Target going the way of Circuit City - Surprise company wide elimination of ast. department managers

[TwixVoy]

FYI because this won't make it in the media anytime soon, but these people deserve to have the public know what is happening.

Target has (had) a position called "Specialist" which was Target's terminology for an assistant department manager. Basically these were team members who had been with the company for years, were dedicated, and worked their ass off to make it to this position which is the only way to get full time status with Target. They perform all the roles of a regular team member, but are responsible for maintaining a department by themselves.

Yesterday in a surprise announcement company wide all of these people were demoted down to an entry level team member job title. This is the same move Circuit City pulled to save on payroll costs. These are people who generally make 1-3 dollars an hour more than minimum wage and who worked at the company for YEARS for that raise. They also are the only non-regular management position to get FULL TIME hours and benefits. (i.e. health insurance which is now going to be gone as they have been relegated to part time status)

To top it off the company still wants them to perform THE EXACT SAME WORK they have been until others can be trained to replace them.

The company is so cheap they apparently can't afford to pay a few dollars more than minimum wage and provide full time benefits.

I worked with a lot of these people who barely make ends meet as it is and now they are screwed so Target can make another couple million for bonuses. These are good people who don't deserve this after being loyal to the company for years.

If anyone wants more details please visit www.thebreakroom.org (an unofficial Target employee forum).

If anyone has any media connections PLEASE make them aware of this move. Circuit City made the news when they pulled this kind of stunt and so should Target.

[Gold Metal Flake]

1. This is the new service economy we learned about in high school.

So much better than all those manufacturing jobs with bennies and pensions.

[SoCalDem]

26. Yep.. the "service economy" was supposed to be clean and fun

and so much easier..and we would all have so much "free time"..

Little did we know that the "free time" "they" gushed about, would be free time as in laid off...or free time as in you're working off the clock for free or you're laid off..

[onethatcares]

30. ever have a cow

"serviced" by a bull? It's about the same thing corporations are doing to their employees.

[SoCalDem]

31. No ..but I once took our Lab to be "serviced" by a male and all she wanted to do

was to take a swim in their pool :rofl:

we laughed our asses off as she swam around and he ran around the edge of the pool whining and crying :)

(they did finally get down to business the next day) 9 beautiful babies :)

[XemaSab]

80. Hell, hookers perform a service

*and* they make more money than most of us suckers.

[Gold Metal Flake]

102. Well, I must say that I do support Labor.

[Raschel]

2. How sad. Target has some great employees too.

Every time I have been in their electronics dpt. the young people that work there were so helpful and knowledgeable. I even wrote a letter to mgmt. about the service they gave me.

Will there be any decent wage jobs for our children and grandchildren?

[nimvg]

13. Yes...

...but they'll require at least a Bachelors and probably closer to a Masters degree.

I'm a seasoned IT type (infrastructure, specialty within a specialty) with a Bachelors and industry certifications a mile or more long and it's still tough. Most of the people I know here have Masters degrees and many of those aren't making use of them right now.

It's a tough time. America isn't over and but there are going to be changes.

[femrap]

39. It's all in WHO

you know. Wait until you work for the boss's son-in-law or brother-in-law who is dumber than dirt.

I have a Masters in Industrial Engineer...corporations don't want Efficiency, they want a person to do the job of three others.

I wouldn't go into debt for a college degree....do what you love and maybe you'll be lucky enough to make a living at it.

Learn survival skills!

[DesertDiamond]

119. Amend that: They want you to do the jobs of 3 people at the speed of lightening WITH the Efficiency

At my last job I was doing six jobs that had been rolled into one.

[femrap]

148. And then we wonder why so

many people are ill....the stress of working in a BigCorp with all of the politics and ass-kissing is simply NOT NATURAL FOR HUMAN BEINGS.

Working for BigCorp literally sucked my soul dry. I hate corporations.

And Stress Kills!

There should be some kind of underground organization that works to undermine BigCorp.

Ever watch any of the 'Yes Man' movies? I love those dudes!!!

[Delphinus]

125. Yes,

I had a similar experience with a young man in electronics - he was able to explain what an iPod was.

[DrDan]

3. gotta fund those upper-mgmt bonuses some way . . .

[Bennyboy]

4. One of my friends has the position.....

Got it one year ago after working there for ten years. Too bad, I need to look him up today and see what he thinks.....

[global1]

5. Again This Is Short Sighted Thinking.......

I've always complemented Target on their Brand Identification, their neat ads, the look of their stores, the quality of the merchandise, and of course the demeanor of their employees. Their employees have always seemed polite, cheerful and helpful. All that together makes a good business - one that people like myself wish to frequent.

When one or more of those elements start to slip - the business starts taking a turn for the worse.

I've always said if you can make your employees happy and serve the customer well and make them happy - you will have a successful business.

Unfortunately - with this decision - Target is making a grave error.

Nothing is worse than to mess with the morale of the employees. That is what decision will do. Short term - it looks good financially on paper. But long term - once the morale goes - so goes the business. Unhappy employees - not only these specialists that are being demoted - cause the other employees of Target will feel their pain and were also put on notice by this decision - will cause the demise of Target.

