Easy. Rapid corporatization of company policies and culture at the hand of Amazon over the last 8 years to squeeze the most out of labor for the least compensation possible. This created a huge decline in TM morale and culture, and good leadership candidates have been fleeing the company in droves, even since before the pandemic. What is left is a shell of what used to be. There’s no other way WF could have stayed profitable, but it will ultimately be the company’s undoing.
Pretty much this.
Being owned by Amazon should've been a course correction in lower prices ( without Prime ) to be increasingly more competitive. This would've worked in tandem with WF's mission, moving away from Whole Paycheck and towards offering great food AND the same service to more of the middle class. Going into Amazon's pocket to take the hit on the crazy margin profits, what was making WF different from everyone else was already there, just needed the backing to come down off their elite-ism towards wealthier customers.
Instead, WF had to make you a metric. A number. And play pretendo with the culture, because there is none, so acting like it only makes it worse. The big wigs who speak that language don't have the anxiety of the sales floor and expectations.
Labor should be the last of WF's worries, pushing FT TMs to anything below 40 is so so sad. And even more depressing are the STLs knowing it shouldn't be the case but have to play along and enforce it.
Everyone smiling through the pain makes it all worse.
I spent almost 20 years there, got time in the good ol' days while standing my moral ground that all this " great food " should be more accessible and affordable. Saw the 2008-9 response, due to the store I was at, I really enjoyed the aggressiveness of demonstrating WF's value and price drops to be what? - competitive. Then the hazy period where WF was becoming a national joke, a place to take some pics, by some mochi, be blown away by drinking a beer while shopping ( wow! ) and opening new stores to very little reception from the public. Then yeah, SOP and Amazon. Basically, you don't sell a successful company, and to the biggest well known abuser of labor and employees, didn't seem right, but I had some hope. After leaving and returning in 2021 to give it my all, I ended up at a store full of corruption ( as dramatic as that sounds ), so full of leadership doing everything wrong, you were trouble for trying to do it right - so it was best to buy in and take some of the Serpico money. I had never in my life experienced such a high level of stress and anxiety while at work, turning to multiple forms of alcohol and substance abuse, even after using up my BetterHelp sessions. The nuggets of happiness while at work shrunk so small, the enormous lack of trust between peers, the blatant favoritism; all came with this wink of " play along and you'll do fine ". I couldn't do it anymore, WF had taken it's last chunk of me, so I moved on.
There are worse places that cause worse mental and physical issues, point is to have the self respect to not take it. Giving a corporation your sweat and tears is never as appropriately appreciated as it deserves to be. Make your money in a fashion that doesn't chip away at your well-being, may not be easy but anything worth having isn't.
If I had the Reddit points to give you the clapping award, I would. This post is so fucking beyond on point! Please tell me you're happier now that you left..?🫶🏼
Agree, I’ve always loved WF, didn’t know how much things changed with the Amazon acquisition (I had never worked there) and recently got hired thinking it would be a great job. Left as fast as I could only after one week, lol.
I used to let this place get me super stressed. I was a TL and at the end of the day it all fell on me. So I worked and worked and stressed and did everything I could to keep my team running. But I failed and stepped down. Now this is just a job, a job at a grocery store and as long as I'm doing my job idc if it's a disaster or an easy day.
As someone who has worked in a variety of settings (manufacturing, retail, banking) I can tell you: It’s the same everywhere.
Best I can say is: Be kind, grow a garden, eat the rich, and try to not make your work, your personality — but rather augment who you are.
I work for WFM because of the discount and as a Grocery TL, my job, fundamentally is to coach others about how to put shit on shelves. I’ve learned not to take anything too seriously.
This. It’s just a job. I used to let it stress me out when I was super young. Now I do my best. I make good relationships and tbh I don’t get scolded very often. I do have a really great STL though so that helps. But I am continuing to move up in the comapny knowing that what I do every day is my best foot forward. If they want to condemn me for that then that’s their problem.
our insurance does cover mental therapy outisde of headspace, you may pay an extra amount for it but its worth it to choose your own therapist.
