Thread regarding Sears layoffs

Our store finished out cross training and then we were told the company nixed the raises.

@sqz

We were told we would get a small raise upon completion of the training too, good to see it’s confirmed. Maybe I can get the clowns I work with to quit dragging their feet about getting it done now.

I thought it might just be us cuz we are in California and it’s so much more expensive out here.

@ - vit:

This person gets it.

LOL... no more store closures. I can guarantee you the next wave of closures is coming next month, right on schedule. Our Kmart is definitely done because the property owner has been in to assess the building’s condition and the fact the roof will need an overhaul after the store is shuttered.

There has been a raise freeze at Kmart for over 10 years. The only way to get a raise is to move to another position

@1sqz What part of the country are you in? Maybe your situation is regional? In my state minimum wage is a few dollars higher than the federal one. There have been no raises at my store so maybe that is why?

I would like to believe your DM. I truly would but there are still few customers and low sales in my Sears store so I'm skeptical. We're considered one of the more successful stores in the area too. I would be very surprised if no other stores closed.

There’s a whole lot of light grenade grabbing going on here!!!

@1sqz- So if they close more stores then everything your SGM said was a lie, correct? And if they close one more store than will you agree that SHC has been lying to all of us and things aren't that great?

Also, its not really up to us to determine if we made it through. It is up to the vendors and creditors who are owed the money. Billions and Billions of dollars, by the way.

Because you have to have a point where you finally open your eyes and see the truth of what is going on.

And why would SHC pay milage to let people go to another store or take the risk of an accident just to let you train. Just saying.

We got all our cross training done already. You guys must have one bad SGM's out there.

Our DM told us thats it, no more store closings. Next month we would get one day working in another store within driving distance so we would all be cross trained on two stores and multiple operations.

The closings are over now, we've right sized so this all makes good sense. You guys still working here just hang in, I've also been told a lot of SGM's are going to be let go to get some new blog in the stores that aren't doing as well as we our.

Upon completion of our cross training, everyone with one year or more in our store got a raise too. It was small but God its been so long.

So ignore the haters on here, the ones who have been saying for the last 5 years that we are going Bankrupt on XX/XX/XXXX, they're all just shorters like popcorn turned out to be. Sears is doing better, we made it through.

@1ybh- that’s baloney

They need to start rotating these people in the ad set! I’d like a Sunday off

@ikqa At least you have someone to train. In our store the receiving people are still doing their regular tasks and not doing any ad set up. I'm still stuck with doing it by myself and am expected to do MPU as well. They train me to do their job in MPU but they don't have to be trained to help me with mine. I might have to call out some Sunday morning. I bet they will get trained then.

Why haven’t the ones that have been getting trained in ad set for last 3 ads being transitioned into signing to give the irigunal signers a Sunday off?

I’ve trained 3 weeks in a row for ad set yet those same trainees are not doing ad set

Be nice to not be scheduled a Sunday once in awhile

Seems like I’m doing more training than getting training

As far as I’m concerned it’s a big fat failure!!!

It really doesn't matter that the cross training isn't working. The company isn't long for the world, at least the brick and mortar stores anyways. I think that this was all by design--cause chaos in order to get the employees frustrated enough to drive them out rather than having to lay them off and pay unemployment.

When there are about 800 stores combined (Sears and Kmart) you need to create a lot of chaos and strife to drive out all but the most stubborn. Doing so will keep costs associated with reductions (unemployment) down. What better time to do it? It will be a lot easier to get droves of people to quit as the economy is doing better and most people can find another job fairly quickly. I'm one of them -- I saw the writing on the wall and left this dumpster fire a week ago.

It's an attrition tactic, look it up -- when reductions are needed, HR departments encourage "the perfect storm" so that people will quit rather than having to do layoffs. It is definitely working, Ever since the change to store support, all but one of the backroom associates (8 total) have quit or have put in their notice. Other stores in our district are going through the same issue.

Don't worry, they're trying the tactic of attrition in other parts of the store -- cutting hours and dragging out hiring and onboarding replacements to increase the workload on the employees already working there, turning up the threats and intimidation via writeups or "coachings" for credit apps, SYW and PAs and just sustaining the overall practice of treating us like a number, or better yet, a disposable commodity. Loyalty and hard work go unappreciated.

I'm sure they are employing attrition tactics at corporate -- driving out the employees there in a similar fashion so that when it is all said and done, there isn't a whole lot to lay off and have to pay unemployment for. There have been multiple accounts of corporate employees reporting subpar work experiences on here just like those of us at the store level have been doing. The company is rotten to the core. All but those at the very top (Eddie, Leena, et. al.) are having a miserable time, I'm sure.

Same in my Sears store. It is a mess. Most everyone is still doing their old tasks. I was the only one who was actually "cross trained" and that was in MPU. Previously I did almost all the signing and ad set in my store as well as all the other floor processes and scans. Signing and ad set and floor processes are no longer important. MPU is now the number one priority in our store. I have to carry an mpu snc on me at all times and immediately stop whatever I am doing and respond immediately when it goes off for mpu. Got to be under 5 minutes regardless of where I am in the store. If anyone else is scheduled in mpu it will be a short shift and they are doing RTV and then maybe help out a little bit before they go home which leaves me with the majority of the pickups, web orders, and stages. I also am now scheduled for truck unloading and processing as well as the separate appliance truck unloading and processing. I have done absolutely no computer and Segno training because I have absolutely no time to do so. I am now truly a backroom and receiving associate despite being called "store support". Also, when I call for help if anybody shows up they take their time getting there which inconviences the member. I don't mind helping out and expanding my knowledge but I could use some help and support.

It is truth that the whole cross training has been a mess. In my store people still stick to their regular task. I for one am doing task I didn't do before now. Its nice when you know what your doing, but, others arent. Also I havent seen managers checking people if they know how to do the processes or not recently.

We are also very behind in freight and task. We can't keep up at all because the hours are just going to waste. Not like we are getting many hours since many of the hours were cut with the new change.

Personally I think the goal of this new process is hours will get cut more when the training is over your basically going to have less people on the floor. For example as of now I have seen like at times 2 to 3 people in MPU someone in hardlines (on a regular week). Say 4 people were schedule before now they are going to have 2. Since the person is suppose to know how to handle other task they can cut the hours and over work the worker.

Also the bad thing in our store before they did the changes they got rid of 2 knowledgeable ASM's and also one of the most experience workers quit (that pretty much knew how to do his area like a pro) since no one really knew it really affected the whole thing even more. I honestly don't know if we are ever going to catch up every week their is more work yet this week we got hours cut we are so behind as mentioned this new change is just making the store look worse than Ross itself.