Just watch. It may not take hold immediately - but sit back and watch the decline of a business. You'll see a slow decay at their stores. Customer service will suffer. Customers will start to complain and will visit them less frequently. More cutbacks will have to happen because of suffering sales. The merchandise they sell will lessen in quality - to get more margin out of less sales. Stores will start to become unkempt and dirty. And Target will go the way of Circuit City.

Most unfortunate that those MBA's that run the business don't really know the elements that lead to success.

Treat your employees well. Pay them a decent wage. Let them feel secure and worthwhile. Everything falls into place if you just do that.

[dionysus]

61. excellent post

:thumbsup:

[Knight Hawk]

68. Maybe

The scenario you project was probably more true a few years ago than now.We are living in a whole new world,a new paradigm. There are not that many other jobs for people to go to.I think it is more likely that the remaining employees will work extra hard and smile extra wide for fear of being demoted or losing their jobs.It is right now an employers market and I do not see that changing for a long time.

[Jakes Progress]

76. Sorry. I disagree.

I can tell the fake smiles from miserable employees. The mood, the feeling of the store deteriorates. Desperation is hard to hide.

They are greasing the slippery slope.

[Selatius]

89. Desperate employees aren't happy employees. Neither are ones who are cowed into submission from fear

Lower productivity and higher turnover eat into profits despite the "smile training programs." Those two can kill any organization, and it has remained true through booms and busts.

[Selatius]

92. People like you should be teaching business mgmt in the school of business.

I have a degree in management, but I generally believe a more productive workforce is one that isn't made to work using fear and coercion in the workplace. If customer service is a core element of your business' success, as opposed to core elements related to efficient mass production as with traditional manufacturing firms, then the "machinery" you invest in becomes the employees themselves. The question becomes whether you want to use machinery that lasts but requires maintenance or cheap machinery that breaks down and constantly needs to be replaced (high turnover + low morale = increased training/hiring costs).

A lot of companies are run by boards that simply don't have the proper mindset. Frankly, a lot of shareholders are only interested in profits, which does not necessarily coincide with the long term viability of a company, especially if the emphasis is on fast profits. Lots of businesses take time before they show profits after investing heavily in employees and equipment, but a lot of shareholders don't have that kind of discipline to stick through the waiting period. They want profits now.

It's why GM simply refused to invest time and money in the 1990s to develop technology that increases fuel efficiency or technology to build hybrids or all-electrics until the wars and the resulting oil price shocks killed SUV sales. The company was led by people with no imagination and no vision to do better except quick profits, and shareholders were fine with that as long as the cash rolled in.

[CoffeeCat]

98. Amazing post...

If you aren't running a business, you should be!

[Blue_Tires]

141. with a few words of your post changed,

that is damn near EXACTLY what happened with the newspaper industry...Seeds planted back in 1996 with the Telecom act, and less than a decade after that everyone felt the reprocussions...Seasoned veterans bought out or let go, and you're left running a major daily paper with cowardly minor-league editors and a reporter pool full of glorified j-school interns...Papers with 100+ years of name recognition, trust with the readership and sterling reputations for truth pissed away their brand equity in 5 years...and I don't even think we've hit the bottom yet.

[AndyA]

6. It worked so well for Circuit City, I can surely see why Target wants to go down the same road.

I complained to Circuit City when they made their move, and I'll be certain to let Target know what I think about it. I like Target, it's the anti-Walmart since I refuse to support Walmart in any way.

Now I may have to add Target to my list of businesses I don't do business with.

[Fla Dem]

12. The difference is Circuit City was a failing store, Target's stock right now is the highest

it's been since mid-2008. Target is a fairly successful store. Like other retailers, it may have over expanded during the boom years and is now carrying some low producing stores. I suspect some bean counter consultant has advised Target to take this approach so they will stay viable. And health care costs are killing employers and companies. That's why we need health care reform. I like Target too. Never set foot in Wal-Mart. Target is always clean, bright and their employees are the best. But will go to more on-line shopping if by screwing their employees, Target becomes a Wal-Mart clone.

[whattheidonot]

17. lopsided system

This the problem with our lopsided system. In order to maintain profit so shareholders do not depart, employees are pushed down or let go. The company may survive but the economy takes a big hit. The government is not able to fill the void. So shareholders do the shopping for awhile until the situation gets totally out of control. When you lose your job or get reduced and health-care goes you pray. The system is broken. Huge corporations and business have killed it.

[Auggie]

133. My first impression too: Target becomes a Wal-Mart clone.

[pattmarty]

127. Circuit City finally went out of business, didn't they? You have to................

.........wonder about the "financials" of Target.

[Dappleganger]

7. They need a union.

I am sick and tired of workers being shaken down for ever last penny of savings!

[TwixVoy]

8. Target shows anti-union DVDs to all new hires

and has mandatory refresher training for current employees.

If you simply say the word "union" at Target you are going to find yourself unemployed shortly after....

