I worked at Kroger for 11 years (17 months as a store Co-manager). For many years, while I worked as an office helper/ACSM on the Front End (a member of the UFCW union), I enjoyed my job at Kroger very much; I loved my store and my colleagues. After graduating from college, I drank the Kool-Aid and applied to the MD1 program (the runner you have to go through to become a Co-Manager). It was the WORST decision of my life; words cannot describe how truly awful/mentally-taxing/unreasonably demanding/anxiety-inducing/soul-shattering it is to be a Co-Manager (I had an absolutely fantastic store manager and it was STILL ungodly terrible). My heart bleeds for all of you, as I know what you have to give up to be a SM/Co-manager: forget holidays, weekends, or any regularity in your schedule/work-life balance. Forget birthday parties or weddings or funerals or your child's school events. I cannot tell you how many times a 9-hour shift becomes a 12/13/14 hour shift when you work for Kroger, how many times you're made to feel like you're a surgeon on call 24/7 at the company's every whim or beckoning (you know, despite the fact that you're NOT a surgeon...you're a person who manages other people putting round cans on square shelves at a GROCERY store, not a HOSPITAL). People who have given their all at great personal expense for decades are being let go with as little as 9 months severance, and it's just an atrocity. I am appalled. Dedicated, proficient, loyal managers who trained me while I was a ACSM/ASM have been tossed to the wind with a measly 24 or 48-hour notice. Kroger, you are merciless and greedy (GREEDY!), you take take take take TAKE from your employees' lives and expect undivided obedience and around-the-clock availability...and this is how you reward people for their years of service? My spouse still works for Kroger and has invested 16 years into her career...and I HOPE Kroger lets her go, because at this point, it would be a blessing in disguise. Kroger, shame on you. Seriously: Shame. On. You.
8 replies (most recent on top)
I worked for 20 years for kroger as a Co-Manager. Worked at many stores in Houston and the surrounding areas. A few years ago i decided to just be a department head instead becuase we would give up so much of our time (10, 12 hours a day...365 days a year). I needed a more balance schedule. Im hlad i did. It looks like all the people who i have worked with as Co-managers and store manager are getting fired. Why? They are hard workers, work well with customers and build a successful store. In the last 2 years there has been so much change in additional procedures, tons of paperwork that take us away from the actual running of the store. Then you make changes in what we carry and sell well...and you want use to sell stuff our customers dont care for..it sits on the self and we spend twice as much time marking down things that dont sell. Kroger has lost track of its core focus. Product people want!! Not c-ap people dont..all kroger store areas are not the same. Sorry to see the Heart of Kroger employees let go.
Is it just manager's or all people that work at kroger
Original poster..I 100% agree with everything you said.
Worked for Kroger as an ASM for over 9 years and the things I missed out on are countless..births, deaths, holidays, family time, etc.
Then I got called to a meeting over 2 hours away yesterday and was fired as a thanks for my dedication to this company
I spent 28 years with this company just to ne tossed away like a used tissue. I still keep in touch with some of my old company friends nd habe heatd about what is going on. I also feel sorry for the older management people. They are the ones that are going to be hurt by this decision. Glad I left when I did. My health has taken a toll on this by ignoring myself. I am now fighting to get disability due to my related health issues. Good luck to those on the way out. You all deserve better.
This was said perfectly. The anxiety and mental stress that comes with this job is not worth it. The time we spend away from our spouses and children is not worth it. We'll never be enough for them until we're living at the store 24 hours a day and running the stores so they can keep cutting hours and save their bottom line. It's a damn grocery store. Not NASA.
As a former employee of kroger for 20 years this is soo true! This company is terrible to work for. The associates getting let go should look at this as a blessing. Toxic toxic toxic environment.
I don't work for the company anymore and all of the reasons you listed is exactly why I never went into management. I am still in contact with current Kroger employees who have kept me updated about this whole situation and it's making me sick. I have heard of a few store managers that I know who were let go, ones who have spent their entire working career at Kroger. We're talking 20/30 years. GOOD MANAGERS
Where is the loyalty? They are sending an extremely negative message. You are expendable.
"Our people are great" my a–.
This person described working for Kroger perfectly. I could not have said it any better!