Thread regarding Hy-Vee layoffs

The F1car is a joke, but where on earth does that number come from. 100-200 mill is more than a full years profits.

No one has mentioned RE's extremely pricey F-1 car. It cost anywhere from 100 to 200 million to maintain per year.

This corporate nightmare wants to be the best place to work for... so there ceo keeps telling the employees... what a $&@“ing nightmare the company is. They need to close down all the c-ap stores or start treating the employees with respect and pay them there worth. Also the health Deptments Need to better inspect there kitchens. Diversity is a joke. The real state and county health Dept’s need to take a closer look more often on what’s going on in Hy-Vee at all of there venues. They need shutting down!!!

What location has gone totally to self-check?

I just had to self-checkout and bag my own groceries today. I will shop at my local store which has no self checkout. Greed has taken over Hy-Vee. They are making an unprecedented amount of sales since COVID. I can go to Wal-mart and get better service and much better prices.

I am an older worker for Hy-vee of the 7 years of dedication to the store, I have seen a lot of changes. Starting back 2 years ago, but recently, the store changes and new management rules they give employees has made me so sad to work at this store. We lost 6 or 7 employees from my department by April, because the store want cutting hours in each department. They did not replace them by hiring any new people...but made it harder on me by working for 3 people. There was no one who could cover my shift if I was ever sick,I have to work 10 or so hour shifts...I went to work sick a lot. I had 3 items on sale in the store AD a couple weeks ago in my department...it was not my job to order for my department, but a kitchen manager. When I pointed out to him I didn't have the items on ad...I was told to make it work some how? I asked 4 other department managers for help...I asked to call a near by store to get items...I was told they weren't going to send anyone to get anything I asked for. I've lost 3 good costumers who order from me on a weekly bases because of the changes. I almost passed at work two weeks ago and asked co-workers for help....I reached out for help trying to catch my breathe and they would not help...and said oh..that's too bad I hope you feel better....I even went to HR person and told them I felt very sick...and was told to take a break and go back to work. It's horrible!! I was sick enough I needed to go to the doctor...he thought I needed to have a Covid-19 test...I was told to stay at home for 3 days to wait for test to come back...I called to store director and let him know and my department manager I would have to be out of work for at least 3 days. Well, I got a quick answer the next day from the doctor it was negative..(thank god)...and oddly about 10 minutes later my department manager called and wanted to know when I could come into work that day. I'm like...you have to be #**k kidding me??? Can I please just have a day to process what I just went through yesterday! Is this how you treat your senior employees HY-EE????

Come on Hy-Vee! Get your act together! Since Covid 19 started, there have been record sales increases company wide. The measly 10% bonus you "handed out" was pathetic. Maybe the top paid employees actually benefited from it? It was a complete joke to everyone else. The store employees are the ones who are dealing with disgruntled customers, threats of the virus, ridiculous schedules, and everything else that gets thrown their way. 10%..really? The taxes ate up the vast majority of the small checks anyhow. You want Hy-Vee to be the "best place to work", then get it together and actually take care of your employees from a financial standpoint. If a 10% bonus was all you could come up with, then you should have made mandatory hourly wage increases company wide. You boast about how much sales have grown every single week, and how great the company is doing.. give back to your store employees, we all need some financial gain for motivation. Oh wait, we can't do that because that would take away from the stockholders.

Wow. This is so sad. I am so sorry for Hy-Vee employees. I personally do not like Hy-Vee. I am a transplant from another state and now live in rural Iowa. I had never seen a Hy-Vee until I moved to Iowa.

It always struck me that Hy-Vee did not care for its workers or its customers. I saw Hy-Vee close the little in-store diners and lay-off the waitstaff a few years ago. In West Des Moines, the stores are hopping. The produce is plentiful and is fresher. In some of the southern Iowa stores the produce is not good and there are bags of old mystery meat stapled shut for sale to its customers. What the?! In one store I watched as a young worker was forced to pick rotten berries out of containers and then put the containers back in the display! Hy-Vee doesn’t care for anyone. If the money in West Des Moines stops flowing, the same will happen there.