[Xithras]

18. That's very true, even if you said it as a joke.

My aunt worked at a union grocery for nearly 30 years and retired on a union pension. When my way-too-naive cousin went looking for a job after she turned 18, she was hired by Target, went in to fill out the papers, and while doing so casually asked whether Target was a union store. The manager told her no, and then had her watch the anti-union video (along with safety videos and other things). After the video, she remarked to the manager that her mom had been in a grocery union for over 20 years (at that point) and that some of the things in the video were simply untrue. It wasn't a big deal to her, and she didn't think anything about the comment at the time. Want to guess what happened?

She was told to check in the following day when the new schedules would be posted. She wasn't on it, and was told that she was "too new" and hadn't made that weeks schedule. She was told to come back the following weekend when the next schedule would be posted. She got a call two days before the new schedule was up, and was told to make sure that she brought in her new employee polo and name tag in with her, because she "might have work" when she came in. When she did come in, they took the shirt from her and the manager said that they'd "overestimated their staffing needs" and wouldn't need her on staff after all. She was fired without ever working a single minute.

Her mom and I tried to tell her that she was canned over the pro-union comment, but she didn't believe us until one of her friends was hired on at the SAME Target a week later.

Target is just as anti-union as WalMart.

[TwixVoy]

28. I didn't say it as a joke

I was a manager at Target, and was one of the ones showing the anti-union DVDs.

A lot of people dislike Wal-mart, but what they don't know is that Target pulls everything they do. Literally EVERYTHING. And in some cases even worse.

[global1]

144. Tell Me About This Anti-Union DVD.....

What does it tell the new employees? Does it scare prospective employees? Who produced it? Target? Some outside anti-union group? How long does it run - 5 minutes; 30 minutes, etc? Who is doing the talking on it - Target management, some person with good pipes, etc? Do they have a Q&A session afterwards?

I really curious as to what an anti-union DVD is.

[sendero]

43. If Target went union..

.... they'd be out of business in 2 years.

Some of you folks are just so naive.

[Last Stand]

47. Oh, you saw the video?

Maybe you should check out the compensation of the upper management. Why does everyone up there have to make in the tens of millions and act so concerned about bankruptcy when Unionizing is brought up? You can't have it both ways.

[sendero]

48. The cost structures of retail..

... are very tight.

Dream all you want, number one it is not going to happen, and number two if it did Target would fail trying to compete with non union retailers.

Sure, upper management is going to take a pay cut so workers can make more.

Ever heard of supply and demand? Get familiar with it because it is not going away.

[liberation]

95. I see your anti-union bullshit talking points, and I raise you a COSCO

You were saying?

[AllHereTruth]

115. Listen, I work at Costco

We are not union, But we are paid some of the highest wages in the industry. I currently have full health and medical benefits, as well as a growing 401k.

It can be done.

[Raster]

126. I have family that works for Costco. Costco is also one of our clients.

The Chairman and Founder, Jim Sinegal, has been sued several times--unsuccessfully--by "shareholder rights" organizations because they say Costco pays their employees too much. Sinegal believes you pay your employees a true living wage and they, in turn, take care of customers and the business. He's right of course, and one of my business heroes.

[Jakes Progress]

79. Or wrote the video. nt

[Sherman A1]

50. I disagree

Union Grocery worker for 37 years and the company is doing just fine.

[greiner3]

55. Your reply needs the 'satire' symbol;

Just saying.

[salib]

57. I wonder if there is an effor to unionize the paid blog poster?

Just askin'

[Raster]

155. !!!

Just picture the paid keyboard kids singing "...Look for the union label.." each time they post another reich-wing, anti-union message...

[NoGOPZone]

60. Not naive enough to fall for and repeat right wing talking points nt

[pattmarty]

132. No moron, It All companies employees could organize then..............

..............no, Target or any other company would go out of business. Look at UPS and FedEX. What is needed is to liberalize the labor laws like "most" other industrial countries.

[mdmc]

34. 1

[northofdenali]

116. + 2, too, also. n/t

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sherman A1]

49. I believe that you are misinformed

but, believe as you wish.

I work in a union grocery store and the company is doing very, very well.

[Dr.Phool]

52. I guess you're a real paragon of productivity.

Unions protect wages and prevent shit like this from happening to employees.

[diane in sf]

62. I suspect you are a pizza lover...

[Selatius]

77. Bullshit. Of all the union members I knew, they worked their fucking asses off.

They did one hell of a job. Anybody who says otherwise is speaking out of ignorance or has never been inside a union before. Sure, there are dumbasses in every organization, but you also don't toss out the baby with the bathwater either.

[Jakes Progress]

81. Neocon meme.

Sent out through the MSM and gobbled up by the gullible.

[The Gunslinger]

90. BS

[liberation]

97. LOL....

Yeah, those pesky workers demanding a fair compensation for their work and a lazy 40 hr workweek. The gall!

[The_Casual_Observer]

113. Your 6th grade teacher tell you that this week?

[supernova]

9. This is sad.

I've loved shopping at Target.

