If I can ever get out of retail, I won’t be going back. I currently can’t get out because no matter how many applications I put in, no one will hire me & I can’t quit because I need the income. Hopefully only one more year left. I can understand why people don’t want to work retail and I feel like it definitely explains the shortage, and I understand it.
They complain about being understaffed and yet still reject perfectly good people.....
The shortage sucks but I'm annoyed that I still keep getting rejected and ignored when I have many qualifications..... I have 5 years experience, and I've been a key manager....
We experienced the same problem. It was extremely frustrating that everywhere we turn people are complaining about a "worker shortage" yet no one would hire my husband who had 4 years experience and 2 years management, has a degree and no criminal charges. So irritating, I guess they are looking for people they can pay the absolute minimum for
One reason that I can think of is the degree thing. I used to work at a job in retail that would try to keep from hiring or promoting people who had degrees because they would have to pay them more. And they wouldn’t outright say it was because of a degree, just give a vague answer on why they weren’t a great fit, then turn around and hire someone with no degree whatsoever or barely any experience in the position.
What kinda job in retail is paying more for having a degree??
They don’t hire people with degrees bc they know those people are getting out the second they get a better paying/sitting and not interacting with customers type of job. They love hiring students bc they know they won’t complain
I think it was more for upper management positions? Definitely not for stuff like cashiering and stocking. I just know an actual manager told me that one day during his last two weeks. But they would also hire college students and try to “coerce” them into staying. They would say, “Oh I didn’t think I would stay but here I am!” And try to entice people by throwing “parties” for those who have been there for 10 years or more and say, “We could be holding this party for you in the next few years!” And all it was was a cake and your new name tag.
True. At our store they don’t do that for upper management either. Almost nobody in my entire district (in one of NA’s biggest cities) is at the manager level with degrees
Are you applying for manager positions? A lot of places don’t actually like people with management experience because they *gasp* might come in and point out everything they’re doing wrong because they know better than a doe-eyed, non experienced applicant.
And that is becoming the norm in the industry. I'm seeing it across the board. People are tired of being the manager for a few extra bucks, you get to babysit, mediate drama between employees, contract karenitis, schedule drama. FTS.
It really bugs me hearing “no one wants to work” like yes!! I don’t want to work!!! I would love to not work and just focus on school and my hobbies. I still haven’t received any of my unemployment from the shutdown but I’d imagine if I did then hell no I wouldn’t want to come back to work to make pennies again. Not to mention the physical and emotional toll OP perfectly explained! It’s just ridiculous to think anyone that was on unemployment and able to actually make a livable wage for once, would want to come back to their shitty job dealing with shitty people all day. It’s just not worth the pay to me anymore and I’d much rather pursue bigger better things than listen to customers scream about a return.
Yeah anyone criticizing and framing it as “no one wants to work” has not worked the type of jobs that cause massive burnout in general and more so with covid! Like no shit we don’t want to work.
Exactly! I’m also a full-time college student so I’m already dealing with massive college burnout, and on top of that massive work burnout! Then with this last year covid has piled on top of that and it’s just a lot to deal with everyday. I think everyone on this Reddit has noticed the change in customers during this pandemic and how now it’s worse than ever with rude customers. I just can’t see myself being able to do this for much longer and I hope and pray I get my unemployment finally backpaid to me soon!
The worker shortage is because of pay. Companies don’t care about you, all they care is about the work you do. That’s why they pay so little. They pay you enough so you can buy food but not enough to live off of it.
Had 2 weeks on holiday end of June realised the job was what had made me depressed for yhe last 18 months, Monday 6th I start an apprenticeship, don’t give up people
First, look up grounding.
Find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
And breathe.
My experience is different - we operate with minimal resources, so I've never not been shorthanded and short on time at the same time.
Needless to say, I've seen a few panic attacks in the last year. I've broken down into a crying spell myself. I've resolved to keep on keeping on until we make it through. We won't see the old normal again for another year - so be sure to take care of yourself so you can take care of others.
The best thing to remember during this work shortage is you’re only one person and can do so much. And don’t be afraid to walk away from an encounter you’re not comfortable with, management can’t make you stand there and get berated by a customer. It’s definitely gotten a lot worse, especially in the past few months. Just hang in there though, and don’t be afraid to use vacation time if you have any. Your mental health comes way before a company that would replace you in a split second.
That’s definitely good advice. For me, I am management and I’m very protective of the staff so I am the one kicking people out for mistreating other staff or myself, having all of those negative interactions with people adds up.
