Target Employee Says 8K Full Timers Will Be Part-Time

[daa]

A Target manager named Michael says he was told he was one of 8,000 full-time specialists and team leaders who would be demoted to part-time. Understandably bitter, he says Target is cutting cost at the probable expense of customer service.

He writes:

snip Target has just eliminated the Specialist and Team Lead positions at its stores. Basically the departments are no longer going to be run by competent people anymore, just whoever can get the job done the cheapest. This means downgrading 8,000 full time employees to part-time status. I was informed of that today I was one of those people.

snip Apparently the email went on to say that HR will receive another email within 3-4 months directing stores to reduce current specialist hours to below 32 hours a week. Reason being the company wants to get all the current specs in the company OFF the full time benefits plans to reduce cost. (i.e. health insurance, etc)

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/target-employee-says-8k-full-timers-willl-be-part-time.html

[LiberalEsto]

1. Remind me to stop shopping there

If that's the way they treat their workers, there's no reason I should spend my money there.

[endless october]

2. shit, i like target.

this sucks.

[area51]

3. This is awful.

I think TwixVoy had a post about this within the last couple of days.

[soleft]

4. I was in a Target a few weeks ago on a Thursday afternoon

It was like Dawn of the Dead - minus the zombies.

[blogslut]

5. Good for Michael for telling Consumerist

Hopefully other blogs will pick up the story.

***cough TwixVoy cough***

[progressoid]

6. I'm surprised they didn't do this earlier.

[TexasObserver]

7. It's difficult to imagine Target getting worse, but it's happening.

[lpbk2713]

8. Related recent DU post ---->

LinkL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7623160


(Thanks TwixVoy)

[Echo In Light]

12. Thought maybe it was the one where they were busted showing anti-union videos in training

[Craftsman]

9. Circuit City pulled almost the same stunt and look how well they did.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

10. Um....There's this recession going on....

and retailers are getting beaten to death. Here are Mike's alternatives:

1) Part time work
2) Loss of job

The company either reduces costs or it starts closing unprofitable stores. It's not like Target fucking invented this. I can't imagine any retailer out there in this economy that isn't doing the same thing.

[starroute]

11. No, this is not like a factory worker having hours reduced

This is about department managers being eliminated as a category, which will sharply degrade the quality of customer service.

Also, as yesterday's post pointed out, the existing situation has been one in which the poorly paid part-time store clerks have the incentive of possibly making department manager after several years. By removing that possibility, working for Target becomes the equivalent of flipping burgers at McDonald's -- a completely dead-end, minimum-wage position.

This is a significant structural change on both grounds and one that is likely to have a host of unintended consequences.