It seems like mgmt types don't really want to run businesses anymore, just get in, cash out, and move on; leaving destruction in their wake.

:-(

[lpbk2713]

10. The demise of Target would be tragic, not only for the employees ...

... but it would give Wally World an even bigger monopoly than they enjoy right now.

I extend my regrets to your former co-workers. And BTW, I always preferred Target over

any of the other big box stores.

[iceman66]

11. This is why we need the EFCA.

Unfortunately all those union members who voted for Scott Brown probably killed any chance it had of passing!

[nimvg]

14. We Need...

...lots of things we're never gonna get.

[mdmc]

35. 1

[elocs]

121. Welcome to DU. You will soon come to recognize that DU does not deal well with reality.

If fact, many simply refuse to recognize it at all.

[Better Believe It]

21. You mean to tell me that not even 50 Senate Democrats would vote for the EFCA?

[iceman66]

42. There are certainly not 60,

and the Republicans are sure to fillibuster.

[dorktv]

108. They need to make them actually fillibuster!

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Twix, does Target have the same pay scale across the country

or regional pay?
Cost of living is much lower in my area, there are several stores, but I know people in Cal. cannot survive at all on the same pay scale.

[TwixVoy]

29. Regional pay

Pay varies from store to store, but it is usually within 1-3 dollars an hour of a variation.

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. More details of the plan. Sounds like Union busting technique

except it is a "benefits busting" technique>
Twix had a link to the Target employee blog, on the blog someone writes they have access to the full scope of the plan:


The first part is as Twix says:

"Basically all current specialists are to be told that they will continue to perform as they have been. They will continue to be scheduled 40 hours.
It directed HR to hire at least 1-2 more team members for every area which will be trained to perform the core roles of current specialists. (so for example - each store should have 2 or 3 TMs trained in handling MMB roles, electronics, shoes, etc)"

BUT THEN IT GETS MORE NASTY...the current staff are going to be busted down to part-time,
lose benefits and pay.

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)

Once that happens the extra team members that have been trained are supposed to be scheduled along with the current specs to fulfill the needs of the departments. So basically current specialists will become part time and will "share" the department with other trained TMs.

Even though the email said it was just to get them off the full time benefits.... My personal opinion is that this sounds like a plan to get replacement team members in place, then piss off all the current specs (making much higher wages) enough to quit.... thus a bunch of current specs will be replaced all around the company with part time entry level pay."

End of quoted information.

This technique will not be limited to Target, I fear.

[guruoo]

23. RW'ers will claim this is in reaction to the 'threat' of health reform n/t

[Kablooie]

19. If they go, that leaves us with nothing but Walmart as a general purpose department store.

[diane in sf]

64. If you're urban there's Costco--they treat their employees very well.

[lildreamer316]

105. ..and some of us don't have the fee to pay to get in the door at Costco.

Seriously. I'm on food stamps now, do you think I can really spare even $30 to $50, or whatever it costs, just so I can shop there?

[Kablooie]

118. Yes Costco is reputed to be a good company and the products are great if they have what you want.

The problem is that the choices are limited.

[totodeinhere]

136. The nearest Costo to me is a 3 1/2 hour drive away in Twin Falls.

I believe the posters who say it's a good organization that threats it's employees well, but it's obviously not a solution for everyone.

[cbdo2007]

20. If they aren't making as much money as they use to.....what would your solution be?

I guess they could keep paying them all more and end up going bankrupt and then all of them losing their jobs?

I'm sure a handful of the corporate people make a lot of money but in a case like Target its nothing like the tens of millions of $$ the bank execs make so that's surely not going to cover all these people.

[TwixVoy]

27. The stock price is at a 52 week high

How will cutting your most experienced employees help in the long run? How well did that work out for Circuit City?

[totodeinhere]

138. Usually when a company gets to this point they are acting out of desperation and it's probably too..

late to save them anyway. That's what happened to Circuit City and to Tower Records and several others before they went completely under. Cutting wages is a first step toward oblivion I'm afraid. And as you probably know, there isn't always a correlation between stock prices and the financial health of a company. Many factors can influence stock prices.

[NNN0LHI]

36. Target CEO's compensation was $48 million in 2007

http://www.startribune.com/business/11216726.html


... but in a case like Target its nothing like the tens of millions of $$ the bank execs make ...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

145. $48 million would hire 960 employees at $50,000

Any one of those CEO greedheads could live off savings and investments for several years to spare a couple hundred jobs.

[groundloop]

22. Unfortunately this corporate behavior is a byproduct of America's demand for the lowest price

It sucks, but we all want to buy products as cheaply as possible. That, coupled with corporate greed... And I can't forsee any end to this type of behavior.

[Hannah Bell]

24. no. capital's demand for the highest profit.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

146. The REASON they want cheap goods is that their incomes have stagnated in real terms

since 1979.

[4_TN_TITANS]

25. "after being loyal to the company for years." - first mistake.

Anyone who bought into the 'Work=Family' meme sort of deserves what they get. Company loyalty is a one way street and has been for as long as I've been in the workforce.

