Anyone else about ready to give up on this company?
so i've been a bakery manager for about a year. I'm at my third store i've worked in, my second as a manager. and honestly, i wish i'd never been sent here. This store is 400 hours+ understaffed, and my department alone is about 40-50 hours understaffed. We have 4 people in my department, one of which is restricted to days during the week only. We've all been working 6 days most weeks, and honestly everyone's just burnt out at this point. Two of the co managers are pretty understanding and are nice guys, the other co manager and the store manager are not so much. The co manager is just lazy, but thinks no one else does their job, and the store manager will nitpick everything if it is not full to standard.
If one of us has a day off, then the department struggles. On Sunday, we only had a baker and a closer (me). It was pretty impossible to keep up with floor fill as people were buying stuff as soon as it was put out. My deli manager is getting yelled at by the store manager if i'm not there, and then when i get there, she rips into me for it.
I'm about ready to either walk out, or tell them if they have any better people who can do it, go ahead and bring them in. I feel like i'm the scapegoat at this point, and i'm wondering why i ever took this job, but i'm in so much debt now i don't know how to get out. When i got promoted, i decided to buy a house that needs repairs and now i'm halfway into it, i wouldn't be able to sell it in the shape it's in now even if i wanted to. So I can't really take a pay cut. I'm just... stuck with everything in life now and i don't know how to get out. I don't even hate my job, it's the conditions i'm stuck with it now.
Oh and of course, the next store walk is in a couple weeks..... how am i supposed to make that work?
I am assuming you are full time. Being a DH is not worth the dollar an hour. If you are really understaffed, tell your coordinator that you are fed up and to get somebody else. Im sure they will do something for your dept. If not, you might as well be a clerk. Its very hard to get bakery help. Remember store walks make the coordinator look bad mostly. Just do your best, but don't make yourself ill
As far as selling your house goes, have you checked into those companies that buy houses in any condition? I think one is called We Buy Ugly Houses. Just make sure you do your homework before signing anything.
It's getting really bad. I'm not making light of your situation, it hurts just to read it. But at least you work 6 days. We are all forced to have 2 days off. With same workload, for which working 6 days was not enough. Not enough people were scheduled as it was, and now it's even worse.
Good people are struggling with thoughts. You want to do best job you can, but you are no allowed to do it. Yet they expect it from you. Probably giving up mentally is the way to go. Just stop caring. But if we didn't care, we wouldn't be complaining about the situation.
Corporate needs to read this.
Maybe the strategy they are enforcing now is working for them now. But it will be only short term. Pretty soon, the good workers, new people that care and they want to learn how to do their job the right way, and oldtimers with skills and experience, will leave. Either because they can't stand the culture of "no work morals needed", or they are being pushed out by their hours being cut.
All the stores are going to be left with are new teens. With restricted hours, and non existent work morals. For most of them, this is their first job and they should learn how to do it from oldtimers. But they are dwindling.
Sure, corporate is making good profits now, with cutting labor and forcing out people with "benefits' and pay slightly better than minimum wage. But what about few years from now? Are customers still going to shop at kroger stores?
TOTALLY understand what your saying, I almost think everyone is in the same boat as you. We want to take pride in our departments, live up to standards and be able to not always feel like your a day behind. You might want to talk to your Coordinator and ask their advise, they either will help you or help you make your decision easier. I think the company is forgetting, the people that have MADE THIS THEIR CAREER (Department Heads) want to own their departments and live up to expectations. I really think the company needs to openly discuss staffing issues/other issues and Corporate needs to conversation with actual Store Associates, NOT KMA STAFF/COORDINATORS!
I think most if not all Kroger stores suffer the same situation. Too many hours being cut and the stores are always understaffed. Alot of the good workers are going elsewhere and are being replaced by inexperienced careless teenagers. If Kroger keeps this up, they are going to have NO ONE work for them.
Well we need to also remember, pay, workload, hours, these are all issues that need to be addressed. When I started Kroger's pay was competitive with other retailers, now its completely behind the times. Also, While we were busy, we had fellow associates, not just managers telling you to get faster!
oh my, yes. i think about quitting almost daily. i don't need this job and live at home, but i like the extra money, and as much as kroger sucks, it helped me build a nice sized savings.
but i'm just so freaking sick of having to be ever so perfect while being understaffed. it really makes me feel awful having to bust my hump far beyond what my pay rate is and not even getting so much as a god damned thank you for it. it's constant negativity and criticism, as well as insults. it's never good enough for these schmucks, and as much as i just want to stop caring, i can't NOT care about how much crap we have to take.
Yup, I'm one that takes pride in what I do and do not give less then 100% unless something is majorly wrong. While I understand the company is trying to change the culture and improve the customers experience, they are dramatically effecting "normal" associate moral and even their quality of life. In the last few months I have been barely had one day off each week, and that still includes texts from other associates after questions. In my KMA we are having Store Managers "Retire" weekly, because of the high level of expectations (Retire meaning told to hit the door). I have only recently disconnected myself from the store after I clock out, I was HAPPY, didn't care what was happening at the store and actually had an enjoyable evening.
Its funny how "Get a job, stay for a career" is the company HR PR message now. But if you cant enjoy your job, take pride in your work or live on the pay....jobs don't turn into careers. Then add if the people that made this a career are being told to hit the door, why would a new person think this as a stable environment?
I really wish GO HR would talk to a group of store associates outside of the store and get a real pulse of whats going on! I really think some GO-VP's would be completely gobsmacked about what store associates have to encounter on a daily basis.
I understand what you are saying. I was irritated at my store managers last year and was ready to step down and transfer stores. My union rep told me not to do it. The store managers can yell all they want but can't fire you for not getting enough done. In my contract atleast, we can't be fired for unproductivity. I am encouraged to get rid of slow pokes before the 60 day probation is up.
A coworker with 25 years told me, "You are only one person. Ask the store manager what they would like you to get done first. Or, how they would like the work to be done."
I am a night grocery manager and realize Bakery is different. I get stressed out sometimes but won't give up the $3-7 premium pay. I will stay until there is no reason for me to be there.
"You are only one person. Ask the store manager what they would like you to get done first. Or, how they would like the work to be done."
Is the best thing to do, while the Store Manager will be most likely completely pissed off, your covering yourself. I don't think Store Managers understand, Clerks and Department Mangers/Lead jobs are not to hire, establish policy or procedures or even come up with ideas! We are just to accomplish whatever task that needs to be performed, if we are not giving then resources to accomplish the task....that is on them. Store Mangers are there to run the store and make the calls............within Company POLICIES.
"You are only one person. Ask the store manager what they would like you to get done first. Or, how they would like the work to be done."
I used to ask that, but the other way around. What do you want me to leave out? Because ofc they want us to do EVERYTHING. And more. Needless to say, it didn't go down well.
But I agree, that is the question and problem that should be put on top management's shoulders. Not ours. We know what to do and how to do it well. We WANT to do it well. I'm selfish and I want to do my job well for my own personal satisfaction. But with that, everybody benefits. My coworkers, customers, managers, the company.
"You are only one person. Ask the store manager what they would like you to get done first. Or, how they would like the work to be done."
I used to ask that, but the other way around. What do you want me to leave out? Because ofc they want us to do EVERYTHING. And more. Needless to say, it didn't go down well.
But I agree, that is the question and problem that should be put on top management's shoulders. Not ours. We know what to do and how to do it well. We WANT to do it well. I'm selfish and I want to do my job well for my own personal satisfaction. But with that, everybody benefits. My coworkers, customers, managers, the company.
All we need is time and help. TIME and HELP!
And I'll tack on proper communication with things too. I swear I don't even know if I'm doing something half way right or not, til it seems as if it has hit on someone's last nerve and they finally say something. But if you said something from the get go and let me know up front. Then there won't be an issue from me, unless you saying it in a snide tone or something. Because I too, want to do the best job that I possibly can. And it kills me that, others in my own department think or feel like I'm not doing the best that I can and am deliberately leaving more work for them or something. When in reality, if they just told me how they would like to see something done or whatever, then there won't be such a big issue and save everyone some time.
"You are only one person. Ask the store manager what they would like you to get done first. Or, how they would like the work to be done."
Is the best thing to do, while the Store Manager will be most likely completely pissed off, your covering yourself. I don't think Store Managers understand, Clerks and Department Mangers/Lead jobs are not to hire, establish policy or procedures or even come up with ideas! We are just to accomplish whatever task that needs to be performed, if we are not giving then resources to accomplish the task....that is on them. Store Mangers are there to run the store and make the calls............within Company POLICIES.
I actually had a union rep tell me that too, ,that basically, they can't actually write you up for not being able to get everything done. She told me that if they ever tried it, to call her right away. She also told me that a good idea would be to document everything. She said every day, write down a list of tasks that you knew needed to be done during the day, but didn't get done, due to understaffing/not enough ot/etc.
as far as my coordinator goes, i like her for the most part but sometimes i think she gets too busy and doesn't always get back with me. i understand my district has like 20 stores so i can't blame her there. i just wish i could get some feedback on what i'm supposed to do.
I totally get where you're coming from. I was the Assistant Deli Manager but with all the DH duties. I wrote the schedule did the ordering, literally EVERYTHING. They started piling more and more on top of me until I broke, and that's literally what happened. I had a mental breakdown and walked in one Friday and told them I wasn't coming back. They told me to take some time and that I could have a cashier position. So that's exactly what I did. I told them I didn't ever want to go back to the deli and so far they've listened (it's only been a month) but the deli is drowning. They've hired and lost 2 clerks already, the actual deli manager couldn't handle it when I left and she's been on LOA for stress since about a week after I bailed. I got so sick of working with 5 yr olds and having my head on a platter when clearly no one else in that department gave a damn. So yeah, I totally get it. Hang in there and get help if you need it. It literally took me telling my husband that I wanted to die for this to change in my life. I was always so stressed out and felt like a failure every day I woke up. When I told my SM this they responded "Aren't you having financial problems? Didn't you lose your apartment and are living separately from your husband because you can't afford it? How is it gonna get better if you don't have a job?" I told them "What good is this job if this is how I feel every day?" And that was the end of that. Keep your head up. You're not alone.
I've been here for around 6 months and I'm about done. I've got a manager who plays obvious favoritism to the point the store knows but does nothing, have been average between 13-18 hours for the past 3 weeks with occasional 30 weeks thrown in for the heck of it, and fell like no one gives a crap. I'm done. I'm a hard worker, putting off breaks until an hour before I get off in order to help my department run well, even though my coworkers don't care and get more hours. It's enough. College kids are getting all our hours.
I'm applying to any and all full-time positions available outside the company. A full-time position opened up in my department but didn't know until I punched into the time clock. No point applying because they're not training me to do the job anyway.
