Mid Atlantic (40+ stores) has not been addressed yet, this is expected in many stores Monday AM. Many TMs are taking the company line that there's nothing to worry about - the worst they can imagine is the restructuring of PTO and gainsharing. No one will post on mainstream social media channels for fear of retribution (see the GIG), so most conversations are taking place on anonymous platforms, face to face, or personal phone calls and texts; it is impossible to know how wide the information has spread. Whole Foods Market has done a wonderful job scaring their Team Members away from even basic organisation.
As we now dismantle what was left of the ladder to leadership, take time to remember that colorful poster that used to hang in breakrooms everywhere:
TM>>Buyer/Supervisor>>Career Coaching>>ATL>>EMERGE>>TL>>CDASTL, etc.
This move is short-sighted. Regardless of immediate stock-value impact, investors should question the long-term health of the company.
In a healthful economy, what kind of leadership invites skilled workers to leave?
Mackey, Robb & Co. have made a point of Talking the WFM culture up in recent ad campaigns, it is the Team Members that Walk it.
Team Members affected by this restructuring have the support of their teams, their in-store leadership, and their customers.