[NNN0LHI]

33. Yep soon as I read that I thought to myself that person must have "idiot" tattooed on their forehead

Sucking ass has never worked out well.

Don

[Lucky Luciano]

56. absolutely...I always have my eyes and ears open for the

bigger better deal. I will immediately jump ship for it too....in fact, I am in discussions with 2 suitors right now that have exciting opportunities given that my current place of employment is among the least interesting to work for in my industry.

[mdmc]

32. Their UNION will never allow this..

oh..

[Canuckistanian]

37. Man, I'm so old

I can remember the times when working for a big retail store meant you were set for life.

A decent hourly wage, bennies and a pension. People used to support whole families and retire with a party and a retirement gift......

As I say, I'm old

[dixiegrrrrl]

51. Somehow I knew it had all changed the day

Reagan fired the air controllers.
As busy as I was with my life, and as unaware as I was at time, I *knew* something had shifted for the worse.
that is when the "social contract" really got torn.
Post Reagan, it has been shredded.
You tell anyone under 40 now that people used to work for a lumber mill, or a business, or a
car plant, or Boeing ( my ex retired from there after 40 years.) and people worked until they retired,
went home to a house that had been paid off, got a pension....
no one will believe it now.
It took 28 years to kill most of the gains of the New Deal.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[BrklynLiberal]

58. Or have multiple generations and family members work for a particular company.

That is also a thing of the past...

[sasquatch]

59. That's why I'll never bforgive the yuppie generation

[Cirque du So-What]

143. Actually, that was the so-called 'greatest generation'

Baby boomers weren't in power at that time...but don't let that get in the way of a good hate-on.

[sasquatch]

150. The boomers were the majority voting block in the 1980s and were why Reagan won the WH

If the boomers didn't support him, he'd never started the conservative revolution.

[WestSeattle2]

70. Back in high school I worked in a Sears hardware department..

earning minimum wage plus commission....good dough for a high school kid! The guys across the aisle in Major Appliances were all in their 50s and 60s and earning VERY good coin. They lived large, at least in the eyes of a high school kid. Now you go into a Sears store and the clerks are just cashiers; not a sales person among them. In fact, many seem to consider it a major inconvenience to ring up a sale.

[phasma ex machina]

111. Sears sales floor employees work on commission - no sales means no compensation.

My sister-in-law works at Sears. She losses money whenever customers "just shopping" for ego strokes waste her time.

[pattmarty]

Yep. I'm old too. Remember Sears?

[TexasObserver]

38. This is a move designed to get employees to quit.

They clearly want employees who are on benefits to voluntarily leave. Cutting their pay several dollars an hour and making them take the same money as their subordinates is a good way to run off employees.

It's economically beneficial to the company for employees to quit, instead of firing them, which costs the company money.

This action also tells other employees "don't waste your time thinking you're going anywhere here," which also encourages those people to look for another job.

There is absolutely no loyalty from these big companies to their employees. It's tragic how that has become in our society.

[TwixVoy]

40. I've heard from one of my former coworkers

That severance packages are now being offered at some stores to get the ones out who won't quit. (apparently the offer is 4-8 weeks of pay)

[TexasObserver]

45. Yeah. It's a two step. First the bad news. Then the severance offer.

They want to stampede enough employees to quit so that the company can save money. Otherwise, they'll fire them, and those fired people will get unemployment benefits, and those payouts will cost the company money. Loss experience of the company for firings impacts costs of the program to the company.

[Selatius]

82. Not sure about other states, but where I live, fired employees get NO unemployment benefits.

If you're fired, you also forfeit your unemployment insurance. That's the way of things in Mississippi. If you are laid-off, however, the company must pay you unemployment benefits, so they are obviously going to find an excuse to can you rather than lay you off.

[TexasObserver]

104. "Fired without cause" and "Fired for cause" are the distinctions.

If an employee is fired for cause, the employer may be able to prevent the fired person from drawing unemployment, but the burden is on the employer to establish proper cause if they want to stop the employee from getting the benefit.

If an employee is not fired for cause, they are eligible for unemployment benefits.

The key determinant: was the employee terminated for cause? The employee can require a hearing, and the examiners don't simply accept as true everything the employer says about the employee. If the employee was laid off because business was slack, but the employer claimed it was something else, the employee can ask to be heard about it, and the examiner will hear both sides.

A bad employer can really screw over employees they fire/lay off by claiming wrongly the employees were terminated for cause. Each such employee is based forced to take the matter to their State unemployment agency to try to enforce their rights.

[Digit]

110. Living in an "at will" state myself

I have been fired from two jobs where the employer said I was not allowed to receive unemployment. I
appealed because they were bogus charges and did in fact receive benefits.
I imagine this tact works with some people and they don't even appeal. Had I stolen money, taken off of work too often, or were habitually late, it may have been a different outcome.

[TexasObserver]

112. Good for you!!

Employers count on the fact that many, many people don't realize that just because you're fired and just because your employer makes something up as basis doesn't mean it was for cause. It doesn't mean that you can't get benefits. It only means the employer is trying to screw you.

