Thread regarding Staples Inc. layoffs

What Staples Used to Be Like

Alright folks, seems we can all read the writing on the wall. Even if Staples as we know it survives there will be dramatic changes. There's no escaping that. I've worked for the company a long time and I have fond memories going back to the mid 2000's which many would say was the best time to be an employee. I honestly kind of loved the place. I don't agree with many decisions that have been made and I think this could easily have been avoided...but influence on such things has always been miles above my pay grade.

For retail, which is an inherently sh--ty profession, Staples was once a great place to work. Tell us about the good times.

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| 2892 views | | 14 replies (last July 28, 2017) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+OmWZfCH

14 replies (most recent on top)

Who really knows what Sycamore's intentions are, even if they told Shira, they could be misleading her or things could change before the deal finalizes.

If they do intend to attempt to "save" retail they need to increase morale, Stores are literally dumpster fires right now. Comps are down due to changing shopping trends, but more so because there's no staff in stores. You can't run a store with 3 or 4 people and provide good service as well as have effective operations.

The daily struggle to make ends meet while listening to DMs, RVPs and corporate scream and criticize about not hitting the metric of the month is taking a deep toll on store employees.

The main issue right now are RVPs and DM's that are desperately panicking about their jobs. Shira should work with Sycamore now , during the transition, and just get rid of all current RVPs ASAP.

Have joint interviews with reps from Sycamore to replace them with real leaders rather than the bullies and thugs in place now.

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Post ID: @8les+OmWZfCH

The last 8 years of terrible leadership and horrible decisions has eclipsed any good memories. If I had one more incompetent superior hired I would scream. So I quit. Screw you Staples. I am now public enemy number 1. I am telling any and everyone the real scam behind Staples. It's bad when a long timer leaves who has bank and isn't afraid to stand up. Time to pay the piper. You know who you are!

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Post ID: @8wkr+OmWZfCH

It was pretty good from 2005-2010. As an SM I worked a lot because even then payroll was tight. 2011 was OK, thanks to the $10,000 I made from the class action settlement.

They changed assistant managers to hourly from salary and maxed out at 45 hrs a week. BM (RVP R1 before VS) made some stupid comment about "the good assistants will be able to do their jobs in 45 hours rather than 60". That comment showed just how clueless he was about store operations. I could of left each week at 45 hours all those years, I came in early and stayed late because the store was short handed and I cared about the store and the associates, and wanted our team to be successful. So did many other managers. We wanted the stores to be successful even though corp was undermining us and making it more difficult to run a successful store each year.

After his comment got around I was more than happy to stick to my 45 hrs and leave. it was obvious in 2011 that Framingham was giving up on stores. Then when VS took over after BM was fired the writing was on the wall in bold face neon print. VS started firing the better GMs soon after taking over. Then there was the Otis video in 2013 about the restructuring. Many stores went to complete sh-- after firing the ops managers. They took a 45 hr a week position in the $0-$50k range and replaced it with a 40hr $12 hr position and expected the same results.

I underwent one of those "evaluations" during the restructuring and kept my job. I should have gotten out then. It got increasingly worse as VS fired more and more good people.

Finally after 11 years and 10 good performance appraisals I suddenly got a "does not meet expectations" on my review. I had received no mid year eval or any write-ups that year, just a poor eval with totally off the wall comments. I put 2 and 2 together and it dawned on me that my GM had realized my age (I look younger) and that I was over the $55k pay threshold. It had absolutely nothing to do with performance. I was put on a PIP and I actually tried to work through it , although I knew it was a lost cause. Staples tried to contest my unemployment claim, but the problem was they had fired to many people that way. The administrator of my claim actually said Staples is playing games and approved my claim, as they had for several others Staples had contested by order of VS.

Many of the people I know that used to work there are very relieved to be out.

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Post ID: @2haf+OmWZfCH

Staples is the kind of dumbfuck company so obsessed with ripping people off with SquareTrade that they let actual, margin-rich sales slip right through their fingers. While my Sales Manager is crawling up my a-- because a computer went out ESP dry we just lost a $1,000+ office supply order that was oozing with margin because (for some brilliant reason) we have only one cashier and no other techs. Nobody wants to shop here anymore because a.) they are literally harassed at every step of the sale over b---s--- ESP and b.) hours are cut back so far that people aren't getting helped at all. F--- this place, Staples doesn't deserve to live.

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Post ID: @2foi+OmWZfCH

I think it is the lazy asses who shop online?

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Post ID: @2zuh+OmWZfCH

I think the BABY BOOMERS started the company?

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Post ID: @2ikd+OmWZfCH

Baby boomers destroy everything good.

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Post ID: @2nlz+OmWZfCH

Me too!

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Post ID: @2xar+OmWZfCH

Can someone please give some details on FM at the xmas party? It keeps popping up and I want to know what it means!

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Post ID: @1fpv+OmWZfCH

my favorite memory is FM at the Christmas party

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Post ID: @1unt+OmWZfCH

My favorite time At Staples was when an former Employee slept with the wife of the RVP. He was the GM at the moment.

Oh the memories! lol

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Post ID: @1kwo+OmWZfCH

Thank you Staples, you are the company that keeps on giving. Just received another settlement check yesterday. I remember all the good times. Incompetent supervisors, apathetic lead driver's, and let me not forget our spineless HR.

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Post ID: @1uwh+OmWZfCH

My favorite time at Staples is when we opened a new store In Riverside California and Ron came to visit and drunk off his a--. Ran into him again at another store in LA a few years later and he was drunk off his a-- again. His cronies always had to help him walk around and try to play it off. Pretty pathetic. It isn't hard to see why the company has failed when you had a drunk running the company. Crap starts at the top and flows down.

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Post ID: @1avm+OmWZfCH

watching Staples flame on during re-entry is the best time I've spent with the company.

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Post ID: @1jkq+OmWZfCH

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