Hy-vee is not doing nearly enough to protect its employees from COVID. They brought in ‘masks’ for us to use but no one does because they are very thin and do not pass safety tests anyway. What’s the point. But don’t worry we’ll have some in store soon to sell to customers. Additionally, the store shares with us employees every few days the new letter Randy Edeker decides to send out mostly detailing sales increases and how they meet everyday to try to think of better ways to keep us safe. He had the gall to insert a Bezos quote into one of them as if Bezos is someone we should aspire to be. Many grocers in the Midwest gave their employees a $2 temporary raise for the time being. What we got was 10% for two weeks. So if you already make a lot of money congratulations, you got a pay increase worth something. For all the supervisors that sit upstairs and stay off the floor. Meanwhile the employees making 9-12$ an hour on the floor interacting with customers won’t see anything substantial for a 10% pay increase per hour, for only two weeks. Another thing that’s hard to understand is why they continue to have new ads every week, encouraging lots of customers to come in all at the same time so if there’s a COVID carrier in store we’ll be able to spread it reeeally well. It doesn’t help that half of our customers are oblivious to how far away from us they should be standing. Thanks Randy for updating us every week on how awesome sales are. Fantastic morale for your low wage workers.

A Letter to Ron from the late 90's.
Lots of people put the blame on Randy and true it should be but i believe some of the changes that are effecting them now started back in the Ron days.

Dear Ron:

As an owner of Hy-Vee I feel it is my duty to report to you how the new PDI delivery policy that you at Corporate started this past week has impacted us at store level. We have gone from being able to put PDI away at a time that it good for us, to doing it when it is good for the rest of the Dept managers since it is all messed up together on the same pallet. Instead of being able to have a pallet set by your Dept and easy to unload and put away, now it is centrally located and we have to 2-wheel it to our storage area. Which makes for several more trips. The first time it took just my Dept 3-HOURS longer to put away PDI. OH that was just my Dept that did not include the other 5 Depts. I have a real hard time justifying the $$$ Saved by PDI. A year or so ago you at Corporate started drop shipment, which takes an average of 1-3 hours per shipment to put away again that’s just my Dept.Now you start this, which is more time out of our day.

I know most store managers would say, The way to get around this would be to have 2-employees come in and put away PDI, and it would go like this. The 2-employees would start putting away PDI and then have to stop as one of them gets called away to, check in other Venders. Or night stock is behind because of a shortage of help and the sales floor has to be ready for the customers. Or one gets called to check because of yes the LABOR crunch that we all fight EVERY day at STORE level. Or one calls in sick and leaves just one to do the lovely job by them self. This is the reality and it does not work.

Ron, Meeting after meeting I have attended you express that we are sales people (Executive Managers) not buyers, and that we should be on the floor selling. Now we are truck drivers and delivery people getting all sweaty and dirty taking more time away from selling to OUR customers. PDI ‘s labor problems should be kept on a PDI level and not pushed down to us at the store level. You have to remember we are the people that make things happen. We fill the cases, hang signs, clean our stores, smile at every customer that we have contact with. When we are putting away stock in the backroom those things are not getting done. Bottom line is you want this all done with same labor cost as last year and then wonder why there are comment cards coming in saying bad service in the parameter depts. And WE take the HEAT. On top of that I see no price reduction from PDI. Would we let Coca Cola, Wonder Bread, Pepsi and so on dictate to us how they are going to sell and deliver to us at store level. I think you know that answer. I sure do not understand your thought process, putting this kind of extra burden on the people at the stores where it is already labor short, this is stupid.

Lots of New ideas come down from corporate level some good, some not so good. If decisions were made with a little more time and thought involved we would be better off. You need to reevaluate the process of store managers (Stock Holders) at your Wed. meeting voting yes for something because there afraid to vote NO. You know Ron voting No puts people on the P–p list doesn’t it. Or they are a negative person. If you think this isn’t happening think again. Sometimes I believe that you people at the corporate level are way out of TOUCH as to the way things are today at store level. When was the last time you or any of the rest of the officers actually worked in a store? What was the average hour back then? A helpful Smile in Every Aisle is a thing of the past. As a customer you get up front to pay for your groceries to find not enough checkers to handle the business and help is called for from the dairy, HBC, and so on to come help. Shift Managers in some cases are new basically running the front end, running the STORE. They have NO idea of the Hy-Vee concept much less how to Smile. This is real. Maybe a good policy would be to have all Top Level Officers get in a store once a year, a week at a time and TUNE UP there skills as to what is happening. Things are changing and changing FAST. Of course I do not have to tell you that.

As a part owner of HY-VEE I challenge ALL Corporate Officers to get out in the stores, throw on an apron and see what the daily routine is now in the 90’s and soon to be Y2000. It will truly amaze you. Talk to Dept Managers and Asst Managers get to know what works and what does not. But you have to do this with an open mind, encourage honest answers do not expect yes or great as your answers all the time.

