Root issue is not payroll. It’s around inability or inaction when it comes to hiring and developing your talent. If every person on your team were as good as you or as good as “your right hand man,” there wouldn’t be nearly as much cause for concern. Granted, it would be tight, but not impossible in most situations. The leaders that are hiring the right talent and investing in every single one of their colleagues capabilities are not complaining about payroll. You don’t need a dm of retail to give you permission to do these things. You can spend 60 hours a week slinging truck, completing pogs, or just generally doing most everything yourself forever, or you can spend 60 hours a week for 3-6 months putting together and training the right team, and then working 45 hours a week in a place where you and your team enjoy being. The amount of negativity on here is legitimately depressing and does say a lot about how much is wrong with CVS, but change your attitude and take your store into your own hands. It really is better than the alternative. CVS isn’t out to take advantage of anyone of us. When payroll is tough, avoid placing blame elsewhere bc that doesn’t help. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you’ve got the best team you could have? If you don’t want to spend time doing that, then you should leave for another company, but I suspect you’ll see similar issues everywhere you go. The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.