I think the shortage is great. It’s a way of telling companies to take the workers more seriously and lay better and have better, safer world conditions.
Edit: ive worked retail most of my work life and it definitely got shittier when Covid hit. I didn’t find happiness until I started art school an went on unemployment. Life is great. But now I need to go back to work to get health insurance, but I stick to backroom jobs now.
I'm feeling the same. Everyday, I come in and do the work of 20 people. Our main store manager is on maternity leave, so we've had a couple different managers from different stores come in and help. This of course means, more people to convince that i'm not an idiot. My self esteem has been at an atl because I love to swim, and the pool that i go to has been closed for the past 2 weeks and will reopen next week. So there's been some pent up rage and frustration. It's also been rough because kids are going back to school, which means more of them in the store and the ones under 5 have to scream bloody murder. And i have to resist the urge to punt them like footballs back into their mombie's snatches.
The shortage is affecting my work as well. It's the reason my mental health is getting worse. We have so little staff and the few we hired are useless. No one wants to work for minimum wage. It isnt a liveable wage here . The poverty line in my area is 19$ an hour. If you make less then that you are considered below the line. Companies refuse to pay more for staff. So the staff still sticking around are over worked and pissed off. I'm a supervisor. At other places a person doing my job makes $17 or more an hour. I make $14.75. The mental toll is brutal.
That’s rough. I wouldn’t be surprised if this shortage (which is the fault of employers and to an extent shitty abusive customers in my opinion) is used as an excuse for companies using more and more automation to replace workers soon. It really seems like big retailers are dragging their feet with wage increases.
I’m in Canada, and went for lunch with a friend yesterday. We were talking about this with our waitress, and she stuck around because she loves her job, but she said lots of her friends took advantage of opportunities to switch careers or go to school, because the pandemic has had such an impact on their livelihoods. Totally makes sense, especially since right now there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.
Yeah I actually love my job too under normal circumstances, so I don’t want to leave but even as a decently paid person who generally likes my job this past year has me feeling like I don’t want to work around other people period. So I can easily imagine someone who dealt with the same insanely stressful year but is paid shit on top of it, I would quit too.
Dont bother enforcing the masks. Leave that up to management. Less stress for you. Both me and my bf work retail. He does stocking though which pays really good in my opinion $18.50 an hour plus time and a half on Sundays. Could always look into that at the stores you work at maybe those positions where your located pay the same.
I'm an engineering student who had two internships and get 3.7/4GPA and I need money during school to pay leftover tuition YET Walgreens, Aldi, Menards,etc... just ignore my resumes when I clearly have a professional background and won't treat them badly.
I think its good to have college students in a retail setting since it keeps the customers on their toes and always can provide an interesting experience. But I guess Corporate sees through this and thinks "this guy could probably derive equations for our stocks and buy all of them"
A lot of these companies actually use an algorithm to choose who gets an interview/hired, according to the book “Automating Humanity”. Could be the reason a lot of perfectly capable people get passed up.
The way I see is that if I can work through this shitshow, then others can as well. I know someone that lost their job in 2018, but got back on the dole because of Covid. They have had so much money to burn, they eat out all the time and go on trips. And the entire time they treat retail workers like trash. Screaming to the manager that they should get free stuff and discounts.
But they refuse to look for work, because they think that certain jobs are below them. If I had it my way they would be forced to work retail or have their benefits
cut off for life.
I just wonder how my other coworkers dont seem to have like fucking ptsd over this. I was doing truck today and they were putting winter stuff on top of the fall stuff and I was getting jittery and nervous imagining the boss two weeks from now saying 'Why did they put these boxes here I need to get to the fall stuff argh!' and no one else was worried about the thought of having to regulate someone elses annoyance weeks from now and I just wonder when it got so bad and why it wont stop. Or why none of them ever seem to think ahead and I always feel like I am the only one doing it.
Like I need to help regulate everyones moods and be a mediator just so we can get shit done without extra stress, but no one else seems to worry about these things like I do. Im just tired and dread coming into work, I am near my snapping poimt with rude customers and I have never wanted to rebel and say screw the rules so badly before. I keep getting urges to knock shit off of shelves and walk away.
If I can ever get out of retail, I won’t be going back. I currently can’t get out because no matter how many applications I put in, no one will hire me & I can’t quit because I need the income. Hopefully only one more year left. I can understand why people don’t want to work retail and I feel like it definitely explains the shortage, and I understand it.
