I have to go back out, to change into that other one. It wouldn't take me all of five minutes to go to the restroom and change my shirt(s). But the company does not provide second shirts, at least not to part timers, all of which are baggers (courtesy clerks). Officially the last time I asked, which would have been nearly three months ago, "We don't even have enough shirts to provide to new employees."
Your management is piss poor and hearless if they don't provide some form of BASIC protection against bad weather.
The store I used to work in would let us pull gloves, raincoats/poncho's and hats from shelves when absolutely necessary. Though it rarely happens because we've got plenty to go around.
Ours usually phuck up within a few weeks to a month, depending on how much rain we get. They are the cheap $3.99 ones that we sell with umbrellas. The damn things are glorified shower curtains with hoodies.
I'd invest in a polypropylene (Froggtogg or similar brand) rain jacket along with some waterproof boots and possibly even some pants of similar material. I don't know your long-term career goals, but if you plan on continuing to be a bagger, you'll need adequate protection from rain and snow.
With winter approaching, I recommend purchasing a high-quality snow jacket. I use the Columbia Back Shot II along with some waterproof gloves I got on Amazon. I'm also considering some Timberland Hyperion work boots for those really nasty, slushy, snowy days. Go for a North Face or Arcteryx coat if you think you'll find yourself in sub-zero conditions.
Besides being useful for Kroger, it's good to own clothing that'll keep you warm, safe and/or dry in the elements.
I'm not originally a courtesy clerk though. I'm a cashier, but I was scheduled to work as a courtesy clerk this week. I really wasn't prepared to go out on carts today at all. If I had known, I would've taken an extra pair of shoes, jeans, sweater, and socks. Being a cashier, I don't need to prepare for that kind of thing.
Most CCs cant afford that stuff. We used to have rain gear for them, but I suspect most of it leaks by now.
Most CCs can barely afford the cost of a large pizza with the wages Kroger pays them.
Try doing reliefwork in another department and as time goes on push for a promotion to part time clerk. 6 years from now you'd make 11 an hour as a bagger.
Most CCs cant afford that stuff. We used to have rain gear for them, but I suspect most of it leaks by now.
Most CCs can barely afford the cost of a large pizza with the wages Kroger pays them.
Try doing reliefwork in another department and as time goes on push for a promotion to part time clerk. 6 years from now you'd make 11 an hour as a bagger.
Or better yet, just become a clerk and get away from pushing carts.
It really is sad the way that The Kroger Company treats its employees in cart retrieval.
Some of them are put down for hours at a time.
Stores are not always consistent in providing water or rain protection for employees.
There is no pay scale or pay change in the action.
Many employees can only bring in a few at a time yet are pressured to do more than what they can physically handle.
One person is frequently put out to do a job required of two.
And it is all done manually through the cars, the people, the weather, the carts, the customers, etc.
It's slave labor only you can't call it slave labor because they're paying out minimum wage.
Minimum wage is not worth the parking lot duty.
Management at my store... well, I should say the old management team at my store since corporate has replaced them all, would keep an eye on the weather report and if a storm was approaching, send a bunch of people out "ahead" of the storm and get the lot clear before the downpour started, and then we'd pretty much be "set" for at least a half hour if not longer, so that no courtesy clerks would need to go out in a heavy rain. We also have rain ponchos, and if they get torn, we're allowed to store expense new ones. Plus, nobody gets sent out when there's lightning visible.
Of course, that all makes perfect sense, so of course corporate comes along and says, "no, no, no! We can't have any of that, now," and gives us a new management team that may or may not care.
Management at my store... well, I should say the old management team at my store since corporate has replaced them all, would keep an eye on the weather report and if a storm was approaching, send a bunch of people out "ahead" of the storm and get the lot clear before the downpour started, and then we'd pretty much be "set" for at least a half hour if not longer, so that no courtesy clerks would need to go out in a heavy rain. We also have rain ponchos, and if they get torn, we're allowed to store expense new ones. Plus, nobody gets sent out when there's lightning visible.
Of course, that all makes perfect sense, so of course corporate comes along and says, "no, no, no! We can't have any of that, now," and gives us a new management team that may or may not care.
our management is like that. they don't want you out in lightning storms and will send a bunch out to do a lot of it before the storm hits. i've seen the managers go out themselves if need be if it's busy. hell ive had a few managers help me close lot before. the other day the store manager and grocery manager did lot when it was busy in the store.
Management at my store... well, I should say the old management team at my store since corporate has replaced them all, would keep an eye on the weather report and if a storm was approaching, send a bunch of people out "ahead" of the storm and get the lot clear before the downpour started, and then we'd pretty much be "set" for at least a half hour if not longer, so that no courtesy clerks would need to go out in a heavy rain. We also have rain ponchos, and if they get torn, we're allowed to store expense new ones. Plus, nobody gets sent out when there's lightning visible.
Of course, that all makes perfect sense, so of course corporate comes along and says, "no, no, no! We can't have any of that, now," and gives us a new management team that may or may not care.
our management is like that. they don't want you out in lightning storms and will send a bunch out to do a lot of it before the storm hits. i've seen the managers go out themselves if need be if it's busy. hell ive had a few managers help me close lot before. the other day the store manager and grocery manager did lot when it was busy in the store.
i hope your new ones care enough to help out.
Thanks. I hope so too.
Our store manager that is being moved and our previous co-managers wouldn't hesitate to come outside and help bring in carts, bag and check as needed when it was overwhelmingly busy, but I'm afraid it's unlikely we're going to be seeing any more of that at my store. One of our newer co-managers, she'll check and bag, but I haven't seen her help with carts yet. She's nice though and approachable, so that's at least a plus.
There are simply some that are willing to do more/help out than others. It's gotten to a point where the other departments will pretty much ignore calls for cart round-ups even when the foyer is empty, but there's one front end supervisor at my store that will go out there himself and fill up the foyer halfway and if I'm available, I'll go out there and help him and we'll get that lot cleared in fifteen or twenty minutes. Not too many people care any more and I don't blame them, but I care a little more when it's him going out there because we get along really well and I don't want him to have to go out there alone.