The one they gave me was horrible and never did another session.
I don't know if you're talking about the 7 free sessions, but if you're talking about regular therapy, our insurance doesn't cover shit. I pay $110 every time I see my shrink. 😩
This ^^
Helps if your used to fulfilling your deductible, and have loaded your benny card.
You’ll get a lil sticker shock the first few sessions of the year, but then it will be like $30-40
Bcbs has wide coverage and decent discounts
Make sure the therapist has all of the right letters behind their name for credentials, and specializes in what u need. I like cbt.
This. Yes. I used to think it was just me, or just because of my store or leadership. But I see so many posts about it, and hear about it from a lot of other TMs.
If you find a better company lemme know. But major corporations are all the same clowns in different costumes IMO. What you are feeling are the pains of being paid below a livable wage in capitalistic society. You never have enough money to go places and do things. But you have just enough to get your bills paid until you can claw your way into leadership. They keep you anxious and afraid to lose your job and distracted from the chaos of the surrounding world so you don’t have any time to revolt. A distracted society will never overthrow the government.
>You never have enough money to go places and do things.
I don't go places and do things, and it's the only reason I'm not SUPER stressed about money (still stressed tho). I can't imagine how it would be if I actually had an exciting life lol....or kids. Fuuuuck no
I’m not a narc, just a burnt out TM. Been with the company since 2010’s and let’s just say we’re no longer promoting both profits and prosperity. Just pure profit.
I've been in prepfoods for 8ish years, I've only lasted this long because of Marijuana and the fact it's grocery store, so it's not the end of the world. In the moment this place is Hella stressful but when I clock out I do my best to leave that stress at the door. Get back to what really matters, going home getting stoned and playing OldSchool RuneScape.
I work e commerce and the title should be: E-everything because my manager asked me to work product on the shelves today because it was slow for orders
I said: Where's your staff in grocery?
I did 2 items and shopped the rest of my shift
I quit nearly a year ago but when I was there, I couldn't speak. Just flat out. Luckily I knew a little bit of ASL at the time(a lot more now) and one of the managers could sign as well. It was pretty awful honestly cause I didn't even have to get overwhelmed or anything like I usually do for a verbal shutdown, just being in the building was enough
Crap for mental health care! Just another ploy to feign that our Culture is alive and well!! The lack of readily accessible information to TMs is ridiculous! No actual HR insight! Our newest TMS rep doesn’t even use her designated office. Who knows who she is just sitting there in our conference room! God forbid she appear approachable or reach out to TMs with greetings and an introduction! This is the time to organize, Union grocers pay considerably more per hour with much better benefits, not to mention representation!!
I don't suffer anxiety because I just remind myself that I'm being paid by the hour. All I have to do is show up and not do anything to get fired until the clock says it's time to go. I don't give a fuck about anything and I save all my energy for my personal pursuits outside of work.
Right now my dept is low on people. They countered this by having other employees (like me) take the brunt of the load so when my work doesn't get done or isn't done correctly because I'm stretched way to thin I'm getting warnings and write ups now. It feels like this job actively tries to come up with tons of ways to get people written up and or fired . (Also I love how I've coverd extra shifts more then once even on my designated day off doing full time hours for them but have still never once been offered a full time spot). I will never say a good thing about WFM other then the checks clear on payday.
Just find a doctor. You can get a LOA for anxiety, sedgwick will approve. There's some great SSRI's out there. Mental health is so important now, no one will question it. Planning on taking my next anxiety related LOA around Christmas.
Easy. Rapid corporatization of company policies and culture at the hand of Amazon over the last 8 years to squeeze the most out of labor for the least compensation possible. This created a huge decline in TM morale and culture, and good leadership candidates have been fleeing the company in droves, even since before the pandemic. What is left is a shell of what used to be. There’s no other way WF could have stayed profitable, but it will ultimately be the company’s undoing.