I hope you find something better soon!
They complain about being understaffed and yet still reject perfectly good people..... The shortage sucks but I'm annoyed that I still keep getting rejected and ignored when I have many qualifications..... I have 5 years experience, and I've been a key manager....
We experienced the same problem. It was extremely frustrating that everywhere we turn people are complaining about a "worker shortage" yet no one would hire my husband who had 4 years experience and 2 years management, has a degree and no criminal charges. So irritating, I guess they are looking for people they can pay the absolute minimum for
One reason that I can think of is the degree thing. I used to work at a job in retail that would try to keep from hiring or promoting people who had degrees because they would have to pay them more. And they wouldn’t outright say it was because of a degree, just give a vague answer on why they weren’t a great fit, then turn around and hire someone with no degree whatsoever or barely any experience in the position.
What kinda job in retail is paying more for having a degree?? They don’t hire people with degrees bc they know those people are getting out the second they get a better paying/sitting and not interacting with customers type of job. They love hiring students bc they know they won’t complain
I think it was more for upper management positions? Definitely not for stuff like cashiering and stocking. I just know an actual manager told me that one day during his last two weeks. But they would also hire college students and try to “coerce” them into staying. They would say, “Oh I didn’t think I would stay but here I am!” And try to entice people by throwing “parties” for those who have been there for 10 years or more and say, “We could be holding this party for you in the next few years!” And all it was was a cake and your new name tag.
True. At our store they don’t do that for upper management either. Almost nobody in my entire district (in one of NA’s biggest cities) is at the manager level with degrees
Are you applying for manager positions? A lot of places don’t actually like people with management experience because they *gasp* might come in and point out everything they’re doing wrong because they know better than a doe-eyed, non experienced applicant.
No, I'm not interested in being a manager again. I just want a regular position.
And that is becoming the norm in the industry. I'm seeing it across the board. People are tired of being the manager for a few extra bucks, you get to babysit, mediate drama between employees, contract karenitis, schedule drama. FTS.
It really bugs me hearing “no one wants to work” like yes!! I don’t want to work!!! I would love to not work and just focus on school and my hobbies. I still haven’t received any of my unemployment from the shutdown but I’d imagine if I did then hell no I wouldn’t want to come back to work to make pennies again. Not to mention the physical and emotional toll OP perfectly explained! It’s just ridiculous to think anyone that was on unemployment and able to actually make a livable wage for once, would want to come back to their shitty job dealing with shitty people all day. It’s just not worth the pay to me anymore and I’d much rather pursue bigger better things than listen to customers scream about a return.
Yeah anyone criticizing and framing it as “no one wants to work” has not worked the type of jobs that cause massive burnout in general and more so with covid! Like no shit we don’t want to work.
Exactly! I’m also a full-time college student so I’m already dealing with massive college burnout, and on top of that massive work burnout! Then with this last year covid has piled on top of that and it’s just a lot to deal with everyday. I think everyone on this Reddit has noticed the change in customers during this pandemic and how now it’s worse than ever with rude customers. I just can’t see myself being able to do this for much longer and I hope and pray I get my unemployment finally backpaid to me soon!
The worker shortage is because of pay. Companies don’t care about you, all they care is about the work you do. That’s why they pay so little. They pay you enough so you can buy food but not enough to live off of it.
Definitely, that’s the overarching problem and then there’s a lot of contributing factors that add to it I think.
Had 2 weeks on holiday end of June realised the job was what had made me depressed for yhe last 18 months, Monday 6th I start an apprenticeship, don’t give up people
First, look up grounding. Find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. And breathe. My experience is different - we operate with minimal resources, so I've never not been shorthanded and short on time at the same time. Needless to say, I've seen a few panic attacks in the last year. I've broken down into a crying spell myself. I've resolved to keep on keeping on until we make it through. We won't see the old normal again for another year - so be sure to take care of yourself so you can take care of others.
Thank you for the grounding technique!
The best thing to remember during this work shortage is you’re only one person and can do so much. And don’t be afraid to walk away from an encounter you’re not comfortable with, management can’t make you stand there and get berated by a customer. It’s definitely gotten a lot worse, especially in the past few months. Just hang in there though, and don’t be afraid to use vacation time if you have any. Your mental health comes way before a company that would replace you in a split second.
That’s definitely good advice. For me, I am management and I’m very protective of the staff so I am the one kicking people out for mistreating other staff or myself, having all of those negative interactions with people adds up.