If the employee will find their state unemployment agency, file their action or appeal (it's pretty simple), they'll get a telephone hearing in many states. These hearing examiners do not rubber stamp the employer. They often rule against them. I've always encouraged anyone fired, let go, laid off to go get their unemployment benefits. Fight for it.

[CoffeeCat]

100. Is this a way to avoid bad headlines?

No doubt this is a cost-cutting measure. However, could this also be a way to
incite large numbers of employees to quit? That way, Target won't have to
announce "major layoffs" and get negative press and tons of questions about
their financial health.

Layoffs are often attractive to shareholders. However, in this down economy--it's
often a sign of weak sales. Most companies are working with a bare-bones crew
anyway, due to the wave of layoffs that happened during 2009.

Could Target be attempting to hide low sales or projected lower sales?

[TexasObserver]

114. I think your notion is a good one, and likely true.

By driving employees away and inducing severance deals, they're trimming their employees without announcing major lay offs.

It shows they're cutting costs, but not cutting jobs directly, which would have a negative impact on public perception of them.

[WestSeattle2]

67. Bingo. Unemployment levels are so high they can get

eager new employees to work for minimum wage. Supply and demand.

[sandyj999]

122. This Is True

I worked at Target for ten years starting in 1989. As my wage got "decent" the pushing started. At the time I started there my job was considered a "level two" job. which meant our pay scale could go higher then an entry level employee. It wasn't but a couple of years that "level two" was gone. They did "grandfather" us but there were maybe ten of us in the whole store.

Then it started with the pushing to get the work done when they knew it was impossible. Constant expectation to not only do our job but fill in when another department was short. There was no appreciation for a job well done. Every year on my review I received excellent but as the years went by I no longer received a .55 cent raise, the last time being told that I had hit the ceiling for my job. They offered me a .05 cent raise and I refused it. Then of course they started the pushing. It was a well known fact that when you started making a decent wage (for retail) they would do things to make you quit. Fortunately I didn't have to be there so I left.

[TexasObserver]

130. Upper management in big businesses disdain their line workers.

There's no respect. It's a huge dysfunctional family where daddy (top management) is uncaring and abusive, and mother (mid level management) is afraid of daddy, and stands by while he metes out abuse to the kids (lower level employees).

Reagan is the reason the anti-trust measures which originated under Teddy Roosevelt were destroyed, and we now have the obscene conglomerations of money and power with no effective limitations on their excess.

[sandyj999]

137. And they don't realize or acknowledge the fact that the workers are where their success lies.

I had never worked retail before and it gave me a whole new respect for anyone that does.

[JCMach1]

152. job churning...

[Swede]

41. This is disgusting.

It's not too bad being at the top,however.

Target
Gregg Steinhafel
$2.4 million - 2008
$12.9 million - 2007
Robert Ulrich
$48.1 million - 2006
$23.0 million - 2005
$23.1 million - 2004


http://retailindustry.about.com/od/topusretailcompanies/a/us_retail_ceo_compensation__2004_2009_comparison_2.htm

[dixiegrrrrl]

53. Wait a minute..

Looks like the new CEO took a major pay cut also????

How ironic.

[Atman]

71. Cut each of those annual salaries in half and what to you get?

Two guys who still make more money than they know what to do with, and a couple of thousand wage earners who make enough to shop at the company store.

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

.

[opihimoimoi]

46. Unmitigated/undiluted GREED......such is the folly of Ignorance...

Social Economic Evolution is in play here....not all orgs survive on this level of IG

[daleanime]

54. Then I guess Target ....

will go the way of Circuit City, Bye-bye Target:hi:

[Name removed]

73. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

63. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lib2DaBone]

65. The products in Target are even More cheesy and cheap than Wal-Mart...

... if that is at all possible....

Made in China... complete plastic inferior junk.. mixed with the smell of stale popcorn and 3-day old hotdogs cooking in the lunch section.. ahhhh.. gotta love love Target..

[Atman]

72. I'm sorry, nothing is worse than Wal Mart.

And I don't shop at Target, either. But at least I'll step foot in one on occasion. And on those instances I've never found the experience to be remotely as depressing as going into a Wal Mart.

Wal Mart is like a living retail zombie movie. Everything about it is creepy and scary. Target is horrible, but not even on the same plain as Wal Mart.

.

[Name removed]

75. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

78. Not a chance. nt

[Jakes Progress]

85. Full of it.

Your last line completely describes every WalWart I have ever had to visit.

[abelenkpe]

86. Completely disagree

Maybe your local Target is yucky?

But the Targets in my area are world class compared the the hell hole that is Wall Mart or K Mart. Both 'Marts" are disgusting depressing trashy dives far beneath your average Target.

Shame though this news. I had no idea they treated their employees this way. It will make me re-examine any plans to shop there in the future. Of course that will not be good for the employees either, if the store suffers financial losses they will pass the pain on to the lowest on the totem pole. What to do?

Can we just admit that in many ways capitalism without a moral compass just plain sucks?

