Thread regarding Sears layoffs

What the hell did I get myself into?

Joined this company a few months ago as a softlines lead. The store that I work in has no help at all. Nada. We aren't trying to hire anybody and there's no hours for the employees that are there. If we do hire someone they last two months at best. Nothing ever gets done, projects are piling up and we're always falling behind. There's too many policies and procedures to keep track of, too many managers to answer to (some are 500 miles away) and a million different expectations--literally being pulled 50 different directions. Oh, there's no time for training. I was thrown into this, sink or swim. Store manager just says do your best with what you have only to get our a## reamed by upper management.

All for $11.20 an hour... I didn't think this job would be as stressful and thought that the pay was reasonable on paper. It's a stepping stone, I figured. A few weeks in, I had another think coming. And this wasted effort is just that, a waste, because in the end, Sears is toast. It's done. It is past the point of no return, there's no saving Sears. There's panic and the alarm bells are going off throughout the company. You can here it on the conference calls, on the news reports, on Pebble and in the shareholder meetings every quarter. I'm outta here.

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Post ID: @OP+ILgGVI6

8 replies (most recent on top)

When minimum wage went up in our state anyone who was making over the previous minimum wage did not get a raise to compensate to the new level. So you had people who had been working at the company for 4-5 years who had gotten raises through taking on more responsibility or taken on lead positions who when minimum wage went up were now making the same as someone who was just hired. So leads and new hires were on the same level. they even made you sign a form to say you would not complain when they did not give you a raise to compensate, Lost half the old employees on that one.

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Post ID: @3fws+ILgGVI6

To say that the wages at Sears are deplorable is an understatement! The amount of pay that Sears offers for the amount of hard work and stress that they will dump on you is inexcusable. There are long term associates with excellent reviews that have gone 3, 4 or 5 years without a raise. If a fair paying job is what you are looking for then pass Sears right on by.

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Post ID: @3pbz+ILgGVI6

Well if SHC did pay their employees more than $7.25hr they would stay longer than a month. Target starts their employees at close to $10hr.

I interviewed at a Sears store for a hardliners position and when I asked for a higher starting pay since I had experience at the interview. They refused to hire me. They asked if $7.25 was ok in the interview and I asked for a little more like $9 since I was making that at my last job. They hired some idiot that does not know a toaster from a microwave.

SHC is running off qualified employees and hiring morons that do not know how to use an RMU or a manual ticket gun. I am suprised that these idiots even know how to use the register.

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Post ID: @3eeb+ILgGVI6

The workload definitely changed immensely right around February for the store I recently left. And yes I also went through taking on more duties as they slowly eliminated salaried positions as well, but nothing compares to having less than half the hours for the store compared to the previous year where things were already tight.

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Post ID: @1hmw+ILgGVI6

The lead positions were created just as Sears started to cut salaried management. Boot someone "expensive" out, bring in someone "cheaper" and expect the same results.

They usually give these positions to younger people who are in over their heads, get burned out and finally declare the stress not worth the pay, at least the ones that are working like they should rather than sitting in the office or fooling around.

The workload has not changed. You are doing $40-50k's worth of work for only $15-20k.

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Post ID: @1fxw+ILgGVI6

I feel more dumped on than you because I've been there Years and haven't come close to $11.20. It is a sinking ship for all. Aggressively go after better and let SHC be forgotten as you will be to them.

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Post ID: @hmb+ILgGVI6

The lead position at Sears is extremely demanding and stressful. Most leads have a heavier workload and work harder than the salaried store staff! Most problems that arise will get dumped onto a lead. A lead is often used as a scapegoat when a problem goes awry. In our store the softlines lead took the brunt of the abuse. The average tenure of a softlines lead at our store was approximately 18 months. I was always being approached to take a lead position, but I would never consider it. My advice would be to do your best in the lead position while searching for another employment opportunity. The job responsibilities of a lead are extensive, so be sure to note them all on your resume as work experience.

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Post ID: @vqo+ILgGVI6

This is scary to me because I just took this position!

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Post ID: @jks+ILgGVI6

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