Former Sears employee here, left 19 years ago. I’m really curious as to why people are staying. I heard they no longer 401 K match or contribute to the pension. Seems like morale is low too. It’s begs the question why? What’s compelling you to stay?
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I can sit around all day and do nothing. No one cares, no one asks question, no one notices. I ask if there is anything to do but no one knows what to do with all the rule changes, Simple store lack of hours and no employees to work.
The manager sits in his office on conference calls or filling out metrics or answering emails all day. Or maybe he is just taking a nap. No one knows because he comes in and closes the door and we dont see him until he goes home. I want to work but the ASM's are afraid to do anything because they are afraid they may get yelled at for breaking a new rule. Anyway, it is easy money. I do my school work or surf the net on my phone all day.
I love it, I don't work in the store.
@1knz I hadn't thought of that. You're right. I see it all the time. Also at my local gas station (which has a convenience store too) and the laundromat. The attendant there is free to go outside. I see him all the time smoking.
Thanks for the smoking break tip at convenience stores. Good to know. Can't do it at Amazon. They track you every second.
For smokers looking for alternate employment, if you have any convenience stores in your area that aren't entirely staffed by the owner's relatives, try applying at those. Smokers working at those can often sneak frequent smoke breaks right outside the door.
The real question here is why do you care? You left sears nearly 2 decades ago and you still can’t let go? Move on, it’s no longer your fight.
Old Sears guy please don't think that way. The new retirement is having a part time job for a few more years so that kind of thinking is not going to help you.
Try rental car places, chain drug stores and grocery stores. That's where our older employees go when they leave Sears in this area.
The old fashioned smoking thing is true. No where else allows that anymore. Some one on here once said that a smoke break at Sears is somehow different than a regular break. And I gotta admit, they were right.
Money. There is no other reason someone would put up with the bad morale, layoffs, BS
Trying to make it to retirement. Trying to find a new job but no one wants an old Sears guy.
Depending on where you are, the pay actually can be pretty good.
Smokers don't want to leave. They can sneak out the door and get a smoke anytime. Can't do that in a lot of stores.
The politics are everywhere!
I feel for the people that depend on that check and have been in retail all their lives.
Their is value of knowing your surroundings and your place and especially your co workers.
At my store if you do your tasks you’re pretty much left alone if they know you’re a good worker
I like what I do and the people I work with
Co-workers, and not done any job hunting yet. But we're closing in April so, eh, just a matter of time anyhow. Will only have been there about 2.5 years at that point, but grew up nearby... so I kinda want to stick around with the people I've come to know and see the old place on its way out. :\ Hope I can look forward to seeing it become something else later. (Heck, maybe I'll apply...)
I think it boils down to staying out of necessity. Funny you brought this up because I was having a discussion with other associates about the work environment today during a break and the general consensus is that none of us really want to be here. We hate it here. We hate the pressure, the negativity, the uncertainty, the disconnect between stores and corporate or management and associates.
As soon as a job offer comes up for someone they are out of here and don't give the opportunity for the door to hit them on their way out. Until then, I would say about 98% of us keep trudging through this mucky mess with our head down just to collect a paycheck. Unfortunately this is not a Sears-specific issue, too many people are at jobs they hate and are stuck until they find something better. I think it has a lot to do with not being valued, trusted and respected by employers, let alone not being compensated appropriately.
I'm here because I'm still in school and I'm close to graduating, so no sense in finding something else for the remainder of the time. My next job will be in my field (nursing) and not in retail, because retail is crappy just about anywhere (though some retailers are less crappy than others) and I didn't work so damn hard in school to settle for this.