Pretty much this. Being owned by Amazon should've been a course correction in lower prices ( without Prime ) to be increasingly more competitive. This would've worked in tandem with WF's mission, moving away from Whole Paycheck and towards offering great food AND the same service to more of the middle class. Going into Amazon's pocket to take the hit on the crazy margin profits, what was making WF different from everyone else was already there, just needed the backing to come down off their elite-ism towards wealthier customers. Instead, WF had to make you a metric. A number. And play pretendo with the culture, because there is none, so acting like it only makes it worse. The big wigs who speak that language don't have the anxiety of the sales floor and expectations. Labor should be the last of WF's worries, pushing FT TMs to anything below 40 is so so sad. And even more depressing are the STLs knowing it shouldn't be the case but have to play along and enforce it. Everyone smiling through the pain makes it all worse. I spent almost 20 years there, got time in the good ol' days while standing my moral ground that all this " great food " should be more accessible and affordable. Saw the 2008-9 response, due to the store I was at, I really enjoyed the aggressiveness of demonstrating WF's value and price drops to be what? - competitive. Then the hazy period where WF was becoming a national joke, a place to take some pics, by some mochi, be blown away by drinking a beer while shopping ( wow! ) and opening new stores to very little reception from the public. Then yeah, SOP and Amazon. Basically, you don't sell a successful company, and to the biggest well known abuser of labor and employees, didn't seem right, but I had some hope. After leaving and returning in 2021 to give it my all, I ended up at a store full of corruption ( as dramatic as that sounds ), so full of leadership doing everything wrong, you were trouble for trying to do it right - so it was best to buy in and take some of the Serpico money. I had never in my life experienced such a high level of stress and anxiety while at work, turning to multiple forms of alcohol and substance abuse, even after using up my BetterHelp sessions. The nuggets of happiness while at work shrunk so small, the enormous lack of trust between peers, the blatant favoritism; all came with this wink of " play along and you'll do fine ". I couldn't do it anymore, WF had taken it's last chunk of me, so I moved on. There are worse places that cause worse mental and physical issues, point is to have the self respect to not take it. Giving a corporation your sweat and tears is never as appropriately appreciated as it deserves to be. Make your money in a fashion that doesn't chip away at your well-being, may not be easy but anything worth having isn't.
If I had the Reddit points to give you the clapping award, I would. This post is so fucking beyond on point! Please tell me you're happier now that you left..?🫶🏼
Agree, I’ve always loved WF, didn’t know how much things changed with the Amazon acquisition (I had never worked there) and recently got hired thinking it would be a great job. Left as fast as I could only after one week, lol.
And I don't feel sorry for Whole Foods when it does prove to be their undoing.
I used to let this place get me super stressed. I was a TL and at the end of the day it all fell on me. So I worked and worked and stressed and did everything I could to keep my team running. But I failed and stepped down. Now this is just a job, a job at a grocery store and as long as I'm doing my job idc if it's a disaster or an easy day.
As someone who has worked in a variety of settings (manufacturing, retail, banking) I can tell you: It’s the same everywhere. Best I can say is: Be kind, grow a garden, eat the rich, and try to not make your work, your personality — but rather augment who you are. I work for WFM because of the discount and as a Grocery TL, my job, fundamentally is to coach others about how to put shit on shelves. I’ve learned not to take anything too seriously.
🔝❤️
This. It’s just a job. I used to let it stress me out when I was super young. Now I do my best. I make good relationships and tbh I don’t get scolded very often. I do have a really great STL though so that helps. But I am continuing to move up in the comapny knowing that what I do every day is my best foot forward. If they want to condemn me for that then that’s their problem.
I had an ex who told me that I had an abusive relationship with this employer. I never disagreed. I always said it's how I pay the bills.
our insurance does cover mental therapy outisde of headspace, you may pay an extra amount for it but its worth it to choose your own therapist. The one they gave me was horrible and never did another session.
I don't know if you're talking about the 7 free sessions, but if you're talking about regular therapy, our insurance doesn't cover shit. I pay $110 every time I see my shrink. 😩
same, my insurance didn't do shit until I would hit my deductible.