You have to remember that we are the people on the firing line servicing the customer day in and day out with a SMILE on our face. With the labor problems of today we need your help to make it easier, not harder and more difficult to do our daily job. Frustrations are running high and that is not good for HY-VEE, OUR CUSTOMERS or US. With the year 2000 fast approaching and good help hard to find I think now is the time to keep the people we have by talking and listening to them. We hear all the conversation back from the managers meetings about talking, listening and communicating with your employees. Now it’s your turn. Look at ALL the good people we have lost over the last few years its SAD. The more you people at corporate understand the problems, frustrations we are facing at store level the better off we will all be. These kinds of things can not be taught in a meeting room at Corporate Office, it must be HANDS ON. If employees are happy they work harder and stay longer.

Let s get back to the BASICS !!!!! (Example) Free us up to do OUR job, Give the job of delivery person back to PDI where it belongs..

Sincerely,
An Owner

Have you noticed since this COVID-19 shopping craze has started that not 1, not a single email/letter from anyone at corporate level, saying thank you for being at the stores & putting your health & life at risk for a paycheck. We dont get any recognition or additional sick leave for working in this crisis, except for the rare facebook posts from community members. WOW!! What leadership!!

They really should stock stores open long hours meet customers outside drop groceries near car, no entry into stores. Do home delivery fee based

Place with that many shoppers that have to go is as bad as resurant or anyplace really...

The point of closing over night was so the night stock crews could do their jobs and not be in the customers way. So why are some stores moving their night crews to day shift to stock the stores while customers are shopping? Makes zero sense.

I left a job that I was not required to work nights, weekends or holidays to work at Hyvee. I thought it was a great place to work and it was at first. I loved my jobs and my fellow workers. Then changes came with a new manager. We no longer were a team. It turned into every man for himself. Hours were cut, we spent more time doing the work of all the jobs that were cut we didn’t have time to do our own. I spent many times doing my job after my scheduled hours just to get it done! In manager meetings all they talked about was labor!! Over and over again, to the point it was a broken record. Yet the same people had overtime!! The same people were allowed to run us in the ground. I lost my job this week after 8 years of dedication. Workplace harassment and a hostile work environment on a daily basis. Going to management with your concerns was like talking to a wall. From day one I told them if we don’t have customers we don’t have jobs. The focus is no longer on the customer, it’s corporate greed.

I have worked for hyvee for almost 15 years now all night stock. I have gone through so many directors/managers that I lost count. I have gone through a store closing due to corporate not wanting to spend money at that store. It saddens me that hyvee continued to treat their employees like sh– all the while preaching about customer service. They think by saying hi to a customer will get them in a store but fail to realize that word of mouth is what does it. By getting rid of employees all their doing is digging that grave deeper. Now the latest rumor is Kroger is looking to buy hyvee out.

I respect that Hyvee has the right to reorganize and restructure. I resent how they have done this in such an unethical manner. Employees were suddenly terminated (s—er punched) mid-shift and without warning after repeatedly being told their jobs were not being cut. No severance. (Offering a part-time, $10 an hour night stocker job with no benefits is hardly finding jobs for everyone.) Benefits terminated immediately. For many that have illnesses and took advantage of flex plans, money was deducted from paychecks with no chance to use the plan. Escorted to cars immediately like a perp walk. Completely misleading/lying to media. I spent approximately $250 a week at Hyvee and that doesn't include catering that I purchased on behalf of my work place's board meetings. I, my extended family and coworkers will NEVER shop at Hyvee again. It has been easy to shop elsewhere, with the same variety and better prices. Employees and customers are paying the price for bad administrative decisions. I simply cannot support this from a moral and ethical standpoint. I hope you will join me in not supporting a company that has wreaked havoc in the lives of so many in a multi-state area. Shame on this corporate miscreant.

What’s this another eagle foods?

https://www.facebook.com/TheLayoff/posts/2775797989183306

Sounds like to me Hy Vee employees need to form a union before it all goes south the way Dahl's did. Unionize!!!

I miss Ron Taylor.

WOW

https://www.galesburg.com/news/20200311/wahlburgers-to-replace-market-grille-at-grand-prairie-hy-vee-in-peoria

I worked at a hy-vee since it’s grand opening. I went in to work yesterday and we were separated into groups and the smaller group was laid off. Full time employees receive their vacation paid out, 2 weeks severance and do not receive a pay out on flex time. Insurance ends unless you cobra. I am still in shock. I have never been laid off like this.

Hy-vee pays into unemployment no matter what so anyone who has lost hours or a job entirely should file as quickly as possible. The state also has a general fund too so Depending on the laws you can get up to 6 to 9 mos of unemployment but you will need to think about insurance at that point unless you can get under your spouses plan. Since its a lifestyle change you should be able to get a plan under your spouses but there may be time limits like within 30 days so act quick.

