Just got the word from my STL that all buyers are being laid off.
15 replies (most recent on top)
Back to clarify after inventory. I'm far from a corporate shill, just understand the realities of working in retail. I'm not happy about this and don't want anyone to be affect. Buyers are not laid off unless they're on a final warning, then they are having to take severance package. The buyers are still buyers making buyer rates, no rates are affected. If team is allotted 2 buyers based on sales and team currently has two buyers now, then nobody is affected. This is really going to affect the stores that have numerous buyers on their teams. I love having three buyers, but will have to survive with two. This can be accomplished and hopefully I can convince the person that isn't going to be a buyer anymore that they're still valuable to us and that the buyers won't be buyers forever hopefully they have ambition to grow.
The premise behind this is yes WFM is looking for ways to save money, but also why not have the two buyers buy everything and hire part time team members to pack everything out? Unfortunately, there are so many different types of leadership or lack of in this company that you hope the team and store leadership understands this, but they may not. The more team members you have, the more likely it is that the job will get done and customers can be helped and the workload will be less for everyone.
The supplemented income is based on the severance package you have the option of accepting. If you qualify for 10 weeks of pay, a portion of that - I think 50% - becomes available as the supplement pot. Then those dollars are used to bridge the difference between what you currently make and what you could make if you become a non buyer team member. This will go on until you use up those funds or get promoted, but I don't have all the info on this so please don't take this as 100% fact.
I'm o.k. with being called names by internet strangers. I'm also just telling everyone what I think as a team leader that cares. I hope we don't lose good people we need them and hope that everyone will have a clearer idea of what's going on after today.
Buyers are laid off in the sense that everyone is being "let go" or in WFMspeak, "restructured," and those affected can either take a severance package (severance pay based on years of service + 8 weeks of separation pay) OR you can keep working in your current role & apply for one of the new positions - of which there will be fewer because teams are merging - all store labor is now one pool. But yes, if you're currently a buyer your job is "gone."
Attacking your store and team leadership isn't going to fix the GLOBAL AND REGIONAL decisions that have been made. Name calling and indignation will not earn your job back.
supplemented pay mean instead of taking severance you can take the reduced rate tm job and supplement your pay with your severance pay to your current pay for as long as it last or until if possible find a better paying job in the company but hopefully some where else
It's devastating that anybody is getting laid off, but it appears to me that PN TL was trying to clarify the fact that no, not every single buyer in the region is being laid off, which is a fact worth stating. This is a horrifying, unfair situation, but we need to get our facts straight if we want to be taken seriously exposing this issue. Please remember that we are in this together. No attacks.
Auto-replenishment? Our tech is two steps above floppy disks and MSDOS.
It will be wonderful when it happens, and free up a lot of time for customer care, but even real time inventory is a pipe dream for now. Good luck!
Thank you PN TL- seems like most of the stuff on here is strung together pieces of information. Most people are assuming they will be laid off. Disciplinary action also plays into if you are offered a severance as well. I wish things weren't so cloudy so we could get things out in the open without causing so many worries and headaches to people who aren't going to lose their jobs.
It's not his fault. Take your hate to the people who really make the decisions.
So, PN TL, only 90% of us are getting laid off, and the remaining 10%, if they survive the hunger games, will have the "privilege" of working 100% harder for less pay. F*** you. You are a vile piece of human waste.
Yeah, everyone with a different (more clear) perspective than you must be a brainwashed shill. You must lead a happy life.
PN TL- option to become FT TM reduced rate with pay supplemented? what does PAY SUPPLEMENTED mean? I can work at WF and feel free to be a drug dealer or hooker on the side? to supplement my pay? Speak English not that WF koolaid jargon.
You are correct. All teams will have less buyers for now until they can figure out (if ever) an automatic replenishment system. It is on the way
Wow, what impressive double speak.
The situation is actually very similar to what they described. It may not be "all" buyers getting laid off, but many of them will be. Your obvious kool-aid consumption, and adept use of corporate jargon doesn't change that fact.
Shill.
Not true. PN TL here. All buyers will be restructured into set amount of buyers based on team volume. Teams that are bloated with buyers will have to reduce the amount on the team, but buyer roles certainly will not be disappearing! My team has to trim a buyer, but I'll still have two buyers to by all sub-teams. Buyer that doesn't land restructured buyer role will have option to become FT TM at reduced rate with pay supplemented or take severance package and leave for 6 months. Not an ideal situation, obviously, but nothing like you've described.
You get laid off today?
What store do you work at?