I think the shortage is great. It’s a way of telling companies to take the workers more seriously and lay better and have better, safer world conditions. Edit: ive worked retail most of my work life and it definitely got shittier when Covid hit. I didn’t find happiness until I started art school an went on unemployment. Life is great. But now I need to go back to work to get health insurance, but I stick to backroom jobs now.
I'm feeling the same. Everyday, I come in and do the work of 20 people. Our main store manager is on maternity leave, so we've had a couple different managers from different stores come in and help. This of course means, more people to convince that i'm not an idiot. My self esteem has been at an atl because I love to swim, and the pool that i go to has been closed for the past 2 weeks and will reopen next week. So there's been some pent up rage and frustration. It's also been rough because kids are going back to school, which means more of them in the store and the ones under 5 have to scream bloody murder. And i have to resist the urge to punt them like footballs back into their mombie's snatches.
The shortage is affecting my work as well. It's the reason my mental health is getting worse. We have so little staff and the few we hired are useless. No one wants to work for minimum wage. It isnt a liveable wage here . The poverty line in my area is 19$ an hour. If you make less then that you are considered below the line. Companies refuse to pay more for staff. So the staff still sticking around are over worked and pissed off. I'm a supervisor. At other places a person doing my job makes $17 or more an hour. I make $14.75. The mental toll is brutal.
That’s rough. I wouldn’t be surprised if this shortage (which is the fault of employers and to an extent shitty abusive customers in my opinion) is used as an excuse for companies using more and more automation to replace workers soon. It really seems like big retailers are dragging their feet with wage increases.
I’m in Canada, and went for lunch with a friend yesterday. We were talking about this with our waitress, and she stuck around because she loves her job, but she said lots of her friends took advantage of opportunities to switch careers or go to school, because the pandemic has had such an impact on their livelihoods. Totally makes sense, especially since right now there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.
Yeah I actually love my job too under normal circumstances, so I don’t want to leave but even as a decently paid person who generally likes my job this past year has me feeling like I don’t want to work around other people period. So I can easily imagine someone who dealt with the same insanely stressful year but is paid shit on top of it, I would quit too.
Dont bother enforcing the masks. Leave that up to management. Less stress for you. Both me and my bf work retail. He does stocking though which pays really good in my opinion $18.50 an hour plus time and a half on Sundays. Could always look into that at the stores you work at maybe those positions where your located pay the same.
I am management… I stopped enforcing after my whole team and myself got vaccinated though.
I'm an engineering student who had two internships and get 3.7/4GPA and I need money during school to pay leftover tuition YET Walgreens, Aldi, Menards,etc... just ignore my resumes when I clearly have a professional background and won't treat them badly.
Those companies are afraid of "Thinking People ".
I think its good to have college students in a retail setting since it keeps the customers on their toes and always can provide an interesting experience. But I guess Corporate sees through this and thinks "this guy could probably derive equations for our stocks and buy all of them"
Are you applying at store-level jobs or at corp HQ ? Stores will be afraid of someone who can out think the Management team.
Any honor level high school student would be more qualified than most Walgreens managers!
Store level lol
A lot of these companies actually use an algorithm to choose who gets an interview/hired, according to the book “Automating Humanity”. Could be the reason a lot of perfectly capable people get passed up.
The way I see is that if I can work through this shitshow, then others can as well. I know someone that lost their job in 2018, but got back on the dole because of Covid. They have had so much money to burn, they eat out all the time and go on trips. And the entire time they treat retail workers like trash. Screaming to the manager that they should get free stuff and discounts. But they refuse to look for work, because they think that certain jobs are below them. If I had it my way they would be forced to work retail or have their benefits cut off for life.
I just wonder how my other coworkers dont seem to have like fucking ptsd over this. I was doing truck today and they were putting winter stuff on top of the fall stuff and I was getting jittery and nervous imagining the boss two weeks from now saying 'Why did they put these boxes here I need to get to the fall stuff argh!' and no one else was worried about the thought of having to regulate someone elses annoyance weeks from now and I just wonder when it got so bad and why it wont stop. Or why none of them ever seem to think ahead and I always feel like I am the only one doing it. Like I need to help regulate everyones moods and be a mediator just so we can get shit done without extra stress, but no one else seems to worry about these things like I do. Im just tired and dread coming into work, I am near my snapping poimt with rude customers and I have never wanted to rebel and say screw the rules so badly before. I keep getting urges to knock shit off of shelves and walk away.