So I've been gone from Kroger for over a year now, and I've had a few positions since then working elsewhere. I currently doing deli work somewhere else. It's not my dream position at all, but I got 40 hours off the bat at a fairly livable wage, so I'll stick with it.
I've gone back to my home store a few times, and out of the 12 who I worked with, only 5 remain, and one is going to be retiring next year. There is one person going on leave soon as well, and I speak with her frequently and ask if they even bother to try anymore. They have an abundance of FE people but every time I go into a service area, there is either only one person manning it, or in the deli's case, as it was always the case, max 2 people. What with the holidays coming up and holiday dinner orders are gonna be rolling out in a few weeks if not sooner, the skeleton crew deal that they seem to have is going to royally screw people.
Kroger, at least in my neck of the woods, starts off at minimum wage. Every one of Kroger's competitors (at least here) start off at least at $9/hr. Where I currently am employed starts at $10/hr and goes up based on experience. Some places will even offer you full-time even. The only time I got over 28 hours was when a full-timer went on vacation. You can easily get 40 hours in many fast food restaurants even. People can argue that it's a job for students/retirees until they're blue, but let's face it; if they only hired students and retirees, they'd be in worse **** than they are in now since both extremes have limited availability. So that leaves the majority, the adults who need to support their family in a legal fashion. They can't do **** on a 15-hour check.
So my thing is: if they know that competitors (and non-competitors alike) is willing to pay at least a buck more, why haven't they tried to remedy their staffing issue? They should be worried about taking care of their employees so they don't feel the need to jump ship so quickly instead of rolling out Tastes of Italy which failed miserably before. I just don't get it.
Talking sense into corporate to try and better things: you'd get better response out of a wall. For example: If you say; "Taste of Italy failed last year and we lost money on it. What we should do is eliminate it and focus on working with our employees and going them a decent working wage and more hours. Also incentives would help boost morale as well."
What corporate/management hears:
"Gfjrmnfndnehrjfkfknnrhnbfnentnfnwngnenfxbwntjfnd. Sfbjfjefnendjrnrjfnebnrnfbbjrnfnr, bfnhrndjtjthhdhenr. Taste Of Italy works. Jrkfnndnfmrmrtmfkdmfmrn. Reduced hours are fine. Jrmnfnnfmmtmgndnnsntnenfb.
-- Edited by mega-kitteh on Tuesday 11th of October 2016 03:54:08 PM
I remember talking about how they needed more bodies in certain departments with another co-worker. He told me that he heard they won't do it because it costs them $1,000 per person to train. I dunno about FE, but my training consisted of going on the computer for 12 hours total, and then I got sent to another store to train, then when I actually got to my home store, I had to pretty much relearn EVERYTHING. Doubt that came up to $1,000. I know my check barely came up to $400 that month. They're spending money in the wrong place.
They are dragging their feet is all... Every labor hour worked while they screw around and wait, is another dollar to the bottom line.
They are taking the approach of making things take less man power... CAO evolution and the like... trying to use the systems instead of hire more people and increase wages.
Though with the things I have heard about it, it isn't working out so well for them because the people in the stores don't keep the system in check by following up with their BOHs and such. The system only works in a perfect world scenario which at store level, things are not.
Honestly it seems like they want to automate more and more of the job until they can eliminate management positions and just have a bunch of kids running around making low wages.
If this is the case, it is in our best interest to strategically fail while treading water and not losing our positions, to prevent it from going to the next phase. Make sense?
The problem is Kroger would rather rely on technology and have a computer make all the decisions rather than teach their employees to think for themselves.
Talking about greener grass, I had a dream a few months ago after praying and asking God to get me out of this place. In the dream I was driving down the road and all of the colors were so bright even the grass. In the dream as I was driving another car was about to pull out onto the road in front of me, and I saw the driver he was a former co-worker that was a grocery manager that had to retire at 55 years old for a work injury, blew out his back. In the dream we were waving at each other and smiling and that is when I a woke from the dream.
I'm 52 years old and I was suspended for 3 days this past week for something I did wrong and was guilty. I'm back at work now they gave me a chance, just don't screw up again. But, I was so happy when they suspended me!!! When I got the call to go back I was depressed. I have 32 years with the company and hate working there, should I start looking for something else or stick it out for another 13 years until retirement? I work over-nights on the stocking crew and it is so stressful and I feel like I will die of a heart attack before I make retirement age.
Too bad you aren't in Los Angeles. You could retire in 1 year with full benefits inc. medical I am 59,retired for 5 months and get $2400 month, and full medical and dental for $190 month
Talking about greener grass, I had a dream a few months ago after praying and asking God to get me out of this place. In the dream I was driving down the road and all of the colors were so bright even the grass. In the dream as I was driving another car was about to pull out onto the road in front of me, and I saw the driver he was a former co-worker that was a grocery manager that had to retire at 55 years old for a work injury, blew out his back. In the dream we were waving at each other and smiling and that is when I a woke from the dream.
I'm 52 years old and I was suspended for 3 days this past week for something I did wrong and was guilty. I'm back at work now they gave me a chance, just don't screw up again. But, I was so happy when they suspended me!!! When I got the call to go back I was depressed. I have 32 years with the company and hate working there, should I start looking for something else or stick it out for another 13 years until retirement? I work over-nights on the stocking crew and it is so stressful and I feel like I will die of a heart attack before I make retirement age.
Thing is, a lot of places have this thing where they don't like to hire older people even though older people generally aren't as self-absorbed as the young 'uns (this coming from a young 'un herself). But on the other hand, no job is worth dying over, and I have left both Kroger and another job when it became evident that I could die before I hit 35 due to stress. As I have a young child, she needs me, and that was my reasoning for making those moves.
Yeah, just quit a few nights ago and just felt the stress lift right off my shoulders. I've already been offered a full-time position doing something different, at almost double the pay. No more $95-$120 a week paychecks for me.Woohoo