[Atman]

99. What's with all the deleted messages?

I didn't see anything objectionable in this sub-thread.

:shrug:

.

[northofdenali]

117. Tombstoned.

Anti-progressive, anti-union idiot.

[Liberal_in_LA]

66. how awful. I shop at Target all the time. :-(

[Delphinus]

124. I used to shop at Target ...

now days I don't have money for anything. Target used to have good deals - the last time I was in, didn't notice that at all.

Back to the original post, this is really bad news for the people who work there. My heart goes out to them.

[Marr]

69. I wonder if this is related to the banks not passing out loans.

I noticed a lot of these high overhead businesses suddenly went poof when the credit crunch first hit the business sector a couple of years ago.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

74. "Area Coordinator"

was the terminology at Mervyns. These key team members worked their asses off and got paid crap wages. Trying to give them a proper raise was futile. One of many reasons I left Dayton-Hudson 15 years ago.

[SlingBlade]

83. More Misery on the way. Prepare yourselves.

You aint seen Nothing Yet !

[8 track mind]

101. I have a feeling you're right

It's going to take another huge labor movement to get us right again.

[The Gunslinger]

84. in 50 years America is going to be the cheap labor pool for the global market.

[Kat45]

87. My friend's son just got laid off from Target

He's 21, had probably been there a year or so, I think part time though I'm not sure since I saw him there a lot. Makes me wonder if they're doing a shitload of layoffs. I'm not sure what reason he was given for the layoff; I'll have to find out.

[Jakes Progress]

88. Some pointy haired mid level

came up with this idea to curry points with the fat asses who run the company. Neither the mid level nor the asses ever worked in retail. All number people isolated from the real world.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

147. Yes, ever since I worked temp for three years, I've been kind of Maoist about this

No one should be allowed into management training until they have worked in the lowest paid jobs for two years. They need to see the lower-level workers as human beings.

In fact, if I could, I would abolish the MBA degree and the business major and require EVERYONE to start at the bottom, including rich people's kids. Then I'd have companies recruit the most talented people from the bottom.

Don't laugh. After one of the banks here was charged with gender discrimination in hiring and promotion in the 1970s, the settlement required it to recruit new managers from among the women tellers. My cousin was one of the beneficiaries and made a fine career for herself.

[burning rain]

91. The Democratic Party has a great political opportunity--& moral obligation--to advocate...

the better interests of workers in the service/retail industry, as they're particularly exploited and undercompensated. This, however, will require the mettle to alienate the mighty business lobby.

[CoffeeCat]

93. If you ask me, Target is making lots of poor decisions...

I used to shop at Target quite a lot. I liked their merchandise and the variety. Plus, there
were good deals to be had. I am barely at Target anymore.

First off--This may not be a big deal to many people--but Target's coupon policy is screwed up. They
used to have great coupons on their Website that I used at least weekly. Now, I can't download
the coupons. Plus, half of the time you go in--the cashier doesn't understand the coupon policy
that is plastered all over their walls. It ends up being a big debate between the cashier and the
customer and I grew weary of it.

Also, Target has a new section this year. They swapped their Global Bazaar (home furnishings) section for
a Costco-type, bulk section. I hate it!! The prices aren't that great. I don't go to Target to buy a 12-pack
of Pringles or 50 rolls of toilet paper shrink wrapped together. Most people who shop at Target don't shop
that way! Target's marketing targets moms and women a great deal. Does Target really think that I'm going
to drag in my kids and the cart--and load up on bulk items like that? Weird.

I belong to several online bargain shopper/coupon groups. Laugh if you will--but it's a tight-knit, large
group and we all discuss the stores, customer service and deals. One site has 100,000+ members.
Everyone is complaining about Target.

If Target has to cut costs, it's because mgmt is making poor decisions like these--are probably lots of others.

What a pity that their hard-working employees bear the brunt of poor decisions from upper mgmt.

[lunasun]

94. R any 'big box 'stores

ethically acceptable? Union? I have a fondness for IKEA although limited stock, but do not know much about the work conditions at any of these boxes...except Walmart which is all out there in the media

Never catch a mention of Target or Home Depot.

Walmart does give the impression of bottom of the barrel employment wise......
Does Target just have better PR???

[PatrynXX]

96. brother was lured from one job to Target

frozen food distribution in Cedar Falls, IA then fired a month later with the other seasonal staff. Basically most of the people who got the distribution center up and running and even let these people take their families on a tour of the building (yeah thats how I got in the building) were fired a few weeks after that. If you thought Walmart was a bad company, Target is far far worse.

[ddeclue]

103. Retail slavery sucks... I worked at Kroger for 6 years..

[OneBlueSky]

106. giving your loyalty to a retail chain is never, ever a winning proposition . . .

when they want to screw you, they'll find a way . . . when I was working in retail many years ago, I saw it happen again and again, usually to the best employees who had worked the hardest but whose salaries increased too rapidly for the company's liking . . . I can only imagine how bad it is these days . . .

