As a sales floor associate...The "higher ups" probably didn't come from a position where they saw what it's really like for the rest of us. I don't know what PTC is, but it sounds like human resources from what you've described, and I'm not disagreeing with the gist of your message I'm just trying to say that I don't think some of these people really know what it's like. Personally, I don't think my club manager has ever stocked a single thing in her life, I could be wrong of course, but I'm not exaggerating that much I don't think. Anyways, that's the rant I wanted to make.
As far as everything you talked about, first of all I just wanted to say, and I know I'm repeating myself, but I don't know what PTC stands for exactly, but from what you described it sounds like a human resources or Personnel job and whether I'm right or wrong, I just want to say that you have completely shifted the way I view my HR lady. Up until now, I saw her as one of the kind of people who just says what she thinks you want to hear, and colludes the managers wishes rofl, but you have completely changed my perception of her.
As far as....well, not even managers preaching about policies, but anybody preaching about policies and trying to get anyone to be on the same page, saying that that is a joke....is a complete understatement....there is no communication, no organization, no....I know I'm getting slightly off-subject with this, but where I work, nobody, and I MEAN NOBODY is on the same track with anybody....to say that we are at a universal understanding as to how to maintain our store is a joke, is a joke within itself, and a joke that's hard to even laugh at anymore.
And for my more personal bit of this possibly useless rant, let me explain what my work life is like after two years of being alone, by myself, THE ONLY ASSOCIATE in a fairly demanding department....I walk in early for my shift...I walk through my department, seeing everything that's wrong, bad displays, heavy and dangerous displays not secured, wrong price signs, no pulltags for heavy items, empty product holes, product in the wrong isle, way way way too many items stocked in one place because we have no more room, tacky merchandising, stockers were short handed and didn't have time to stock this and that and that and that, displays that don't even match the merchandise below them!!! I walk on. I clock in for my shift. Nobody in this department, let me work on something for them, something from another department is right beside mine, let me take a couple hours and stock this stuff for them, naturally a few customers stop me here and there, I'm nice so I help them out....woo and behold, it's closing time and I've accomplished nothing. I actually had an argument about this today, because I got so far behind on what I'm usually supposed to do FOR ANOTHER DEPARTMENT that I started to feel inadequate, I felt....I'm not even sure what other word to describe it, I felt too inadequate to do my job, I had been there for over 6 1/2 hours without a break and I had to ask for help which I despise doing, and I was falling behind, some of my coworkers actually had to push me to going to lunch....so I ask anyone, where is the pride in this? We bust our asses, and for what? To be cross trained in another department so they can cut down on somebody else's hours and let you cover to departments at once? And yes I know this last bit of my rant has little to do with the current changes but....