After purging most of the Ops Managers and replacing the position with the lower paid Ops Supervisors, Staples seems to feel even these people are paid to much. At least 2 former co-workers in that position (different stores and districts from each other) were termed for "performance" issues over the past 2 weeks, after receiving good evals since taking the position. A third is on final write up / PIP. A fourth is being held accountable for her whole store more so than her new to the company GM and SM. Apparently the new SM found out she made more than him, so he's been throwing her under the bus to the new DM. At the same time, the GM and SM are totally clueless on how to run the store and leave everything for her.
9 replies (most recent on top)
What's hysterical about their PIP or whatever fancy name they called it, is you really never come off of it. If your manager releases you from it, they can still fire you up to six months later. Happened to me, but, unemployment saw right through that BS and OKed it. What a moronic company to work for. NAD or NAC all those that sit on executive row kissing Ron's butt are a joke.
Staples starts the fiscal year in Feb. Usually this means a laundry list of unrealistic expectations handed down to stores for the new year - Grow Profitable Sales by 120% - 100% CSAT Monthly - Cut Payroll 45% etc. It is also when they typically roll out eliminations of positions and other sweeping changes. They will probably also announce a new round of closures, but this may wait until after the buyout court case. On the bright side, hopefully if the buyout case goes bad the board will move to oust Ron, and then all his cronies.
@future, Why is it over in February?
I know a few people that Staples fired for performance and "infractions". They tried to deny unemployment benefits, but the people won, either at the hearing or on appeal. One was fired for entering the building, alone, 5 minutes before opening because the IS called out on short notice. Staples successfully blocked the hearing. He won on appeal because he had saved voice mails from his DM telling him to get the store opened (after a major snowstorm) even if he had to go in alone. Going in alone was simply pretext for the termination, the real reason they wanted him gone was Vinnie Goooombah decided he made to much.
Stick with the unemployment hearings. Staples losses ALL of these (for obvious reasons). Just follow the appeals process. Their only hope is that you give up. I have not heard of a single instance where these benefits were not paid in FULL.
They are definitely trying to shed experienced, long term employees in favor of less experienced, but cheaper help. They do not give a damn about the value experience brings to a team, they just see the higher hourly wages and salaries. The problem is that they are getting rid of the wrong high paid people. Staples will not recover until Ron, Demos, Otis, Doodey, Burke, Shira and all the inner circle are let go. Hopefully after the buyout gets shut down once and for all the board will finally get rid of Sargent and then the rest of the
cronies. These people are all in to grab as much as they can before the $hit hits the fan. It will be interesting to see what happens with bonuses again this year. I would not be surprised to see them eliminate bonuses to all except the inner circle , and remove the EPS criteria.
nies.
I too was an Ops Supervisor with the company for 15 years. I was always in sales and was forced into taking the Ops job with no training. Like you I was being held accountable at times more than the management staff for the overall condition and functioning of the store. I was termed just before Thanksgiving. Vinnie and Mike saw to it my career ended before I made the 15 year mark... I have posted a few times on this board about my situation. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to see a pattern here....... BTW if you are in Massachusetts the Unemployment folks are way behind. I'm going on 6 weeks and don't have a ruling if I am getting it or not..
This is not a one off. This has been going on and ramping up for several years. IT'S A POLICY! Not a written one, but a policy none the less. Someone could do a great service if they could catch one of the axxholes saying it on tape. It gets disseminated all the way down to DM's but at each level the words used are more muddled. Get O or D on tape and you'd get the real dirty deal.
Don't be shy tell the world. What town, What store, who, where, when. New Year, in February. It's over !