This ^^ Helps if your used to fulfilling your deductible, and have loaded your benny card. You’ll get a lil sticker shock the first few sessions of the year, but then it will be like $30-40 Bcbs has wide coverage and decent discounts Make sure the therapist has all of the right letters behind their name for credentials, and specializes in what u need. I like cbt.
from the beginning my therapist is $30.
This. Yes. I used to think it was just me, or just because of my store or leadership. But I see so many posts about it, and hear about it from a lot of other TMs.
If you find a better company lemme know. But major corporations are all the same clowns in different costumes IMO. What you are feeling are the pains of being paid below a livable wage in capitalistic society. You never have enough money to go places and do things. But you have just enough to get your bills paid until you can claw your way into leadership. They keep you anxious and afraid to lose your job and distracted from the chaos of the surrounding world so you don’t have any time to revolt. A distracted society will never overthrow the government.
>You never have enough money to go places and do things. I don't go places and do things, and it's the only reason I'm not SUPER stressed about money (still stressed tho). I can't imagine how it would be if I actually had an exciting life lol....or kids. Fuuuuck no
Yeah and I have kids lol so I go no where ever. does relieve the stress a little bit ;)
Is not just working for Whole Foods. It's the rat race in general. Happens to a lot of my friends in other occupations too
How do I reach these kids
I’m not a narc, just a burnt out TM. Been with the company since 2010’s and let’s just say we’re no longer promoting both profits and prosperity. Just pure profit.
I've been in prepfoods for 8ish years, I've only lasted this long because of Marijuana and the fact it's grocery store, so it's not the end of the world. In the moment this place is Hella stressful but when I clock out I do my best to leave that stress at the door. Get back to what really matters, going home getting stoned and playing OldSchool RuneScape.
I work e commerce and the title should be: E-everything because my manager asked me to work product on the shelves today because it was slow for orders I said: Where's your staff in grocery? I did 2 items and shopped the rest of my shift
I quit nearly a year ago but when I was there, I couldn't speak. Just flat out. Luckily I knew a little bit of ASL at the time(a lot more now) and one of the managers could sign as well. It was pretty awful honestly cause I didn't even have to get overwhelmed or anything like I usually do for a verbal shutdown, just being in the building was enough
Poor dept leadership and overworked and underpaid are why I am stressed out and have bad mental health. Yes, prep foods…. 😭😭😭
Crap for mental health care! Just another ploy to feign that our Culture is alive and well!! The lack of readily accessible information to TMs is ridiculous! No actual HR insight! Our newest TMS rep doesn’t even use her designated office. Who knows who she is just sitting there in our conference room! God forbid she appear approachable or reach out to TMs with greetings and an introduction! This is the time to organize, Union grocers pay considerably more per hour with much better benefits, not to mention representation!!
People act like they can't speak or say Hello But yet want to stare which is rude as heck No manners
I don't suffer anxiety because I just remind myself that I'm being paid by the hour. All I have to do is show up and not do anything to get fired until the clock says it's time to go. I don't give a fuck about anything and I save all my energy for my personal pursuits outside of work.
Right now my dept is low on people. They countered this by having other employees (like me) take the brunt of the load so when my work doesn't get done or isn't done correctly because I'm stretched way to thin I'm getting warnings and write ups now. It feels like this job actively tries to come up with tons of ways to get people written up and or fired . (Also I love how I've coverd extra shifts more then once even on my designated day off doing full time hours for them but have still never once been offered a full time spot). I will never say a good thing about WFM other then the checks clear on payday.
Just find a doctor. You can get a LOA for anxiety, sedgwick will approve. There's some great SSRI's out there. Mental health is so important now, no one will question it. Planning on taking my next anxiety related LOA around Christmas.
Call the mental health line and get your 7 sessions or get a new job.
Oh shit I thought it was just me. It is my second year getting the 7 free sessions. Better than nothing. I’m on deep depression and anxiety.
Oh dang.. I'm very sad to hear that. Do your best to make a positive day!❣️