February 5, 2018
‘I wake up ... from nightmares:’ Why Whole Foods workers are hating life
By Madeleine Marr
mmarr@miamiherald.com
You think your job is a grind?
Try working at Whole Foods, which is apparently a pretty tough place to clock in every day.
“I wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares,” an anonymous staffer told Business Insider, which spoke to 27 current and former workers. “The stress has created such a tense working environment. Seeing someone cry at work is becoming normal.”
Crying? There’s no crying in supermarkets!
Seriously: What’s the problem?
Seems the Austin, Texas-based chain, which was bought by Amazon last summer, has initiated a new inventory system called order to shelf (OTS) that is pretty hardcore — and breaking down morale. Amazon’s founder is Jeff Bezos, who went to high school in Miami-Dade.
Business Insider
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@businessinsider
'Seeing someone cry at work is becoming normal': Employees say WholeFoods uses "scorecards" to punish employees for failing to comply with its inventory management system https://read.bi/2DT1Ob6
10:52 AM - Feb 1, 2018
According to Supermarket News, OTS is when distributors and suppliers deliver small batches of product to retailers, which helps stores keep back-room inventory down and, of course, saves money.
When asked by the Miami Herald to comment on employee complaints, a spokeswoman did not specifically address the issue.
“Whole Foods is committed to providing the best selection of high quality products and in-stock for our customers,” Whole Foods’ Brooke Buchanan said Monday in an email.
To keep shelves fully stocked, staffers have to hustle more than ever. To add insult to injury, managers walk around conducting pop quizzes, doing spot checks and checking off scorecards to determine how quickly the shelves are replenished.
Kurt Eichenwald
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@kurteichenwald
After @Amazon took over @WholeFoods, my wife said the place seemed like a place of misery with frantic employees wrapped up in so much make-work that customer service was gone. Now we know why. We go to central market and regular grocery store now. https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/crying-work-becoming-normal-whole-foods-employees-revolt-amazon-imposes-scorecard-system/ …
8:59 PM - Feb 1, 2018
“Do all items on sales floor have accurate signage?” reads one of the myriad questions on the scorecard for a produce staffer.
“Are all displays that are not pulled down at night maintaining 75 percent holding power or greater throughout the day?”
Some shoppers at the Coral Gables Whole Foods reacted with surprise to hear the news that Amazon had acquired the popular grocery chain Friday, June 16, 2017. Shoppers all said how much they loved the shopping experience of Whole Foods, but some liked the idea of using Amazon online as a possible alternative to shopping and traffic.
A scorecard grade below 89.9 percent is considered failing and the employee may be subject to termination, not to mention humiliation.
“The fear of chastisement, punishment, and retribution is very real and pervasive,” another worker told the site, which adds that the harsh working environment has caused many people to quit.
Ironically, OTS may not even be helping the bottom line. Business Insider reports that many Whole Foods are experiencing food shortages because of it.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article198441939.html
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