Too bad the spin being released by Hy-Vee PR department to any media outlets only covers fulfillment centers- they have at least gotten 60 day notice-
In store people were not so fortunate-
Im waiting patiently for this to hit the news...
So sad for the hundreds( thousands?) of people this has affected......just swept that under the proverbial rug...🤔

It's unfortunate to see a company that once embraced not only its employees, but it's community as well. I worked for hyvee for 23 years and witnessed the mismanagement that has pushed the company into its current state of detachment. I am proud for the years that I served, but glad that I got out when I did.

• Walmart's response to the virus

#3 - If an associate contracts the coronavirus and is recommended quarantine, WalMart Inc will pay the associate for the full 14 days of quarantine. On top of that, if more time is needed per care giver order, associate can miss up to and be paid for up to 26 weeks of time. ALL EMPLOYEES (full time or part time) are eligible.

Here is the entire thread, email screenshot, with all benefits for the workers:
https://www.thelayoff.com/t/13VdLIW6
Link: @OP+13VdLIW6

Way to go Randy on lying to the mayor of Kansas City. That really shows what kind of leader you are. I hope they push you out of the kc market because of you. You just gave HyVee another black eye.

They received tax incentives in Iowa and Kansas City with these fulfillment centers and appear to have reneged on their commitment. They should pay it back.
IOWA https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.adelnews.com/news/20170116/grimes-city-council-approves-development-agreements%3ftemplate=ampart
MiSSOURI
"The grocery store received a ten-year, 50% personal property tax abatement..." and it just opened in Sept. 2019.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article241064536.html

What about the tax incentives they received for these fulfillment centers?
https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article241064536.html

Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch up in corporate are to blame for their stupid Market Grille spending spree. If Hy-Vee wants to make amends for necessary cuts they need to make sure those responsible for everyone losing their jobs through their stupid ideas are publicly flogged.

50K views. Try to control that man...

Its unfortunate how a good company overextended itself along with bad business decisions. Now the livelihood and benefits of loyal employees are being cut as a solution to this short fall. It will become a big deal to stockholders and self destruction is eminent.

The bench (Jeremy, Jay, Nate, Mary, Darren Etc) is just as much to blame for all
of this. Randy isn’t smart enough to run this thing to the ground himself. He steals all the “good” ideas from other companies then the bench players take those ideas from profitable to less than desireable because they have lost touch with their 500-800k salaries. Employee owned has moved to executive owned. If you think any different watch Jeremy the general or any of the others walk a store (waukee any given week). Nose to the ceiling not saying hi to any of the employees. Constantly judging and pointing out what’s wrong. When what’s wrong no longer develops at store level - it develops at 5820 Westtown parkway on the second floor.

Hy-Vee employees everywhere need to stage a picketing outside the corporate office every single employee that's been affected by this b* I'll come I'll also drive people we need to form a Facebook group to get things started

Is everyone looking forward to Springtime Party. Everybody in a store make sure everything is clean and having fun!

I was fired without warning in the middle of a shift, no severence pay a week and a half ago. I was an assistant bakery manager with a LOT of experience, had worked off and on for Hyvee for almost 20 years. The department I left was already short help but I was told is was a hard decision to make the store more efficient. Well they are going to lose sales short term and I'm sure replace me eventually with someone younger and cheaper that doesn't realized they are getting a c-ap wage. Maybe that will help the books look better in the short term but eventually training new cheap labor forever will cost them especially a specialized position like a baker.

My husband has worked for Hy Vee for 16 years and there are people who start at Target for what he makes after 16 years, their pay really s—s. Also why take away our employee discount for shopping on line. Sometimes you just do not want to come into the store to shop so online was so great but when we cannot use our employee discount, I will just go elsewhere, WalMart has shopping on line and they are cheaper than HyVee any how.

We have grocery shopped there for years, but the last two weeks had to bag our own stuff. Store was noticably thin on employees. Think we will start going to Fareway. I can't support forcing more work on employees for less pay.

RANDY EDECKER...YOU LOST THE LOCKER ROOM!!!

I worked for this company for 32 years. Went out unexpectedly on a medical leave and had surgery with complications. Welcomed back to my job being taken from me. Offered a different job in a part time capacity. With the advice of my attorney I filed for unemployment (even though I quit) and won. Who is in the wrong here? I think that just said it all!!!!!! Everyone that gets cut hours needs to file.