The working poor get shafted again - just announced raises are being cut

[TwixVoy]

So at work today we got an email from HQ informing us that raise percentages for regular employees (read: the ones that make between 7.50-10/hr) are being cut just before they are handed out next month.

All employees can only get ONE raise a year. (yes, you read that correctly - ONE unless they get promoted)

It is tied to the annual performance review. Everyone can have 5 "levels" of performance, and thus 5 "levels" of raise percentages.

The TOP level WAS a 5.5% raise. This is for a select few people who bust their ass every day of the year.

Guess what? That percentage is now 4%. All the other levels have been adjust down as well.

Now you have to remember this is for people making sub $10/hr. So we are talking pennies here. Pennies given out ONCE a year.

This is a multi-billion dollar retailer. God damn I get sick of having to deliver yet another message to people who come in to work, go above and beyond for shit pay, that they are being screwed yet again. I have already told 4 people I had written reviews for they would be getting certain raises. Now I have to go back and tell them even though they did a great job last year they are getting less of a raise.

The company is telling us to push everyone to deliver great customer service. To go out of their way every day to smile and be happy. To deliver a great shopping experience to drive sales.

I wonder if the fools at HQ realize how shit like this causes the EXACT opposite effect.

This is why I have serious doubts about an economic recovery happening. We have multi-billion dollar companies handing out cash like candy to EXECUTIVES, while at the same time they are cutting jobs and being even more greedy with the people at the bottom. The same people WHO NEED MONEY TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS FOR THEM TO STAY IN BUSINESS!

No wonder HQ is forcing everyone to watch anti-union videos. What a freaking joke corporate america is.

[Kalyke]

1. Isn't there a law against forcing people to watch anti-union videos?

Even in so-called "right to work" states (aka right-to-get-fired states), I thought promoting one agenda or another was illegal.

[TwixVoy]

3. It is a right to work state

And if it is illegal they are getting away with it in 50 states.

[Deja Q]

2. Sounds a lot like shit-mart. And you're right, I am not sure the economy will recover either.

(Based solely on existing information and projecting future results if the pattern is maintained. But anything can change.)

[Mojambo]

4. Class.Warfare. n/t

[AndyA]

5. I remember when I worked in retail, I was a store manager and had to schedule

staffing. We absolutely couldn't go over on payroll budget, and as a result we were habitually understaffed. My district manager was a complete idiot, who wanted me to schedule people for "standby hours." This meant part time people were expected to stick by the phone, and come in if/when we called them.

What bullshit. We expect a part time employee, who makes little more than minimum wage, to stay at home by the phone in case we call them in to work? And they'd have to be dressed properly too. So, no painting because you might need to go to work. The expectation was that they would be at work and on the sales floor within an hour of calling them!

Retail drove me nuts, I absolutely hated the management part of it. Selling wasn't too bad, but I have a hard time supporting that store since I left. I can only imagine what bull crap they've pulled out now.

And this same district manager couldn't understand why sales were down when we didn't have the inventory to sell. "Just sell them something else..." she would say. I used to reply, "How about getting me what I need, then I'll have it to sell in the first place, and people won't need to always change their minds?"

I feel for you, I've been there. It takes a special person to do retail, and they really should be paid better for it because it isn't always an easy job.

[lukasahero]

6. My place already announced salary freezes and the place I used to work

had pay cuts. In both cases, most of us are happy we still have jobs.

[TwixVoy]

8. Salary freeze

was it a salary that was at least paying more than $8/hour?

[lukasahero]

10. All positions. And yes, there are plenty here making $8/hr. eom

[Ganja Ninja]

7. We're headed for some serious civil unrest.

I don't see how people can take much more of this.

[bobburgster]

9. Freeze For The Year....

or so they say. My company did the same. I'm a manager in hospitality, and we have had layoffs also. I'm happy to have a job, but it pisses me off to know end when I see these high level execs. get money thrown at them.
I'll be starting yearly evals. soon and don't relish the thought if telling my hard workers they'll get the same as the lazy dead weight....nothing.

[HillbillyBob]

11. If I know a store/business who does that shit, I make sure to go

in one last time and tell the manager or write to management and tell them why I will no longer buy or use their services.
I did the same with Levis and Wrangler when they moved from Greensboro NC to Mexico..aside from the fact that a label on Levis that says hecho en mexico..or worse made in russia.
Their replay was that they had to protect ther slaveholders err stockholders...
I said fine you can hold their hand all day long if you like, but as a lifelong customer while I only buy a couple pair per year I will be buying NONE , and haven't...im gonna be nekid soon sigh. Being on disability it is not like I can afford much in the way of clothes anyway.

PS I have worked plenty of jobs that I got the same kind of treatment, oh we don't like you today, so we are cutting your pay or your fired, your hair or beard is too long or the wrong color. I have worked digging ditches, electrician, restaurants(from cheap hotdog stand to 4 star ) pizza driver /maker, design firm doing shipping receiving/inventory/installing silk plants that varied from a little flower arrangement to 22 foot tall trees. That job was a real fun one I met celebrities to just rich folks, the richer they were the more they expected me to kiss their asses. I got to tell Leona Helmsley off, my boss threatened to fire me. I said fine I can hitchhike back to Fort Lauderdale but who will drive the 30 foot truck? LH snapped her fingers and said 'you boy come here and clean up this mess'
'First off I ain't yo boi, secondly you have wasted 3 hrs of my day I was supposed to be in Miami 3 hrs ago on another delivery". All this crap to put up with for 8$ an hour and same for any overtime we had to take time off instead of getting paid for it.

[TwixVoy]

13. The sad thing is

I am one of the managers.

We have NO POWER OVER THIS at the store level. Everything comes down from HQ. We are told what the raises will be - end of story. HQ even controls how long we can run the freaking air conditioning.

[rucky]

12. Time to organize?

[Doremus]

14. Sounds like WalMart. nt

[Skittles]

15. pay cuts where I work - and layoffs