[MilesColtrane]

107. Damn, I'd better hurry up and use that gift card I got for Christmas.

[asdjrocky]

109. This is what happens to people-

when it's only about profit.

[johnu78]

120. Port Richey Target Closing

Take a look at this short video I did about Target closing their Port Richey store:


Target Corp Closes Its Port Richey Store
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ8RepOfiis

[happygoluckytoyou]

123. GREAT NEWS..... all Republicans in this group might now support national HEALTH CARE!

[Imajika]

128. Retail workers should always view their job as temporary...

There is no future in retail unless you own the store. Anyone getting a job in retail should be searching for a real job or going to uni/tech school/etc to get training for something better.

That is the bottom line. Retail is awful, and it isn't just the company's fault. Circuit City argued for awhile that people would pay extra to come into a store that had a better trained and paid sales force. WRONG. Consumers want the cheapest deal they can get. PERIOD. Sure, some will pay a bit extra to shop in a store with a higher quality staff, but not near enough to keep the store afloat. No matter how socially conscious people claim to be, most end up just shopping for the lowest possible price. They can research the item on the internet first, no need for a knowledgeable staff in most cases. So the workers get screwed? Meh, sad, but today's consumers don't care - they just want the cheapest possible deal.

To be competitive in retail, unless you've got a nice niche carved out, you pretty much need to cut costs to the bone. That is basically what the consumers demand. A company can get away with paying higher salaries and better benefits if they are doing something unique and there isn't much competition, but once there is, rest assured employees will get utterly screwed.

tl;dr - there is no future in retail unless you own the company. Always avoid retail. If you must take a job in retail, spend all your free time working to get out.

[pattmarty]

129. Time to pass the EFCA, although we all know that it won't pass.

[dgibby]

131. I shop at Publix ,

which is employee owned. I can honestly say that it is the best store I've ever shopped in. The store is bright, clean, well stocked. The employees are courteous, friendly, and go out of their way to ensure customers are happy and satisfied. I have never waited in line at check our for more than 5-8min, and have never left the store without being asked if I need help taking my cart to the car, regardless of the size of my order. Too bad more businesses aren't run this way.

[Imajika]

134. Publix...

I don't know much about them, but despite being "employee owned", I thought they were one of the big stores that had been working furiously to keep unions out.

I am sure I recall reading about Publix successfully beating back the UFCW several times, so I assumed Publix was pretty anti-union.

Maybe they still have a good working environment though. Sounds like it from your positive experience shopping there.

[high density]

135. Going the way of Circuit City? That's quite an assertion

Screwing over an experienced and loyal labor pool is a dumb move, but the fact remains that Target stores are full of customers who need little to no help from Target employees until they hit the checkout line. Circuit City's stores were empty to begin with, then they ditched experienced salespeople for newbies. The sales staff is a little more important when people are more often buying high priced items like TVs and computers rather than groceries and household goods.

[TheCowsCameHome]

139. Is this really a surprise to anyone?

Big companies couldn't care less about the welfare of their employees.

Pure and simple.

Loyalty is dead on both sides of this coin.

[GreenEyedLefty]

140. I worked for Target in the early 90s and frankly, this does not surprise me.

I went from trailer unloader (Level I) to area specialist (Level III), a move that was almost unprecedented - no one was ever promoted from "the back" to the salesfloor... but I was.

I was promoted because I worked hard, but realized quickly that my nose wasn't brown enough for management's liking. I had the nerve to complain about working conditions and unfair labor practices (off the clock overtime, anyone? - it was the ONLY way to get my work done so I wouldn't get written up) and was eventually driven out when I started making comments to my co-workers about the need to unionize that store. It was so blatantly obvious in 1993, I'm surprised that it took this long to start making this stuff more public.

It's heartening to see that employees have a forum to discuss their issues with Target, and that I wasn't alone.

[sandyj999]

153. I too am a Target survivor having worked there in the early 90's.

And I remember a store exec telling me that when you went to Level 3 and were put on salary you were expected to put in AT Least 50 hours per week. And if you saw anything illegal or wrong that an employee was doing, they didn't want to hear about it. I reported someone one time for hiding product so it would continue dropping in price due to clearance and all I got was a dirty look from my supervisor. I took it to mean, "please don't tell me about that, then I may actually have to deal with it". It was an enlightening experience for sure.

[Romulox]

142. Honestly, what do they sell at Target that anyone ever needs? It's all crap.

When I need crap of that description, I buy it at unionized Meijer stores. But honestly, I really don't need anything they sell at Target on anything like a regular basis.

[spinbaby]

149. I've suspected Target was in trouble

Our Target store has a picked-over look--a little bit of stuff spread across too much shelf space. At first I thought it was just that they hadn't restocked after Christmas, but it seems to be permanent now.

I'm running out of stores I'm willing to shop at--Costco, Giant Eagle, the Mennonite bulk store, and consignment shops are about it for me.

[JCMach1]

151. Target just lost my business...

[tilsammans]

154. I stopped shopping at Target because of what you wrote a while back . . .

. . . and then, just when it seemed things couldn't get worse, they did.

Reprehensible. :rant: