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Old 12-31-2015, 05:26 PM
 
7,357 posts, read 11,686,423 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by old tired and angry View Post
I was at the local Safeway Store and noticed the man who was checking us out at the cash register had a badge that said Store Manager. I made some comment about how we are getting extra service today because we got the store manager to take care of us. He smiled.

I asked him if he had to work at the cash register often. He said, "too often, I just can't get the staff to show up and work." He went on to explain that there is constant turnover, lots of fighting between staff, employees who won't listen to direction, constant sick calls, people who walk off their job and people hired who don't make it to their first day of work without any notice. He told me he was at wits end.

I was shocked he was so candid, maybe frustration just gave him a need to get it off his chest.

My first reaction is he is not paying his staff enough money, or he and his team of supervisors are poor managers. Or there is poor human resources. Maybe they need to hire more immigrants, less native Americans.

What is it, why is this man who manages a large grocery store in a wealthy suburban community having so much trouble?
Your answer lies in the last sentence. People from wealthy communities -- especially kids looking for entry-level jobs -- often have no work ethic at all. They bail out as soon as they realize the job is too much like, you know, work.

 
Old 12-31-2015, 05:49 PM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,134 posts, read 80,221,880 times
Reputation: 56989
The store manager is unable to pay more, the salaries are set by the union contracts, negotiated by the corporate labor relations staff. Our suburban Safeway has employees that are older, and have been there a long time. Even the kids doing cart wrangling and bagging have been there several years. Of those we have talked to, most commute in from less expensive areas where a cashier can actually afford to by a modest home. One cashier is about 30 and a neighbor, still living with his parents. We have known him since he was in kindergarten, and he seems very happy with his job there.
 
Old 12-31-2015, 05:49 PM
 
Location: North West Arkansas (zone 6b)
2,776 posts, read 3,216,585 times
Reputation: 3911
Quote:
Originally Posted by old tired and angry View Post
What is it, why is this man who manages a large grocery store in a wealthy suburban community having so much trouble?
there's your problem right there. those kids don't need to work
 
Old 12-31-2015, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Wisconsin
19,480 posts, read 24,971,935 times
Reputation: 51106
Quote:
Originally Posted by old tired and angry View Post

What is it, why is this man who manages a large grocery store in a wealthy suburban community having so much trouble?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cliffie View Post
Your answer lies in the last sentence. People from wealthy communities -- especially kids looking for entry-level jobs -- often have no work ethic at all. They bail out as soon as they realize the job is too much like, you know, work.
To a limited degree, I agree with you.


While it is not quite the same thing, we lived on the border of a wealthy community when our children were younger and it was very difficult to find consistent babysitters. We actually had teens tell us "Why should I babysit for you for a whole evening and get $XX when I can just ask my parents and get $XXX for doing nothing at all"?
 
Old 12-31-2015, 06:01 PM
 
Location: Colorado Springs
4,944 posts, read 2,915,490 times
Reputation: 3805
Quote:
Originally Posted by old tired and angry View Post
I was at the local Safeway Store and noticed the man who was checking us out at the cash register had a badge that said Store Manager. I made some comment about how we are getting extra service today because we got the store manager to take care of us. He smiled.

I asked him if he had to work at the cash register often. He said, "too often, I just can't get the staff to show up and work." He went on to explain that there is constant turnover, lots of fighting between staff, employees who won't listen to direction, constant sick calls, people who walk off their job and people hired who don't make it to their first day of work without any notice. He told me he was at wits end.

I was shocked he was so candid, maybe frustration just gave him a need to get it off his chest.

My first reaction is he is not paying his staff enough money, or he and his team of supervisors are poor managers. Or there is poor human resources. Maybe they need to hire more immigrants, less native Americans.

What is it, why is this man who manages a large grocery store in a wealthy suburban community having so much trouble?
Only solution I can think of is to increase wages to get better people or just hire immigrants they will work very hard.
 
Old 12-31-2015, 06:49 PM
 
Location: Old Bellevue, WA
18,782 posts, read 17,279,942 times
Reputation: 7990
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cida View Post
Did you actually say that out load, that maybe he wasn't paying enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140 View Post
The store manager is unable to pay more, the salaries are set by the union contracts, negotiated by the corporate labor relations staff. Our suburban Safeway has employees that are older, and have been there a long time. Even the kids doing cart wrangling and bagging have been there several years. Of those we have talked to, most commute in from less expensive areas where a cashier can actually afford to by a modest home. One cashier is about 30 and a neighbor, still living with his parents. We have known him since he was in kindergarten, and he seems very happy with his job there.
True--the salary is determined by a table, usually found in an addendum of the cba. The manager has not one iota of input. Although when the contract comes up he could argue for more generous wages(and perhaps be out of a job).
 
Old 12-31-2015, 06:58 PM
 
5,151 posts, read 4,486,342 times
Reputation: 8346
In the town I grew up in (left long ago, thankfully), the opening of a new Home Depot was delayed 6 months due to a lack of applicants who could pass the drug test...
 
Old 12-31-2015, 07:01 PM
 
7,654 posts, read 5,069,361 times
Reputation: 5036
Because working a grocery store job around well to do people is degrading and dehumanizing. The snobby well to do look down their noses at people like that. The women walking around that look like kate upton but want nothing to with a guy working at a grocery store and will make sure you know it.


Maybe he should focus on hiring moderately good looking women who fare MUCH better in these sorts of jobs as there is a lot less judgment. Oh look at cute little sally working the cash register, rather than what the heck is bill doing here when he should be out risking his life commercial fishing to put crab on my table.


As a barely average looking middle aged decently to do man I can barely stand going into these "side of town" grocery stores for 10 min to get mixer I forgot on the way to a party. I could not imagine being there all day working.


These are the vibes I get spending only 10-20 min in stores like these, it is an absolute nightmare. The less nice sides of town have women that smile at you and no one is driving a porche chyanne.
 
Old 12-31-2015, 07:20 PM
 
Location: California
2,083 posts, read 1,075,236 times
Reputation: 4422
Agree with others about the applicant pool. These wealthy kids simply don't need to work and don't need the money so the desire is not there. Plus if they do work they get hired for internships or fluff jobs at their parents companies or corporate offices and get paid oodles over their peers for doing nothing. If the store too is too far from neighboring lower income towns , they won't apply as the commute is too long.
 
Old 12-31-2015, 07:23 PM
 
Location: Planet Woof
3,222 posts, read 4,547,417 times
Reputation: 10238
I see it here where I work for a huge union chain that starts with a ''K''.
There is a core group of older workers who have been here for 5+ years, are full-time with benefits, and will retire there.
Then there are the ''retirees'' and ''semi-retired'' who are part-time and full-time. That's me.
There is also a smaller core group of younger workers who aspire to management or just are settled in and like working here.
Then there are the school kids who come and go as the year's calendar rolls along.
Also you have the people, all ages, who start and don't stay because they don't like the hours, the low starting pay, the standing, the nature of the work.
There are a few ''younger'' ones who fail to show or slack off while here, but these usually weed themselves out and quit after a few weeks.
Are they ''always hiring''? In some departments, yes, and especially on second shift. Noobs are often started on second shift while the veterans get their first choice of days. That can cause some people to eventually move on to a day job.
In my shop one can become full-time with benefits and about a 2dollar/hour pay increase from start in 6 months. I am shooting for that.
I like the people I work with, the job I do, having a ''uniform'' to wear each day and paid for by the company, a 10 percent discount, and I like working evenings. I will retire on SS next year and hopefully keep working here.
It's a heck of a lot of job security, I feel liked and valued, I have fun at work, and I can walk to work.
It can be ''hard work'' to those who prefer to sit in front of a computer and it does pay low to start.
But it's one area where when I see ''new hires'' they are more 50+ folks and they tend to stay.
Grocery stores are here to stay and there is room to grow, so I, as a 60 yr old long-term un-/under-employed worker feel pretty content to be where I am.
Plus, who needs a gym membership? I am ''getting in shape'' on the job!
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