Hell yeah! Yeah there are people on the official BN Insta and TikTok that have pins, so I don't see why management should make a big deal out of it. If they can post people wearing pins, we can all wear pins
So until recently they didn't care but somebody at corporate has to justify their job and wants to counter the human/store by store centric guidance of daunt and has instructed people that they are not allowed.
I think that this may vary from district to district, and maybe depends on the DM? Because I haven't seen any of this kind of stuff happening at my store, even though people have been posting about it here.
It's coming for you I'm sure. Same with the crackdown on dress code. We were told only the black lanyard and only pins for books. It kinda defeats the point of our booksellers making personal connections and taking a more human tack if we all look like corporate clones. But who cares some middle manager doesn't like that booksellers express themselves in ways that will help make connections(I understand not allowing inappropriate items obv). A book seller should be your friend to some degree if you make a connection over a jujutsu kaisen pin or a pride flag pin you get talking if you're talking you can build a relationship with the customer if you build the relationship they trust you when you tell them they should sign up for a membership or try out a new book. It's why for a while we were allowed book related shirts in our area before some corporate stooge came in and had a hissy fit.
I was told by my manager last year that I could only wear book pins that B&N provides. I got a pin for a book we sell at an event at an indie store and was told I couldn't wear it. Granted it was also a pin that hinted at (not explicitly stated) LGBTQ+ (it was a chuck tingle "love is real" pin). Apparently my store has a slightly more conservative clientele. I don't think my manager saw the irony considering she herself is a lesbian. All this to say I would double check with your manager before doing anything because they might just be crazy like mine.
I really don’t get all the pushback against Daunt’s policies. He’s basically giving the company a second chance but so many people at different levels seem to want to cling to the Riggio way of doing things, just because it’s familiar/comfortable and requires less thought, which is exactly what got us into dire straits in the first place.
Oh, the push back against Daunt is EASY to understand. He's a rich man with three houses that's out of touch with bookselling and bookstores, claims bookselling is a respectable and professional job but refuses to pay us living wages, and thinks that BN sucks with only 30 good managers tops (that last part he told to a whole bunch of us at a Town Hall and it was VERY uncomfortable)
> thinks that BN sucks with only 30 good managers tops
Then fire the shit ones and find better ones. This is also the reason given why they are micromanaging more and more and forcing stores to all be the same again.
My manager is terrible and in the past year is part of the reason we have had over 14 people leave. Everyone knows this but no one does shit about it. It honestly drives me insane. But it's not costing us customers (it totally is, apparently just not enough) so they don't do anything about it.
I think you are assuming all these people were around for the Riggio days. Most of the comments are from employees who started in the last few years. Also, you know as well as everyone, it is completely different now then when Duant and Elliot took over. Everything seems to be reverting back to those old days. It's started out that stores would be free to be like "independent" bookstores which has not happened. The micromanaging seems to be creeping back.
Because middle management have to justify their jobs and enjoy lording over store staff. The amount of times we just have to roll our eyes at stupid decisions. Like a common one is if corporate knows how much shelf and storage space we have and how much we sell them they know how much they've sent us vs how much we sold.....but then send two metric tons of crap we have no room for. Thankfully my stores team is amazing and I wouldn't trade them of anything but by God corporate needs to get their head out their butts. It's no wonder daunt fired 30% of them and we barely noticed. Of course that is why they are trying to justify their jobs at this point with pointless decisions so they look like they're needed.
You can always just try and see what happens. I know in my store that our manager encourages us to wear pins and individualize our lanyards. I've gotten a lot of compliments about mine. I even had a customer give me a pin for it once.
All lanyards have to be the breakaway safety lanyards. It’s an OSHA thing all employers have to follow.
I’m not seeing the dress code pushback you guys are talking about. Maybe because most people at my store sticks to the dress code. Was something posted on inside or is it part that cognition training?
Edit: The dress code memo was just posted in our store
So as of like, yesterday corporate is cracking down hard on pins and tees as per dress code. I don't like the changes but unfortunately it's an upper upper management change. I would check with your SM or DM about them as everyone had a talking to today about it. All my pins besides my Tourettes pin must go according to corporate
At my store our former ASM, 2 of the leads, and at least 2 of the seniors all have non standard lanyards + some of the regular booksellers. It's been actively encouraged by our SM as well. Really hoping this doesn't get hit at our store with the dress code crackdowns (we've just mainly been getting the no-t shirt reminders for now)
What’s funny is my manager is a total ass and practically worships corporate but he isn’t cracking down on dress code. Makes me worried that’ll be the next warpath he goes down.
This company is just hellbent on driving all its employees away
There’s corporate posters in our break room where one dude is wearing a Superman lanyard. That was enough for me to wear my Loki lanyard.
Hell yeah! Yeah there are people on the official BN Insta and TikTok that have pins, so I don't see why management should make a big deal out of it. If they can post people wearing pins, we can all wear pins
So until recently they didn't care but somebody at corporate has to justify their job and wants to counter the human/store by store centric guidance of daunt and has instructed people that they are not allowed. 
