The company could be upfront about their intentions to actively decrease the cost of their workforce by any means possible. They could be honest about their policy of decreasing hours when they increased hourly wage. They could be honest to the public when closing clubs rather than trying to mask it with strangely timed news releases about raising wages. They could be honest about closing stores due to union activism rather than releasing smokescreens about "plumbing problems". They could be transparent to their associates about their intentions going forward rather than making the whole thing one big cluster truck of a guessing game. The company could honor their own 3 basic beliefs rather than making them the punchline of a joke. The company could be upfront with their long term employees when they choose to release them for cost control reasons and give them an honorable means to leave the company with compensation and dignity rather than writing them up for ridiculous, bogus, petty, and often imaginary breaches of company policy.
The company is making record profits, so they are well capable of doing all of the above, but yet they choose not to. Management has sold their soul to the devil at the altar of the almighty dollar.
If this does not sound like a company to which you would want to rent a portion of your life , do not apply.
I made it out. I found a job where my talents and attitude are appreciated and I am actively warning all of my friends and colleagues, one of which is interviewing.......let's just say very, very soon.
Friends don't let friends work in this place.