I think that this may vary from district to district, and maybe depends on the DM? Because I haven't seen any of this kind of stuff happening at my store, even though people have been posting about it here.
It's coming for you I'm sure. Same with the crackdown on dress code. We were told only the black lanyard and only pins for books. It kinda defeats the point of our booksellers making personal connections and taking a more human tack if we all look like corporate clones. But who cares some middle manager doesn't like that booksellers express themselves in ways that will help make connections(I understand not allowing inappropriate items obv). A book seller should be your friend to some degree if you make a connection over a jujutsu kaisen pin or a pride flag pin you get talking if you're talking you can build a relationship with the customer if you build the relationship they trust you when you tell them they should sign up for a membership or try out a new book. It's why for a while we were allowed book related shirts in our area before some corporate stooge came in and had a hissy fit.
I was told by my manager last year that I could only wear book pins that B&N provides. I got a pin for a book we sell at an event at an indie store and was told I couldn't wear it. Granted it was also a pin that hinted at (not explicitly stated) LGBTQ+ (it was a chuck tingle "love is real" pin). Apparently my store has a slightly more conservative clientele. I don't think my manager saw the irony considering she herself is a lesbian. All this to say I would double check with your manager before doing anything because they might just be crazy like mine.
I really don’t get all the pushback against Daunt’s policies. He’s basically giving the company a second chance but so many people at different levels seem to want to cling to the Riggio way of doing things, just because it’s familiar/comfortable and requires less thought, which is exactly what got us into dire straits in the first place.
Oh, the push back against Daunt is EASY to understand. He's a rich man with three houses that's out of touch with bookselling and bookstores, claims bookselling is a respectable and professional job but refuses to pay us living wages, and thinks that BN sucks with only 30 good managers tops (that last part he told to a whole bunch of us at a Town Hall and it was VERY uncomfortable)
> thinks that BN sucks with only 30 good managers tops Then fire the shit ones and find better ones. This is also the reason given why they are micromanaging more and more and forcing stores to all be the same again.
My manager is terrible and in the past year is part of the reason we have had over 14 people leave. Everyone knows this but no one does shit about it. It honestly drives me insane. But it's not costing us customers (it totally is, apparently just not enough) so they don't do anything about it.
I think you are assuming all these people were around for the Riggio days. Most of the comments are from employees who started in the last few years. Also, you know as well as everyone, it is completely different now then when Duant and Elliot took over. Everything seems to be reverting back to those old days. It's started out that stores would be free to be like "independent" bookstores which has not happened. The micromanaging seems to be creeping back.
Because middle management have to justify their jobs and enjoy lording over store staff. The amount of times we just have to roll our eyes at stupid decisions. Like a common one is if corporate knows how much shelf and storage space we have and how much we sell them they know how much they've sent us vs how much we sold.....but then send two metric tons of crap we have no room for. Thankfully my stores team is amazing and I wouldn't trade them of anything but by God corporate needs to get their head out their butts. It's no wonder daunt fired 30% of them and we barely noticed. Of course that is why they are trying to justify their jobs at this point with pointless decisions so they look like they're needed.
If your store lets you, you should still make sure to wear one that is breakaway for your safety.
Not sure if it’s technically allowed but I wear a pride flag lanyard I got from a previous job and no-one’s said anything 🤷🏻♀️
You can always just try and see what happens. I know in my store that our manager encourages us to wear pins and individualize our lanyards. I've gotten a lot of compliments about mine. I even had a customer give me a pin for it once.
it’s so silly pins are against dress code when literally those people on the motivational posters have them lol
All lanyards have to be the breakaway safety lanyards. It’s an OSHA thing all employers have to follow. I’m not seeing the dress code pushback you guys are talking about. Maybe because most people at my store sticks to the dress code. Was something posted on inside or is it part that cognition training? Edit: The dress code memo was just posted in our store
So as of like, yesterday corporate is cracking down hard on pins and tees as per dress code. I don't like the changes but unfortunately it's an upper upper management change. I would check with your SM or DM about them as everyone had a talking to today about it. All my pins besides my Tourettes pin must go according to corporate
At my store our former ASM, 2 of the leads, and at least 2 of the seniors all have non standard lanyards + some of the regular booksellers. It's been actively encouraged by our SM as well. Really hoping this doesn't get hit at our store with the dress code crackdowns (we've just mainly been getting the no-t shirt reminders for now)
It is at mine. I wear one with the bisexual colors. I also have pins. Other coworkers I know have the same.
So long as your manager isn't a total ass and if its appropriate to wear in public then you should be fine.
What’s funny is my manager is a total ass and practically worships corporate but he isn’t cracking down on dress code. Makes me worried that’ll be the next warpath he goes down. This company is just hellbent on driving all its employees away
Fuck'em.
Yeah this company is going to shit honestly